Job advertising is now fraught with danger. We are not supposed to specify who we want. We can't ask for a man or woman, old or young, fat or thin, brainy or dumb, and we most certainly are not allowed to ask for someone of a particular colour, race etc, even if our job is in a shop that sells oversized clothing in the middle of a black neighbourhood, asking for a fat black older woman, (who would really fit the bill), is, well, you just can't do it.
So I really enjoyed this article from the Stuff New Zealand site. We get lots of really interesting articles here.
So, yesterday they highlighted a job advertisement. Here it is.
I have copied and pasted from their site.
"It was this advertisement that presents as fully
complying with both the literal and philosophical intent of the act - the
truth, the whole truth and no weasel speak.
"You
will be Very fit Have a full driver's license Have a passion for conservation
and the outdoors Be a NON-SMOKER Be prepared to work weekends (happily) [they
could have said work happily full stop] Be prepared to work long hours (12 + a
day) [good clear expectations] Be prepared to work away from home Mon-Fri Be
prepared to sleep in huts, tents, woolsheds, under trees etc Able to wash, use
deodorant and keep your personal hygiene to an acceptable level, this may mean
washing/showering in cold water [reality; tell them how it's going to be].
"This
job is not for wimpy, faint-hearted, soft, 'run-to-mummy' halfwits with pants
halfway down their bottoms! [good specific person specification]. We only want
staff that will do as they are told by their supervisors [how many of us wish
we'd said that in our advertisement or in the employment agreement?], follow
company rules and can put up with being wet, hot, cold, exhausted, hungry and
thirsty, and you also need to be able to sit in a van for three hours and not
complain to us [we don't listen & we don't care]. You need to be of a
stature that you can walk around the hills and bluffs, and climb in and out
small helicopters without terrifying the pilot. If this sounds like you, then
you're probably completely mad and we would love to have you. Please phone . .
. NO TEXTS."
What a relief. An employer who tells it like they want to
see it.
There is no room to grizzle later that you didn't know
what you were getting into.
This employer must have been to the latest
"Employment Relations Act: briefing on good faith" and really taken
it to heart. Good on them!
It is a salutary lesson though for everyone who drafts
job advertisements. Keep to the truth, keep it in simple terms and don't say
anything that isn't the truth. By telling the truth you can be humorous and
present an advertisement that will only attract those you want to attract.
Try and produce an advertisement that avoids jargon where
possible and doesn't use euphemisms.
"Handyman's Dream" may work in real estate but
it has become so hackneyed and overused that it is just a euphemism for a
"disaster site". People begin to take the mickey and you lose
credibility. The same thing happens for job advertisements.
Don't call a person a manager if they don't manage. Don't
call someone a consultant if they don't consult. Don't hide the reality.
Sometimes if you are honest and upfront it creates such a
surprise that you get commended for it, and even better you don't fall foul of
the "good faith" obligations placed on both employers and employees.
Here's to employers writing "non-fiction"
rather than "fiction" in their advertisements.
- Brian Richardson is an employment and human resources
adviser at Preston Russell Law. Email questions to: brian.richardson@prlaw.co.nz."
This job was advertised in a Southland newspaper. For those of you who don't know New Zealand here is a map.
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/pacific/new-zealand/
Southland, as would seem to be accepted is at the very south of New Zealand, so from about Dunedin down. The weather there in the winter is cold, snowy, with winds straight from Antarctica, bleak, miserable, and often quite foul. On the other hand, it is a land of the most beautiful scenery and mountains, so on a good day, its pretty special. Below is Queenstown as evening settles on the lake and The Remarkables range.
So, the article really appealed to me. In my humble view, political correctness has long since over taken common sense. What do you think?
Oh I have so much I would like to say! Bravo! I love your post!
ReplyDeleteYes Donna, its a funny thing, violence in the world is so entrenched we hardly notice it, but put the wrong word in your ad and you have the whole world after you! lol.
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