It’s only just occurred to me that this is my last blog of FY24/25. “Thank God” I hear you sigh. And don’t worry, the feeling is mutual. This year has been the toughest in a long while for most of us, and it’s no easy task writing 700 words each Friday that don’t focus purely on a crap recruitment market, international conflicts, high interest rates, or David Seymour’s micro-penis. Some Friday mornings, I don’t even bother trying. As we finish the year, I strongly believe that it is not all doom and gloom however. Our agency clients seem to be displaying the first hints of vim if not vigour, and I have picked up two internal recruitment roles in as many weeks. By this metric, we have officially dropped the “doom” and now gently marinate in a glad-wrapped bowl of “gloom”. Hopefully by May, will be sizzling on the hot coals of “optimism”. We shall see.
Here’s an observation on this strange period of our recruitment history; us recruiters have truly “variable” standards when it comes to deciding who we would work with. Dovetailing with this, bad firms often continue to hire in tough times. And if they don’t, they are often the first to start hiring again. Let me explain, but firstly, the obvious…
When the market is booming, clients are aplenty, and candidates are scarce. During these times, us recruiters approach business development with the arrogance typically reserved for English butlers and French maître d’s. During these times, new clients ring and we say “but why should we recruit for you? We already have enough clients. Unless…unless…you’re prepared to dance for me??” (at least that’s what we say). However, when the market is tough such as…well…the last f*cking two years, we prostitute ourselves like some yo-yo-knickered harlot from Dickensian London Town. We don’t care if your firm is co-owned by Benjamin Netanyahu or if you test superglue on puppy dogs’ eyeballs – we need the business. It is a sad fact of human nature that our scruples go out the window when we have a living to make.
What is less obvious, and only marginally more interesting, is that it seems that it is these firms that always seem to pull out of a recession quicker than the rest of us. If I look at the agencies who have aggressively hired in a tough market, with a couple of exceptions, they are often the ones I would never recommend anyone works for. And as the market picks up, when I look at our sister business JOYN, I see the most activity coming from the non-premium firms. It’s almost as if quality businesses with thoughtful leadership don’t make snap decisions whilst drunk or operate purely on gut-feel. Who would have imagined?? However, as we emerge from the darkness, some of us recruiters are looking back at the work we’ve done like I used to look back at one night stands. It may have satisfied a need at the time but what on earth was I thinking? No doubt they felt the same. For me, my standards dropped the closer it got to 2am. For recruiters, any OCR over 4.25% has us recruiting for ISIS and Enron.
It’s important to remember that our candidates judge us based on the quality of businesses we present to them. It may have seemed like a good idea to partner with any and all clients when times were tough, but as the market picks up, do you want to be that recruiter who tried to sell a dud to a good candidate? Anyone who’s ever attended a barbeque will know that when it comes to remembering crap recruitment experiences, candidates have elephant brains. Every time we introduce a good candidate to a crap firm, we are judged. And that judgement is remembered. We hear it often from our candidates; “such’n’such sent my CV to XYZ. It was a total disaster”. We’ve probably done it ourselves, and hopefully learnt a few lessons along the way.
It’s comparatively easy to make a quick buck with a crap client, but the great recruiters are made of sterner stuff. Even in a tight market, they don’t compromise on the quality of firms that they will represent. And as the market slowly but surely flips, they’ll be the ones coining it I’m sure.
Have a good weekend and well done for surviving 24/25.
^SW
