This Week in Talent (19th May)

Howdy partners!

This past week has been an interesting one at work … people are dropping like flies! There’s some sort of super-flu going around Melbourne right now, AND a huge resurgence in COVID. I’m thankfully not feeling my COVID hangover anymore, but it took a good 5 weeks for me to finally feel normal again. Keep up those Vitamin C tablets, peeps!

I’m catching up with someone later this week that reached out to me on LinkedIn saying she was feeling really downtrodden about her job hunting journey. She has ended up in a place where she is starting to doubt her own abilities and feels as though she may never find a job she really wants to do, and as such … will never be happy. Which makes me SO sad.

Her situation escalating the way it has all boils down to one simple fact – recruiters not communicating properly. Every time she has reached out for feedback on her application, if she gets a response (and that’s a massive IF) it’s something really unhelpful like “we think you’re great, but someone else was better this time” or “your experience is interesting, however culturally there is a mismatch”. How does that help her grow? It just makes her frustrated and sad.

I’m not saying it always has to be a full 30-minute debrief and in-depth discussion … but taking 2 minutes to provide her with some real feedback so she can tweak her application next time would literally make the world of difference to her. She is CRAVING some constructive feedback, and she’s just not getting it.

Another one of my pet peeves is professional ghosting. I wrote an article about it a little while back because it was happening ALL THE TIME to everyone I spoke to. We recruiters don’t realise the damage our messaging (or lack-there-of) can have on someone’s confidence and self-esteem. Not bothering to get back to somebody is just lazy, disrespectful, and gross. Definitely don’t be that person.

If a candidate reaches out to you for some feedback – be honest with them! Give them a call or an email and give them a couple of areas to work on for next time. In this market, don’t we want people to go away and work on themselves and then apply again? 100% YES!

Rant over – enjoy the rest of your week!

Has the ‘Great Resignation’ actually happened in Australia? Let’s look at the evidence

I would say “yes” to this based on what I’m seeing and feeling every day at work, however, this article paints a more objective picture.

How to tackle “Working Mum Guilt” and attract women back into the workforce

‘Working Mum Guilt’ refers to the anxiety that mums have about balancing their jobs and kids’ needs, without letting any of the balls they are juggling drop. A look into how this has worsened during the pandemic, and what we (as employers) can do about it!

9 Ways to Become a Strategic Talent Advisor to Your Business

This is an oldie but a goodie. I actually think I’ve shared this before, and with the challenges, we’re facing so far this year … it’s time for another re-share. We aren’t just recruiters anymore – we are strategic recruitment advisors!

Yelp CEO: Why companies need to take a stand on reproductive rights

With all the Handmaids Tale-esq stuff happening in the US at the moment relating to the reproductive rights of people with a uterus, this article restored some faith. Yelp’s CEO says that “remaining silent on abortion flies in the face of any public commitment to D&I”. A very different story to Playstation’s CEO who … would rather talk about his cats than human rights. Eeek.

What ‘work without jobs’ means for managers

Ummm hello – FUTURE ALERT! Imagine a workplace with no “jobs” or “position descriptions”? Just a bunch of good people with different skillsets working together towards a common goal? Is this our future?

Ummm don’t do this

This is literally unacceptable.