It takes 10 000 hours to be an expert at something. Or at least so they say. I haven’t counted my hours within Talent Acquisition, Recruitment and Employer Branding, but after about ten years as a consultant within these scopes, I hope I have gained some knowledge – that I’ve found use for at Afterworkshop.
Thanks to these years, I today have a pretty well-established network among SME companies and candidates in west Sweden primarily within tech. As a part of my business, I take on both heavier search assignments as well as cases that arise from situations with a need for an analysis of the existing organization and establishing a high-quality recruitment process. I also do career coaching and try to use my network for the benefit of those looking for the next step.
Since I’ve been involved with the recruitment industry one way or another for a long time, I’ve also started to see its shortcomings. Without digging too deep into that discussion, let’s just say I’ve seen lots of great candidates lacking network and lacking understanding for the Swedish labor market fall away and several companies miss a great employee.
That’s why I looked twice when I saw the initiative from Sofia Brax called Afterworkshop. This is an opportunity for new swedes to get a little closer to understanding the art of job searching in the Swedish context and to meet e.g. recruiters and HR-people to broaden their network here. Sofia’s idea is genius. She just invites everyone to her living room. All participants bring something to eat from the part of the world that they originate and every event, there is a short talk by someone with valuable knowledge on the preset topic and then it’s all about mingle. No new swede is allowed to leave the house with less than three new contacts. And with the aim to let each of those three provide them with three more. I don’t believe I’ve ever felt more welcome.
I joined as participant and really found this an opportunity to share some of my knowledge and network and give a little of the privilege I have here in Sweden. When Covid hit, I got a message saying the next Afterworkshop was cancelled and I couldn’t just accept it. I had digitalized all my assignments, including training, workshops and coaching, and since that went more than well, why don’t use a digital tool for the Afterworkshops!?
So I offered to help create a digital living room. And together with Sofia, Stefan Kristoffersson and Juan-Pablo Ortiz I now get the honor to arrange digital Afterworkshops every 6th week. If you have the opportunity to join, please make sure you do. Even if you don’t believe you have something of value to share, I can assure you that you do. Every little piece to the puzzle of understanding the Swedish labor market is really valuable and I do believe that this is a way to success and a good life for both individuals, organizations and society. Because that´s what the pay it forward idea is all about, isn’t it?
Read more about Sofia’s initiative and join the next Afterworkshop here.
