How do you build commercial awareness in early talent hires?

Commercial awareness has long been a desired skills from employers across all sectors and roles, yet historically it has not been offered as a defined line of skill development to employees or candidates, with many managers seeing it as an inherent ability rather than a trainable skill.

Yet, as we look to our next generation of talent, commercial awareness is becoming a critical employability skill. Chartered Management Institute include 'Entrepreneurial skills' in their 11 employability skills framework, their 2021 research report suggested 31% of employers looked for this skill but only 5% on non-business students were confident in it. In their 2023 Student Development Report the Institute of Student Employers found that employers were mostly concerned with commercial awareness skills in both Apprentices and Graduates (followed by self awareness and time management).

Join the discussion

?? How to Boost Commercial Awareness in Early Talent

We are teaming up with Carla Hoppe Founder & CEO of Wealthbrite to run a panel discussion on why commercial awareness is a critical skill for all careers, how you can nurture and develop it in your early careers hires and when to start delivering training.

Join us on Monday 23rd September, 10:00 - 10:45am to be a part of the discussion about how we can boost commercial awareness and financial literacy in next Gen talent.

?? Register for a spot in the webinar!

M&S expands their use of talent technology into the employer brand and attraction space

We are very excited to announce that we have expanded our partnership with Marks & Spencer. A relationship that started with a need to reduce reneges and increase workplace readiness of their early careers hires, that will now cover the journey for both external and internal candidates from the point of awareness, through the recruitment journey and into the business.

M&S has a mission to bring their brand and values to life at every stage of the candidate and employee journey, ensuring everyone who comes into contact with their employer brand has a high quality and stand-out experience.

"At M&S, we're really excited to be launching our second initiative with Connectr Talent Technology, an amazing candidate experience tool that sets a new standard for how we engage with our incoming talent. This tool ensures a consistent, seamless experience for every candidate, reflecting our commitment to excellence and our dedication to representing the M&S brand in the best possible light. We believe this is a game-changer in how we attract and nurture top talent, and we can't wait to see the positive impact it will have on our recruitment process." Josh Worth Brand & Attraction Lead at M&S

Future in Finance launches for students in the UK

Launched this week, the Future in Finance platform (sponsored by Phoenix Group ) is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for students to engage with multiple financial services employers in one place. Students will be able to complete learning that demystifies careers in finance, tackles misconceptions and maps our career paths clearly. They will also get the unique opportunity to chat with employees in a range of finance roles, including Mentors from: Phoenix Group, Aon, Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, BPP, Admiral Group Plc , Direct Line Group and more to come!

?? If you're a teacher, parent or student you can sign-up for free here: https://futureinfinance.connectr.co.uk/explore

?? What's going on in the world of talent:

?? A Secure Start: Preboarding Strategies for Aerospace Employers

We'll be hosting a roundtable on 25th September with talent leaders in the Aerospace sector to talk about the challenges of tackling reneges and retention of new starters in the sector. We'll be sharing solutions and strategies for the often slow, resource heavy preboarding process - how to reframe the feeling of intrusiveness from extensive vetting procedures and position your employer brand and reputation.

How to attend:

We have very limited spaces for this event in order to allow everyone to share and network, please reach out to Will Mason-Jebb for more information and to secure a spot.

?? Inside the Mind of Gen-Z

TapIn & Connectr Talent Technology recently came together to share data on the expectations of Gen Z candidates during the recruitment process, to help employers level up their careers content and nail the recruitment marketing message to early careers audiences.

Read the full article here:

?? Parents as influencer - Success at School's Report

Success at School recently shared their 'Parents as influencers' report. Key findings include:

• 8 out of 10 parents felt employers need more information from employers about apprenticeships: Parents favoured apprenticeships over university, but felt under-informed about all aspects of the application process.
• Most organisations are not on the radar for over 80% of ethnic minority parents, and 70% of parents overall: This means numerous early career programmes may be inaccessible to children, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds.
• Parents prioritise employers who support mental health: The overwhelming majority of respondents (95%) considered it important or very important when recommending an organisation to their child.

Read the full report here: https://successatschool.org/news/careers/what-do-parents-want-from-employers-survey-of-parents-2024/2064

?

?