You've probably heard about the unemployed graduate Adam who blew his last £500 on a billboard ad featuring a huge picture of himself and a link to employadam.com.
Now, don't get me wrong - I'm all for innovation and enterprise. Part of me hopes he’s landed that dream job. But as someone who's spent years in the trenches of recruitment and PR, I can't help but see this as a giant missed opportunity - his online CV said nothing about the value he could add, and what his previous experience taught him about the industry he was interested in – what a waste.
Adam says he sent over 200 CVs but struggled to showcase his talent on paper. Sound familiar? How many potentially great candidates are we all missing because traditional CVs don't do them justice?
Adam claimed it was hard to demonstrate his talent. But why not have a blog with examples of his work and send that instead?
Why not connect on LinkedIn with media production professionals? Or join relevant networking groups to engage with industry professionals?
If Adam had tried these, perhaps he wouldn’t have had to spend his last £500 on a billboard. But then we wouldn’t all know his name and face would we? Adam said he was desperate, but desperate people don’t have £500 to burn.
A question we recruiters and hiring managers need to ask ourselves is, was this a graduate who couldn’t be bothered to put in the hard work? Or are outdated hiring practices to blame?
There are skills shortages in many industries right now. And if we let candidates who perhaps don’t have much to show on their CVs demonstrate their skills in other ways, this could be key to filling some of these gaps.
Adam's story isn't just about one graduate's failed job hunt. It's a wake-up call for all of us in recruitment, HR, and employer branding. Here are some questions we should be asking ourselves:
Just like Adam's CV, are our job postings and employer branding really doing our companies justice?
Are we meeting candidates where they are, or are we stuck in a rut and doing what we’ve always done?
Beyond bullet points in a job ad, how are we showing candidates what it's really like to work for us?
Are we engaging with potential candidates in meaningful ways, or just broadcasting job openings into the void?
Mass-sending CVs doesn't work for candidates, and generic job posts don't work for employers. How can we create more personalised, effective recruitment strategies?
Look, I may come across as a grumpy old woman sometimes (hey, I said it first!), but I'm passionate about connecting great companies with great talent. Adam's billboard stunt isn't just about one man's job search - it's a mirror reflecting the state of our industry.
It's time we had a serious conversation about how we approach hiring. How can we better showcase talent? How can we more effectively communicate what makes our companies great places to work? How can we create a job search and recruitment process that's less about gimmicks and more about genuine connections?
For me the answer is communication but I work in PR and marketing, so I suppose I would say that.
Let's talk about revolutionising recruitment for the modern age. After all, the future of our workforce depends on it.
What are your thoughts? Have you seen innovative approaches to hiring that really work? Or are you grappling with these same issues? Drop a comment below - I'd love to hear your perspective!
Read more blogs from Tracey Barrett.
Originally published January 2013, updated September 2024