I was first introduced to the idea of a personal brand during my agency days. Although there was a pretty specific ‘tone of voice’ to adhere to, we were encouraged to develop our own brand. After all, people buy from people, not agencies. As recruiters we must make noise, it’s the only way to stand out in a crowded marketplace, one where everyone is offering the same exemplary service. Being self-employed the need to bang a drum is imperative, there is a lot of truth to the phrase; a closed mouth doesn’t get fed. A slightly more derogatory way to put it; the squeaky wheel gets the oil. It’s a delicate balance, especially here in Aotearoa. I’d never heard of the term “tall poppy” before coming to NZ but it’s as prevalent in the shared lexicon as “yeah, nah” or dare I say, “sweet as”. For those that haven’t heard this charming little phrase it acts as a cautionary tale to one’s hubris and it’s a bit…cutting. Our pals at Wikipedia give the following summary.
"Tall poppy syndrome is an informal term originating from Australia and New Zealand in the 1980s that refers to people with notable public success, who excessively promote their own achievements and opinions."
The cutting-down bit comes in the form of intense public scrutiny and criticism because of this over-the-top chest beating. It’s as if the decision was made 40 or so years ago that the responsibility of lowering pegs to appropriate levels was left up to the townsfolk. Now, it may be my decade spent in the land of the long white cloud but I’m on the side of the villagers. Whenever I see a post waxing lyrical about recruitment prowess or any degree of giving it the big’un it solicits an eye roll. Even the posts that give us a peek under the frosty waters to the rest of the iceberg, the ‘what people don’t see’ posts can be perceived as a thinly veiled pat on the back, baiting out kudos and sympathy like a hospital bed selfie. But in there lies the dilemma, how does one bang a drum without making a racket?
The truth is it’s a fine line. You want to make people aware of your presence in the market, so your candidates have more options when they engage your services. Likewise, you want to give clients the reassurance that when they partner with you, you ensure the most coverage possible from a candidate generation perspective. So, what’s the problem with being a little shouty? I mean, doesn’t the naysaying often come from people that are within the industry and more than likely in direct competition? There’s an adage in football, it’s probably in all sports; you’d hate to play against them but love them on your team. Are these people raising the bar on engagement or are they lowering the standard?
As someone who has been writing a biweekly blog for several years, I appreciate that I can be perceived as an above-average-height poppy. These blogs aim to provide commentary, insights, and sometimes a bit of comic relief, but I can’t deny the self-promotion angle. I think to ensure that the scythe’s blade doesn’t become an issue (or however poppies are cut) is to avoid blowing hard on your own ability, it’s more like showing your wares as opposed to just showing off. The tolerance for braggadocio behaviour is very low in NZ. For example, if you take a London or a Sydney, the market is so big that to not self-promote is to admit defeat. The line isn’t thin, it’s a massive spectrum of how far you can push and how loud you can shout. The standard for banging the drum is therefore dictated by the market or in other words, read the room. One of the highlights of the pandemic for me was when an agency owner reminded an industry influencer that perhaps it wasn’t the best time to hawk his book with redundancies reigning down. Promoting reading while failing to read the room will always be funny to me.
If you want to see this little drummer boy live, I’m hosting the Rec Meet Up in Island Recruitment HQ on the 11th of May. I’ve been instructed to talk about my business so keep the hypocrite chants to a minimum.
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