This Week in Talent (7th July)

Howdy!

I’m currently on day 7 of Dry July, and it feels like day 150. I didn’t realise how much I relied on alcohol to unwind and relax, or to cope with a stressful day until now. I literally didn’t know what to do with myself last Friday when I knocked off work … when I’d usually be having a Friday wind-down vino with Eric (my greyhound). Cheekily popping a link here if you feel like donating to a good cause (the Dry July Foundation), and to motivate me to stay off the plonk.

Earlier this week I got sent an e-book that was all about how to navigate difficult conversations as a recruiter, and I lapped it all up! A lot of it is stuff I already knew, however, I took away a few key reminders:

1. Pre-closing a candidate is important. This isn’t just a thing for agency recruiters. Get to know your preferred candidate’s motivations and what makes them tick, then ensure you keep reminding them about it throughout the process.
2. Everything is negotiable. It’s not always about salary – there’s so much more you can leverage in an offer (education/training, reduced hours etc). It’s good to start these convo’s from the get-go and then reconfirm at different points in the process.
3. Providing feedback to hiring managers is important if you feel they need it (eg. someone is unfairly harsh in their scoring). 99% of people are open to feedback, so if you provide it the right way they should be receptive. You’re the expert!

The main thing I took away from the e-book was that preparation is key! Prepare for and mitigate those difficult conversations by keeping your communication at the forefront of everything you do! Ask clarifying questions at the start of the process, and continue to re-clarify throughout the recruitment journey so there are no surprises for anyone at the end!

If you’re having a particularly difficult day, then you need the Joy Generator. There is some joy there for whatever mood or situation you’re in right now, so take a quick 5 min break and give it a whirl.

Also this week I discovered the sickest podcast for life hacks and tips (which y’all know I live for). The Life Kit has a poddie on all of the topics.

I’m full of suggestions this week – enjoy haha!

Woman fired for making $130,000 salary faux pas

An interesting article – whilst pay transparency is a thing, and a rising trend … it’s good to check your contract and/or code of conduct about sharing information online before you do it!

Five clues to the origin of the gender pay gap and how to fix them

“Subtle differences in the upbringing of boys and girls could set the scene for inequality at work, research shows” ….

Companies Scramble to Work Out Policies Related to Employee Abortions

In the US, lots of large (and small) company HR teams are putting together emergency plans for their staff that may require an abortion. It’s not just having the plan in place, but also changing mindsets and building trust around confidentiality.

This is what companies get wrong when hiring a Chief Diversity Officer

People working in the DEI space, and in particular heading up those divisions (or in some cases being the only DEI-focused employee) are experiencing massive burnout.

The pandemic led to extra perks for workers—will the pendulum swing back?

Will the Battle of the Benefits regress? Will we see funding cuts for fancy sign-on bonuses, new-starter swag, and extra days off?