SPSUKandIreland

The road of opportunity is open for some….

Jane JamesLeave a comment

What an awesome Employer Speed Dating event – 1st stage selection on Growing Talent today.

Hosted by our funders close to London Bridge we had five amazing employer teams and over 30 hugely talented, but currently unemployed people looking for their next opportunity.

The road to new opportunities has started.

What will be the outcome? Watch this space!

Huge thanks to the applicants who overcome their nerves to come along today – lots of laughter in the room indicates the experience wasn’t as bad as first expected!

Initial thoughts from one of these amazing people:

“I wanted to express my gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the dynamic recruitment session and networking event. It was truly an enriching experience, and I’m thankful for the chance to engage with such a talented group of individuals.

I thoroughly enjoyed the session and the chance to network with professionals in different fields. It was not only informative but also inspiring. I am excited about the possibilities that lie ahead.

Thank you for your support and for making this event possible. I look forward to the future and the potential it holds.

If you ever need an assistant in your workshop count me in. 😊”

Isn’t that awesome?

Massive thanks to our awesome employer teams this time around:

Master-Fix Properties – Martin
Pilgrims Risk Management – Lasse, Tia & James
SPS UK & Ireland – Lois & Bob
Pertemps – Sharaz & Jamie
Honeywell – Lauren & Andra

Sometimes a little disruption to the norm is needed!

Jane JamesLeave a comment

The screenshot above is part of a post Bolaji issued on linked it and contained a number of her excellent suggestions on who to recruit better.

I reposted Bolaji’s thoughts with my own and how we’ve disrupted the recruitment norm:

@BolajiShote illustrates what recruiters of integrity have been saying and doing for years! The points Bolaji sets out are simple, clear and logical for recruiting employers to follow. I might put them in a slightly different order of importance to me.

#Ghosting – remember, people will never forget how you made them feel. Not feeding back after an interview can leave people feeling worthless and negatively impact their performance at their next interview. But here’s the other thing to remember that could directly impact those ‘Ghosters’ – the candidate you have ghosted could be interviewing you in a few years time – they won’t forget you…. ever.

Growing Talent we recognised a little disruption to the norm was needed.That’s why almost 10 years ago Growing Talent commenced – no cvs, no formal interviews, therefore, no assumptions. Almost 200 people aged 18-64 from all different social economic backgrounds have secured jobs they have grown into careers which they would never have secured through the traditional recruitment method.

Our collaboration with #JobCentrePlus, their partners, #Employers our global
business funders and the #GrowingTalentAssociates going on the journey delivers an empowering, confidence boosting experience building connections and support on the journey into work.

The #Orientation and #Holistic week delivers core workplace and personal skills that last a lifetime including accreditation in a global mental health and wellbeing programme in line with #ISO45003 enhancing the onboarding and retention experience with the employer.

An assigned mentor for both the employer and Growing Talent Associates ensures a smooth journey.

Doing things differently:

·     Advertising – via David Steeds & his work coach warriors at JobCentre Plus & partners.

·     Their interested customers join an information session 

·      1st stage selection – Employer Speed Dating – fast, loud with a lot of laughter in the room as people put down their ‘armour’ and be themselves.

·     2nd stage is a 1-2-1 meeting with the employer on their site to find out all
aspects of the role. 

·      Orientation and Holistic week

Finally a mutual evaluation paid period in the permanent role commences. This means at the point permanent contracts are issued, both sides are confident the match is right for them – without a single “what is your strength and weakness” question! 

No recruitment costs either!

Keep doing the same things, you will keep getting the same results.

Thank you to all our collaborative partners over recent times:
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Pertemps Network Group
Masterfix GB Limited
SPS UK & Ireland
Pilgrims Risk Management Group
Honeywell
ISS A/S
Portico
BaxterStorey

Missing a trick?……

Jane JamesLeave a comment

Could the following be missing a trick?

Employers
Community guru’s specialising in getting our hidden talent into employment Unemployed people who want to work but have lost their confidence to do so

I say ‘yes’ if they aren’t using Growing Talent – the collaborative journey into permanent work comprising enlightened employers, unemployed talent, #JobCentrePlus and community specialists guiding people into permanent jobs.

They say there is strength in numbers. I’d agree. Our collaboration ensures any issue – no matter how small – is resolved quickly through our collaborative partnership.

Disrupting the usual recruitment methods and replacing cvs and job interviews with a speed dating session and 1-2-1 meetings has delivered premium results over the years Growing Talent has run for all parties.

Employers secure unique, sustainable talent they would never find using traditional methods.
Unemployed talent are empowered to secure a permanent job they have the tools to grow into a career.
Finally, JCP and community specialists see their customers go into permanent work and gain the ability to take control of their lives and move 
forward.

On arriving at the office today, I was greeted by “We met Mariia – she’s great, so friendly” by the Welcome Team. Upstairs, Mariia’s boss’s boss made a point of seeking me out to tell me how impressive Mariia is “she’s always early – look she’s in now”. 

Mariia has only been in the UK for a little over a year following her move from Ukraine. Her courage and determination has seen her collaborate with her peers Growing Talent undertake #I-act accredited training in Mental Health and wellbeing as well as completed all tasks in English even though she feels her English isn’t good enough!

Like so many other unemployed people who really want to work, employers can’t always see their hidden talent in a traditional recruitment method.

The cherry on the top for me was Mariia coming over to tell me how happy she was to now be working with the Honeywell team – “they are all lovely”. 

Throughout the Orientation and Holistic week Mariia always had a big smile but now it seems bigger! She’s loving the work and people. Although she’s exhausted at night she is so happy!

Mariia completed the Orientation & Holistic Week last week along with Kerry, Tia, Chyna, Liam, Parry & Nora who respectively started onsite this week with their insightful employers 

#PilgrimsRiskMnagement #SPSUKandIreland, #BreyerGroup #Pertemps

Our final programme of the year in London commences at the end of September – why not get involved?

Disrupt the norm!

Growing Talent
PwC
Honeywell
David Steeds
Rob Matthews
Pilgrims Risk Management Group
Honeywell
Pertemps Network Group
Breyer Group

#SPSUK&I

Another coffee break?????

Jane JamesLeave a comment

Parry and Liam take a well earned break from Growing Talent’s O

Parry and Liam take a well earned break from Growing Talent’s Orientation and Holistic Week. Along with Chyna, Tia, Kerry, Mariia and Norhan. Parry and Liam have been absorbing a lot of information, sharing their views/opinions and ultimately learning together to be more prepared when they go into the next stage of Growing Talent – the in-role mutual evaluation with their future employers and team.

So what have we covered so far?

Exploring what employers want including from our viewpoint if we had our own businesses!

Impact of Behaviours – ours on others and others’ on us! People never forget how we made them feel.

Communication – all components to consider – modes to use, elements to consider, understanding types off conversations, danger of assumptions, what is conflict and how to manage it, the power of I vs You statements, how to have a difficult conversation.

Digital Dementia – what is it, how to manage it and, more importantly, how to prevent it!

Basic finance – exploring different types of bank/savings account, credit rating, modes of payment and when to use them, managing debt, increasing credit ration, budgeting – key things to consider

Personal empowerment – over coming procrastination, brain hack, understanding the importance of sleep, building mind muscle, sketch class

What’s to come?

Nutrition – how to eat well on a limited income, understanding the impact of marketing on our buying choices, the hidden dangers of what we love (sugar)!

Waste & Environment – why it’s important to business and communities. Why can’t everyone recycle? – no, it isn’t just ‘laziness’!

Time to move on – tips and tricks for personal branding, elevator pitch, cv tools, networking

Finally, we round off the week with I-Act’s global proactive programme for Managing and Promoting Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing course accredited by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

After coffee, back to work!

Soon they go on site as follows:

Chyna, Tia & Kerry – join Lasse, Tam and the team at Pilgrims Risk Management

Parry – joins Breyer Group

Mariia – Joins Honeywell

Norhan – joins Jamie, Pedro and the team at Pertemps

Liam – joins SPS UK & I

Awesome times ahead!

Opportunity is knocking today for some!

Jane JamesLeave a comment

After weeks of preparation and collaboration with #JobCentrePlus, #Ingeus, #HaveringWorks #YouthBuild, #Heretoga and #BreyerGroup our first stage selection by employers has arrived!

Today, 53 unemployed people have been invited to our London event to meet some inspiring employers with the insight to recruit a different way.

Who needs cvs, job descriptions and recruitment interview scripts? Growing Talent does things differently and the results, for many, have been life changing.

Our collaborative employers this time around are:

BreyerGroup, #Honeywell, #Pertemps, #PilgrimsRiskManagement, #SPSUKandIreland, #WSHGroup – #Portico and #BaxterStorey who will meet some hidden talent to consider for their roles this morning.

Going on our track record, some amazing stories will begin today. Check back to learn what they are!

A big thank you to #AnnaM and #JillF from @JobCentrePlus for their support over the years at our speed dating events – which start off very quietly and rise in volume as confidence grows, laughter rises and connections are made.