Our partnership with Cowen + Partners
GoodWork Graduate, Pascal enjoying his new role at Cowen + Partners!
It has been a pleasure to partner with Cowen + Partners throughout the last year, to help them recruit inclusively for their Entry Level Team Assistant role. Judith Topley, Practice Manager, shares her thoughts and experience of working with GoodWork.
What challenges were you facing in recruiting or retaining entry-level talent before partnering with us? What made you choose to partner with GoodWork?
We had a Studio Assistant vacancy come up in the firm and had the idea that it would be a great first job for someone with a can do attitude and willingness to learn, to see the workings of an office environment. We thought about reaching out to local schools but this would have been a great deal of admin and we didn’t know where to start; and we knew average recruiters wouldn’t have access to this kind of talent.
Can you outline the service and support GoodWork provided and how you found this process?
We got in touch with GoodWork with a broad job description, which was taken away and offered to any programme participants they felt suitable. We were then given three very strong candidates, which made our decision really difficult. It was like using a recruiter, but better, because GoodWork have nothing to gain other than making a suitable match!
The team supported us in arranging the interview process and, after a second interview in person, we made the decision to hire Pascal.
We were particularly supported with Pascal’s accessibility requirements. We spoke this through in detail with the team and Pascal, to ensure he felt well understood and accommodated. This was a great learning for HR, to gain much more understanding of how we could be truly inclusive of various needs and take a proactive approach to making adjustments where necessary.
Why did you decide to hire Pascal? And how has he since contributed to the business?
As I said, it was a tough decision because all the candidates presented great answers and we were confident they would pick things up quickly. Pascal stood out for expressing his interest in IT, which is a continuous skills gap in our business! This was a great match as it helps us with our day to day IT needs and is giving Pascal some experience that will help him in the future. He’s brought a definite cheeriness and a lovely presence to the front desk. He’s very enthusiastic about doing all tasks that the role requires and is eager to learn as much as he can about the business world.
Are there any specific ways that working with GoodWork has helped your organisation become more inclusive?
Definitely with the realisation that everyone has different needs in the workplace and everyone has their own stories. We can’t just assume that coming to work is easy for everyone and now we’re much more aware and accommodating of that. It’s also just wonderful to know that recruiting in this way has had a thoughtful impact on someone’s life. There’s a lot of social value potential through entry level recruitment and often this is a missed opportunity.
What would you say to other employers who are considering partnering with us?
Definitely do it! I have already been reaching out to my network to people hiring similar entry level positions. It’s the ideal way to recruit for roles that don’t require experience and increase positive social value whilst doing so!
Why do you believe GoodWork is an important and impactful organisation to support?
GoodWork offers such unique value in bridging the gap between businesses and young people that wouldn’t otherwise have the networks or connections to be recruited into these kinds of jobs. We’ve seen first hand from Pascal that the programme has given him the skills and confidence that he otherwise may not have built and that people often take for granted.
If you’re an employer looking to make inclusive entry level hires, read more about recruiting through GoodWork.