I gave myself the luxury of starting 2026 with some frivolous blogs. Unfortunately (for everyone), I’m now back in the business of serious recruitment codswallop. Last week I noticed a few posts, some of them cringeworthy, about changes to the annual RCSA Awards submission policy. For the first time ever, those of us who are not members can still throw our hat in the ring and enter. In theory, and at first glance, this further legitimises the awards. No need to agree with the RCSA. No need to pay membership subs. No need to sit on some weird committee making inconsequential decisions. Just an award that any great recruiter or recruitment firm can win. As I write, in theory, and at first glance, this makes sense.
Before we get into it, I need to vent my spleen on awards in general. They are totally meaningless. I repeat: meaningless. If they fill you with joy to win, or make you sob when you do or don’t, it is your own ego and vanity controlling your good sense. This is no major criticism. 99% of people cry and sob. It’s human nature. The 1% who don’t are (at best) sociopaths who only observe the world instead of emotionally participating in it. I speak from experience. I say “meaningless” because none of these awards have a meaningful judging process. The Oscars are voted for by a group of predominantly sex offenders who think that you can judge art. The SARAs are judged by an internal recruiter who you’ve probably pissed off 4 times in your career. They are all subjective nonsense. Thanks guys. I feel better for that.
And the SARAs brings me back on track. The SARAs have, to my my knowledge, always allowed non-SEEK clients to enter their awards. SEEK have a big advantage here however in that everyone has a SEEK account. And as much as they can be robbing bastards at times, anyone who can run a successful recruitment firm without a SEEK account deserves an award – such is the dominance of the platform. The fact that SEEK is so dominant and makes so much money also means that non-clients can enter at no cost, and this brings me back on track once again….
To enter yourself for an individual RCSA award this year will cost you $150+GST. To enter your company will cost $350+GST. That doesn’t sound like much, but philosophically, do you agree with paying to submit an entry? This doesn’t come with any guarantees. This doesn’t put you on a shortlist. It means spending hours writing a submission, sending it into the ether with a $350+GST cheque attached, and then potentially never hearing back. If 8 firms make a submission, your 7:1 against winning would pay out nearly $3k should you put it on a horse at the same odds. If 15 firms make a submission, double that. I’m sure you’ll all disagree, but give me $3k cash over any award any day of the week.
The RCSA most probably find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place on this one. For years, the awards were a local laughing stock with Salt winning every category entered purely by good ol’ fashioned Kiwi nepotism. Thankfully, and possibly through the hard work of people like Rebeca Clarke, the RCSA have really upped their game in NZ. And more participation from true industry leaders has made them a much more credible bunch. Only allowing members to enter the awards was probably an agenda item which has eventually been reached. Ideally I’m sure they’d like to match SEEK and allow us to enter without charge. This however might upset members who feel that part of the reason they spend a few grand a year on membership is to be able to enter these awards. “And now what?? You’re just going to let anyone enter???” would be the cry from some trades and labour recruitment dinosaur who make up the rank and file of the RCSA here in NZ.
So they’ve reached a compromise. Members won’t feel like their losing value from their subs, and the awards are further legitimised by allowing us rogue traders to enter. Like many compromises however, I’m not convinced it’ll work. Fundamentally, paying to submit doesn’t sit right with me. More importantly, if you’re the type to care about validation from the RCSA, wouldn’t you be a member already?
Have a good weekend.
^SW
