Becoming a Talent Engagement Partner: Tom’s Story

By Tom Steventon, Talent Engagement Partner

After three years of working in Sales, Tom made his move over to recruitment in order to find a more suitable work culture, greater autonomy and career progression. He shares his tips for acing interviews, alongside and skills that are needed to be great in his role.

I previously worked in sales for Fintech, Oil and Gas and recruitment companies
The pace of working within in a sales environment is so very different from what I experience now. However, I possessed lots of transferable skills which I’ve brought into my role now. The heavy focus on hitting financial targets from my time in sales is now translated to hitting objectives around providing a great candidate journey and experience – which is a nice change!

Also, having organisational skills and being adaptable made the transition into this role an easy one.

I currently work on the Accenture account onboarding new starters
My role is responsible for managing the onboarding process. In short, we work alongside candidates to provide a smooth transition into a role at Accenture, whilst protecting both the client and candidate by conducting legal compliance checks to approve their right to work.

The element of the job that I find most interesting is the daily need to problem-solve. Working with a large number of candidates and varying personal situations means there will be challenges where you must think outside the box. It’s a rewarding job as you feel you’re making a real difference to someone else’s career.

Three core elements drew me to the role: culture, autonomy and progression
These were three key things I considered prior to moving jobs. Having worked in sales for SMEs and multinational corporations, I’ve had my fair share of experiencing different types of work cultures, and I can safely say Guidant breaks the mould on this.

Working at Guidant and with my team leader, Emma, I’m reminded daily that my decision to move into recruitment was the right one. The autonomous and flexible working structure allows me to arrange my day and priorities in a way that works best for me, which makes every day enjoyable, or at the very least, a fun challenge.

How to become a great Talent Engagement Partner? Be adaptable and organised
If you’re looking to get into this field, hone in on your ability to be adaptable and organised.

Adaptability is key as you’ll be juggling daily requirements from both candidates and the client while balancing deadlines and expectations. Organisational skills go hand-in-hand with this – the more organised you are, the smoother your work progress will be.

Ace your interview by doing research and being yourself
Interviews can feel overwhelming and daunting (for me at least). Three things I focused on to get me through the process were to research, recite and relax. Carrying out research on any company you’re interviewing with is crucial, not just in understanding what they are looking for, but to also learn what’s important to them and their culture.

I researched Guidant through their blogs and ‘About Us’ page on the careers site, which helped me get a better sense of the workplace and whether I would be a good fit for it. There are many other resources to help your research (such as Glassdoor and LinkedIn) and read up on employee reviews.

Recite comes in when you’re speaking to your interviewer. Touch on traits or experiences listed in the job ad and tie it back to your own profile. Don’t be shy to bring up anything interesting that stood out during your research, as it shows your interest in the company.

Being relaxed is important too. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself as this could work against you. Interview nerves can get to everyone, so it’s important to spend some time before the interview to clear your head and keep calm.

If you’re looking for an engaging and challenging people-facing role, this could be for you
Since working at Guidant, I have felt incredibly valued in my role. Each day is a new challenge and there are always different opportunities arising, whether it’s on my account or within other areas of the business.

Being a Talent Engagement Partner at Guidant would be ideal for someone who thrives on engaging with others and wants to feel valued, challenged and invested in by a company!

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