Indeed partners with UK-based charitable organization, Shaw Trust
On January 21, 2021, Indeed, the global job site that utilizes the latest technology, announced a partnership with Shaw Trust, a non-profit organization that has been helping people re-enter the workforce in the UK for nearly 40 years. How has the partnership between Shaw Trust and Indeed supported people into the UK labor market?
The need for rebuilding job seekers' self-belief
According to a UK-wide survey* conducted by Indeed in November 2020, more than half of job seekers, both employed and unemployed, said they didn't think there are any jobs available for them. In fact, competition for the average job opening had more than doubled from the previous year. The number of job openings had also decreased by 37% due to the spread of COVID-19. More than a quarter of respondents rated their self-belief levels as low, and more than four in 10 (44%) didn't feel confident when it came to searching and applying for jobs. Among those with low self-belief, the experience of having applied for jobs and receiving no feedback in the past and the bitter experience of failing an interview seem to be major factors in lowering job seekers' self-belief.
It is possible that people are losing self-belief along with the cooling of the UK economy. According to the Office for National Statistics, it is estimated that there are nearly 90,000 people in the UK who want to work and are able to work, but are not actively looking for a job because they believe there are no jobs for them.
* Research conducted by 3Gem for Indeed. A nationally representative survey of 1,000 employed and 1,000 unemployed job seekers (UK wide 18+) was conducted from November 2-10, 2020.
Job Search Workshop―for their first step towards employment
Indeed has a goal of helping 1 million job seekers around the world find employment by 2030. In order to achieve this goal, Indeed was looking for a UK partner and believed working alongside Shaw Trust gave the best opportunity to support job seekers struggling the most back into work. Indeed and Shaw Trust decided to start by having activities to restore the self-belief of job seekers and help them get back on their feet. For the start, they hosted a series of online events called "Job Search Workshops" from January to March 2021.
"Our partnership with Shaw Trust gives us the chance to support some of those job seekers struggling most," said Abbey Carlton, Senior Director and Head of Social Impact. "Our 'Job Search Workshops' were designed to help navigate people of all backgrounds through challenging times and in turn restore their confidence and help get them back on their feet and into work. Confidence and a growth mindset play a key role in finding a job and by increasing self-belief we want to empower job seekers and help them overcome barriers they face to finding work."
Mikaela Elliott from Indeed (left) and Renata Graver from Shaw Trust (right) are role-playing online in front of participants
The Job Search Workshops were three Facebook Live events that started in January and ran through March 2021, so that they could reach as many people as possible who needed help. At the events, professionals from Shaw Trust and Indeed who have been involved in helping job seekers took to the virtual stage to share their knowledge on how to properly prepare for the job search process and learn more about the screening and interview process. The interviewing tips were designed to help participants learn more practical techniques by demonstrating role-plays that included common mistakes made in online interviews. The Job Search Workshops were attended by a total of 16,000 job seekers. One of the participants, Lisa Cockburn, expressed her gratitude for the events: "This workshop is very helpful as I have been out of work for so long."
"We help people get jobs."
In addition to the Job Search Workshops, Indeed helps a wide range of job seekers through Online Hiring Events
and by connecting Shaw Trust with major companies which post job openings on Indeed.
As for the future, Abbey remains enthusiastic. "The goal of this partnership is to help as many unemployed people as possible get back into the labor market," said Abbey. "Our mission is, of course, 'We help people get jobs,' and this partnership is the best opportunity possible for us to practice it. Together with Shaw Trust, we will continue to discuss how we can support as many job seekers as possible."
Abbey Carlton
Senior Director, Head of Social Impact at Indeed
Abbey joined Indeed three years ago and is responsible for building global Social Impact's efforts. Throughout her career, she has long worked on issues related to employment and opportunity and before joining Indeed, Abbey was the managing director of jobs and economic opportunity at the Rockefeller Foundation.
Shaw Trust
Shaw Trust is a not-for-profit (NFP) social enterprise born in 1982 in the small town of Shaw, England, named after the town. With the aim of realizing a society where all people can have opportunities, the organization started its business by helping disabled people find employment. As of 2021, Shaw Trust has more than 2,700 staff members and 800 volunteers, and has 150 centers across the UK.