The power of conversation
By Jenny Pape, Head of Talent & Development
With over 20 years’ experience in recruitment, it probably won’t surprise you that I love to talk! Over the years I have truly seen the power of conversation as a guiding principle, shaping not only my career, but my approach to life itself.
I thrive when I’m forging connections, nurturing relationships, and having a positive impact on people. Through conversations, I’ve learned about the dreams, hopes, passions (and let’s not pretend there aren’t frustrations!), of those I interact with. It’s a chance to find common ground, shared values and understand where people’s personal needs and potential lies. It can even be a way to make a collective effort to make our planet and its people better - conversations can be the seeds of change.
The power of a conversation plays a pivotal role in recruitment and relationship building. Connecting people is my superpower - it's like being a matchmaker for ideas, opportunities, and partnerships. Whether it's colleagues, candidates, or clients (they of course could all be one of the same), I act as a bridge that brings people together, all thanks to the natural conversations I’m having day in, day out.
Throughout the years, as I've connected with people across my professional network spanning three decades, I've learned that a) a conversation can lead to many paths, whether it’s been a week or five years since the last discussion was had, and b) growth opportunities and genuine connections are often in closer reach than we think.
After a recent conversation with a new connection, she sent me this message:
“It's not always easy to navigate complicated personal circumstances in a professional environment. It was brilliant to speak to you last week - a fellow single mum who co-parents and talks openly about menopause made me feel more normal than I have in months!”
Whilst I appreciate this is not the narrative for all my conversations (!), being genuine, engaged and ultimately able to understand what makes someone tick, means I can give them my best version of me, which in turn has powerful, positive impact.
At Blurred, my role extends beyond the ordinary. It excites me because it's not just about adding talent to our team. It's also about creating opportunities and working with our clients to ensure they have the best people in their businesses by working alongside them to hire the most relevant talent. We can then help to embed them and support both the client and the candidate to ensure the hire is a success.
My career has encompassed multiple markets, various disciplines and many experiences. I’ve loved every single minute and I’ve made a career out of talking whilst hopefully supporting many with their own careers.
I’d like my next chapter (hitting the big 50 this year!) to be equally adventurous through more conversations (and possibly adding in a sky dive!). Creating new relationships and helping others unlock their professional potential is what keeps me being me, so if you fancy a natter, drop me a line!