Human Resources

Human Resources Politics Recruitment Work

More job losses at Robert Walters highlight the cost of (mis)management

It's been another tough seven days at Robert Walters. Regular readers may remember my blog from last November, back when Robert Walters pulled-pin on their Christchurch operation, leaving 7 or so employees without a job just before Christmas. If my sources, and there are plenty of them, are anything to…

Sean WaltersJune 6, 2025

Employment Human Resources Recruitment

High basics & high blood pressure: A curious correlation

Pay rises are great aren't they? A flasher car, a bigger house, nicer wine, hotter partner, stress, redundancy, unemployment, the inability to change jobs. They really are fantastic. And the great thing about a pay rise is that you never go backwards. Each year, and every time you move job…

Sean WaltersApril 11, 2025

Employment Human Resources Recruitment Uncategorized

Ugly clients rear their ugly heads

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…

Sean WaltersMarch 28, 2025

Employment Human Resources Work

Weighing in on the “open to work” debate.

Yes yes. I know I am very late to the table on this one. Those who know me however will realise that it is within my contrarian nature to intentionally avoid any topic that any normal person may be interested in at any given point of time. Instead, Luxon’s desire…

Sean WaltersMarch 21, 2025

Employment Human Resources Job Boards Politics

Onwards and (soon to be) upwards

This week I attended a “breakfast” event kindly hosted by SEEK. Unfortunately, I have to use inverted commas as it was a croissant and coffee affair as opposed to the feast that TradeMe Jobs puts on. Personally, I don’t eat breakfast during the week unless a job board pays for…

Sean WaltersMarch 14, 2025

Employment Human Resources Recruitment

Easy come, not-so-easy go

There’s something in the water currently. No, not fish. Or faeces. I mean something that is bringing out some very aggressive, spiteful, and vindictive behaviours. You may remember that a couple of months ago I wrote this blog about a particularly nasty, inconsequential Christchurch firm who were bullying a former…

Sean WaltersFebruary 14, 2025

Employment Human Resources Job Boards Recruitment Work

2024: A Year.

I've asked a few recruiters of late how 2024 has been for them, and comments have ranged from "worse than the GFC" to "f*ckin' sh*te mate". Thankfully, it is all but over. SEEK were kind enough to buy me a few beers and some lovely socks this week, and overall…

Sean WaltersDecember 20, 2024

Human Resources Recruitment Work

An alternative guide to surviving the work Christmas party

LinkedIn is currently full of content like this. Typically however, it’s the creation of some poor social media intern hired by a marketing agency hired by an international job board, who is tasked with churning out 500 vanilla words. Given that we can’t afford a social media intern, it will…

Sean WaltersDecember 13, 2024

Employment Human Resources Politics

180,000 reasons not to get a pay rise

Being originally from the UK, I find the MMP voting system here refreshingly "European". For those who don't know or care, the UK, being stuck in the 1930s, uses the outdated "first past the post" system. To explain briefly, the UK is divided into over 600 constituencies. Come election time,…

Sean WaltersDecember 6, 2024

Human Resources Politics Recruitment

The Company We Keep

The recent US election result proves to us that the world is a truly terrible place. However, given the 2024 most of us have had, we didn’t need an election to highlight this. I was speaking to a recruitment GM this week who felt that October was our lowest point,…

Sean WaltersNovember 8, 2024