Economy

Emergent SOLD! Guess who bought it…

I have many strange hobbies. I collect knives. I train and teach Aikido. I collect gold and silver bullion. And I stay up until the wee hours watching documentaries on serial killers, fraudsters, forgotten weapons, and unsolved mysteries. Perhaps strangest of all is my addiction to the Companies Office website.…

Sean WaltersSeptember 12, 2025

Employment Human Resources Politics Recruitment

Life after Recruitment, when recruitment is life

I read a semi-interesting Herald article about anti-abortionist Chris Luxon this week. Being semi-interesting, it was of course behind a paywall, so apologies if you can't read it. For those who refuse to pay for news, it highlights how Luxon's approval rating is at a two year low, having dropped…

Sean WaltersSeptember 5, 2025

Employment Recruitment Uncategorized

The Lynx Effect: The smell of success…or stench of desperation?

This is a story about a young recruitment entrepreneur selling his first business, whilst also building two other recruitment brands. Or maybe it's not. Perhaps it's a story about a fire sale of the last profitable remnants of a distrusted brand, made without choice to cut losses and pay debts.…

Sean WaltersAugust 29, 2025

Employment Politics Recruitment

Christchurch recruitment: Death by a thousand cuts

I don't blog about Christchurch much. Odd in some ways given that it's New Zealand's second largest city. In fact, based on the news coverage that the Garden City receives in general, it seems hard to believe that it's almost twice as big (by population) as Wellington. Wellington, being the…

Sean WaltersAugust 1, 2025

Employment Job Boards Politics Sourcing Technology

Drowning in a sea of candidates

Although I could use the data generated by our sophisticated CRM, I, like most recruiters, like to rely on a little thing known as gut-feel. Let's be real, who needs solid, defensible, researched and reasoned information, when we can provide anecdotes, hear-say, speculation, and rumour. If you're an agency leader…

Sean WaltersJuly 25, 2025

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 Politics Recruitment

What does a good Recruiter actually bill?

Have you heard the good news?! Jesus Christ died to provide atonement and forgiveness for human sin, fulfilling prophecies and demonstrating God's love and justice. Also, New Zealand's most marginalised and disadvantaged group have received the funding they deserve in yesterday's budget. That's right, private schools will receive an extra…

Sean WaltersMay 23, 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