The Talent Developer’ office, a warm and friendly place ©Harupimedia
A long time ago, in the distant kingdom of the comets, there lived one that shone brighter than the others, ” Etoile “. Etoile had been a goblin for many years in the service of the big boss with the white beard and the red suit, but also and above all in the service of her clients, the children. She had worked in all the elf jobs – making toys, sourcing materials, managing the production line and then managing the other elves until she became their leader and then decided to share her knowledge with the new talent. Her job was to train and teach the goblins the secrets of their trade to prepare them for the harsh realities of their profession. Not just anyone can become Santa’s elf! This profession is usually born out of passion and it takes a lot to work long hours, carry heavy loads, stand all day… to satisfy all the children! It takes even more when you know that all the elves are working while the others are having fun…
Recently, Etoile became the Director of the Elf Training Institute (ETI) where she even created the training programme in partnership with one of the biggest universities of economics and management of Christmas. It was during this work experience at the ETI that she met Amie. Amie had been working there for many years as head of the department that placed elf students on work placements. Etoile and Amie soon found each other to work together on the placement of the little goblins. Together, they set up an accompanying procedure to get to know the qualities, personalities and dreams of each individual and thus offer them the most suitable position. At the same time, they followed up during the period in the company by making regular visits. It was during one of these visits that they had an epiphany… Indeed, they had received a lot of praise from their student, who had just arrived from the Land of Waves. He dreamed of becoming the best candy maker, even though he had never tasted candy before. Etoile and Aime believed in him and his dreams and found him an internship in one of the best confectionery companies in the kingdom. During this famous visit, the company managers mentioned the exceptional qualities of their trainee. He wasn’t the best academic profile: a bit unruly, not wanting to fit in, always wearing a mismatched suit, with long hair that hid his pointy ears… but he was indeed the best student for the job and for the company. So the idea was born to create a tailor-made service that adapts to each profile and allows elves to gain the necessary skills to progress in their careers towards their dream job.
Being a lutin is a lifelong passion, but as it is also an often exhausting, time-consuming and not always rewarding job, it is better to be prepared and have all the keys to evolve quickly. Etoile created Talent Developer in 2020 to become the first coaching, placement and support agency for Santa’s young elves. Her idea: to change the world by putting more glitter in the lives of elves and giving them access to the network and skills they need to stand on their own two feet.
The christmas spirit is felt at Talent Developer ©TD
Etoile and Amie, in their office waiting to accompany the next elves in search of new adventures ©TD
Amie joined the venture to take on the role of Operations Manager. Together they created and developed a personalised, step-by-step process. First, you have to understand the dream behind each elf: making wooden toys or video games is not the same job! Designing the toys, painting them and wrapping them are all essential steps to serve the children in time on Christmas Eve but not all elves have the same skills! It is through an initial individual interview, free of charge and without obligation, that the magic happens. Talent Developer then offers personalised support to the elf and also provides preparation courses adapted to the field of activity and the company culture. The company also provides a set of à la carte services to support the elves in their installation and according to their needs. The elves concerned usually come from far away to learn from the best. Indeed, the whole world knows The Kingdom of the Comets for the excellence of its Christmas celebrations. It is therefore natural that young elves want to come and learn here!
Etoile has built Talent Developer in her own image: a warm and friendly place to welcome elves in the centre of the “city of light that doesn’t go under”. Over the past year, Etoile and Amie have not failed. They drew up a business plan, carried out an international market study, created a website from scratch, developed the commercial strategy and the communication strategy… But they didn’t count on the Crowned Peewee who came into our lives, spread terror and changed the way we all operate. No more travel, no more trips allowed, no more Santa’s village to play in all year long! A dark and sad time began. An unprecedented crisis affected all areas of our beautiful business, endangering well-known companies and key players in the magic of Christmas. Creating a company in the middle of a global pandemic was heresy! And yet, Etoile did it! It must be said that Etoile does not do anything like the others, everything must be prepared and anticipated… in the finest detail! However, we had to readapt and work differently. Between the closure of companies, health constraints and the revolutionary service, schools and students had to be convinced to trust it! Very quickly, they welcomed Soleil, an apprentice elf specialising in marketing and communication. They also welcomed Nouilles, a specialist in digital communication and social networks. Together they created content to better market their services. More recently, Lumière joined the team as a business development apprentice. The Crowned Peewee is back for the 5th wave and is raising fears of further dramatic consequences for the festive season.
But today, Talent Developer is present in more than 20 schools on 5 continents and accompanies many elves on a daily basis. In the face of adversity, passion always triumphs! Long live Talent Developer and let’s hope that from now on they will live happily and have many elves to place and support …
Article written by Talent Developer