5 examples from Finland: effective ways to network with key personnel of the organisations!  

 

 

Training session: Developmental discussions (duration 2-7 hours) 

More than half of all Finnish organisations use developmental discussions. Thus, it is very popular in organisations to send those in charge of discussions to have some training and learn more in the matter. In the training participants will gain better understanding about guidance and counselling at the workplace and how developmental discussions play a vital role in this big picture. Training will give participants interaction and guidance skills and tools.  Employees will benefit more from developmental discussions, when superior knows what he/she is doing. Developmental discussions are steered into the direction of guidance instead of interview to be able to give employees career support. 

 

For you, as a guidance service provider, this kind of training sessions serve as a way to network with organisations key personnel, show your know-how in the topic and market your services. You can choose any HR topic you like, as long as the target group will be interested in it! 

 

Themed breakfast meeting (duration 45 min - 120 min) 

Organise a short meeting in the early morning. Invite people in person through email or phone call. Serve nice and warm breakfast and arrange some program, for example interesting key note speaker in a current HR topic that will tempt key personnel in the organisations. Talk to people shortly yourself and introduce your services related to the speaker's topic. Interact, connect, mingle and create acquaintances!  

 

Seminar in an interesting human resource development topic (4-8 hours) 

If only you have enough resources, you can always organise a big event. For example a seminar in an interesting HR topic will serve your purposes of connecting key personnel well! This kind of happening needs lots of planning and marketing, but if you succeed, you will be able to market your know-how and services in a very effective manner. 

 

Training and Education Date (1-3 hours) 

Training and Education Date is an informal meeting between the key personnel in the organisations and the local providers of adult education services and career counselling services. For the Date to be interesting and useful for HR personnel of the organisations, the service providers include all the major local trainers and experts in the field of adult education, workplace community training and career counselling. At th Date, workplace community representatives listen to short briefings and talks by experts, have the opportunity to take a look at their booths and network with service providers. They will be interested to participate, since they will meet all the key players at once! 

 

Sauna evening (2-4 hours) 

In Finland, we have a wonderful place to network: sauna. We arranged an evening at "Saunalautta" (Sauna raft) for 12 participants from cleaning service organisations. During the evening, we offered good food and short talk about our services. Some went to sauna and some went to swimming. All participants networked, while the raft sailed up and down the river!