equality

What a bag can illustrate!

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Wandering around the market on a warm, blue-sky day in Lanzarote, this bag jumped out at me.

The stallholders were a local father and son selling the leather goods they made themselves.

Bags and rucksacks of every size and colour, this green one stood out. The intricate pattern in contrasting red on the flap, two zips on the back and long adjustable strap – exactly what I needed for work back home. Few would have such a bag – bonus! I like to be different!

The father with his smiling toothless grin wrapped the bag and off I went pleased with my purchase.

Back in the hotel room a few hours later, I took the bag out of its wrapping. What was that smell? Subtle, yet pungent. I couldn’t find the culprit anywhere until I sniffed the bag – deeply and closely. Urgh – this was a difference I didn’t want!

After a search on Google, I discovered:

🫣 All sorts of hides can be used – including camel
🫣 All sorts of products can be used to tan the leather – including fish oil and urine! – who knew

Pungent smells can occur when inferior hides and tanning products are used as the leather breaks down. There is no cure.

The bag was left behind but clearly illustrates what you see on the surface isn’t always the whole story!

This is true of people too. Especially in the workplace.

People at all levels must deal with pressure and change continuously. This can weigh heavy on them and their colleagues.

What can be done? Give them the tools and knowledge they need:

💡 Raise awareness amongst managers – is what you are seeing the whole story?
💡 Roll out training for staff to proactively build their resilience and thrive.
💡 Provide coaching for neurodivergent team members to tame the impact on them.

I specialise in workplace programmes that enables teams to thrive. Including:

Neurodivergent coaching 1:1 – how to thrive in a neurotypical workplace (I am a certified ADHD Coach)

Awareness of neurodivergence for managers – what you might see, what you might do. Critical for true team inclusion and reduction of risk of an ET (CPD certified programme)

How to be an ally to your neurodivergent colleague – for non-managers (CPD certified programme)

I-Act Managing and Promoting Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing – global programme accredited by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in line with ISO45003. (I have been delivering this programme to global organisations for over four years)

Time to talk about the transformation I can deliver for your team?

Hidden in plain sight!

Jane JamesLeave a comment



Reaching the end of the traditional working week, what has been achieved in your workplace?

Done anything meaningful for #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek?

What’s the lasting impact?

The theme for 2025 is ‘community’ and the impact on us. The workplace is a key ‘community’. Sometimes we’re there more than at home!

Something impactful workplaces can do anytime of the year is run neurodivergent awareness sessions.

Change assumptions into curiosity. Isolation into inclusion. Hidden into seen.

Want to know more?

City & Guilds 2025 Index shows 13% of employers involved in current Employment Tribunals are there because of a conflict with neurodivergence.

It’s easy for pressurised managers to assume symptoms seen are behaviours/attitude. It can also be costly!

Neurodivergent conditions are protected under Disability within the Equalities Act 2010. Compensation in this areas is uncapped with average payments around £45K.

It’s estimated 1:7 adults are neurodivergent – many won’t know it. Assessment in the UK can take 7+ years. Medication is often in short supply. Learning how their neurodivergence shows up enables them to learn how to tame it. This is key in the workplace to enable creativity and productivity to flow whilst smashing the risk of burnout.

Ensuring managers have awareness training to understand how to be curious and engage with all members of their team – is a cost effective ‘no brainer’. Isn’t it?

As is giving colleagues the tools and knowledge to be an ally.

As a certified ADHD Coach, I have devised CPD certified sessions for workplace managers and colleagues.

Are you interested to learn more for your workplace? Contact me for an exploratory chat

Some thoughts from managers who have completed the awareness session:

“I learnt more about the legal side and our legal obligations that I wasn’t aware of.  I didn’t know it was classed as a disability.

I learnt more about the executive functioning and how that’s impacted and additional ideas about how to support someone with ADHD to make reasonable adjustments for them.”

“I thought it was really informative and contained a good level of information to increase the awareness for a manager in spotting and helping individuals with ADHD”

Our insightful employers – want to join them?

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Growing Talent is lucky to have strong collaboration ties with employers, #JobCentrePlus, community groups and the hidden talent of the unemployed people in London.

All share the common ground of enabling unemployed people to secure a job a different way, which they can grow into a career and close their own social mobility gap – permanently.

A big claim? Not for Growing Talent.

Over the 10 years it has run, multiple people have proven this and climbed their career ladders. Compared to where they started, the difference is as strong as that between night and day.

Confirmed employers for this round – our 39th programme – include:

Adecco

CIS Security Limited

ISS A/S

Iron Mountain

NG Bailey

Pertemps Network Group

Portico

#RestoreHarrowGreen

SPS UK & Ireland

There is still time to join these insightful employers if you have a role in London to fill.

But, the clock is ticking! ⏰

Deadline is 9am on 6 February. DM me for more information

A huge thank you to our insightful employers, #DavidSteeds team at #JobCentrePlus, Rob Matthews (Anna) their partners in the community, Matthew Izekor of #SouthwarkCareLeavers and our unemployed applicants who collaborate together to do things differently 👏 👏 👏

📢 to our sponsors Adam Bushell, Allen Salmon and the awesome magician behind the scenes Adrienne Simpson without whom Growing Talent wouldn’t be – thank you.

October – end of the year? Time to slow down?

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Hell no!

October, who knew so much would be going on as we get closer to the year end!

Instead of making New Year Resolutions, why not seize the day today!

Many workplaces will have multiple events running throughout October. These can be epic or intimate depending on the organisation.

Until today, I did not realise October was also ADHD Awareness month – and I’m an ADHD Coach, amongst other things!

Raising awareness of neurodivergency in your workplace – what it might look like, what you might do – is a pivitol starting point to ensure both mind operating types in your business – neurotypical and neurodivergent – feel included enhancing emotional safety at work.

To those on the fringes, symptoms can look like behaviours. Equally, those who are neurodivergent may not even realise it having masked all their life.

1:1 ADHD Coaching identifies how ADHD shows up for an individual and enables them to explore strategies to tame it.

Employers can provide this as part of their reasonable adjustments – keeping their awesome talent in their business.

In addition to the amazing events you have planned for October – is ADHD Awareness for Managers and How to be an Ally to an ADHD Colleague part of your plan?

If you’d like to know more about these niche workshops – get in touch!

The power of ‘just starting’…..

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Inspiring to learn today a hybrid version of @Growing_Talent ran during the height of #Covid in Sept 2020 was so successful.

Chloe, Courtney, Shelley, Sophia, Ryan and Vanessa are still onboard 2 years later!

They took a chance on Growing Talent with great results for them and their London employer – a global financial services firm.

Being unemployed is tough. Getting employers to see you for your skills, abilities and attributes rather than your label ‘single parent’, ‘unemployed’ etc seems impossible.

Growing Talent makes it possible!

London based and interested?

#financialservices#talent#London#hiddentalent#juststart

Collaboration delivers results….. do you agree?

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Exciting meeting with @DavidSteeds & @Maddiemum @JCPinSthLondon yesterday planning @Growing_Talent 2023.  Four programmes will run throughout the year enabling forward planning for all involved. Targeting London based employers and unemployed people looking for a different journey into work.

In these challenging times, now more than ever this unique collaboration is needed to deliver positive results to all.

Thanks to all involved over 9yrs Growing Talent has run changing lives by delivering real social mobility 

What will the next year hold for Growing Talent?????

Who knows! One thing is for sure, we’re ready to roll that bowling ball!

Planning a unique event for Growing Talent…..

Jane JamesLeave a comment

We’ve all heard the sayings:

“The devil’s in the detail”

“Preparation prevents poor performance”

“Fail to prepare and you prepare to fail”

Amongst very many others. Of course the smallest detail can have the biggest impact so it’s important to know what the goal is of the event upfront. Then it’s easy to work out the intricacies such as budgets, speakers, awards/gifts etc.

Luckily, the unique event I’m planning is the Recognition and Relaunch of Growing Talent – neither has been done before. 

Pre Covid, we held annual graduation ceremonies for everyone who had completed Growing Talent over the previous year coming together in London to celebrate with their respective employers.

Covid brought many changes across the board for everyone – in work and at home. Whilst we switched to virtual delivery for an employer who was looking to hire in permanent national roles working from home, the traditional route to employment outside the home has changed.

The two years plus of uncertainty we lived under during Covid, didn’t end when the heat of Covid diminished. Covid was quickly followed by the war in Ukraine, the consumer crisis, and now the prospect of rising taxes, meaning the pool of talented unemployed people who want to work has dwindled, leaving employers with multiple roles to fill.

This lack of confidence on both sides needs a unique tool to bring each together. That tool for many will be Growing Talent.

Earlier this year, Growing Talent was revised to make clear benefits for both the employer and prospective employee. Below are the highlights for each:

We have some confirmed speakers already for the event on 16 January 2023 including:

David – senior group manager for London and Essex at DWP. David has been instrumental for years in supporting the flexibilities needed for Growing Talent to be a success within JobCentre Plus and spread the word amongst his large, diverse, geographically spread team.

Jamie & Pedro – known to Growing Talent as the ‘dream team’. Supporting and cheerleading Growing Talent since the beginning, they have put their heart and integrity into guiding everyone they’ve met on Growing Talent over the years into some awesome careers. Not easy to do when you have a booming successful recruitment branch to run as they do with Pertemps and Red Personnel in London. They will be sharing why they do this from an employers viewpoint.

Ella from MasterFix Properties will be speaking from a dual view. Earlier this year, Ella was selected to join Growing Talent by Paul, Head of Talent at MasterFix who was looking for a Talent Co-Ordinator to join his team. After successfully completely Growing Talent, Ella returned with Paul to the next programme to select more talent to join the London team.

The line-up of this unique event will of course grow over the coming weeks.

A schedule will be published of when Growing Talent will run in 2023 giving time to employers, JobCentre Plus and the charities we work with to prepare.

If you are a London based employer with permanent roles to fill in 2023 and want to recruit a more diverse way, why not get in touch to find out more?

Growing Talent – Employers’ Speed Dating!

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Friday 17 June was a balmy, sunny and sticky day in London. Temperatures were high so was the positive energy in this room as our Employer Speed Dating session got underway.

This is the first selection stage of Growing Talent which removes the potential for assumptions to be made by removing cvs and formal interviews. This enables the real person to be seen rather than any ‘labels’ they may have.

For employers, it enables a collaborative, unique way to tap into a hidden talent pool bringing diversity, inclusion, commitment and belonging into their business – which can only be good, right?

Passionate employers driven to uncover diverse talent for their roles that they can grow and nurture to be empowered employees defied the heat of the trains to get to our venue at London Bridge. Let’s face it, they could have given their roles to traditional agencies – wouldn’t that be easier? Probably, but easier isn’t always best!

Some had taken part previously and knew the fun ahead. For some, it was a completely new experience! No cv? No formal interview? No Job Description? What a leap of faith they took to step out of their comfort zone to join us!

Equally impressive was the integrity and commitment of the fabulously talented, but currently unemployed applicants who arrived enthusiastic, keen to meet employers without the shackles of traditional recruitment but unsure what was going to happen and of course a little glowing from their journeys! 

What gave me the biggest kick was seeing Ella and Kieran from previous Growing Talent programmes now employer side! How fabulous is that!

There’s always a little tweak to be done in the setting up of these events. As usual the amazing Julie from #Portico Welcome Team was on hand to help me! Of course, on the front desk welcoming everyone to the event was Alex – from a previous Growing Talent programme! #inspiring for the applicants.

Within minutes of entering the room to start the timed table changes – the chatter and laughter was rising as any nerves melted away.

Ricky & Sharon from #RestoreHarrowGreen seeking new talent for their diverse roles.

Lois #SwissPostSolutions & Lesley from the global financial services organisation that sponsors Growing Talent joining us to explore some potential NEBOSH H&S Executives. Both have been involved in Growing Talent from the start and of course gave tips and pointers to those they saw who didn’t quite know what to say at first.

Ella and Paul of Master-FixProperties looking for fabulous new talent to join their business. Ella of course could give some insight of the Growing Talent journey that lies ahead for those going forward.

Michael #ISS looking for new talent to join his team

Laura & Emma #OfficeConcierge joining us for the first time to look for those hidden gems of talent we have amongst our unemployed communities.

Soraya, Kieran and Rosie #SPS looking for a new team member. Like Ella, Kieran has been on the Growing Talent journey and knows what it’s like. Although when Kieran did it, Growing Talent was three months long not five weeks! 

Rosie is part of Lois’s team at SPS. Together they have given opportunities to around 38 people through Growing Talent since the first programme in early 2014. Many are still there and in supervisory positions.

Always time for one more photo! – Anna – longstanding cheerleader from JobCentre Plus, Ella and Paul #MasterFix and Sharon #RestoreHarrowGreen. Over the years, Sharon has taken over 30 people into her business and watched them grow and develop.

This week sees the second selection stage take place with 1-2-1s – mainly virtual thanks to the rail strike! Nothing detracts Growing Talent – there is always a way!

Looking forward to meeting these fabulous employers this week are: Abbas, Alex, Dimitrios, Edward, Frank, Martin, Rosanna, Shari and Sharon.

Check back to find out how they get on.

Growing Talent is a collaborative way for employers and their unemployed communities to come together on a level playing field journey to permanent jobs. Find out more on the Growing Talent tab on this website or check out http://www.growing-talent.co.uk.

Diamonds….. interested?

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When they are dug up, diamonds look like insignificant dusty pieces of glass. Without the trained eye to see what amazing gems these can be polished into, their value can be missed. We aren’t just talking surface beauty here in the jewellery market but their unique strength in other industries including:

Mining – diamonds are used in deep surface drilling due to their toughness and heat resistence

Dentistry – diamond tipped tools are used by dentists for their endurance

High end speakers – diamond domes never wear out meaning the sound never deteriorates

Super computers – diamond’s heat resistance make them invaluable in this field where heat can be a problem

Construction – diamond embedded saws cut-up roadways more easily – harder to break and aren’t affected by friction heat

The same can be said when recruiting new talent. Unpolished gems are missed everyday because employers see the surface label not the gem underneath – a little like that dug-up diamond.

On Growing Talent, the polish is delivered in a unique bootcamp intensive week of orientation delivering life and workplace skills. Delivered during this week is the global I-act course – Managing and Promoting Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing accredited by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and designed for the workplace. Embracing critical awareness of emotional intelligence in all areas of life ensures by the time your selected ‘rough diamond’ arrives on your site, you have something unique and magical – your own diamond to polish.

We are launching a new campaign in January 2022. If you are looking for new talent with drive, commitment and the ‘edge’ why not try us out?

For more information check out http://www.growing-talent.co.uk

Zero cost. Zero risk.

Do we have the will to examine and question our behaviours and their impact on others?

Jane JamesLeave a comment

Thanks to Netflix, I watched this brilliant film over the weekend. I was struck by many things. Yes, it had all the emotions – happy, sad, courage, loyalty, generational parallel lives, hope, adversity, ignorance, acceptance, bullying and likely many more. Overall, it left a feeling of hope, that’s it’s ok to be your authentic self and life can be fun if we drop the judgements we give others – without even speaking with them.

I originally wrote this for my LinkedIn in page. Why? because the film is a place of work comprising actors, camera crew, runners etc as is the school central to the film’s theme. Without the Emotional Intelligence to accept all work colleagues – direct reports, peers, line management, clients, supply chain etc in all sectors, as well as recognise and understand how our emotions, thoughts and behaviours impact others, businesses and their people will never thrive.

As the credits to the film rolled, we see the ‘real’ Jamie Campbell and his mum Margaret from County Durham who the film was based on. A three part documentary in 2011 featuring Jamie and his mum’s fight for him to be allowed to wear a dress to his secondary school prom.

For me, the most poignant feeling I got from the film was how little has changed. Ten years since the documentary on Jamie’s fight to be authentic yet we don’t seem any further forward. In the film, Jamie’s guide to becoming a drag queen is Hugo played by the brilliant Richard E Grant. Snapshots of Hugo’s life as a drag queen during the explosion of AIDS, had parallels with Jamie’s fight and illuminated the lack of acceptance today.

With training in how our behaviours impact ourselves and those around us, change is possible – but only if we want it.

Final thoughts – the film ended with a real shift in change of attitudes by many. I wonder how much more businesses would grow if they looked at the behaviours and impact of all within…..