La Redoute has been present in the very first edition of the Pitch Bootcamp on Data Science, which took place in NOVA IMS on May 15th, and we must say: what a wonderful experience!
The Pitch Bootcamp concept is simple: companies meet future graduates, who present themselves with a previously prepared pitch. They talk about their soft skills, career status and goals for the future. The companies then give their feedback and advice for future ventures, based on their own experience and practical knowledge. Some might call it mentoring (and it is); some might call it a blind-date experience adapted to HR, but whatever you call it, it works!
Having been considered one of the best companies to work in Portugal for seven times over the last ten years, La Redoute knows very well the importance of mentoring professionals from day 1 and help them become fully developed experts, capable of making their own decisions and providing innovative new solutions in response to existing problems. Moreover, we see these mentoring events as an opportunity to invest in the young – the future gurus of Information Technologies.
Later on May 17th, the HR team headed back to Instituto Politécnico de Leiria for a new edition of PITCH BOOTCAMP, to meet and greet the local future graduates – the talent of tomorrow, which has allowed us to get a better understanding of their mindset.
Overall, we reckon it is one of the best initiatives regarding HR that has been developed in Portugal, all conceived by the mind of Miguel Gonçalves, the charismatic leader and CEO of Spark Agency.
What it means to be a mentor
What would you say to yourself if you could go back in time and have a chat with the twenty-something-year-old-you?
Rememeber when we knew so little of what to do with a university degree? A long-term coach, a trusted counsellor or a guide, the mentor is that one person we all need after graduating. A mentor is the one who challenges and encourages the mentee to think through issues, while serving as a source of wisdow as well.
In short, mentoring is essential! Hence, if a company isn’t mentoring their trainees and freshmen, how can we expect them to succeed? Here, at La Redoute, the tech leads assume a mentoring role right from day 1. And why? The mentor-mentee relationship is a two-way street. Being able to share skills and knowledge, as well as acting as a positive role model, has been proved to be one of the top reasons that make the talent stay and take up the cudgels.
HR is no longer about simply recruiting, it is about nurturing and attracting talent
There is still so much to learn on how to recruit, as it is becoming more and more challenging! Recruiters are realizing that the most promising talents are not going to choose our company without some good arguments. Therefore, nurturing candidates is the key to HR success! Professionals need to feel they’re appeciated, needed and purposive, and even more that we want them to grow with us.