Adam ClarkWhy it is crucial to promote housing careers
National Careers Week offers a great platform to articulate the compelling reasons to work in housing and attract the brightest people to the sector, writes Adam Clark
We know humans are at their best when they have purpose, it’s been proven that having purpose is positive for our physical health.
When working with purpose, we release natural energy into our bodies and tune in to what Professor Dan Cable refers to as our “seeking system”.
Some organisations and sectors can have a hard time engaging their employees in the purpose of their work because it’s not clear or is a hard sell.
Let’s be absolutely clear, this is not the case for the housing sector.
Working on the basis that most reasonable people would agree a safe and decent home should be a human right, why did nearly 600 people die on our streets? Why are 320,000 people currently without a home?
“People are increasingly aware of the housing crisis but unless we clearly articulate the compelling reasons for a career in housing, how can we hope to attract them?”
Why were 130,000 children in temporary lodgings last Christmas? And why do people in England and Wales need to find nearly eight times their income to buy a home of their own? The housing sector is grappling with significant societal issues – a more compelling purpose I cannot imagine.
In addition, technology is advancing at a pace which is unprecedented and organisations need to be able to provide in the here and now while focusing on the needs of the future. Getting to grips with these issues are some of the reasons why it’s important we promote careers in housing.
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To overcome such challenges, we need the brilliant minds of emotionally intelligent humans who are passionate about equality and determined to overcome entrenched systemic problems.
People are increasingly aware of the housing crisis but unless we clearly articulate the compelling reasons for a career in housing, how can we hope to attract them?
We need to attract skills and expertise necessary to overcome these challenges and provide brilliant services but only on the basis we remember why we’re here.
Richard, a tenant board member at Accent Group, hit the nail on the head saying “to you who work in housing, remember that it’s your career but it’s our lives” and of course he is absolutely right.
Powerful address from resident board member Richard @AccentHousing "to you who work in housing, remember that it's your career but it's our lives." #nhfcustomer
— Sarah-Jane Gay (@sarahjanegay) February 26, 2019
Our work in the housing sector is about much more than the job we do, the team we work in or the path we’re on. It’s about the people who call our houses their home.
This is people-focused work and to me, our tenants are the gold who make our sector such a valuable one, we mustn’t lose sight of why we’re here.
Something I most value about my career is the connections I’ve been afforded. From the teenager moving into his first home and enjoying the freedom this afforded him, to the stalwart beating heart of her community who I’ve seen grow old and move into housing with care.
What a privilege to get to know these people and their stories.
“We need the brilliant minds of emotionally intelligent humans who are passionate about equality”
To quote Professor Cable: “When we have a personal experience that let’s us develop a narrative and purpose about a certain activity, it activates our seeking system and we feel more zestful. The result? We engage ourselves even more in that activity.”
The close connection we have with our tenants is the reason so many housing professionals are excited to work in housing, we are after all social beings.
To engage the brightest people considering career options, social housing providers need to harness the power of our relationships with our tenants, sharing human stories and highlighting the value of our work.
National Careers Week (#NCW2019) offers a wonderful platform for this to happen, but it’s up to us all to make clear why a career in housing should be a career of choice.
Adam Clark, assistant housing director, Broadland Housing Group; and board member, CIH Futures
National Careers Week and National Apprenticeship Week
National Careers Week
National Careers Week, which is run by a not-for-profit organisation of the same name, aims to promote the importance of good careers education in schools and colleges.
It is founded and backed by a number of volunteers from education and business and is supported by the Royal Bank of Scotland.
This year National Careers Week runs from 4 to 9 March.
National Apprenticeship Week
National Apprenticeship Week is co-ordinated by the National Apprenticeship Service, part of the Education and Skills Funding Agency and is “designed to celebrate apprenticeships and the positive impact they have on individuals, businesses and the wider economy”. National Apprenticeship Week also runs from 4 to 9 March this year.
Read more:
National Apprenticeship Week 2019: the housing sector celebrates its apprentices Pictures and tweets from across the UK as #ukhousing shares its apprentice success stories
Why it is crucial to promote housing careers National Careers Week offers a great platform to articulate the compelling reasons to work in housing and attract the brightest people to the sector, writes Adam Clark
Choose housing to have a real impact and a career you can be proud of As National Careers Week continues, Isabel Connolly outlines the benefits of working in the housing sector
How a housing apprenticeship changed my life Susan Thompson of First Ark explains the benefits of apprenticeships
