I didn’t expect to write something which brought together my ongoing work in resourcing and my interests in cooking and sewing under a single heading in this way, but here it is.

Engaged in a pithy conversation with a fellow professional over Zoom last week, we discussed the helpfulness (or not) of knowing that you were applying for a role which had attracted hundreds of others to apply.  I’m sure you’ve seen examples, so I won’t labour the point here.  In some situations, the technology simply doesn’t help or engage the user.

We also discussed the extreme lengths that some employers were going to, designing virtual assessment centres and so on.  I’m a big fan of multi-faceted assessments as you’ll know, although I sometimes wonder whether they are absolutely essential in times of extreme, seasonal need and high unemployment.  I’m picking up a distinct change of heart among recruiters that candidates don’t want to engage endlessly with a bot.  That they’re missing human interaction and have AI fatigue.  It’s tough being a candidate right now.

Once everyone has settled down and got used to what you’ve got on show behind you, virtual interviews are a great use of time.  No difficult conversations with existing employers to get time off and no need for expensive trips to another county on a recruiter’s whim.  Presentations work well on film, although I’m not a fan of “in the moment” tasks with preparation time.  They seem to evoke an unnatural awkwardness on screen for everyone involved.  Let’s try to keep this simple and engaging.

This leads me neatly on to a sophisticated rant about how we communicate with our job seeking audiences in these challenging times.  I’ve little time for “unattended” email accounts in a recruitment context, although I’m very much in favour of the message consistency that recruitment systems provide.  That said, can we please launch a campaign to get those messages consistent with our brand and the positive business reputation we’re keen to forge?  The technology is capable, but it seems that the humans are not.

A phrase which applies equally well to my recent attempts to master the sewing machine as part of my lockdown No. 2 adventures.  I immediately fell for the demonstrator’s charm and purchased this fabulous brut (a sewing computer) about 16 years ago.  Now this is a sorry tale of overspecification and underuse.  Sorry to the tune of £1,045 and just four projects undertaken – that’s about £261 for each golf trouser seam repaired.  I’m logical and creative and I enjoy sewing (my previous machine blew up from overuse) although it may take a few more staycations before I master this model.  But for now, it’s centre stage on the dining table amid the handwritten notes for my book.

A similar story prevailed as I went headfirst into the cupboard Granddad style and hauled out my 2018 purchase, a gleaming Fast Slow Pro endorsed by Heston Blumenthal.  A far cry from my Gran’s mechanical pressure cooker.  Memories of boiled gammon and homemade peas pudding came flooding back.  But mine wasn’t going to be an overnight success.  Another one of my whims and an overwhelming urge to create a slow cooked venison casserole for a seasonal lunch party led me to overindulge yet again.  The lunch was a resounding success, but not so the Fast Slow Pro.  A snip at £99 for a single use, it’s been at the back of the cupboard ever since!  Far too complicated for its own good and with the hallmarks of a white elephant, it’s to be another of my lockdown No. 2 adventures.

Always happy to hear about your adventures or how I can help you (but maybe not with a Bernina Aurora or a Fast Slow Pro) let’s begin a conversation.  And please let me know if you’re up for joining my campaign to get the human touch (or at least some improved communications) back into recruitment.