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​Working in a diverse team to find and attract the right talent.

 

Goda Leseviciute, Talent Attraction Associate

 

1.       Can you briefly tell us about yourself? 

Well, first things first, I come from Lithuania, where I got my bachelor’s degree in International Business and Communications. For someone who was considering becoming a photographer and travelling, or maybe opening a dog shelter one day, this was unexpected. But I guess I was just as lost as most of us after (and truth be told, also during) high school, thinking about the big questions like “Who am I?” and “Who do I want to be?”

The first day on campus, I decided to join an NGO for young people called AIESEC and ended up spending three and a half years with them. It had an immense impact on my understanding of what environment stimulates me to perform at my best – a mission-driven organization, strong team culture and space for creativity. In that time, I noticed myself leaning towards the area of human resource management. The idea that “people make the organization” and the idea of helping someone flourish in what they want to and can do is quite breathtakingly inspiring for me.

I’ve been in HR-related areas in several organizations that operate in sectors such as telecommunications, outdoor leisure and aviation. Alongside, I kept volunteering in various international and local non-profits. That’s why I went for a master’s degree in Management of Social Enterprise in Portugal, where I met someone from the ICRC at a career event. He was from Talent Attraction and encouraged me to apply for the traineeship (or associate) programme. Thanks, Ed!

2.       Let’s go back to the beginning – when did you join the ICRC? Which team did you join? Can you tell us about its overall function and impact at the ICRC?

I moved to Geneva in June 2019, where the ICRC’s headquarters are located. The process of applying for the traineeship in Talent Attraction was quite straightforward – I found the job description and all the answers to the FAQs on their career site.

 

"The entire process took less than a month and I still remember jumping on the bed out of happiness when I received the “Welcome to the ICRC” call from my line manager."

 

I joined a very interesting team. Our talent attraction officers are all around the world – Beijing, Sao Paolo, Brussels, Bangkok and Nairobi. Everything happens remotely, even coffee breaks! As the name suggests, our function in the organization is to be visible in the labour market for potential future colleagues and ensure we have a diversely talented humanitarian organization.

3.       Why did you want to join an organization like the ICRC?

From the start, when I was at the career event, I was in awe of the mandate, which resonated with my values. It is really an honour to represent the ICRC in outreach activities, but it’s so much more than a nice line in your resumé. You are representing the people who made a life choice to provide humanitarian aid to all of those affected by war and other situations of violence.

4.       As an associate, can you describe the scope of your responsibilities? What projects did you work on?

The overall responsibilities and tasks were strongly related to supporting the Talent Acquisition Unit – participating in career events all over Switzerland, delivering workshops for young professionals, creating online and offline materials to attract talent, helping with finding the right candidates for open positions (in the form of sourcing, labour market research, scheduling promotional campaigns on LinkedIn, engaging with digital audiences, and much more).

Other activities were maintaining the career site and creating content that works for our audience and helps to tell stories about our employees. These are just some examples; not a single day was the same and my team was extremely supportive of my own initiatives.

5.       Could you share with us a memory from your experience as an associate? (something fun, warm, a moment that you will cherish)

One that puts a smile on my face is my first apéro, which was a goodbye party for my predecessor. Everything was perfect – midsummer weather, outside terrace, mountains everywhere, snacks, drinks and really good music.

 

"I remember looking around, seeing the people and realizing that this was my year now, and I felt exactly where I was supposed to be."

 

I was tremendously lucky to have had the line manager that I did, who really paved the way for me to have the great experience I did as an associate.

6.       What about the future – what are your plans?

It depends on your definition of the future. In one month from now I am moving from Switzerland to France for a new adventure that I am very excited about, to continue growing in HR. In five years I might come back to the ICRC or to a similar organization. I don’t think I can hold myself back from volunteering in my spare time or ending up in the third sector again. I am extremely privileged to be able to follow my gut instinct and to see where it takes me. The future is exciting!

7.       Do you have any advice for future associates?

Always have a spare token for coffee in the cafeteria – you never know! Otherwise, make sure you get out of your office every now and again and meet people. There are so many cool associate initiatives for causes like gender equality or even sports activities. Don’t forget that you’re surrounded by incredible people – learn from them. But don’t rush – you have a year to do all of those cool things. For the recruitment part, nothing magical – be authentic, make sure that you meet the requirements and prepare for the tests and interviews. But when you’re here, I hope you’ll enjoy it and take every learning opportunity you can get your hands on!