Finding the right opportunity to match the flexible-working requirements of a first-time mother.
Situation
Having worked happily in the same organisation for ten years, our candidate’s maternity leave had come to an end and her commitments as a new, first-time mother required a flexibility which her current role could not offer. Despite being daunted by the uncertainty of leaving a job she enjoyed to step into the unknown, she was clear on her working requirements and reached out to her LinkedIn network for opportunities.
Support
We quickly responded to the LinkedIn post, shared our insight into the current market and discussed in detail what really mattered to her and the experience she had. We set expectations by clarifying that a lot of organisations were returning to more office-based roles, but reassured her that we would be transparent with our clients about her requirements and not compromise her role criteria.
After a HR advisor vacancy with an NHS trust was identified as the ideal role, we met virtually with the recruiting line manager and talked through our candidate’s needs prior to setting up an interview to manage expectations on both sides. As our candidate hadn’t interviewed for ten years, we helped her to prepare for the interview with role plays and practice questions to ensure she approached her interview with confidence.
Solution
We received positive interview feedback from the client, who felt our candidate would be a perfect match for the department culture. However, because she lacked a certain skill set, we worked with the client to create a new role within their structure which would provide training throughout the year and offer progression at the end of the contract.
By ensuring we fully understood our candidate’s requirements, we were able to represent her confidently to the market and match her to an organisation and role that worked for her. The success of this placement has resulted in a job she enjoys with the flexibility to accommodate her new family life and an opportunity to widen her employee relations skillset.
“Matt Lowe at Venn Group was super helpful throughout my job search process and onboarding process, which was greatly appreciated. Also a massive thank you to Rebecca Cass for getting in touch with me on LinkedIn when I was looking for a new role back in September 2022 which led me to a new position. I resigned my previous role which I was due to return to as it wasn't going to be possible to be part time following maternity leave. This was a super scary decision but with Venn Group’s help I managed to find a role which fit my new work preferences. I highly recommend Venn Group to any colleagues who may be looking for new roles as this organisation is very professional and went above and beyond my expectations.”
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