We chatted to Amanda Vitucci, the Head of Communications & APAC Marketing Team Lead at Talent about her journey with Talent so far, here's what she had to say.
Let’s start at the beginning - tell us a bit about your journey at Talent.
Starting a new job can be a scary thing. Starting a new job in the middle of a pandemic in a totally new industry, even scarier. Rewind to November 2020 and there I was. When searching for a new role there were a few things that were non-negotiable for me. I wanted to work for a company that was forward thinking, took risks, made sure culture was everything, and above all genuinely cared for their team members. I wanted a manager that truly wanted me to succeed and someone who I could learn from and let me be myself. Fast-forward to December 2020 and I had secured a role at Talent as their Communications Manager and was set to start January 2021.
Today marks my one-year anniversary at Talent, I am now Head of Communications and Team Lead for APAC, so I wanted to pull back the curtain and share with you a few things about this wonderful company that I get to be a part of, showcase how rising up the ranks is celebrated, and share a few of the learnings I’ve made along the way.
An experience that can be very overwhelming was met with copious amounts of support and care. Whilst the office was quiet, (Sydney was in lockdown at the time) I still felt extremely welcomed by everyone with joyful emails from our Global CEO, our CSO, and the Senior Leadership team.
On top of that, an awesome merch welcome pack was sitting on my desk to boot! The first week was spent connecting with my team members both in APAC and in the UK via Zoom, inductions with our sensational P&C team who went above and beyond to make sure that I felt comfortable, happy and that I could ask any question I needed to no matter how silly I thought I sounded, and reading as much as I could on the initiatives Talent had activated over the past year.
Shout out to the IT team who made the tech side of things super smooth – trust me, it makes a difference! First days are scary, but Talent did everything to make sure it wasn’t.
Hot tip: Connecting via Zoom calls 1:1 with core team members made this process a whole lot easier and I was able to start building key work relationships.
It became abundantly clear in my first few months that everyone at Talent lives and breathes the company values… and I love it! Let me break it down for you really quickly.
Lead the way. We take the lead on driving positive social change in our industry and beyond.
Strive for better. We are determined to build a better world of work for all and continuously strive to improve our standards.
Give a damn. Talent was launched with the belief that we could create a company that went beyond the normal boundaries of compassion and care for people.
Not only does every newbie get the run-down on these in their induction week but what I found so awesome was that when you speak with team members in your day-to-day, these values are consistently focused in on when decisions need to be made. Are we living to our values? If we aren’t, we don’t move ahead with something. No point having values if you don’t live up to them, and it’s safe to say that Talent truly lives up to theirs.
If you are one of the lucky ones who hasn’t worked for a company that doesn’t live up to its values, I take my hat off to you – keep it up!
Hot tip: Ask questions about your company values from senior leadership right through to junior members. You will get a good idea if they are real values or just words on a poster.
We have all been sold the dream in an interview. “Yes, we love to watch our people grow and develop” … and then three months in and it’s looking a bit dim. Not at Talent. Career development is a laser focus for everyone.
I came into the company as a Communications Manager. Fast forward to now and I am Head of Communications & Team Lead for APAC. Talent’s focus on L&D and career progression is second to none. A few things we do to break from the pack is instead of a usual yearly progress check-in with your manager, we have them monthly at Talent. Shout-out to our P&C team for making this a priority that everyone cares about. With a global team of over 350, it’s no easy feat!
Why should we speak about career development only once a year? Talent recognises that the yellow brick road to career development isn’t a one-off thing, it’s constantly evolving for every person. Through my monthly check-ins with my manager, I was able to voice goals, concerns and where I wanted to push myself in my role. Thankfully I had a kick-ass incredible manager who helped me get to where I am now through mentoring, planning, education and answering my many phone calls.
Leading a team is not just about how many years you have clocked up in experience, there is always an element of emotion to it and being very tuned in to what your team members need, even if they aren’t saying it. If there is one thing I have discovered this past year it is that you can do you always at Talent and the day-to-day managers embrace this.
Hot tip: Don’t be scared to ask questions in your 1:1 with your manager about your growth and where they see you heading. They are your #1 supporter so be vocal with where you want your career journey to go.
I was fortunate to be a part of Talent’s first RISE Day in 2021 which was a day where we put our usual work aside and jumped on calls with young people who needed an extra helping hand with getting their foot in the door to kick-start their career. A recruitment company that gives back to young people? – yes please!
Talent RISE is Talent’s charitable foundation. Not only that, but at Talent we are all encouraged to give time to help coach and mentor young people. In company calls it’s always rewarding and a feel-good moment when we get to hear about the roles the RISE team have filled.
Hot tip: Donating your time is so rewarding. If your company doesn’t have something like this in place, I would highly recommend speaking with your HR team to see what initiatives you can take part in. We can all do our part and it’s nice to take a moment to reflect and give back.
To wrap it up, I think one of the best things I have found working at Talent, (outside of the incredible people) is that you don’t have the Sunday Scaries. My teammates, our senior leadership, and our C-Suite all truly make you feel that you belong, that you can reach for the stars, that you can be your most authentic self, and that no problem is too big or too small if you need a helping hand.
There is no doubt about it, my expectations have truly been exceeded. With launching new initiatives, to working on DE&I events, to celebrating career progression, I am so lucky to work for this exciting company and have leaders who truly want me to succeed.
If you’re interested in progressing your career with Talent, complete the form here – we’d love to hear from you.