The labor market is tight: vacancies remain unfilled, while at the same time a large group of motivated people, often referred to as those with a 'distance to the labor market', remain on the sidelines (with no fewer than 387,000 open vacancies and a 3.9% unemployment rate among the workforce). These are individuals for whom it is difficult to find and maintain a regular job due to various reasons, such as a disability, limited work experience, language barriers, or long-term unemployment. Closing this gap is a major social challenge. Fortunately, more and more creative and accessible initiatives are emerging to help. One such successful concept is the Pop-up Job Shop (Banenwinkel) in Purmerend. Read on to discover how we were invited to be part of this project.
The Pop-up Job Shop was a temporary, physical meeting point in a shopping center where job seekers could connect with regional employers, educators, and career coaches in an informal setting. It was a place to rediscover what is happening in the labor market and to explore your own potential and desires. This specific edition focused on vacancies within healthcare & welfare, retail, and hospitality.
On-site, there were booths where visitors could play the BrainsFirst NeurOlympics. The NeurOlympics is our game-based assessment that maps out an individual's cognitive skills. We believe that a resume doesn't tell the whole story: it is a list of things you have done in the past, but it doesn't show where your natural talent lies or what your growth potential is. These factors are crucial in determining "cognitive fit", how well does your brain match the requirements of a specific role?
After playing, visitors to the Pop-up Job Shop immediately received their Brain Profile. This profile provides insights into how your brain works and how you can best utilize your qualities. With this fresh perspective on talent, you start to see opportunities in jobs you might never have considered before, simply because they didn't follow the "logical" path based on your education.
In addition to the NeurOlympics, visitors could participate in educational workshops, speak with career advisors, and browse the vacancy wall. The initiative is highly accessible and offers a great environment for networking, rather than getting lost in the depths of online job boards.
The shop team was ready to welcome everyone for an entire month, and what a success it was! Afterward, it was decided to extend the shop for another three weeks, opening it up to all sectors. The power of the Pop-up Job Shop lies in the human touch. By combining direct contact with employers and the objective insights from the NeurOlympics, labels and prejudices fade away. It is a wonderful way to bring people together.
The success in Purmerend demonstrates that we must approach the labor market differently if we truly want to tackle the shortage. It is no longer about who you are on paper, but about who you are at your core and what you can become. We look back with pride on our contribution to this initiative and remain committed to working with our partners to make the road to work shorter, fairer, and, above all, smarter. Because when we look beyond the resume, a world of undiscovered talent opens up.
Jan Willem Wiersma – strategic recruitment advisor at the Municipality of Rotterdam
