RECRUITMENT – I COULD CRY, I COULD JUST CRY!

Here we go again. Personnel consultant just died of old age. Headhunter sounded a bit too nasty and clandestine. After all how can you introduce someone as “This is our corporate headhunter”. Real headhunters kind of liked it but it didn’t play well in the board room. Recruiter wasn’t really classy enough for those who wanted to “differentiate” themselves so we moved up a notch to “Executive Recruiter”. (maybe that happened as we got older and started recruiting people who make over minimum wage.)

“Executive Search” has a snob appeal all it’s own but their folks had a problem calling themselves “Executive Searchers” ( how dumb does that sound?)
“ Talent Acquisition Specialist” was and is just goofy enough for everybody under 30.. Human Capital Manager was so damn pompous that most folks objected to being designated as human capital so that one evolved to VP of People, ain’t that earthy. (your loyal subjects salute you , you royal horses rear).

Manager of Talent Branding (oh just puke, that doesn’t even make any sense to anyone). Maybe those are all those kids in the HR department who tell us it’s not our candidate because they touched them first. In line with that maybe we should all “Brand” our candidates. Then I could ask the internal recruiter if the candidate had an M7 on their left hip. If they do then there is no question as to it being my referral. It’s wearin my brand ain’t it ?

In the past few months I have noticed that those who are always looking for some new word or phrase to describe what we do or have some sort of damage to the ego (if not the Id ) have started to say, are you ready for it,

“I am a recruitment specialist.” “I do recruitment” I am in the Recruitment Business”. “We are a recruitment firm”.

Here’s some little know facts about the word recruitment.

Recruitment in the scientific community means the development of a new generation of organisms. So watch your silly butt if you are recruiting in the scientific community and you are dense enough to tell some scientist that you are a recruitment specialist. They may just say, “oh sorry we don’t do that kind of research.”

Recruitment in the healthcare community refers to a hearing loss resulting in certain sound pitches being painful to a person. So if you are recruiting in the healthcare industry and tell someone that you are in the Recruitment Business or you do Recruitment. They might just tell you that they don’t need any hearing aid salesmen or ask you if there has been any new research to correct the problem of recruitment..

“Recruitment” may be an acceptable term for the Brits and the Aussies but folks, in the good ole US and of A. We are recruiters and we do recruiting. If you want to really think about how preposterous it sounds to say you do recruitment try this.

Suppose that Engineers didn’t do engineering, they did engineerment.

Suppose that Accountants didn’t do accounting, they did accountment.

Suppose that doctors weren’t involved with healing, they did healment.

Suppose that scientists didn’t do research they did researchment.

Suppose that consultants didn't do consulting they did consultment.

One could go on forever until it got to the point that kids didn’t get involved in Cub Scouts or Girl Scouts. They would get involved in scoutment.

The conversation might go something like this: “Hey this is John in Recruitment, I would like to speak with Larry in engineerment or Judy in accountment if neither of them are available please buzz Phil in researchment.” Oh and is Dr. Dooby doing healment today or is this the day he goes on the scoutment trip with his kids?" "If Dr. D is out i need to speak with that guy who is here doing consulment on the new building plans." "Say .how do you like being in receptionment?"

All I can tell you for sure is that the next time somebody tells me that they work for a recruitment firm doing recruitment, I am going to start laughing and tell them they have the wrong number. I am a recruiter. I do recruiting. I do not sell hearing aids and I am not developing the next generation of any organism, albeit sometimes I think that might be the case.

What say you, are you a recruiter who does recruiting or are you into hard of hearing , next gen organisms?

(thank god my spell check caught the misspell of that last word).

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Shalaka Katdare on March 22, 2011 at 1:11am

It aint matter what our titles are, we still do the bloody same job finding people & giving them a career. I have been through different Industries in my career IT, ITES, Pharma, Telecom etc been through different titles swung from Executive search firm to a corporate, trust me its only & only about hiring !! Yeah but i do belive these days you dont get the kinda of quality 'consultant' (& i dont mean a title) who knows & understands the how to consult industry specific, role specific & most imp career specific

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Permalink Reply by Valentino Martinez on March 22, 2011 at 1:31am

RightO, Sandra--

You always make your mark on the stuff and stuffing in our industry. Thnx for sharing your grasp of the situation.

As for me..."I recruit, therefore I am..." is my claim to fame.

Ah, to be a Recruiter, there is the rub--it is my blessing and my curse and defines me to the end.

...and there is no crying in recruitment...unless you're a Talent Scout or a Casting Director.

VBM

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Permalink Reply by Leigh Cosgrove on March 22, 2011 at 5:20am

British and I am a Recruiter working in Recruitment. I recruit people, the action is recruiting, I am the Recruitment Manager and my team are the Recruitment team. Pick the bones out of that!

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Permalink Reply by Dan Hunter on March 22, 2011 at 6:35am

Im not a recruiter, im a dream maker.

Oh and LOL at the article.

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Permalink Reply by Brigadier YR MAINDIRATTA on March 22, 2011 at 7:22am

This 'Dream-maker' reminds me of a senior person in recruting business showing his title as ' Chief Gardner', implying that he tends the talent!!

Go ahead and better it!!

Of course, better would be to get on with the recruiting ...........

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Permalink Reply by Dan Hunter on March 22, 2011 at 7:26am

That's true Brigadier, money never sleeps and the sun is always rising on a new market. Recruitment via follow the sun. I like it.

Put that keyboard down Brigadier, recruiting is for closers only.

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Permalink Reply by C. B. Stalling!! on March 22, 2011 at 9:37am

guess people do not have that much work if there are 6 pages of what do I call myself...

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Permalink Reply by Dan Hunter on March 22, 2011 at 9:39am

7 pages now C.B

Welcome to the 'no work club'.

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Permalink Reply by Al Merrill on March 22, 2011 at 9:49am

C'mon guys, it just shows a creative writer with something to say can get people "wrapped around the axle"! And has fun doing it!

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Permalink Reply by Sean O'Donoghue on March 22, 2011 at 9:57am

Hey C.B - isn't that the point - if you can still make money, handle your clients and candidates very well, make placements - and spend less hours doing it... what's better than that?!

Come on, admit it - you're surely a bit jealous of the people who can work like that? But haven't you ever heard of work / life balance? If it was just Sandra writing out 8 pages of comments on her own, then you could look at her and think "heck, she's in the wrong profession!" .... but when it's many members all enjoying the creativity that's being shared... you can't knock that!

Don't hate the players... hate the game - as they say! :-)

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Permalink Reply by Sandra McCartt on March 22, 2011 at 10:48am

@Shalanta It's always a pleasure to hear from an experienced person who has had so many titles that they have gotten over the need for a fancy title. I think your point is well made that we should worry about quality of work instead of quality of title.

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Permalink Reply by Sandra McCartt on March 22, 2011 at 11:11am

@valentino, there has always been a lot of stuff and overstuffing in our industry maybe that is why we seem to have to get so theatrical. Sometimes i have to wonder if the talent scouts and casting directors haven't gotten too far into the "strategic zone" and started to believe their own BS. :)

@ Dan, You and Tom Chuna should probably join forces. It could be "Opportunity broker-Dream Maker, Inc" We're just livin the dream and hoping it won't turn into a nightmare. I wonder if there is some metric as to whether recruiting made more money than recruitment last month. Money may never sleep but in my bubble there have been times when it got a little drowsey.

@Maindiratta I love it Chief Gardner in charge of tending the talent. The only problem with that title is somebody is bound to ask , "Great if that is your job what are you going to do with all those blooming idiots who got hired in marketing who want to change everybody's title?"

@Leigh You certainly have everything defined and structured and lined out. You Brits are so tidy. If one of your troops slips and says they are on the recruiting team do you tear off their arm and beat them to death with it for messing up the structure :)