It is hard to run a job blog without mentioning the debate currently raging about extending the 90 Day trial period, so I am going to jump in here and add to the debate.

There are a series of “Fairness at Work” rallies this Saturday and Sunday in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin to voice opposition to the employment law changes introduced to Parliament on Thursday. The Unions, supported by Labour,  are actively “naming and shaming” using examples of the 90 trial working against employees  through the Fairness web site

It would be good to have some balanced debate I think. As a recruiter I have seen the 90 day trial certainly work very well for employees where employers who are unsure have been able to take a risk (and it is a risk, especially for a small business).  It is also very relevant that most recruitment companies offer a 3 month guarantee on placement – so it is in their interest as well as the employer, and the employee, to make sure that everything works well.   

So as well as “Name and Shame” I would love some examples of “Name and Gain” – where employees have benefitted from the 90 day trial -  for example – through employees being given opportunities they would not otherwise have been given/employers offering roles they would not otherwise have offered….

The Unions quote Department of Labour statistics that 1 in 5 workers on a 90 day trial will be fired.  Others would argue that means 4 out 5 will be hired.. 

So comments appreciated  from both sides of the debate…It would also be nice to hear from employers where people have started jobs and the employee has left within a short period of time – after all an employment relationship works both ways…

A poll is running today (21st August)  on Yahoo  (current results below) – please note they are not asking about the “fairness” of the 90 day trial period – just the ending of employment with 1 day to go

90 day trial poll

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James asked me to contribute to his blog the other day over coffee – I asked him what I should write about and he just said – write about something positive. That’s narrowing it down a bit James! Hmmm – what to write about?

The NZ recruitment industry has plenty to be positive about – I believe we are in the midst of a recruiting evolution (revolution? I don’t think so…). The emergence of social media is changing the way we connect, interact and engage with candidates. Talent pools, candidate/talent pipelines, employer branding etc etc… Are these terms relevant anymore? I believe they are becoming increasingly less relevant today. Should we now be thinking in terms of communicating culture, allowing interested individuals to become engaged with our culture? Is the next stage of our evolution not to be thinking in terms of employer branding but rather employee branding (thanks Bill Boorman)? I think the shift from employer to employee brand is a fundamental step on our evolutionary journey as HR and recruiting professionals.

Our own experience at Deloitte with Facebook has been that it has allowed students to understand who we really are. Who will I be working with, what are the people like, what’s it like to work at Deloitte? It brings our culture and our value proposition – our people; to life and articulates them in a way static media could never do. It also allows students to discover this information via any number of interactive and real ways in an environment that they feel comfortable with (that’s right – it’s all about them!). It is a user driven environment – the users being Deloitte employees and the students themselves. Because the fans are talking to real life Deloitte people the engagements are genuine and authentic – Gen Y can sniff out online corporate brochures masquerading as Facebook pages and will punish you for it!

The reason I say recruiting evolution rather than revolution is because I think the fundamentals of our profession remain the same. It’s these fundamentals that carry us through the tough times and allow us to prosper in the good times. Social media is like email was 15 or 20 years ago – it’s on the landscape, its here, embrace it now or you’ll be doing it later. It’s not the be all and end all but it does change the rules of engagement somewhat. It’s a shift of control, and that is very exciting. The most exciting part of it is the great advantage is no longer dictated by geographic location, scale or resources; social media truly levels the playing field. Everyone has access to the same technology, the same communities and the same potential at the same time. Even us, way down here in the South Pacific – c’mon NZ recruiters!

Richard Long is Manager People and Performance at Deloitte NZ.  Their Facebook page is HERE

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