Our Key Takeaways from TalentCon 2023…
Some of us here at Thrive Marketing had the privilege of attending the annual Employment & Recruitment Federation (ERF) Conference – TalentCon 2023 in the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin last week. What an amazing event, a day full of incredible keynote speakers and panellists from all over the globe with great insights regarding the recruitment and employment industry... not to mention lots of great opportunities to network, some delicious lunch and a goodie bag to take home!
In a room packed full of over 300 people with a busy agenda, we were kept engaged throughout and heard the most up to date insights as well as first in class advice on recruitment and people management, how to adapt to the new normal emabracing new technology and AI, as well as how to create ‘la dolce vita’ in the workplace.
We left the conference feeling positive about the future of work in Ireland as well as motivated within ourselves. Here Emily Horan, Marketing Executive with Thrive Marketing shares her top 10 take aways from the TalentCon 2023.
1) We should be proud of Ireland! Bettina Schaller (Global World of Work Executive, President World Employment Confederation, SVP Head Group Public Affairs at the Adecco Group) is a brilliant and captivating speaker, while discussing ‘Stability within Instability’, she praised Ireland and our unique position to adapt a leadership role in Europe and around the world. Following a hard hit to every industry after the pandemic, we are seeing a stabilisation of the market with 29,000 new jobs being created post Covid and Irelands employment rate is at an impressive, and all time low percentage of 4.3%.
2) Collaboration is key! This seemed to be a running theme throughout the day. As we move forward in the world of work, it is important to remember that working together and collaborating with colleagues and even people in other industry sectors is a positive thing that can sometimes be overlooked. This should be remembered not only in the corporate world, but in life in general!
3) New developments are something to be optimistic about. As there has been a huge amount of uncertainty over the last few years, new developments such as AI and ChatGPT can be seen as (yes, an amazing new tool!) but also something that may lead to people losing their jobs and a lack of need for employees in certain industries etc. However, we must be optimistic, tech is here to stay! Brendan McGinty (Managing Partner with Stratis Consulting) said “our sector is at the epicentre of the challenges in the labour market…but sometimes challenges bring incredible opportunities!”. Adam Hawkins (Head of Search & Staffing for EMEA & LATAM, LinkedIn) asked us “Are you fearful?”, regarding AI etc…and went on to say ‘”t is a technology amongst many that is going to be part of the optimisation revolution and it is a benefit”.
4) Talent is everywhere! Adam Hawkins spoke about how recruitment has evolved significantly. I don’t think this needs much explaining...”Talent always exists – we just may be looking in the wrong place”.
5) Linking in with the point above. Stacey Gordon (Bias Disruptor, Workplace Culture Consultant) spoke about ‘Diversity recruitment vs Skills- based recruitment’, she emphasised screen in vs screen out. This is a great mindset that should be used in day-to-day life. A degree is an amazing and impressive thing to have, however skills are so powerful in the workforce that someone should not be judged solely on whether or not they have been to college!. An example was given…many hospitality workers lost their jobs due to the global pandemic, and it turns out majority of those people have great customer service skills despite not having experience in that industry! Everyone deserves a chance.
6) Happiness = reality minus expectations. A formula for success! We learned that this formula is the perfect recipe to maintain high happiness levels…how? Keep your expectations low! Easy...Right?
7) Ask yourself questions in order to ground yourself and reset your thinking. During a stressful time, it can often be way too easy to get caught up in the madness and lose yourself! …“Was I honest in my effort today?”. Self-reflect and be honest with yourself. If the answer is yes – keep going! If the answer is, no? Think about why that may be. Giving yourself the chance to think about the situation you’re in, and momentarily taking yourself out of the situation can do wonders for your mental state and how you approach your work.
8) Pain, Uncertainty, Constant Work. Therapist to the stars Phil Stutz says that there are three aspects of life and reality that everyone will go through and no one can avoid. Pellagrino Riccardi (Cross Cultural Expert, Keynote Speaker & Motivator) presented us with a fantastic speech about how to create ‘LA DOLCE VITA’ (The Sweet Life) especially in times of uncertainty. And although it may seem like a harsh approach… he thought us how to overcome these 3 things and mainly it reminded us that no matter how famous or successful you are, everyone deals with these things. No one is superior and that’s important to remember!
9) Find your ‘WHY’. Your process can’t shift until your mind does. This was said by Stacey Gordon (Bias Disruptor, Workplace Culture Consultant), but when taken out of context, can be applied to anything. Stop recruiting for difference, yet hiring for sameness.
10) The only way to do great work is to LOVE what you do. The importance of love in the workplace is huge! Feeling a connection to your work and actually caring about your job stems from the people you surround yourself with. If you have not found your happiness yet, don’t settle! Keep looking, what’s for you won’t pass you!
Once again, thank you so much to the Employment and Recruitment Federation for having us and congratulations to the team, and all involved, on running such a brilliant event!