An Employer’s Perspective: Partnering with GoodWork

Newsflare partnered with us on our very first programme, helping us pioneer our approach and bringing in an exceptional young person in the process. We sat down with Head of People, Jaimie Stewart, to hear more about the partnership from his perspective.

What drew you to partnering with GoodWork?

I’ve always looked for ways to give opportunities to young people, particularly those who might otherwise find it challenging to get into work. So when I joined Newsflare I wanted to do something similar. When I came across GoodWork, I liked the look of your approach and the pilot you were running. I thought let’s get involved and see what happens.  

Newsflare intern Razz (back, middle) along with other participants on our pilot programme.

What was the process like?

We found a role that felt like the right level, which was a role that essentially needed someone to scour the internet for content, sort of a research role. GoodWork found us three candidates and we interviewed all of them. We actually met Razz last and we were already impressed, but then he came in and he just got it. We felt pretty confident that he was going to be the right fit. We were keen from the outset that this would be a long-term thing if it went well, and the more we spoke to Razz the more confident we were.

How did it go?

We were in a bit of a transitionary period when he came in, but he just took everything in his stride. He was great at the job, great around the office and at social events. We got to the end of the internship and there was never really a question about not keeping him on. We were really happy to and there’s so much opportunity for Razz moving forwards as well, in terms of growing into a broader role.

Did you have any concerns about partnering with GoodWork?

There are always concerns on a partnership like this about the candidates you’re going to get. You often do get some good ones, but you might also get some who can be challenging from an employer’s point of view. And if you’re trying to start up a new initiative and the first try doesn’t go well, everyone switches off.  

I think one of the main USPs for GoodWork is the vetting process. You don’t send through CVs, you send a person summary which is really nice because it takes away the noise of the traditional recruitment process and helps you focus on the individual. All the candidates were really good quality, which helped with those concerns. Then Razz came on board which went well, GoodWork kept checking in and popped by the office too. It was just a great experience from that point of view.

How has working with GoodWork impacted how you think about your recruitment process?

For me, the hardest thing is finding and getting the right people to apply. Often young people are put off by the recruitment process, or they don’t even know these opportunities exist. So how do we tap into this pool of talent? We want to hire for potential, particularly at entry-level, because you can train on the job. For me that’s the real value of GoodWork, is that they can do that bit for you.

Really, it’s about talent. I don’t think it’s ever crossed anyone’s mind that Razz didn’t come in through a traditional recruitment process. Certainly at a senior level it’s helped validate that there is a viable talent pool out there. In fact recently someone asked if we could just get another Razz, but that reiterates the point.  

What would you say to other employers who are thinking about working with GoodWork?

I’d just say give it a go. Don’t be frightened to try and recruit people from a non-traditional background because more often than not, you’ll be pleasantly surprised, as long as you give the candidate support, and the opportunities they need.

In my experience, people generally want to be the best they can. It doesn’t matter where you come from. There’s always fear that it goes wrong, but then so do traditional recruitment processes. Give people an opportunity, use GoodWork and their insights to help, be really clear about what you’re looking for and they’ll find it.

Want to hear Razz’s perspective on his internship? You can read more here.