After wracking my brain trying to theme this week’s blog around the events unfolding at Sky City, the world’s first Convention Centre with a thatch roof!? I instead went down a rabbit hole of conspiracy; in a country with so much anti-smoking rhetoric isn’t it convenient this is getting pinned on someone off for a smoko, not just someone, a grown man who leaves a blow torch unattended 🤔 Don’t worry, I eventually climbed out, took the tinfoil hat off and remembered this is a recruitment blog. In a week where us Jaffas have been given real Chernobyl feels I think a bit of light relief is needed from the blog so without further ado, I give you the following video.
This link 😊
If you’re are confused think about the poor recruiter on the other end of that Skype call. To break it down, a candidate is interviewing for what we find out is a management level position. In an attempt to flex his bilingual abilities (I think) the candidate seems to have pre-recorded answers to the recruiter’s questions, whether or not that is his voice or a buddy of the candidates is yet to be answered. The interviewer can even hear the muffled voice of the candidate over the prerecording, the duality of voices is something we admire in ventriloquist but certainly not our candidates. To credit the recruiter, he remains professional in some pretty slapstick circumstances, calmly reminding the candidate of something that sounds like he has said on numerous occasions; “it’s not the position where someone comes and gives you a task and you get on with it, it’s a very senior level position where you need to manage.”
I had a great meeting with Josh Halligan of RWA Technology People in the week. We were talking about video interviewing candidates and potential employers and he came from the point of view that it was a crucial time-saver. Josh admitted he had been somewhat old school in his approach and had previously insisted people come into the office for a chat but after experiencing the frequency of candidates and consultants met it was a no brainer. Tempo, a UK video-based hiring platform has announced exponential growth in 2019. Going from servicing 800 to 2,300 organizations within industries like banking and energy. Opening branches in Machester, Cardiff, and Southampton to assist with the growth. Always wanting to provide the Whiteboard faithful with some helpful advice, regarding video conferencing software the majority of the local industry seems to use a mix of Skype for business, Google Hang Out and a favorite of Rice/Joyn Whereby, formally Appear.In. A quick Google search for video conferencing software throws up a plethora of alternatives, they differ slightly in terms of interface and ’employer tools’ but it really does depend on what you’re looking for. Obviously, your call is only as good as your connection as anyone who has VC’d a candidate who’s staying at a cheap hostel. Pro-tip; if only all conversations could be approached in this blunt style but, explain from the outset that you will first ask a question and then they will answer to avoid any overlapping creating a parody of *that scene Mike Basset England Manager.
*This one 😊
By the end of that ‘interview’ I felt for the poor lad, my inner Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith was rooting for him, hoping his plan would come together. You have to applaud the ingenuity but I don’t think Ritchie was talking about ol mate when he coined his ‘say yes’ quote. But it brings up an interesting point about tech and it’s potential to manipulate. We have technology to thank for advancements in work x life balance; clouds, portals, plugins are all responsible for you being able to skip the traffic in the morning and be there for the tradie to come around. As we keep seeing AR utilized in industries from retail, FMCG to heightening experiences on game day at the Cowboys Stadium there is a risk these chancer interviewers may become more and more sophisticated. Saying that I think it’s safe to say most agencies in the local market wouldn’t dream of offering a candidate without them coming into the office and meeting face to face first, no matter how cute those adorable puppy ears are!
