Deliberation time for employers following our Employer Speed dating session this morning…

What a morning!

Around forty enthused, slightly nervous, currently unemployed, talented people joined our event not too sure what was going to happen.

A level playing field as some of our employers were new and had no idea how things would work either! 

Prior to the employers arriving, we had an hour networking session. It’s tough to speak with strangers. It’s easier to blend into the background. Not on Growing Talent!!!! People were supported to step out of the shadows they preferred to stay in and step into the light, talking about themselves and learning about others on the same journey as them.

As the employers arrived and got settled with Anna and Jill from JobCentre Plus – seen in the feature photo above, we moved into a seminar room to go over the finer points and sent the volume skywards as we recognised how much talent was in the room – loudly. Apologies to the internal meeting going on next door!!!!

As you can see from the action shot above everyone enthusiastically chatted to the employers from different industries learning about each other as they went around the room.

So now the employers have time to deliberate who they would like to invite to the next stage – 1-2-1 meetings on their sites.

We were lucky to have some observers drop in and say ‘hello’ including Nigel and Allen from our funders and Tevin and Jenny from Ingeus.

But what did the applicants think as Growing Talent is so far away from traditional recruitment?

“I loved it. It’s really different”

“There’s jobs here I’m interested in but never though I would be”

“Thanks for inviting me, I’m so glad I came”

Check back to see who is going on their Growing Talent journey!

A massive thanks to our awesome employers, who all said they’d seem some ‘gems’:

Lasse and Tam @PilgrimsGroup

Jamie and Sharaz @Pertemps

Anne-Marie, Will and Rikpal @BreyerGroup

Lauren, Paul and awesome team member @Honeywell

Stace, Holy, Antonio, Jonathan, Darren and Katherine @SPSUKandIreland

Toni and Dana @WSHGroup #Portico #BaxterStorey

Mark and his awesome logistics team #Honeywell for being flexible and supportive with my last minute changes!!!!!

For me, the highlight was see a number of applicants who’d walked in not knowing anyone with their heads down a little unsure and walked out laughing, heads high, talking about their experience – just fabulous!

Opportunity is knocking today for some!

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.

Judging Panel Formation!

With just a few short weeks to go before kick off, Senior Managers are juggling their diaries and confirming their place on this very special panel.

 

The crux of the event is affirmation of the confidence and talent the Growing Talent Associates have grown over the week.

 

A choice is given to work alone or in small groups.  The remit is to devise a social enterprise idea which will benefit a section of the community, develop a revenue stream and have development potential.  A tall order for largely unemployed people with little self-confidence.

 

Working on this largely in their own time with one full day (broken into shorter segments) it’s amazing to all, including the Associates, the confidence with which they deliver their ideas.

 

It’s always difficult for the senior managers to select one winning idea.  The small trophy has now been replaced with a cash prize of £10 per winning Associate – much more useful that a ‘tin cup’!

 

After this a buffet lunch and networking takes place.  By this time some of the Associates are really ‘assertive’ in getting contact details from the panel!

 

Watch this blog for more stories of success, laughter and a few tears when the next Growing Talent launches later this month…….

 

GT7 and Judges

Seated – the previous judging panel comprising Selvan – Invest In Buy To Let, Julie – Portico, Peter – Wilson James, Lois – MitieTDM, Allen – PwC – Head Judge, Sharon – Harrow Green, Shane – Invest In Buy To Let & Trevor – known by previous Associates as ‘the legend’ Harrow Green.