A career as a Talent Engagement Partner: Marsha’s story

By Marsha Sankar, Talent Engagement Partner

​Sensing a new challenge was needed, Marsha left the real estate industry after seven years to become a Talent Engagement Partner at Guidant Global. She lets us in on what her role is like and tips on standing out at job interviews.

This February marks my two-year anniversary working at Guidant
Before Guidant, I worked at a lettings and property management agency, just shy of seven years. I was coming from a totally different industry, however, I had done a year’s work in recruitment prior to that, so I already had some previous experience.

The Talent Engagement Partner job description lined up with what I was interested in. I wanted a dynamic role which involved both administration and customer service as well as interaction with stakeholders outside of my team, such as workers and the client.

The skillset of the role also matched mine as I had many transferrable skills acquired from being in real estate. I saw this as a really exciting opportunity to develop a whole new career, alongside gaining new skills. While I was looking for a career challenge, I wanted to remain within a corporate environment as I knew I would thrive there. And, as I had briefly worked in recruitment before, this seemed like a good move.

The diversity of clients we work with keeps things fresh
From retail to aerospace clients in our portfolio, every new opportunity in the business becomes that much more exciting since the work is never the same. There's always more to learn and it’s impossible to be bored.

Having such a variety of clients also means that when you become a Talent Engagement Partner, you’ll be assigned to an account that matches your strengths, abilities and personality, which will enable you to enjoy your role even more.

Currently, I’m working on the Burberry account
My day-to-day role involves collecting compliance information from new workers, issuing out contracts to successful candidates, which is one of the most rewarding parts of my job! My remit doesn’t stop there though, I also prepare them for their first day at Burberry, and beyond, as well as supporting them with various queries during their assignment, such as payroll issues, holiday requests, etc.

One of the most interesting parts of the job is learning about new positions available at Burberry and meeting the candidates who are filling them, especially during peak seasons where big fashion or sales events are happening. It’s an exciting and fast-paced role that challenges me to ensure our level of our service is always top notch.

The most crucial skill as a Talent Engagement Partner is to be organised
It is key to keep track of your own schedule in order to meet various deadlines. For example, a workers’ employment vetting checks must be completed before their first day, so we are constantly working towards several different new joiners and their respective start dates.

Additionally, we might also be informed of urgent starters which we must then fit in to the current schedule. Staying organised helps with prioritising tasks, such as identity checks, sending and receiving contracts, setting up payroll, and more - always ensuring each worker is successfully cleared and can start on time. Being proactive also goes a long way to ensuring a great level of service for both new starters and the client.

Let your confidence shine at the interview
I remember feeling really positive at my interview, and I wanted to make sure I kept an approachable and conversational manner with my interviewers. It’s important that you’re able to show a good level of confidence in yourself, as it helps others feel comfortable in trusting you to get the work done well.

In addition to being confident, I also made sure I was well prepared by researching as much about Guidant as I could. I took time to read up and understand Guidant’s vision, which I was able to share my thoughts on during the interview, as I was excited to see how I could contribute and be a part of it.

A rewarding role that makes a difference to someone else’s career
Think back to when you were offered a job – having someone there to support you through the onboarding process and respond to any issues you may have during a new change in your life makes such a difference!

As a Talent Engagement Partner, you play a key part in ensuring that every candidate’s journey leading up to joining the client is as smooth as possible – being supportive and helpful will go a long way. I always feel a sense of fulfilment once each candidate officially joins the business.

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