Things Are Not Always What They Seem…

You might recall my article on the launch of RecruitMeNow.com.au back in April. Also, this article JOBX and Recruitment Academy Plugging Leaky Bucket.

RecruitMeNow claims to be “The first exclusive Recruitment Industry job and candidate board“.  I like that, a niche job board, a job board that knows what it’s about.  Straight to the point.  No nonsense.  This sort of self-knowledge gives me tingles.

I thought I’d do a little update on RecruitMeNow.  It’s been a while, and I’m always interested to see how new sites are progressing.  The site looks good (certainly a relief after my interlude with Groovy Jobs).  Just mucking around, I typed in a search for ‘Accounting’.  This is what I got.

Not one job in the recruitment industry…

I didn’t sleep well last night.  It was one of those hot nights, where the air is steamy.  Plus I went over my coffee quota during the day.  Point is, I’m a bit hazy-brained this morning.  But why would the site claim to be exclusively for jobs in the recruitment industry, but deliver a search result like this one.  Have things changed?

Doncha just get sick of things not being what they seem?

Oh groovy baby… yeah…

Seek had better be prepared for some hefty competition. Groovy Jobs is on the scene, man. (Hang ten, dude, I just need to readjust my bandana. Okay, there, that’s better. Bloody thing gets uncomfortable after a while).

Groovy Jobs’ point-of-difference is made clear in their press release: candidates are important (der), so don’t advertise with us unless your job is creatively remunerated, described in terms of it being exciting, challenging and offering a variety of experiences, and set in “an environment where the employee actually looks forward to getting out of bed in the morning.” These criteria, according to Groovy Jobs, are what differentiate a “groovy” job from one that is…”square”? Man. I’m running out of cliched fifties vernacular to whack in here, so I’ll cut to the chase.

Firstly, this is obviously nothing more than a marketing ploy. How the heck are Groovy Jobs really going to monitor a company’s level of groove? And if they’re not going to monitor it, isn’t this simply about companies being required to present a role in terms that it may not be able to fulfill in reality? Isn’t that misleading? And not everyone wants a job that is groovy. And what of the companies that can’t find their groove? What about the ones who are on the dance floor, trying really hard to find the beat, but becoming more and more out of time with each step? Are these nerds of the job market less worthy in terms of their ability to make employees content at work? Moreover, some folks like consistency, solidness. Some people want to be remunerated in terms of cash, and are less interested in so-called “benefits”.

Call me square, but when I look for a job, I want to see that the environment is safe and professional, the company is established and growing, and that there may be a real possibility of growing with it. And I’d prefer not to advertise on a job board that is forcing me to put more time and energy into meeting its requirements for grooviness, and therefore fewer resources into getting acquainted with the right candidate for the position.

I’ll leave you with these thoughts. My kids are laughing at the stupid bandana on my head, and frankly, flares never suited me anyhow. Peace. Man.