Lifeways HR Advisor helps inspire next generation of care professionals

Lifeways HR Advisor Janette Tennant recently volunteered her time to support mock interviews for Year 10 students at a local school, helping young people gain valuable experience and confidence ahead of their future careers and raising awareness of roles within the care industry. 

The opportunity arose following a last‑minute request shared with the HR Business Partner team. Although the invitation came through on the Friday lunchtime for a Monday morning event, Janette was keen to get involved. She recognised how daunting interviews can be for young people and felt the experience would add real value, both for the students and for Lifeways’ connection with the local community. 

“I knew how terrifying interviews can feel when you’re young,” Janette said. “The more practice they can get, the better prepared they’ll be in the future.” 

The mock interviews were held in the school sports hall, where representatives from several different organisations were each allocated a desk. Janette conducted one‑to‑one interviews with students at set times, using a structured set of questions provided by the school. These included classic interview prompts such as “Tell me about yourself,” “What are your future aspirations?” and questions focused on leadership, initiative and personal experiences. 

As part of the process, Janette completed feedback forms for each student, offering well‑rounded observations on their answers, body language, confidence, eye contact and whether they asked questions. For some students, this was clearly a challenging experience. 

“Some were more confident than others,” Janette explained. “One young lady was visibly shaking and struggled to make eye contact, so I tried to put her at ease by chatting about her weekend first. It was about helping them feel comfortable as well as assessing their answers.” 

Janette also took the opportunity to introduce herself and talk about Lifeways. Several students expressed interest in working in health and social care, with some sharing personal experiences, such as caring for siblings or having family members who work in the sector. A number of students were genuinely intrigued to learn more about Lifeways and the work we do. 

Although it was Janette’s first time taking part in mock interviews, she found it an extremely positive and rewarding experience. 

“It was really good to get out and do something different, and it was a great way of raising awareness of health and social care careers too.” 

Janette’s involvement highlights how team members can make a meaningful difference beyond their day‑to‑day roles - supporting young people, strengthening community links and representing Lifeways’ values in action.