A great meeting with Anna & Bal from South London Job Centre Plus this morning to discuss the promotion and support for the next Growing Talent programme in September.
A date for the diary of anyone London-based looking for work!
Fed-up of being ‘ghosted’ when applying for jobs?
Time to disrupt things?
Why not join us? We’ve got proven success over 10+ years of getting people into work – and not a cv in sight!
If you are over 18 – no upper age limit, want to work in London and are seeking a job you can grow into a career – check out the carousel attached.
If you aren’t looking for a job yourself, but know someone who is, pass it on!
9 points you’ll learn if you read the carousel to the end – up for the challenge?:
1. You don’t have to leave your home/favourite coffee shop 😀 2. Instead of a cv…. 😀 3. PPP – all about you 😀 4. What’s cool about slow dating? 😀 5. 1-2-1 meetings 😀 6. Workplace and life skills 😀 7. Talent Hub 😀 8. When to apply 😀 9. Reassurance – Jane knows what she’s doing & she’s bloody good at it! 😀
Absolutely no ghosting in sight!
Are you ready to join us in a little recruitment disruption?
It’s so easy to think ‘I’m not going to that networking event, jobs fair, job interview, conference etc – it won’t be interesting – will just be a waste of time’.
But what if this next event you are about to dismiss gives you:
✅ An opportunity to meet people you wouldn’t normally and gain new insight ✅ A connection to a manager who could make a difference to you, if not now maybe in the future ✅ The job interview reveals the role is quite different to your perception and just what you’ve been looking for ✅ The conference ignites one new idea you hadn’t thought of which can send you in a whole new exciting direction
I had a lovely email from Aurelien who attended the Growing Talent‘s Getting to Know you event for employers and applicants on Monday.
Even though he knew we don’t usually get the type of roles in the industry he seeks he still attended with an open mind, embraced and participated in every aspect.
Hi email, for me, showcases how we should never assume our perception of events is reality. So much can be gained just by attending – new connections, knowledge, confidence.
What events have you dismissed recently based on your perception of what they are going to be like?
Everyone can relate to the self-doubt and negative self- chatter unemployed people have when seeking a job. How can you showcase the skills and ability you know you have to employers when the loud voice in your head is screaming ‘you don’t belong here’?
This was the foundation of why I wrote Growing Talent and why it’s been successful for over ten years.
Growing Talent is designed to pull employers and applicants out of their respective comfort zones. Disrupt their expectations of the ‘norm’. No cvs, no formal interviews = no assumptions and the revelation of the most amazing talent languishing on the ranks of the unemployed. Talent that with a little empowerment could add so much value to business, their communities and themselves.
First thing is to make the employers feel a little uncomfortable – only fair, right? The panel picture above shows Adam in the spotlight from our sponsor’s sharing his journey to his current role and why the sponsors have supported Growing Talent for so long.
Then Mark from Baxter Storey shared his journey from a safari guide in South Africa to the work of HR in the UK – definitely not straightforward!
James was next from SPS UK & I, now a manager with a team to manage, James began his journey in a similar place to the applicants on a programme I ran then called the Real Apprentice. As an 18 year old, it was tough nailing timekeeping – but he did it…. eventually!!! Over the years James has recruited many of his team from Growing Talent who have gone on to establish great careers.
Megan shared her journey from education to the world of admin with CIS Security.
Lastly Gina shared how she joined CIS Security not really knowing anything about that world but with a hunger to learn she gained knowledge of all areas of the business and now runs a team nationally. Gina has recruited and encouraged a number of people from Growing Talent.
We then had a Q&A session with the employers before they left which we had a discussion on how tough it is to get a job when others make assumptions about our labels and worse still, we believe those assumptions.
Then came the part of the day that most applicants dread – the London Challenge. Working with strangers to devise an idea to benefit Londoners and then present it to the employers with less than an hour to prepare is pretty daunting. Of course it is. I don’t know many managers who would be willing to step up to the challenge.
Of course, the applicants nailed it! After delivering their presentations they have the proof they can do more than they think they can.
First to present was Aurelien and Sujibomi with their idea to tackle the cost of living crisis.
Sharon and Tanice followed with their idea to give young people some direction and positive role models with their Youth Clubs plan.
Daphine & Zaniyah shared their vision to tackle some of the Housing issues for tenants in Southwark. Why not get the contractors to teach the tenants how to look after their properties? Zaniyah spoke about the safety for tenants living amongst addicts. Why couldn’t a property be assigned for addicts to use safely? Unfortunately, I was holding their notes behind the judges so couldn’t take a snapshot of them in action!
Siddik and Owolabi’s idea was to enhance food banks. Owolabi volunteered in a food bank and realised some things were missing. Lots of restaurants and cafes locally threw a lot of food away. Why not open the food banks to take in this food? Why not devise simple recipe ideas for people to use donated ingredients? Owolabi didn’t hesitate to step up and deliver alone when Siddik became a little overwhelmed.
Finally, Peter and Grace shared their thoughts on Crime – particular knife and phone theft. Sharing some stats and ideas to combat both.
Throughout the presentations sitting at the back willing his team on from Southwark Care Leavers was Matthew – the guru of empathy and encouragement at SCL.
Next came ‘networking’ – doesn’t everyone hate that word? Sounds so difficult to do but change the word to ‘chatting’ and it becomes very doable!
Everyone ‘networked’ together for half an hour, laughing, smiling – where were the nerves now?????
Before we ended with a group shot of the employers, applicants, chief cheerleader from JobCentre Plus Anna and the guru himself Matthew.
So, who will choose to return for the first stage employer selection on 16 June? We wait with bated breath!
Stepping outside their comfort zone to become who they want to be
Openness to learn
I see this every time I run Growing Talent and this week has been no different.
Alex, Jay and Troy have already jumped through a number of hoops most would be reluctant to do.
So far, they have:
Attended a ‘Getting to know you event” with employers – completely alien concept for them– getting to know employers BEFORE the recruitment stage? Yep. Not the usual application via cv, then the long wait to hear – more likely to just be ghosted, rarely securing an interview.
Devise and present an idea with strangers to benefit London to employers with just 45 minutes preparation.
Network with those same employers WITHOUT talking about jobs – seeing eachother as fellow humans.
Then composing a personal profile sheet before meeting all employers at our ‘slow dating’. Spending 20 minutes at each employer table – this time talking jobs on the stable connection already made.
Next came shortlisted 1-2-1 meetings on the employer site before offers were made and accepted.
Now Alex, Jay and Troy have just completed the in-person CPD certified part of the Orientation and Holistic week where all aspects of work and life skills were explored.
Tomorrow, we do the global I-Act course – managers level to give even more tools to hit the ground running when they join their new employers and teams on site soon.
What did they think of the experience?
“The topics covered opened my mind to how working environments are and how I can look after myself. I am more confident going on my employers site now”, Troy joining CIS-Security.
“Thanks for the opportunity of doing this week. I loved it!” Jay joining SPS UK & Ireland
“This week gave me a better feel about my new chapter of work.” Alex joining CIS Security
I use it all the time on the Growing Talent employability programme I run. It can be hard to see an opportunity when you have a fixed idea in your mind about a role you want when you are unemployed.
Often it can result in missing an opportunity that will get you where you want to be – just a different route – by simply getting your foot in the door and working your way up!
Meeting Fajar from Portico on the current Growing Talent programme, it was great to learn how Alex and Katie have progressed since joining her team on the last programme.
Neither started where they thought they wanted to be.
Katie realty wanted a static role in welcome/reception. Alex was interested in any stable role but didn’t believe he would achieve one – let alone a client facing one.
Both silenced their internal negative chatter, took a deep breath, stuck their foot in the door and worked their way up really quickly!
Within a few short weeks of joining her roving welcome host role, Katie got her desired static role!
Alex, is in such demand from Portico accounts across London – Fajar confirmed he’s booked up until August.
Sometimes we can overthink so much, we let that negative voice in our head get so loud that we don’t seize the opportunities which come our way. Instead, we remain exactly where we are. Stuck.
How do you feel about ‘get your foot in the door and work your way up?’
What a fantastic session with Mulenga and Raymond today! We kicked off with a review of the week – including homework set!
Raymond rose to the challenge set last week of designing a backdrop for his AI technical job interview tomorrow.
Virtual backdrops tell others key things about ourselves. It’s a great tool to use in virtual job interviews – especially where the role involves AI and ChatGPT!
Mulenga was so impressed, Raymond gave his top tips to use ChatGPT and AI for the first time. I can’t wait to see Mulenga’s innovation next week.
We then got back on track to discuss Unconscious Bias in the workplace and how to smash it!
Finally ending with exploring how to grow Raymond’s and Mulenga’s social media sites using some tools learnt over the previous seven weeks.
Chatter, laughter, smiles flowed throughout our 40th 1st stage selection event on Growing Talent known as Employer Slow Dating!
Imagine that, 4 hours in a selection event with employers – how terrifying does that sound?
Not at all on Growing Talent – because our process enables confidence to be grown and communication to flow as if old friends were meeting for a catch-up.
Shouldn’t all recruitment stages be this pain free?
Having met each other before, both applicants and employers had a lot to talk about!
We’re now in the final selection stages.
🎯 Who will be offered an opportunity? 🎯 Who will accept? 🎯 Who will join our Talent Hub?
Check back to find out!
Thanks to David, Anna and the team at JobCentre Plus, as well as our awesome employers and hugely talented, but currently unemployed applicants – you took a deep breath and stepped into the unknown #respecttoyou.
What I love about Growing Talent‘s ‘Getting to know you’ you events for employers and applicants is the level playing field it creates and the visible change I can see and know applicants feel by the end of the four hours.
Yesterday saw Adil, Alex, Adrian, Chris, Emmanuel, Gerald, Jay, Jayesh, Karen, Matt, Mercy, Ola and Troy walk into the room a little unsure about what lay ahead.
And who can blame them?
Growing Talent is different – no cvs, no formal job interviews – instead we build connection between applicants and employers BEFORE the recruitment stage.
My goodness, how their confidence rose as the morning went on.
It was only fair to put our awesome employers under pressure with a bit of public speaking first, sharing their journey, what went right – and wrong, how they dealt with that, what they currently do and top tips to impress any employer.
After a Q&A session, I rudely evicted the employers for the room to return an hour or so later.
The applicants and I had a discussion on why they personally aren’t working, what is missing for them and what they need most. You won’t be surprised to hear lack of self-confidence was a major theme and an area Growing Talent was designed to build.
The next pressure hit was how to improve London in our London Challenge?
The ideas flowed. These were whittled down to a combination of ideas that could work. In small groups, our awesome applicants had around 45minutes to come up with a plan. What was their idea, why was it needed, who would benefit and how could it be developed.
I don’t know many managers who would be up for this sort of challenge with so little time for prep – do you?
The employers returned to watch the London challenge ideas and give some feedback. Joining them was David #NGBailey
Confidence was rising. Not surprising when speaking about something we’re passionate about. If only all humans could passionately believe in themselves – they would be unstoppable!
After networking over refreshments with the employers, the applicants were left to decide if they would return for the next stage on 14 April.
Check back to find out who does!
Thanks to everyone behind the scenes who made this happen including the magician of getting stuff done Adrienne Simpson the awesome reception and security team (with Alex Portico and Tina CIS Security Limited – graduates of Growing Talent) greeting the new applicants with huge smiles of encouragement. 👏 👏 👏
Special shout out to Mark and the team at #NGBailey who always shift the room around for me 👏 👏 👏
Thanks also to our observers Adam Bushell, Simon and Becky 👏 👏 👏
Lastly to the #JobCentrePlus teams across London who now have to process fares etc – more paperwork! Thank you David Steeds for always having a plan! 👏 👏 👏
18, fabulously talented, but currently unemployed people, have decided to go forward to our ‘Getting to know you’ event on Monday 7 April with employers for our 40th Growing Talent programme.
We don’t allow cvs nor job descriptions on Growing Talent, instead this event takes both applicants and employers out of their comfort zone!
Whilst nerve racking, for both sides at the start, at the end, you’d think it was a gathering of ‘old friends’!
Applicants’ confidence has risen.
Employers’ insight to the hidden talent amongst the unemployed has been revealed
This disruption to the normal way recruitment happens makes a much smoother, fun experience for all when we reach the actual employer selection stage on 14 April.
So, what will our intrepid heroes be doing on Monday 7 April?
🎯 Spotlight on employers – each employer will give a snapshot of their journey to their current role, what went wrong, how they got back on track, what their current responsibilities are and their top tips to impress all employers. Followed by a Q&A session.
🎯 London Challenge – the employers then leave us for an hour or so whilst ideas are shared to devise a solution to improve London. In small groups, those who were strangers at the start of the day, will support each other with the challenge to grow their group idea and deliver a short presentation to the employers on their return. Move over Britain’s Got Talent!
🎯 Networking – after the London Challenge presentations have been delivered and feedback given, the chatter begins – but not about jobs, instead knowledge of each other is grown along with confidence and self-empowerment.
Dah, Dah, Dah – Decision time – our awesome 18 have to decide if they want to continue Growing Talent and return on the 14 April.
Will all 18 return?
Check back to see.
A big thank you to everyone involved this round – I know it was a little ‘hairy’ at the start – including:
David Steeds – even holidaying abroad didn’t stop his involvement Rob Matthews – we have our first veteran from Anna’s work as Armed Forces Champion.
The awesome teams at Bromley JCP including the two Jills, Daisy, Fatima, Darren, Kathryn at JCP Wood Green, Peter at JCP Forest Hill, Michael and the team at JCP London Bridge, Lorraine in JCP Wandsworth, Jude at Clarion Futures, Matthew at Southwark Care Leavers – you and your teams need to take a bow 👏 👏 👏
