On Oct. 22, guests from NOM and the IWCN gathered at Kwartier Noord in Katlijk for an afternoon of insights on "Finding and Connecting Talent.
Human Capital remains a challenging theme for business and government alike. That we need to look at talent differently and give less 'obvious' target groups, such as international workers, the elderly or students, a chance is by now clear. How we can best guide these target groups on the labor market, however, is still sometimes difficult.
Should I stay or should I go
Together with discussion leader Suzan de Grijs, we kicked off with the panel "Should I stay or should I go?", which discussed how to retain talent in the region, utilize the Window of Opportunity and engage Gen Z. Dennie Stevens(Datamaran), Jeroen Maas(GOA Public) and Eva van Leeuwen(Young Heroes) shared their valuable experiences and perspectives. "Give a clear perspective and have sincere attention to the person behind the job" was an advice to managers of young talent that all three agreed with.
Internationals no objection
This was followed by the panel "Internationals no objection," where we addressed the possibilities of attracting international talent. Martine Millet(IWCN) talked with Marjolein Wiersma(Make it in the North), Elmar de Jong(Founded) and Gina Tromp(Municipality of Leeuwarden) about how companies can find international talent, the Talent Hub initiative and the international start-up climate.
Growth begins here!
In the final panel, "Growth Starts Here!", we discussed advancement opportunities for talent looking for a second, third or even tenth career step. Hennielle Dam-van der Duin(NoorderLink) and Mattheüs Nubé(Swipe4Work) offered interesting insights into this.
Group discussion
The afternoon ended with a group discussion in which participants shared what their 'talent' is. What do you contribute to the labor market in the Northern Netherlands and what do you need to improve your activities? During the ensuing networking drinks there was plenty of discussion and new connections were made.
A clear message that came back in both the panels and the group discussion: leverage what is in the region. Inform entrepreneurs struggling to retain Young Professionals about Young Heroes coaching. Open your network to Make it in the North to help experienced international talent find jobs within their field of expertise. Advise companies that are not getting responses on traditional job boards to do a skills-based search using Swipe4Work. There are many ways to find and engage talent, but you have to take action for it.