The British Are Coming! 🗣️

For those who were in last week, I’m sorry you missed out. Up in Auckland, we had Summer! By that, I mean back-to-back sunny days! So, those who were tempted to return to the office quickly about turned back to the bach pronto. After spending the Christmas break over in Western Australia, I now understand a little more why Brits are drawn to NZ. It’s the weather. You see, it’s better than the low bar set by the UK but, it’s not so great that we can’t complain about it. And God knows if there’s one thing our lot loves, it’s a moan. If you need proof just jump on the Brits in Auckland page on Facebook. “Foods expensive!” maybe grow your own then? “It’s hard to make friends” Maybe you’re not as stimulating a raconteur as you thought? “Rents high” Maybe sleep outside? “There’s no English pubs” Maybe go back to the UK! I should preface my beef is with Auckland because ever since Diddy Dalglish burst onto the scene, I’ve not been able to escape the Big Smoke and we all know that the microclimate is real. You can see the semi-permanent clouds stationed above the city from Mud Brick whilst you’re bathed in sunshine. If that open gambit proves anything Brits are Olympic moaners. We’re also not too shabby recruiters, gestures to a large portion of the recruitment market.

Unlike our ANZAC cuzzies over the Tazzy, there is a very different perception of the British on these shores. Kiwis have a more Princess Diana, Harry Potter, Mr. Bean, Wallace & Gromit, and Dr. Who type of view of our lot. Whereas our stammering Hugh Grant-esq charm doesn’t wash with the Aussies. British Recruiters also receive a touch more kudos from the market in my experience. Like any recruiter who has worked in a World City, I’m talking London, New York, Tokyo, Paris, and Hong Kong it's fair to say they have experienced a different level of recruitment. Just the amount of competition alone is nuts, with so many of the same type of businesses offering the same type of service often it becomes a race. Where fees are concerned it’s a race to the bottom, but the other race is getting the product to the consumer. By product, I mean real-life human beings with souls and dreams, highlighting the potential transactional nature of recruitment in these places. A sense of urgency is installed in these recruiters. We’re very relationship-focused out here in NZ, candidates and clients are turned off by any wham-bamanship. But, I would say it’s arguably easier for a fast recruiter to slow down than it is for a slow recruiter to speed up.

There is also the level of resilience attached to a more worldly recruiter. Bigger markets cast shadows and with places to hide, scoundrels flourish. The foggy streets of old London town will still play host to the Fagen type of recruitment manager, coordinating his merry band of nubile recruiters to pick the pockets of corporations and SMEs alike. You have to handle getting beat not by the best but often the corner cutters get the spoils. Plus, we all love a worker who can get on the chop and still perform to a high standard the following morning. The late-night client meeting is more commonplace in the thes bustling metropolis’ providing the younger consultants with a real badge of honour for coming in disheveled, but on time. Why am I waxing lyrical about pommy recruiters you may ask yourself? Well, I’ve been chatting to them recently! I guess it’s a similar feeling to watching sea turtles return to nesting places or salmon battling upstream. It just warms my heart to see overseas recruiters arrive in NZ. There’s a bit of reflection in it for me as it’s the path I trod over a decade ago but also, I’ve missed the gusto!

Sitting opposite a British recruiter yesterday it was so refreshing to feel the enthusiasm and commitment in their search. They weren’t testing the waters or winding up for a kick of the tire. They were keen as a bean to get interviewed! None of this, “Well can they do 5:45 pm?” or “Would Teams be, OK?” it was “more like “Thank you sir may I have another!” And to hear a start date of “yesterday” is music to anyone's ears. They’d been here for a month and had seen the country, got an IRD number, a phone number, and a bank account which they were desperate to start filling up. What was equally as heartwarming was the response from the market. It’s great to see these types of recruiters entering back into our market but just as good to see the desire to add talent from agencies again!