Checklist! The following is ready to go for tomorrow’s 17th Employer Speed Dating Session at Southwark Cathedral!
With 22 talented applicants expected, it should be an amazing day!
Thanks to Matthew Bowden for the inspiring feature photo from http://www.freeimages.com – it aptly shows the bright new future awaiting the selected Growing Talent Associates……….
Reading The Metro on the train this morning, there was a small piece on a group supporting offenders completing their sentence to be given a £1K package to include grooming costs, clothes etc to enable them to make a great 1st impression when meeting prospective employers.
A great idea. But are 1st impressions still appropriate?
I’ve noticed more and more, in the corporate world especially, how dress code has changed to become almost non-existent.
It almost seems unacceptable now to give personal image guidance to increase someone’s chances of making a great 1st impression.
I hope the group trying to support the offenders are successful. People leaving prison clearly have a number of hurdles to get over if they are going to make a successful transition.
Personally, I know that I perform more confidently if I’m dressed appropriately for the situation/event.
So just how important is ‘dress to impress’ ‘no 2nd chance at a 1st impression’ now?
What do you think?……….
To me it’s a time to respect those women who everyday work hard to deliver real change to benefit others. If can be someone locally running a drop in club for new mothers – who are naturally terrified of the responsibility – to people like Helen Taylor Thompson – 93yrs young who was a spy in WWII, set up the first AIDS hospice in Europe and now works in using technology in the treatment of AIDS patients.
No matter how small their impact is on our lives, for me, it’s about telling them!
I am honoured to work with some amazing people on Growing Talent (www.growing-talent.co.uk). Today I received an email from one of them who was on the programme over 2 years ago to thank me for my support. I’m still buzzing!
‘Happy international women’s day!! Thanks for encouraging me to seek counselling and stay strong, it’s what got me through a lot and still keeps me going. Had to thank you once again in light of today as it’s what inspires me to stay strong so I can encourage other women one day.’
Why not use this auspicious day to tell those women who inspire you, about the impact they have had on you. You’ll make their day and give solid meaning to #IWD2018!
The link below – which you’ll need to cut and paste into your browser – features some interesting research from Soma Analytics.
HRH Prince Harry asked in a radio broadcast what affect mental health had on business. The financial cost has been well known for years as has the human cost on individuals, colleagues, families, line management etc.
Soma Analytics research showed two out of three UK large businesses do not publish their mental health strategy and support for their staff in their Annual Reports. More startling was businesses that did publish this information saw their profits increase by three times!
It’s well known if you look after your staff, your staff will look after your customers and business with grow and profits increase. So why is business so reluctant to publish what they do in their Annual Reports?
There is no health without good mental health…….
Check out the feature for yourself. What do you think?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42512723
Seen above are some of the 27 Growing Talent Graduates of 2017 after receiving their Graduation prize – a logo’d fitbit from Jon and Steve of PwC centre rear.
A fabulous evening of catch-up for the Graduates – some had not seen each other for almost a year!
Of course, it was off to the pub for liquid refreshments shortly after this was taken – very well deserved!
Well done to all of you………
What will 2018 bring?
More information at http://www.growing-talent.co.uk…….
At the start of 2017, there were 27 people who really wanted to change their lives and get into permanent work – but being unemployed – they had no idea how.
At the same time there were a number of employers including some from the world of hospitality, business moves, recruitment, data management and business services looking to add new talent to their businesses but not knowing how to confidently recruit people with knowledge of their current and future potential as well as their commitment and reliability.
Growing Talent is the bridge between the two. A supported journey for both sides to evaluate the other delivering sustainable recruitment and no surprises!
All 27 people mentioned above at the start of 2017, completed Growing Talent and went into work. Their employers were confident they had the right match for their roles, teams and business.
To date, Growing Talent has seen 121 people from diverse backgrounds go into permanent jobs changing their lives and their employer’s perception on the talent that is missed in the ranks of our unemployed population.
It’s so difficult ‘selling’ your skills and potential on a faceless cv. It’s even harder if confidence has dropped due to unemployment. Some of the success stories of Growing Talent below………
Richard – mid-30s and never worked. Dropped school at 15. Secured a role with Harrow Green – still working there almost 2 years later.
Dan – a graduate who didn’t know what career he wanted. Joined a front of house team on a corporate site as a Welcome Host. 18 months later – on their fastback programme progressing to team leader.
Chris – a little over 3 years ago, had a series of temp jobs in retail and some volunteering. Was unwell with depression. When asked why he should be given a chance on Growing Talent, he replied ‘I honestly don’t know’. He joined a business solutions organisation on a corporate site. After two years he moved to a hotel reception role and is now Supervisor there managing a team! He’s also started a degree course in his spare time.
If you are looking to get into work in 2018 and don’t know how – check http://www.growing-talent.co.uk.
As an employer, if you don’t recruit through Growing Talent, do you want to continue missing out on great talent like Chris, Dan and Richard? It costs nothing other than time, open mind and commitment.
What are you going to change in 2018?
I heard this term for the first time on the ASIST 2 day workshop in Brighton. A fellow delegate was a psychotherapist and used it to explain a technique used professionally.
When speaking with a client, she uses her ‘Internal Supervisor’ to highlight the occasions to dig deeper. If she found herself getting bored, was her client getting monotone and repetitive. Often people do this when they are trying to avoid the real issue. As she explained this, I realised we all have an ‘Internal Supervisor’ or ‘gut instinct’.
I must admit, I had never questioned my moods when listening to someone else but I will from now on. It’s a logical tool to use in supporting people to ensure we dig deep enough to get the entire story out.
There is rightly a lot in the press at the moment about sexism across society and business. Danny Cotton is pushing for the term ‘Fireman’ to be abolished and ‘Firefighter’ to be used.
Pay inequality is rife and across all industries. Sometimes it’s hard to remember the Equalities Act is seven years old when we still have this divide going on.
Yesterday Theresa May invited five ‘Canary Girls’ to 10 Downing Street to say ‘thank you’ for their role in the war. All in their 90s, they recollected the dangers they worked in without even thinking about it.
Cordite was the substance they worked with in the ammunitions factories to make the explosives for the front. Exposure to this – remember, long before our stringent H&S laws, turned the users yellow like canaries.
Looking back over history we have many examples of women breaking barriers despite how impenetrable these barriers initially seemed.
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson – became the first UK female doctor in the 1860s. Nancy Astor became the first female MP in 1919. Caroline Herschel was awarded the Royal Astronomical Society’s gold medal in 1828. In 1848 Mary Sommerville’s book on Physical Geography was used in schools for the next 50 years. The list goes on. It’s clear these women and every woman throughout history who has become an influence in their chosen field, may not have set out to break any glass ceilings or sexist views, but what happy by products!
I remember one of the first Asian female CEO’s said she never noticed a glass ceiling, she just got on with the job.
Sir Nicholas Winton said ethics kept him doing his work. When asked what he meant he explained humanity’s ethics of decency, kindness, acceptance etc which he also felt were now gone. If we treated each other with dignity and respect would we have the inequality we do? I doubt it.
Surely every child just needs to be nurtured to belief they can achieve anything if they believe in themselves.
What a great example the ‘Canary Girls’ and every other person of achievement is to all of us no matter our gender, culture, race etc. Any human being can achieve if they believe they can.
‘How do you recruit the perfect candidate without incurring any cost?’
‘How can you be confident your potential new hire is right for your role, team & business’
Answer: Growing Talent
Growing Talent is a business led and funded initiative to bring the unemployed and employers with permanent London-based jobs together. Over a 12 week, mutually mentored period each gets to know the other well resulting in confident recruitment.
With four programmes planned for 2018 – who not get involved?
GT16 17 January 2018
GT17 18 April 2018
GT18 18 July 2018
GT19 19 September 2018
For more information, checkout http://www.growing-talent.co.uk.
Friday 23 June saw the delivery on the third in a series of MHFALite workshops for a global financial services organisation in London. Places for a total of 60 people over the three workshops were well received.
MHFALite is the 3hour introduction to mental health first aid. It is a short introduction to a big subject! The course involves a lot of interaction, films and group work. Having a table to work from is essential.
First potential pressure point – no table in the room! The organiser had assumed all training rooms had tables in. Unfortunately this room is used for non-interactive sessions!
Good humour was my tool of choice in ensuring the experience for the delegates was not diluted because of this. Despite this hiccup, there was a lot of sharing experiences, issues at work and even some laughter.
A great session. But what did the delegates think?
‘I will be more confident in knowing what to do. I will also be more vocal when discussion the implementation of company policy in this area with senior management’.
‘Jane was authentic – added a real human touch’
‘I now have a list of resources handy and will be open minded when having conversations’
‘Helpful in identifying initial changes, language to use and addressing stigma’.
‘I now know what resources to access’.
‘Interesting to learn the link between physical and mental health’.
‘Jane was really passionate, pragmatic, realistic and knowledgeable’.
‘Really good course. I would recommend it being made more available’.
‘An enormous amount of information to improve the business units approach in this area’.
‘One of the things I learnt was it’s ok to not get involved if I don’t feel comfortable’.
‘Jane was approachable, encouraging and knowledgable’.
‘Great course – wish everyone had the chance to do it’.
‘I learnt to focus on the small things – subtle changes – rather than be solution focussed’.
‘Brilliant course, well worth the investment in time. Jane is great – makes this topic very accessible and has a great delivery.’
‘I loved the ALGEE framework which is easy to remember.’