Boring & uninspired? That’s a first!

Last time, I shared that when I submitted the final draft of The Robot-Proof Recruiter in 2019, I ugly cried for an hour.

Raw sobbing from vulnerability.

Fearing your feedback.

Because it is one thing to stand on a stage and deliver a keynote, and something else altogether to write out your opinion in seventy thousand words for readers to critique.

Yet, thankfully, it was very well received.

• Since publication in 2019, the 1st edition has consistently ranked 4.6/5 on Amazon
• It was shortlisted for a Business Book Award the same year.
• It is consistently listed in ‘top recruitment books to read’, usually as the only female author in the crew.
• Based on exceptional sales, Kogan Page requested the 2nd edition, which was published in 2022 (pre-AI hype) and ranks 4.4/5 on Amazon.
• Several HR Tech vendors have bought bulk copies to hand out to recruiter clients.
• 80+ recruiters contributed to it, and Hope for Justice charity has received all royalties.

For someone who doesn’t have a degree and failed Year 11 English, being asked by the revered business book publisher Kogan Page if I’d like to write a book was mind-blowing.

But nothing beats the consistent support it has had from recruiters for the last 7 years! Public posts, private messages of appreciation, and more recently, the one-man pom-pom cheering book champion that is Jamie Lyons! Who has not only shared many posts about it and his learnings, but is also giving away copies.

Not bad for a boring and uninspired book, which I haven’t actively promoted in years.

An unsolicited opinion

On Friday, the day after my last newsletter sharing how vulnerable I felt in 2019, Jamie published another LinkedIn post, bigging up The Robot-Proof Recruiter. 🥰

Again, there were lots of supportive comments on it, and then there was this:

Wow, tell me what you really think, Kristof. You saw I’m tagged, right? 😆

Before responding, I looked at his profile, curious to know more. I noted:

• Belgian, possibly Flemish; a cultural difference.
• Very close to my age, judging by his stated education years.
• Has worked in varying roles in only one industry his entire career.

I replied, ‘Kristof, thank you for sharing your opinion on The Robot-Proof Recruiter (which was published in 2022 before the current AI hype). It was not aimed at people who started in recruitment late in life, after holding various exec-level positions, so it’s unsurprising that you found it boring and uninspired.’

He replied, ‘In that case, the subtitle was quite misleading.’

I checked the subtitle ‘A Survival Guide for Recruitment and Sourcing Professionals’ and reread the synopsis to see what is promised.

I replied, ‘I’m sure with your extensive experience, you read the synopsis and date of publication, and didn’t buy based on the subtitle. You have worked in one industry in sales and as a CEO, so switching to hiring exec-level people in that same industry would be very easy for you. That is the lens you are judging my book by. The subtitle was created in 2019 when it was first published because even then, HR tech vendors said they could replace recruiters. But again, thank you for sharing your opinion so candidly. Nothing like ending the week on a high. 😉’

He laughed at that; a curious reaction.

His lens

As I read this on Friday evening, I was mostly amused. There is, of course, a part of me that wonders why someone feels the need to be so vicious, but I counted my lucky stars that I met Michelle Zelli in 2011, who showed me the impact of my dysfunctional childhood and started my long healing journey to self-mastery.

Thank goodness, I could see this comment for what it is: insular.

In the last two newsletters, I have written about the essential skill of critical thinking, which includes ‘self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking’ and ‘commitment to overcoming our native egocentrism and sociocentrism’.

This is an excellent example for you.

Kristof read The Robot-Proof Recruiter,and like all readers, filtered the information through his unique life experiences, as his brain sorted and filed it accordingly. Our brains do this automatically; it’s why it’s so hard to be consciously aware of bias or change your thinking.

As someone born before the internet existed as we know it today, he worked in sales of medical devices, and later in C-level roles, so he inherently understands the importance of relationships and communication. Switching to a headhunting role, within the same industry he has worked in his entire career, means he understands it and its people like few others.

What Kristof appears not to have considered, as he publicly encouraged people to skip my first book, is that most recruiters haven’t worked in non-recruiter or exec-level roles within the industry they now recruit for. He also doesn’t seem to consider that those of us raised on analogue find it easier to communicate. Manners were drilled into us, and reputations mattered – professional or personal.

Today’s world of fast, easy, accessible communication could have improved things, but it seems to have worsened them. For example, I bet some of these resonate:

• The Vinted or eBay buyer who DMs a question, which requires you to get up, retrieve the item, spend irreplaceable time answering, often including photos, only to have them read the reply but not bother to say thanks or anything for that matter.
• The job seeker’s InMail which informs me that I am a specialist recruiter of some kind and can help them get a job. When I reply so they don’t lose their InMail credit and correct them, they reply with a thanks or ok, and rarely an apology (that their automation spammed you).
• The colleague, friend or family member who reads your message and doesn’t reply.

Petty? Possibly. But actions that can leave people feeling disrespected. Ghosting, in particular, leaves 87% of applicants feeling down or depressed. Hopefully, the recruiters who think communication and reputation don’t matter won’t skip my book.

Ironic

As I came in to write, I saw this post from Lyndsey Taylor about executive search.

And as I reexamined Kristof’s LinkedIn profile, I saw this.

Yet, he stated on Jamie’s post that ‘anyone with a year’s experience will have heard it all before.’ Unless by some sheer miracle, every recruiter Kristof reached out to who never responded had less than 12 months of experience, it appears they have not heard it all before.

It seems my ‘Be human’ and ‘Care about candidates’ message may be valid, after all.

Responding not reacting

As I wrote in The Damage of Words, it has been a journey, and my modus operandi before healing was to react, not respond. Hyperdefensive, I lashed out when hurt or triggered. But learning to respond instead of react has been life-changing.

• Breathe, especially if triggered. This time, I wasn’t, but I still took time to breathe because it was an unexpected and rather viciously worded opinion.
• Opinion, though. It is just an opinion, one opinion among thousands.
• Evidence to the contrary: I considered The Robot-Proof Recruiter’s feedback over the last 8 years, and the lens through which Kristof viewed it.
• Respond slowly: I chose the wording of my reply carefully, but other times on other posts, I haven’t wasted my breath.

And don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t get it right.

It took me decades! 😅

I am Katrina Collier, uniquely combining over two decades in the recruitment profession with my lived experience healing trauma, to fix human connection. Based in London, UK, I am the author of 3 books: The Robot-Proof Recruiter, Reboot Hiring, and my memoir, The Damage of Words, a popular 6-continent keynote speaker, and deliver workshops that future-proof talent acquisition teams, amongst other things!