I heard a story doing the rounds this week which can be traced back to an NZ-based global recruitment firm. Apparently, a Consultant, whilst about their business, spotted a colleague “interviewing” with a competitor. And being the grade-A corporate snitch that they are, decided to take a surreptitious photo of the meeting. Instead of using this as a tool for blackmail like any normal sociopath, they decided to post the photo on the company-wide Slack channel for all to see. Whether this is precisely true or not we may never know, as recruiters are prone to exaggerate, gossip, and exaggerate about gossip, however I believe there is some truth in this story. For the purpose of this blog, let’s assume it’s gospel.
In the words of that chat from MBIE, “there’s a fair bit to unpack here“. Firstly, there’s the act of taking photos of people in secret without their consent. This, as I found out the hard way, is not cool. Japan is a wonderful country and I’m gutted to be banned from re-entering. Next is the assumption that this was an interview. It probably was, but maybe it wasn’t. Maybe they’re friends. Maybe they fell out over candidate ownership and were mature enough to meet to clear the air. Maybe they’re having an affair. Maybe the recruiter has been told by their current boss it’s time to start looking. Maybe it’s none of our f*cking business. And that’s the next point. Maybe they were interviewing and…. what’s wrong with that? It seems that the unchallenged egos of Managers across all industries has created a very strange culture around loyalty. Most managers sadly see the act of an employee exploring other options as an act of absolute betrayal. Especially if they are exploring an option with a …*gasp*… competitor! Every week we speak to Candidates who tell us that they would never work for a competitor as if it’s in some way immoral. Yes, immoral according to your current boss who wants to pay off their mortgage. The challenge is of course (and a challenge well known to any boss who employs scare tactics to retain staff), is that if you’re an IT Recruiter, you compete with most IT recruitment firm. If you’re not happy, underpaid, bullied, or a better opportunity exists elsewhere, what are you to do? Retrain as a hair stylist? Everyone has the right to earn a living and provide for themselves and their family. And if a manager can’t let you go to explore this with good grace, then they shouldn’t be a manager. I find the idea of this type of loyalty absolute nonsense.
Interestingly, I experienced a similar situation with the same recruitment firm last year. A candidate of mine was interviewing with a client (neither of whom worked for this global recruitment firm). However, an employee of the global, who also happened to be mates with the candidates boss, saw this happening, and got straight on the phone to her mate/my candidates boss. This lead to a “robust” meeting for my candidate, and a “resignation”. Some people really are incredible. Or maybe this kind of arse-lickery is what gets you ahead in big recruitment firms these days?
The irony of this blog talking about discretion is of course not lost on me. This being the home of recruitment nonsense and gossip. However, the rule is, nothing gets typed that wouldn’t get said to someone’s face. And no one who acts with integrity ever gets named, exposed, outed, or shamed. And working in rec to rec, we couldn’t have it any other way. Frequently, we have candidates who are also clients, and candidates interviewing with managers who are also our candidates. We facilitate people to move to their biggest competitor whithout any qualms. No one ever ever knows who we are talking to and who is interviewing where, and no one ever will. We all have secrets and we should all respect that – not spam paparazzi shots all over Slack.
Another interesting anecdote from the distant past is this; back in the 80s when Jon Rice ran the Agency rec to rec desk, we had a GM who would claim to her staff to be in constant contact with Jon, and infer that they had an agreement that he would tell her if he ever received a CV from her team. Of course, no such situation existed. If you ever wanted an example of how not to manage, then see the above. Also, the suggestion that the GM would be open to such an arrangement tells you all you need to know about her recruitment practices.
If the story that inspired this blog is true, I hope that the photographer is keel hauled. And then the victim is reminded of their value, and if they’re looking for a change, there are opportunities to explore internally as well. As for loudmouth recruiters, I’m all for them, but we don’t need to shame people for trying to improve their circumstances.
^SW
