Paula Potter joined team mhs in December 2019 but her journey to join us was different to that of any other colleague; she was recruited by one of our foyer residents.
In a new venture to help develop skills in the workplace, foyer residents were invited to help with the recruitment process for a new Support Officer.
18-year-old Logan put his name forward and sat on a recruiting panel in November.
There he quizzed Paula and six other applicants on her previous experience and relevant skills, scored her assessment and helped the foyer managers to decide that she was best suited for the role.
"I watched and reviewed the whole interview recruitment process. I’ve not been on the questioning end of an interview before, so it was a nice insight to see what employers look for. You know what sort of questions you’re going to ask, so it will help me out in the future. It’s one of those experiences that you’re probably never going to get again", said Logan, who moved into Endeavour Foyer in Chatham in October 2019.
Paula worked in the Leaving Care team at Medway Council for the past three years but wanted a new challenge after seeing how homelessness can affect young people.
"I enjoy working with young people and wanted a new challenge in the housing sector – so the role seemed perfect. mhs seems like a caring employer too which is important", said Paula.
She wasn’t phased by being interviewed by someone she’d later go on to support.
"It’s really good for a young person to get involved with recruitment; it encourages self-esteem, offers great experience, is a great addition to their CV and it’s also important to have their viewpoint heard during recruitment discussions. The foyer is their home and therefore giving them the opportunity to help recruit staff is important", said Paula.
Paula now works with 12 residents at Endeavour, Logan being one of them. The pair currently meet up once a week and get on well.
"I think it was useful me being on the panel, because the staff know the requirements and policies, but I know the situation and can see what sort of qualities would help for me to trust them more. I think that was quite important when it came to choosing. I feel comfortable here and working with Paula, which for me is a big thing", said Logan.
This new recruitment process, involving foyer residents will be continued and rolled out for all future recruitment in this department.
"Our foyers provide a safe place for young people aged 16-25 to live, learn and make the transition to independent adulthood. We offer personal development to help increase employability and improve our resident’s leadership potentials. We’re delighted that Logan really benefitted from this experience and hope to do similar exercises in the future", said Amanda Mensah, Foyer Manager.