The Thrill of The Chase NZ 🏃‍➡️

I have returned from Blighty! I spent 9 glorious days (3 of which were spent travelling) back in the motherland. While the trip was only short, the easy access to Irn Bru, Frazzles, and fry-ups helped negate any lag the jet inflicted. The reason for the whistle-stop tour? I was back to watch my precious Reds lift their 20th Premier League title. An act of folly, considering I have no money, but would I do it again? Absolutely! Saying that, if I go on another holiday on my own, I’m pretty sure my family will leave me. Having returned, I was encouraged to see the news of another beloved UK export entering NZ. We’re getting our very own Chase! The Chase is a bit of a big deal in our house. Like the Simpsons on Sky 1 at 6 pm back in the day, it’s an anchor to our domestic routine. I wouldn’t be surprised if my son saw Bradley Walsh as a supplementary father figure. Paul Henry is having a go at filling some beloved shoes. It’s quite fitting as both Paul & Brad had similar crack-ups over the names of women they were covering in their professional capacities. While I agree the budget is a more relevant topic, it’s bloody boring. So, let’s look at the lessons The Chase has taught us about recruitment.

I should start by explaining what The Chase is, but I’m going to assume most Kiwis do. We’re actually behind the likes of Australia, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Israel, Norway, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, the Netherlands, Turkey, and the US in its syndication. But, the long and short of it, you play against a boffin to try and win money. At one point, you are presented with three options. You can stick to your current amount, increase, or decrease. This effectively makes it easier or harder to be caught by the canny Chaser. This is a lesson that we as recruiters have undoubtedly imparted on countless candidates. It’s only natural to be allured by the higher number/salary, but it comes with significantly more pressure. If you back yourself, by all means, opt for the bigger pay day. However, you have very little room for mistakes. It’s imperative you hit the ground running, and if you don’t, game over.

Communication is a key component of what we do. We recruiters are somewhat of a chatty bunch, but if you’ve ever been condescended to by an older statesman, you’ll have been reminded that you have two ears and one mouth. We often must listen out for what isn’t being said as much as what is. If you aren’t paying attention, you run the risk of missing key information, be it a programming language or a candidate's notice period. The end result is looking rather inept in the eyes of your client or candidate. But, at least you won’t appear on a pithy bi-weekly recruitment blog more than 6 years later. Don’t be like old mate. Sometimes it’s the team around you that can make the difference. Monday morning meetings aren’t just a place to fire out numbers and exit as quickly as possible. Your colleague could quite possibly possess the answer to all your problems.

Pushbacks. Whenever a team fails to hit the “Fun Zone,” which usually sits around the 18 correct answers mark, he will utter the immortal words “we’re going to need some push backs.” As you would’ve seen from the previous link, if a Chaser answers a question incorrectly, the team gets the chance to push the Chaser back one step. The day in the life of a recruiter is littered with pushbacks. Sometimes, we’re pushed all the way back to square one. An offer is rejected, a freeze is put on hiring, a pre-existing holiday comes to light at the 12th hour. The Chasers, while general knowledge experts, are human and capable of making mistakes. But do they fall to bits? Not a chance! They cut Brad off halfway through “what UK Street Artis…” with a confident “Banksy” and get on with it. That resilience and calm-headedness are what win the game.

I’m sure there are more, but I’m a little rusty after a few weeks off the keys. If you have any other similarities, feel free to share them with me at the RCSA Gala this time next week. For non-members, swing by Island Recruitment HQ the following week for the Rec Meet-Up.