Sorry, But I’m Not Buying What You’re Selling …
January 21, 2008, 7:00 am
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So the ‘talent director’ of a rather well known creative agency called me last week about joining their company.
To be honest, she has called me quite a few times – however even if I was interested, she’s pissed me about so much in the past, that I have a nasty taste in my mouth about her and to a certain degree, the agency she represents.
What really cheesed me off was when I asked how her Christmas was and she replied …
“It was good but I love my job so much, I was so happy to come back”
Putting aside that most people – however much they enjoy their job – like having some time off, this is a mother who complains she spends too little time with her beloved children so it begs the question, who the hell does she think she is kidding?
Did she honestly believe that having heard that, I was going to say, “WOW, that sounds amazing, where do I sign?”
As far as I am concerned, Talent Directors are just a new name for Human Resource managers [abit like Channel Planners are a new name for Media Planners] and if you go here, you’ll see what I think about most of them.
I’ve been doing this advertising lark for quite a long time and one of the only times I’ve genuinely been impressed with an HR department was years ago when I was asked if I wanted to join a UK agency called Circus.
When they came back with a formal offer, I was somewhat underwhelmed with the overall package – however this is where their brains and skill really shone through …
Because they’d spoken to some of my references, they knew that I was the sort of person who would walk away if I felt a company was trying to ‘screw me over’ even before I’d taken the job – so instead of coming back with a basic increased financial offer, they created incremental value …
1 Return flight to Australia [because they knew I’d miss my friends there]
2 Season ticket to Nottingham Forest*[because I love ’em]
3 Pret A Manger Card [so I could have a decent sandwich each day]
4 Odeon Cinema Pass [because they knew I loved going to the flix]
Sure they were basically increasing my salary package – but by doing it this way, they were showing they ‘got me’ and interms of a job, I know I only want to spend my time with organisations who embrace me for who I am, not who they want me to be.
Anyway, for a whole bunch of reasons I didn’t end up taking the job – but it left an amazing impression on me and ensured when I started cynic, I wanted to follow a similar approach
And that’s another thing this HR person I’m dealing with, did to wind me up … she called me ‘awkward’ for asking a bunch of ‘tough’ questions.
OK, so I admit some were overly provocative – but surely any major consideration should activate a whole host of enquires? Hell, if someone I was thinking of hiring didn’t have any questions, I’d be majorly concerned about their suitability/capability.
However the bit that made this whole episode particularly distasteful was that her agency goes on and on about how it encourages, embraces and executes ‘new thinking’ – yet they immediately got shitty when I questioned some of the claims and plans.
I guess I need to remember where advertising is concerned, people often preach but rarely practice.
Saying that, at least she gave me something to rant about – so it wasn’t a total waste of time, ha!
* You’d think this fact alone would stop them wanting to hire me. Mind you, they’ve gone bust now so maybe they were abit daft 🙂
Are You A Mid-Weight [Or Above] Freelance Planner Who Is In Singapore – Or Able [And Willing] To Work In Singapore?
January 18, 2008, 1:07 pm
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Because if you are, a friend of mine is looking for you to work at his agency.
I have no idea how long you would be needed, what category of client you’d be working on or even how much cash you’d be able to ask for … I just know he needs someone quick and that he is a brilliant, brilliant man who is going to be leading a change like you’ve rarely seen.
OK, I appreciate the information I’ve given sounds like the sort of brief you‘d get from some fuckwit client … but in the unlikely event you – or someone you know – is up for it, please let me know. Ta!
Is It Just Me …
January 18, 2008, 7:36 am
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… or is it weird that an organisation that wants to help people who have [or think they may have] mental illness is called Sane?
I can’t really articulate why I feel this – but I do.
Come on, help … or call me mental for thinking this way 🙂
I Did Not Recieve Any Payment For This Post. [Well Not Directly!]
January 18, 2008, 6:58 am
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Qantas has confirmed that one of it’s Boeing 747s flying from London to Thailand was forced to use a back-up system after losing electrical power.
Flight QF2, carrying more than 300 passengers, was 15 minutes away from landing in Bangkok on Monday when it lost all electrical power and was forced to use its back-up batteries.
The plane landed safely in Bangkok.
Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokesman Peter Gibson says his organisation will investigate what he has described as a “highly unusual” incident.
“Aircraft have many power backup systems so it’s very uncommon to lose them all“.
The incident comes as Qantas engineers are engaged in industrial action over pay increases and working conditions.
[Story edited from ABC News]
______________________________
So a plane loses all it’s electrical systems at the same time engineers are in dispute with the company.
Coincidence?
Oh I’m sure of it, but personally … and of course this is a completely independent view … I’d fly with these guys.
Brains Should Not Be Caged!
January 17, 2008, 7:22 am
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The thing I like about blogging is that it makes me think.
I know you’ll probably be shocked at that statement given the bollocks I write each day – but I know without it I could end up so consumed by day-to-day bollocks that my brain could be put into storage without me ever having to worry about signing it out again.
Of course that would mean I’d end up working as a politician or a CEO of a multinational advertising group but that’s not important right now.
Anyway, the reason I bring this up is because the lovely Niko has just started his own blog because he also wants an outlet for his ideas and thoughts
With that in mind, I hope you pop along and give him a piece of your mind [in the good sense of the phrase!] because he’s an interesting and passionate bugger who genuinely wants feedback on where he’s at.
Good on you Noko – see you over at your place!
Filed under: Comment
So the ‘talent director’ of a rather well known creative agency called me last week about joining their company.
To be honest, she has called me quite a few times – however even if I was interested, she’s pissed me about so much in the past, that I have a nasty taste in my mouth about her and to a certain degree, the agency she represents.
What really cheesed me off was when I asked how her Christmas was and she replied …
“It was good but I love my job so much, I was so happy to come back”
Putting aside that most people – however much they enjoy their job – like having some time off, this is a mother who complains she spends too little time with her beloved children so it begs the question, who the hell does she think she is kidding?
Did she honestly believe that having heard that, I was going to say, “WOW, that sounds amazing, where do I sign?”
As far as I am concerned, Talent Directors are just a new name for Human Resource managers [abit like Channel Planners are a new name for Media Planners] and if you go here, you’ll see what I think about most of them.
I’ve been doing this advertising lark for quite a long time and one of the only times I’ve genuinely been impressed with an HR department was years ago when I was asked if I wanted to join a UK agency called Circus.
When they came back with a formal offer, I was somewhat underwhelmed with the overall package – however this is where their brains and skill really shone through …
Because they’d spoken to some of my references, they knew that I was the sort of person who would walk away if I felt a company was trying to ‘screw me over’ even before I’d taken the job – so instead of coming back with a basic increased financial offer, they created incremental value …
1 Return flight to Australia [because they knew I’d miss my friends there]
2 Season ticket to Nottingham Forest*[because I love ’em]
3 Pret A Manger Card [so I could have a decent sandwich each day]
4 Odeon Cinema Pass [because they knew I loved going to the flix]
Sure they were basically increasing my salary package – but by doing it this way, they were showing they ‘got me’ and interms of a job, I know I only want to spend my time with organisations who embrace me for who I am, not who they want me to be.
Anyway, for a whole bunch of reasons I didn’t end up taking the job – but it left an amazing impression on me and ensured when I started cynic, I wanted to follow a similar approach
And that’s another thing this HR person I’m dealing with, did to wind me up … she called me ‘awkward’ for asking a bunch of ‘tough’ questions.
OK, so I admit some were overly provocative – but surely any major consideration should activate a whole host of enquires? Hell, if someone I was thinking of hiring didn’t have any questions, I’d be majorly concerned about their suitability/capability.
However the bit that made this whole episode particularly distasteful was that her agency goes on and on about how it encourages, embraces and executes ‘new thinking’ – yet they immediately got shitty when I questioned some of the claims and plans.
I guess I need to remember where advertising is concerned, people often preach but rarely practice.
Saying that, at least she gave me something to rant about – so it wasn’t a total waste of time, ha!
* You’d think this fact alone would stop them wanting to hire me. Mind you, they’ve gone bust now so maybe they were abit daft 🙂