It’s been a challenging few weeks.  New assignment split across London and Reading many miles from my Manchester home.   Being new is always tough.  The more of this interim stuff I do the easier it gets but even so, it’s a steep learning curve to pick up new systems and get on with actual delivery. As with my last assignment I am very lucky. The EMEA TA team are based in reading and have gone out of their way to help me.  They are talented, professional recruiters that deliver a good candidate experience and despite some creaky recruitment systems they hit the volumes needed.  Over the next few weeks I will post more about working in a global TA organization again. 

So far it’s a lot like I expected it to be, high volumes, challenging timescales and a demanding business environment.  I am sure there will be some things they do really well, some things that could be better and some… well just things.

One of the key moments for me in any new role now is updating my linkedin profile.  I have 700 or so connections, most of which I know and it is an interesting set of responses.  The one’s  I’m never disappointed in… ‘Well done’, ‘Tell me more’ and ‘My CV is on the way’… all are expected, all are welcomed.

What I had forgotten about, or probably wiped from my brain are the responses from agencies that go to demonstrate why the stereotype we have created still remains.  I have been here before and it goes something like this….

“Hi Martin,

Great news on your new role.  You may remember we spoke last year/last assignment lifetime* (*delete as appropriate) and at that time I felt we had a great rapport and could work together.  Do let me know which of your roles I can work on for you when you are up to speed.

Thanks

X

Xxx & xxx Consultants”

So far, so good.  I can ignore this.  Naturally if it were true and I had build up a good rapport and I thought they could help then I would have called them by now.  So without trying to sound too patronising (I know I can be) don’t call me, I’ll call you.  I have spoken to some of you already because I value you or your organization.

Moving on. This kind of linkedin message is fine.  What happens in 9 out of 10 examples though is a follow on direct email, normally with a CV and terms attached.  One nameless organization that I refused to work with in an assignment last year because they were awful, emailed me CV, terms and a note about what a valued partner they had been of mine and the organization I am currently with.  This would be great had my current client also refused to work with them ever again.

This is all old news to anyone in Talent Acquisition.  I guess the point I am making is when will it change?  We have been predicting the end of ‘agencies’ and poorly performing external recruiters for some time yet they are still plugging away with the same old crap.

Ask me what my problems are, talk to me, don’t start on the premise that you think I am a little bit rubbish at my job and couldn’t find the candidate you have emailed me myself.  That is what you are saying… surely if you knew anything about me, I work on both sides of the recruitment fence and have to make my money from finding people otherwise I would starve.  Look at my picture… is that the body of a starving man?

It saddens me but we have to admit defeat boys and girls.  The days of speculatively throwing some CV’s into a client are dead.  You know this.  So rather than flog a dead horse find out what is troubling your client and give them solutions not CV’s with the names hidden.

As for my problems.  I do have some challenges, they are sales recruitment related in a very specific area of my business.  I will happily talk to you or someone you recommend about those challenges, how I plan to manage the problems and where you could fit in if you are able.

Let’s hope that this too is the last time I flog this dead horse of a topic.

M.

For more about martin click here, to get in touch click here and to follow on twitter click @MDangerfield