Seven of us. Fourteen people working towards employment. Three workshops.
That was our corporate volunteering day with Fundación Integra’s Skills Development School, which we hosted at our office on 1 October.
Someone can have the skills required for a job and still struggle to get through the interview. Sometimes, they don’t know how to explain what they can do. Sometimes, they have never taken part in a group exercise. Sometimes, no one has explained what will be expected of them during their first week. Employability workshops are all about these things: everything that goes beyond the CV.
You didn’t need to be a trainer or work in a particular department to take part. Colleagues from different teams came together with one idea in mind: to share what we already know how to do.
What to do when the first day finally arrives
Getting the job is only part of the journey. The first few weeks in a new role are often the most uncertain: you don’t know the team, you’re not sure how things work, and you may not yet feel confident enough to ask questions.
In the first workshop, we shared practical tips for navigating those first few days and keeping the job once you’ve secured it. We drew on our own experiences, because we’ve all been the new person at some point.
In the first workshop, we shared practical tips for navigating those first few days and keeping the job once you’ve secured it. We drew on our own experiences, because we’ve all been the new person at some point.
Practising your answers before it really counts
A job interview is the moment when being able to explain your experience clearly matters most, yet very few people have practised answering questions out loud before facing a real interview.
That’s why we ran a mock job interview session. Each volunteer interviewed a group of candidates, giving everyone the chance to answer common interview questions in an environment where making mistakes had no consequences. You learn more by practising than by simply listening to how it’s done.
For those of us sitting on the interviewer’s side of the table, it was also a valuable exercise: an opportunity to see what makes an answer clear and memorable.
Learning how to take part in group exercises
Group exercises are a common part of recruitment processes. They often assess how people listen, contribute and collaborate, yet very few candidates have practised them before taking part in a real selection process.
In the third workshop, we showed the candidates how to participate in a group exercise and practised one together. Rehearsing beforehand helps candidates understand what is expected of them before it really counts.
What we took away from the experience
Teaching others challenged us to explain clearly things we do almost without thinking. Those who conducted mock interviews also had the chance to experience an interview from the other side of the table.
An ongoing corporate volunteering partnership
This wasn’t our first volunteering day with Fundación Integra. And every time we open our office doors to the Skills Development School, we understand a little better why it matters.
Fundación Integra works every day to help companies recruit and integrate people experiencing social exclusion and people with disabilities. Being part of its Compromiso Integra network brings this mission to life in a very tangible way: a person preparing for their next job interview, and a group of colleagues discovering that what they do at work every day can make a difference to someone else.
That’s why we want to say thank you. To the Foundation, for bringing the School into our workplace and for continuing to build bridges between companies and people looking for an opportunity. To the 14 people who spent the day with us. And to the seven colleagues who gave their time and shared their experience.
We’ll continue opening our office doors whenever we’re needed.
