The Hiring Crisis: What’s Broken in Modern Recruitment?

Tim Elliott (0:00)

It's the Morning Drive, human resources and talent acquisition and jobs and work skills and things like that. And a continuation from last week, the shift from pedigree to performance. So this is kind of part two, really. David MacKenzie is the managing director of the regional boutique recruitment firm, would you call yourself?

David MacKenzie (0:21)

You're not really boutique, are you? No, we're not anymore. We're sort of regional executive recruitment firm. We have an RPO business, so what would I call it?

Tim Elliott (0:27)

Yeah, so you're beyond boutique.

David MacKenzie (0:29)

I think regional recruitment company, organization, global player.

Tim Elliott (0:33)

We'll go with that. You're what Gen Z calls the main character.

David MacKenzie (0:39)

Isn't that a derogatory term?

Tim Elliott (0:41)

Well, I thought it was because I was googling, what can I call him? This week. And it's a Gen Z term. It describes someone who acts like they run the room or draws all the attention, sometimes applied to a manager with a strong presence.

David MacKenzie (0:55)

I have. One thing somebody said to me, you're very enthousiastic, sometimes you can be overbearing.

Tim Elliott (1:03)

Is that how they described you?

David MacKenzie (1:04)

Was this a friend of yours? Yeah.

Tim Elliott (1:06)

Really?

David MacKenzie (1:07)

I do understand. Well, reasonable. No, but I think in the workplace, you need to make sure, one thing is I'm good at listening.

So you need to make sure when you've got people like Manuri, who's my intern, I talk about her a lot, she's almost introverted. So to get the best conversation out of her, I have to just sit and listen, or else she doesn't say anything.

Tim Elliott (1:27)

Right, okay. Yeah, yeah, that's good. Sometimes you just have to let people talk, don't you? Let people do their thing.

I don't think you're overbearing. I think that's a bit... I would say you're probably quite... My impression of you would be very enthusiastic, quite verbose, not in a bad way, but in a good way, but quite forthright.

David MacKenzie (1:45)

Do you think I've changed in the 15 years you've known me? Remember when we were doing Drive Live with Alex?

Can you remember that far?

Tim Elliott (1:56)

No. I can't remember much of what happened yesterday, let alone today.

David MacKenzie (2:02)

What he's going to read tomorrow.

Tim Elliott (2:04)

I'm going by mealtimes. That's me. I'm like, okay, so toast, salad.

David MacKenzie (2:10)

Toast. Look at you. You're old school. Yeah. Do you think I've changed much?

Tim Elliott (2:14)

No, actually. No, I don't. No, I think you've been pretty consistent in character terms.

David MacKenzie (2:20)

I think that's one thing I am. I'm very consistent. Whether that's a good or a bad thing, I don't know.

Tim Elliott (2:25)

Some would say that's boring. I would argue that's not boring. I would argue that's a good thing. I would.

David MacKenzie (2:31)

Yeah, I think as you get older, you learn to understand who you are better, which in the workplace is a good thing, because it means you don't have to compete to be the best.

Tim Elliott (2:43)

There's a whole segment on this, but that's really interesting, because I think I got to about 32, and then I thought...

David MacKenzie (2:49)

It's a very... 32, not 33

Tim Elliott (2:52)

It was 32

David MacKenzie (2:53)

Okay.

Tim Elliott (2:54)

And then I thought, and that was the point I realized, this is how I am.

And I can't really change this anymore. So I used to be... No, I was never really a people pleaser, but I'd always try and do things on other people's behalf, I think, to an extent, my mother's influence. And then I got to 32, and I gave up with that.

David MacKenzie (3:14)

Yeah, but that's a good thing. And I do think in the workplace, some people try and be who they aren't to impress.

Tim Elliott (3:22)

Probably, yeah.

David MacKenzie (3:23)

And I think as you get older, you learn what works for you and what your USP is, Unique Selling Point. And I think that's...

Tim Elliott (3:36)

Are you going to throw in some USPs today and then point... Leave little flags in the road.

David MacKenzie (3:41)

Farage has completely switched off. He's going, when are you going to get on with the actual discussion?

Tim Elliott (3:46)

He's talking to Groc. Oh, yes.

David MacKenzie (3:48)

Let's not get that live on there.

Tim Elliott (3:49)

We've been doing that this morning before you came in.

No, but that's actually... I'll think about it. We can turn that into something. So, this is a recap, really, of last week. And the conversation last week was really...