Frequently Asked Questions

Will this support cost me anything?

The support will not cost you anything. It is free to you and is paid for by your organisation.

What information goes back to my organisation?

Our work with you is strictly confidential. Our reputation relies on confidentiality and you would not trust us with your views and thoughts if we could not guarantee confidentiality. Sometimes employers want general statistics from us to support our billing and as part of service level agreements to measure the usefulness of our support. Apart from the names of those taking up our support, any other information is non-attributable.

Do I have to take up this support within a certain time? Can I defer my support?

You will need to check this out with your HR department. Often organisations will put a time limit on the available support and every organisation is different, so please ask the question of your own HR.

I am going travelling/retraining/on maternity leave/into hospital; can I take up the service when I return?

You will need to get definitive guidance from your HR department. Your organisation will have policies covering these circumstances and other anomalies not mentioned above.

How long does the support take?

The time depends on the support that has been purchased by your organisation. This can range from days to months. Your specific support will be outlined with you when you speak with either our Client Services Centre or one of our regional centre support staff.

I have been offered internal redeployment – can I still take up the support?

We can help you to evaluate whether this offer plays to your strengths and skills and whether it is the right role for you. Most organisations are happy for this check to take place, it may however be worthwhile speaking to your HR department.

I already have a job offer, how can you help me?

We can help you to decide whether this is the right job for you and prepare for salary and contract negotiation. When job searching, people often accept the first offer, but with our experience we have helped many people to take a stronger negotiating position and increase their reward package.

Do I have to take up this support?

We recommend that you do take advantage of this support as many of the tools and techniques you acquire are skills for life. People often tell us when they leave Penna, that even though they had a good enough CV or were confident about their interview skills, we were able to improve them.

What am I entitled to?

Your support will have been designed and agreed with your HR department. We will outline the elements of this support when we talk to you. The support is modular and consists of different combinations such as workshops; 1:1 coaching, online tools, Resource Centre use and access to researchers.

Who will I be working with?

You are likely to meet a number of Penna people during your time with us – workshop and 1:1 career coaches, researchers, administrators and other support staff. With 1:1 support we ensure that you are matched with an experienced coach with the relevant background and skills relating to your needs. Workshop coaches are both expert career coaches and also possess a specialism such as presentation skills, setting up your own business or networking.

I live in Oxford so my nearest Penna office is Maidenhead but I want to work in your City office as I need someone who understands the finance sector. Can I do this?

Yes you can. Equally if you were planning to move house to a different location during the support period, we can transfer you between Penna offices.

I don’t want to work full-time any more I want to reduce my working hours and spend more time with family/hobbies/charities. Will I find work to suit me?

Frequently people want to downshift in the second half of their careers to get a different work-life balance. The recent Age Legislation has helped here, coupled with the pensions shortfalls, healthier and longer living and masses of experience being lost from the workplace through retirement of the Baby Boomer generation. A change in mindset is beginning to appear in the recruitment world – we are starting to see a readier acceptance to take on people who have deliberately downshifted. We can help you position yourself for these types of conversations.