20 April 2015

Bogan's Rant - With Michael McShane - April 2015

Attitude Determines Altitude

As Ritchie Benaud would say, let's "give it a rip" from the get go!

With respect, the majority of clients rely on the response from Seek advertisements for the majority of their applications. Am I right? The respondents from Seek account for ~20% of the market (active candidates) and the other 80% are either inactive/employed and / or not trawling on Seek / job boards every day! How am I going?

Now, stick with me - deduct another percentage of candidates that agencies are mothballing & essentially with-holding for you! Not to mention you, the candidates, getting dead set shafted (without knowing it) by these unscrupulous oxygen thieves who are more concerned about making a placement fee than potentially robbing someone of their dream job or "a" job in the current market! Dead set tossers, they're everywhere! One of the wise trekkers I hiked with around Everest with observed, "they walk amongst us". 

Where am I headed? I am simply trying to improve our predominantly broken and definitely dysfunctional system - Query: how many clients trawl Seek every day looking for the unsolicited, unethical, half-witted fly by night clown recruitment turds who prey on client Seek ads and copy them, sometimes almost verbatim? Not many I'd suggest. It happens every day and is robbing clients of candidate applications as the agency tells the candidate to not apply direct! When those agencies are uncovered, what is done about it? Not much! Recruitment is an unregulated industry and anyone can have a crack at it and they all call themselves "specialists".

It's a buyers market out there at present too! There are some brilliant candidates out there! They might not have the best resume, don't "sell themselves" very well at interview, so how do we get them through to the "right" people? It's hard, as they get screened out before they get anywhere or anywhere near the relevant Line Managers Inbox…………..

I am writing this Rant from a trek around Mt Everest & surrounds. I look at the Porters & Sherpas here in the Himalayas and am in awe - the real workers!!! They get on with the job, often carrying the job & loads of 2 or 3 "normal" people (up to 100kg), never complain, are not paid well AND deliver great services to their clients! Where has that attitude gone from our industry? The old school brigade are slowly retiring or doing "other things" outside of mining and a new generation of prats (not everyone, I know!) is replacing them and thinks the industry owes them a living.

Grab a mirror if this is you and have a long hard look.

I'm unsure how some people get through their days, let alone life! One of our trekking group more closely resembled a new born calf trying to take its first steps on flat ground, let alone tackling 6 feet of snow, scrambling over boulders and altitude! It was highly entertaining to watch, but he persisted. He is an honest character, would help others before himself, was resilient and persistent. Qualities predominantly lacking out there? Am I wrong?

After 21 days trekking around Mt Everest, 2 high passes over 5,400m, 2 summits - one over 5,600m, trudging through up to waist deep snow (for over 5 hours one day), experiencing minus 15 to -20 degree nights in tents and eating very average food, the Bogan was unsuccessful "finding himself" in Nepal. Was it worth it?

Although air contains 21% oxygen at all altitudes, low pressure at high altitude makes it feel like there is a lower percentage of oxygen, so at over 5,600m it felt like we had 10% effective oxygen - that's >50% less! No wonder it was hard to breathe. Do you feel like this at sea level? Are there oxygen thieves robbing you of career / business opportunities or simply energy vampires that sap your energy and enthusiasm?

So after significant "think time", reflection and personal analysis, now more than ever, after being robbed of oxygen, not finding himself or any existence of the Yeti, the Bogan and the team at Stealth Recruitment are determined to make a point of difference. Is the Bogan arrogant? No. Far from it. Does the Bogan suffer fools? Rarely. If the Bogan or his alter ego offend you, there should be a mirror nearby…………

Do you deal with or partner with reputable individuals, reliable organisations? Those that are genuine, have points of difference, deliver on promises? Those that are genuinely interested in you, your success? Do they keep in contact with you, even after a transaction has taken place?

As they said in the Himalayas - Attitude determines Altitude.

Do you "walk amongst us", or do you want to make a difference?

Bogan's Pet Hate: Oxygen thieves…………………