TNG in York Street, Ramsgate, has taken inspiration from speed dating to help match-make jobseekers with potential employers, with 11 people gaining employment.

The ‘speed recruitment’ sessions involve up to six employers, including retail outlet Matalan and Piper Windows, a local double glazing specialist. Each employer sees around 30 applicants, for five minute back-to-back interviews throughout the session.

Each applicant has enrolled on the ESF Pre-Employment Training programme, being delivered by TNG, one of the UK’s leading welfare to work training providers, in Kent and Medway. The course aims to help some of the hardest to reach groups of people back into work, including lone parents, ex offenders, ethnic minorities and the long term unemployed.

Armed with briefing notes on employers and their CV, each applicant has five minutes to impress and receive the offer of a second ‘date’ - or in this case, second interview. Each employer is ‘buddied up’ with a TNG employee or subcontractor, and uses a marking sheet to provide feedback.

At the end of the session, the marking sheets were collated, the highest-rated interviewees of the day won £25 high-street vouchers.

Louise Hampton, 29, from Ramsgate is one of the jobseekers who found employment with ‘speed recruitment’. She was unemployed for three years before joining the Pre-Employment Training programme. On the course, she received help with her CV, and interview techniques before taking part in the speed recruitment day.

Louise said, “I was nervous, but knowing I wasn’t on my own helped a lot. The TNG tutors gave us advice, and for five minutes, you get the chance to shine. When I saw my feedback comments, it really boosted my confidence, which helped with my second interview. It was a great experience. Now I’m working at Matalan, meeting new people, and I love my job.”

Heidi Griffin, TNG Operations Manager for Kent said, “We came up with the idea of speed recruitment to help fit employers’ needs- this way, they can meet lots of potential employees in a short space of time, allowing them to invite the people they want to know more about to a second interview. These events also give our learners a chance to practice their interview techniques in real situations.”

Claire Weare, store manager at Matalan said, “TNG supplied a good volume of good quality candidates. It saved us a lot of time scouring CVs, and making managers available for lots of interviews. It was an interesting way to interview, and really helped us to focus on the questions we asked so no time was wasted. We have employed 5 people as a result of the events, and think it’s a great way of finding new employees.”