(ICYMI) The TA & Recruitment content LinkedIn didn’t want you to see - Ep 1

Recruitment’s great self-deception: If your agency doesn't pay for your development, why should you even bother?

It’s not like recruitment companies don’t understand poor practice damages reputations and brands, yet most persist with it. 

Where courses and online learning is available, the general consensus from recruitment agencies is one of recruiters leaving and taking their knowledge to a competitor.  

Where books, blogs or videos help recruiters navigate everyday problems, the easiest solution lies with blaming their employer for their lack of development.

And the merry-go-round of stupidity spins on.

There's research, you know?

There are some interesting articles written on this perplexing psychology. Probably too long to explain here, but it measures a gathering of traits like boredom, hostility and self-destructive behaviour. 

Most likely, it rests with people in the wrong job, or with the wrong employer. Or with recruiters who don't understand the importance of developing themselves.

You are accountable, right?

That’s the friendly fire out of the way. What about recruiters who take accountability for their development? 

Contrary to the GCSE in Biology that gets you through the recruitment door, there are few modern and relevant courses to keep you on top of your game. More on that in a future blog.

As for great content? Well, that's another matter.

If you're down under, like me, it's likely your LinkedIn feed chews up the content you want to read and replaces it with self-promotional garble - or those BrOleg twins. (Helpful couple, by all accounts.)

And if you're spending more time hiding self-indulgence and unfollowing humble-braggers to get to the helpful content you want to read, there's something clearly wrong.

Not any more

That's the reason for this blog. It brings together great content created by people who want to help you. Make you better at your job. Respectfully challenge your thinking, so you see things from a different angle.

This pilot episode features articles, books and videos Aussie and NZ recruiters / TA folk can learn a stack of ideas from. It justifies widespread contribution, because it's too good to be hidden behind the racketeers who peddle false hope and faux modesty.

Ladies and gentlemen, talent acquisition specialists and recruiters, fellow Australians and Kiwis, here’s some of the best content you’ve probably missed recently.

Great content you can't hide

This fantastic article from Tom Wish (Hunted) delves into the past to explain why the job ads we’re posting now aren’t any more advanced than what our predecessors posted 6,000 years ago. You'll genuinely be writing better ads after you've read this. 

Mike Winnet and Mitch Sullivan serve up a 38-minute feast of straight recruitment talk.

Warning: Recruiters likely to mistake two adults challenging the recruitment process with recruiter-bashing, should avoid watching this. Time to get back on the phones and see who your competitors' jobs are with.

For everyone else, you'll learn more in the time it takes you to get to work, than your head of recruitment training has probably shared with you in 5 years.

Those self-promotional posts you see in your social media feeds? Peter Whent explains why it's better to avoid ramming your sales message down your audience's throat. Despite what you think, nobody really cares about your products or services. Spoiler alert: They care about themselves.

I've heard hundreds of sales calls in 20 years of recruitment. None as honest and as straight-talking as this. Benjamin Dennehy makes a live sales call while being filmed. Christ knows how he felt in front of a camera. I was nervous for him. Why should you bother watching this? Because Benjamin's approach works.

Featured in Hung Lee's Recruiting Brainfood (sign yourself up, btw), this article breaks down how Unilever uses AI to hire and train its employees in over 190 countries. Worth the read, because there's some great insights into how AI significantly cuts down the recruiting grunt work.

"Hi. Do you need any help filling your jobs?" If you've cold-called an internal recruiter like this before, you can forgive them for thinking you're a bumbling buffoon. There's still a valid reason to build valuable relationships, though - and it doesn't involve the cheap bribery of glazed donuts. Richard Saunders shares some much-needed wisdom with us.

Great books you can't put down

(Where possible, hyperlinks will lead to the Book Depository website, so those of us down under don't have to pay a small mortgage when having them delivered by Amazon).

Putting your readers to sleep with your JDs on Seek? Tom Albrighton teaches you, step-by-step, how to write persuasive copy that sells. Read this and write proper job ads your readers will love. Buy the book by clicking on the link below.

Not for the faint-hearted, or those triggered by people challenging the recruitment process. Mitch Sullivan throws together a collection of fantastic blogs he's written on recruitment. He knows his stuff. You will too when you read it. Link to Mitch's book below.

If it's Talent Acquisition you work in, you'll find a stack of research and solid insights here. Also a worthwhile read for recruiters and employers who want to step up their "talent attraction" game. Click the link below and make the investment.

A classic that's stood the test of time. If you've not read this, do you even work in recruitment? One of the nicest people in the industry too. And I'd happily say that to his face. (Side note: Steve's a black belt in karate). Buy Steven's book below.

That's it. What's next?

That's your lot. For now. Moving forward, it's likely this blog will turn into a monthly feature. However, that’s all dependent on 2 things:

1.      The appetite of Aussie / NZ recruiters and TA folk (Did you find this helpful? Will you share this content with others to help them?)

2.      The algorithm

If you've genuinely found this blog helpful, please share it with your fellow Australian and New Zealand recruitment industry pros. The more we do that, the sharper we get together. Employers, applicants and candidates will thank you for it too.

From this point forward, it's time we give great content like this the antipodean reach it deserves.

Thank you for reading.

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