Right, Who can I slag off next?
It seems that in order to take umbrage with certain groups of people, you need to be entitled to do so, by dint of having walked a mile in their shoes. To do otherwise, would be offensive in the extreme, as you clearly “don’t know what you’re talking about”. So let’s see, who am I entitled to have a pop at, without be laughed out of town?
People and groups I can slag off
- Recruitment Consultants (20 years experience)
- Recruitment agencies (I’ve owned a couple)
- British (my nationality)
- Scots (my nationality)
- Glaswegians (my city)
- Irish and Ireland (my name)
- iPhone apps (I have developed one)
- Catholics (I was dragged up as one)
- Websites (I’ve knocked up a few)
People and groups I daren’t slag off
- Women
- Fat people
- Other professions
- Other races and religions and nationalities
- Competitors (it’s just not done)
- Recruitment websites (because of the NORAs)
I’m not saying I have a pent up desire to criticise any of these, but I know I’d be in trouble if I did. Of course in all areas of the recruitment industry, a bit of venting is never too far away, and it’s often too tempting for many to resist. Not only do candidates cross the line, by slating their current and former employers, but also recruiters find themselves unable to resist.
Modern channels of social media, blogs, forums, and perhaps especially Twitter, offer up endless opportunities for venting. It would be easy too, to presume that no-one is paying any attention. I shan’t offer any advice on how to avoid landing yourself in it, but I will say that I fight a constant battle to ensure that I remain diplomatic at all times. I find that the best policy is to compliment loudly and sincerely, and to criticise in silence.
PS. I apologise if you have read this in the expectation of a good bitching session.
