We’re currently living and working in a bit of a time warp. Some days the pandemic is but a speck in the rear-view mirror, the next we’re perusing desolate shopping isles where toilet paper used to live. In conversation with pals in the UK, I’ve said things like “I remember when our pubs opened” feeling like the ghost of boozy arvo’s future. Living in the future isn’t just for New Year’s Day, we’re comparatively living in a more accelerated society it seems. However, some of our hiring strategies are still rooted firmly back in Lockdown Season 1. A few of my clients in agency world have recently returned to me with the same feedback when evaluating candidates; “why would they leave their job in this market?”
Surely, this must be the same as your clients?? The suffix of “in this market” is important because the ‘why’ someone is looking to leave is of paramount importance, always. Although, dwelling on why they’d leave their current role massively undermines the allure of the potential position they’re going to. Why would the jock of the high school football team look twice at Tall Plain Jane?! Well, ditch the glasses, do away with the scrunchie and, all of a sudden Jane’s got herself a slow-motion intro scene! Perhaps some hiring managers are a little too close to be subjective. It’s like being told by a loved one “oh they’re just jealous” when in actual fact they’re just blind to your obvious/numerous character flaws. It’s very important to understand the motivations behind why someone would leave.
With that in mind, I’d like to shine a light on this week’s small talk titbit. Personally, I blame The Crown for portraying the Royals as anything more than a posher version of The Osbornes for lower-upper-middle-class housewives to obsess over. She did what!? Oh well, Mag won’t like that! Maybe it’s the Scottish in me that finds this whole ‘one said she said’ a little pathetic. You’re telling me an institution founded on colonization could be, racist!? No way! It’s like the accusations leveled at one Woody Allen; no way did he (allegedly) touch up his own kid! Marrying his adopted kid is just one of those kooky Hollywood coincidences!
We find ourselves in a weird paradox. If a candidate wants to leave a role they are viewed as an evacuee; leaving the royal safe haven of a Palace to toil in the land of Corden’s and Winfrey’s. It’s common (folk) sense; we should leave a situation we aren’t comfortable in, right? It’s a bizarre duality. But we see this everywhere nowadays. We’re rightly taught that all men/women are born equal but, a certain bloodline supersedes all others. We’re told that gender is a fluid construct, but proceed to burn down half of California due to a party that celebrates/commiserates a particular set of genitals on a human yet to be born.
It looks like the argument seems to center around “how dare she speak out!? She should be so lucky!” it’s the of attitude people are taking with their prospective job search. We all should be grateful that we have jobs, not just in the aftermath of a pandemic but at all times. However, you shouldn’t stay in one that you aren’t happy in out of some weird sense of obligation. My thoughts are of little relevance to those posting pictures of Lizzy in whatever carefully coordinated ensemble she’s been told to wear. I’m fairly apathetic to the whole situation, I appreciate the irony of devoting 700+ words and my precious time to something that I don’t care about but it was either this or Piers Morgan and I despise that spineless bottom feeder too much to write about him.
One institution I am more than happy to bend the knee to, those good fellas over at TradeMe! If you want to check me on why a half-lizard half German ruling class is a good idea, you can find me at the Pow Wow on the 1st of April. TradeMe has kindly sponsored the event and although we’ve sold out of tickets recruiters are famously flighty so, get on the waiting list below! We’ll ensure you get a spot when the penny inevitably drops that it’s Easter weekend
https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/ricepowwow-tickets-142606733579
