It’s a bit strange, but you will see the light at the end of this story. Adam McCulloch takes a lighthearted look into the world of human resources this week. He hears about a new recruitment strategy, and looks at research that shows how much time we waste doing things other than working.
In 2024, there are very few truly original ideas. Even those who feel that they have tried everything before might be surprised by a new way of recruiting.
A hygiene and health company, which has not yet been named, decided to abandon job boards and online listing in favor of toilet paper.
Nottingham University placed the toilet paper with the newly printed job advertisement in the cubicles. It’s hard to imagine what research was done before the location was selected, but according to Guy Thornton, founder at Practice Aptitude tests, “Students like something different and fun, so the ad spoke to the people who they wanted to reach.”
Thornton says: “The beauty didn’t end in the stalls. Students shared pictures online and caused a chain reaction.
Personnel Today decided quickly that we did not want to see the photos.
Make some tea, get extra holiday!
It can be surprising to see how companies, as Christmas approaches, fall into the Scrooge’s trap. In this case they reveal their breathless study about how we humanoids “waste” time by not working.
Haypp Group conducted research to find out how much holiday time employees gain at work. The top time-wasters included:
- Scrollers of TikTok have 3 weeks and 3 days “holiday”.
- Tea Makers – 8 Days
- Smokers – 6 days
- Talking about the Weather – 5 Days
- Latecomers: 3 days
Markus Lindblad from Haypp in Scandinavia said: “We did this research to determine who was the most time-wasting employee at work. It’s shocking how much extra holiday some people receive.”
Personnel Today’s office collectively questioned the word “shocking”, as well as the science behind the findings. Is it shocking, for instance, that people talk about the weather in public? Where has Markus been for all these years? !
Some people were offended by his next comment: “In true British style, the second largest time-wasters are the tea makers who gain eight additional days of holidays each year.” Someone pointed out that making tea for many other people actually saves time.
Markus continues: “It is also interesting to note that many UK smokers still take time off work for a cigarette. Some even waste 20 minutes a day. Nicotine pouches are a great alternative to smoking that people can enjoy from their desks or places of work.
Haypp is, in case it was not clear, a provider of nicotine pouches, and vapes. Sigh. It’s an innovative approach to selling.
Markus’s concern for people wasting their time would make him applaud the “toilet cubicle recruiting” trend. Markus, it’s Christmas. Wipe away your worries.
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