Making real connections: GCS hosts in-person induction event
Over 120 new members of the Government Communication Service (GCS) community gathered at a special induction event on 29 March – the first in person event in 3 years.
It was the perfect opportunity for all new joiners to find their feet and learn about the sheer variety of opportunities that a GCS career will offer them. Most importantly, they were network face-to-face for the first time in three years.
As GCS Deputy Chief Executive Lisa Hunter told delegates:
“GCS will be a really attractive place to work, in terms of opportunities and learning and career development. Today is about finding those connections”.
In a packed and varied agenda, the new recruits participated in panel discussions with senior and operational GCS staff, threw themselves into skill speed-dating sessions and took the time to learn from each other about previous experiences and build those early connections.
Importantly, community members were encouraged to sign up for the new GCS Connect interactive tool (over 4,200 already have) and were introduced to the GCS Strategy and the plans for the future of GCS. Chief Executive Simon Baugh told them:
“Thank you so much for coming today and for choosing to join us. I feel really positive about the future of the GCS and I can see that the Service is in really safe hands because we’ve got people who are asking exactly the right questions here today.
Communications is changing at enormous speed. The challenges we are facing are massive ones so, as government communicators, always look to work collaboratively, bring in your expertise and don’t be afraid to come up with new ideas to meet those challenges.”
Over 100 new GCS members attended the event, with 68 of those signing up to coffee and connect sessions (face-to-face networking). Madeleine Clark from Network Rail, said:
“I’m brand new to GCS, working in Network Rail and I don’t think I really understood how connected all the different areas of communications within government service are.
“I’ve put my name down to do a ‘coffee and connect’ session so hopefully I get partnered with someone to learn a little bit more about what they do on a 1:1 face-to-face basis which will be really good.
“I think I’ve made some great connections with people today that work in different departments and business areas and I feel really privileged to be part of a wider comms group.”
The next GCS Induction event is planned for June 2023. Keep a look out across the GCS channels.
- Image credit:
- Russell Smith (1)