growing Talent

Why do we keep doing the same old same old?

Jane JamesLeave a comment

We know there are different options out there – but maybe they are a little too unknown.

If I’m honest, that’s why I kept my old watch for so long. I brought it on the 1stanniversary of my business – in shock really that I was still in business – and wanting to mark the occasion. 

For the last few years, it has run slow. Without my glasses, I can’t see the date. Trying to change the date without changing the time was a frustrating challenge for me which usually resulted in giving up and having the wrong date and time!

I’ve now gone digital. Easy to read time and date, funky options for the face, interchangeable straps – the positives are endless! Why didn’t I make the change before and reap the benefits sooner? Well better late than not at all!

Which got me thinking about employers looking for new talent.

When sharing the positives of Growing Talent with employers, I’m met with the same expressions I had over changing my watch. 

It’s tough to make a change, do things differently and take a fresh approach even in conjunction with – not in place of – existing recruitment practices.

With increased costs of employing someone in the UK soon to come into force, it’s even more pivotal to employ those who fit your role, business and team and vice versa. 

But, how do you know someone before you’ve employed them? 

A key problem for employers. 

For those with roles to fill in London, the solution could be @Growing_Talent.  Check out the benefits below:

  • Zero cost
  • A four-part getting to know you event
  • A profile sheet showcasing the individual’s skills, attributes and potential
  • Slow dating style 1st stage selection – quality time building on the connections already made
  • 1-2-1 final selection stage – in-depth exploration of each other
  • Robust pre-onboarding covering workplace, life skills and qualification in mental health and wellbeing
  • A dedicated mentor for you and your selected participant
  • Weekly mutual reviews to audit progress
  • Access to a wider, diverse talent pool
  • Increase your social mobility investment
  • Sets you apart from your competitors
  • Enhances your brand reputation
  • Higher retention of new joiners
  • On going support

Does your existing recruitment process offer all of this?

If you have a role based in London, why not try @Growing_Talent out?

Get in touch for more details.  Next programme commences early February 2025.

A thought on coaching…….

Jane JamesLeave a comment

What I love about coaching others – whether its:

🎯 unemployed people into sustainable employment
🎯 workplace teams to be more cohesive
🎯 1:1 ADHD coaching to work with, rather than against, unique brains

– is the collaboration with everyone, sharing knowledge to empower each other. Whilst others learn from me, I also learn from them.

Even more breathtaking to me is receiving a comment from someone I’m in awe of. Leanne Maskell the trailblazing activist for neurodivergence and founder of ADHD Works – who trained me to be one of their certified ADHD Coaches:

“Thank you for sharing this Jane – so grateful to have people like you in the world!”

What was the post I wrote that drew this comment?

It focussed on someone I’m currently delivering 1:1 ADHD Coaching to in line with their preference of using text and voice notes.

Throughout my entire career coaching close to 1,000 people into work through commercial recruitment, unique employment programmes like the Real Apprentice and currently Growing Talent, the hundreds of workplace personnel I’ve trained in proactive mind health i-act (for positive mental health and wellbeing) training. Mental Health Training and the courageous people learning to understand and tame their neurodivergence, the following three traits have been front and centre of everything I do:

🎯 lead with kindness and empathy
🎯 meet people where they are – everyone is unique, the way they are coached should be too
🎯 empower people to grow in confidence and become independent of me

What has been front and centre of your style working with others?

If you know it…….. pass it on!

Jane JamesLeave a comment

Sharing our knowledge can save others a heap of time, anxiety and money!

Picture this, I’d just been told I’d be charged a ‘restocking fee’ for returning a shower part that wasn’t needed. This ‘restocking fee’ would be deducted from my refund. The box had been opened with a blade so wasn’t damaged.  None of the manufacturer’s labels had been disturbed and the internal individual items were still sealed.

This didn’t sound right to me. (Critical thinking – challenge what I’m told/think)

In my case, this 35% deduction to my refund for ‘restocking fee’ equated to £165!

This really didn’t sound right!

Running @Growing_Talent, we cover basic finance tips including consumer law, 14 day cooling off period for online purchases etc. I’d never heard of a ‘restocking’ fee. So, copious research on the internet followed. 

Yep, ‘restocking fee’ is a deduction from refunds retailers make. That didn’t sound right. Oh wait – this was American sites!

I reached out to the UK manufacturer of the part I’d brought from the London retailer. They confirmed they charged retailers a restocking fee which cannot be passed on to consumers in the UK. A scan read of the UK Consumer ACT 2015 showed a 14 day cooling off period for all goods brought on line for whatever reason to be returned.

Armed with my new knowledge about ‘restocking fees’ and their use in the UK,  I contacted the retailer I brought the part from pointing out, my contract was with them – not the manufacturer. Any ‘restocking fee’ they are charged by the manufacturer is their responsibility not mine. I also quoted the 2015 Consumer Act. 

I got my full refund within 48 hours!

I wonder how many people just accept a ‘restocking fee’ deduction in their refunds in the UK.

That’s why I’m sharing this knowledge everywhere I can.

What knowledge would you pass on?

I share steps, tips and knowledge to enable others to know how to get things done in the workplace especially when their brains have different wiring.

#ADHDCoach

#I-Act Practitioner

#WorkplaceGrowth

#Growing_Talent

Seven years on…

Jane JamesLeave a comment

Back in February 2017, JobCentre Plus referred a very nervous John to Growing Talent’s 12th programme.

At the time John had very little employment experience and pretty low self-esteem.

Everything I asked him to do on Growing Talent, was completely outside his comfort zones especially the public speaking and presentations.

He pushed through that fear and nailed everything! John secured his ring-fenced permanent role with a records management company.

Attending the end of year event, John strolled into the room, in a suit matched with at the biggest beaming smile.

Today, he got in touch with me again. He is still with the same employer but now a Team Leader encouraging others. He sent me the picture of his Growing Talent badge that he still has seven years later!

I’m now walking on air.

Thank you John for updating me….

The power of ‘just starting’…..

Jane JamesLeave a comment

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?

Jane JamesLeave a comment

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!

Connections. Connections. Connections

Jane JamesLeave a comment

Growing Talent has predominantly run within nuclear parts of national/international employers providing on site services to Growing Talent’s funders. 

This started to change yesterday with the ‘King of Connections’ – also known as Andy at ISS, a strong supporter of Growing Talent, who connected Growing Talent with Anna, relatively new to the position of Head of Social Value at ISS in a meeting yesterday. 

Anna’s clear interest in the uniqueness of Growing Talent was amplified by ISS’s ‘Empathy Envoy’, also known as Melinda, who joined us to share with Anna some of the experiences her team had encountered and the life changing differences they had been part of – all in addition to their day jobs.

Andy explained to Anna that accounts outside the funders could take part and make a real difference to those that need a chance as well as gaining a positive impact on their team.

Anna agreed to attend our Recognition and Relaunch Event in January and said she would spread the word to decision makers along with Andy.

Within an hour, I’d received accepted invitations from some of these decision makers to attend! How awesome is that?

The power of people who make things happen rather than just talk the talk is awesome and makes such a critical difference to those vulnerable people on the Growing Talent journey – especially during these tough economic times!

Making it happen!

Jane JamesLeave a comment

For many global companies, taking part in Growing Talent is a challenge because it disrupts the global recruitment policies in place.

Growing Talent is a mentoring journey for both employers and their potential unemployed new talent which delivers a mutual ‘test drive’ to see if the permanent role on offer is right for both parties.

Due to the unique partnership over nine years with JobCentre Plus in the UK, participants retain their benefits, have their travel paid, get paid by the employer, undergo a week of orientation and holistic workshops including qualification in the accredited i-act Managing and Promoting Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing aligning with ISO45003 psychological safety in the workplace and a dedicated mentor for the journey. This raises their empowerment and confidence before they start the four week mutual test drive with their employer.

What’s not to like?

With all these positive elements to Growing Talent, Lauren had a role she knew would be appropriate. After securing UK managements’ approval, she then had to tackle the European heads! No easy task – but she did it!

Lauren made it happen and you can see just how confident and awesome Lee is from the photo above with Lauren. Feed back from Lauren and her team is Lee is learning so quickly and picking up things fast. He’s a positive addition to the team – and this is just a few days into the journey! From Lee’s view, he’s enjoying it and has no complaints.

It not easy to start a new job during train strikes – but Lee made it happen too!

Vision, determination and passion = positive real results. So, let’s all ‘make it happen’!

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?