Decoding the recruitment release – shorthand drawn from the same bucket of words

It seems that releases concerning new appointments are being written in a kind of retarded shorthand, drawn from the same bucket of words to gloss over flaws, dehumanise the people involved and make a potentially interesting story as standardised and dull as possible.

Almost universally now, appointees have:

A wealth of experience – Meaning, I guess, that they’ve never quite been in the right place at the right time during their 20-year career when it comes to cashing in those stock options.

A proven track record – Their career has been one long, lonely cycle of 800m circuits against the clock.

A deep understanding – They are a bit of a techie and unproven in the commercial world.

They are now delighted or thrilled to be joining Legacy Systems Inc – Relieved they can now afford next month’s mortgage.

Looking forward to the opportunities and challenges of their new role – Reckon the job looks pretty straightforward.

Their new bosses are: Delighted to welcome someone of Steve’s calibre – Fairly sure Steve is the best of a bad bunch of applicants.

Grateful for the commitment and success of Steve’s predecessor – Delighted to have finally got rid of workshy Ron before he totally ran the company into the ground.

Here’s an example release that illustrates the problem.

LEGACY SYSTEMS appoints Steve Bloke CEO

Boise, Idaho and Milton Keynes, UK 16 AUGUST 2011:

LEGACY SYSTEMS today announced the appointment of Stephen J. Bloke as Chief Executive. Bloke, who served most recently as Executive Vice President of Strategic Strategy for WidgetCorp, will assume leadership of the company September 4.

"Steve brings to LEGACY SYSTEMS a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success in our highly dynamic industry," said Hank Pepper III, Chairman of the Board, President and Executive Chairman of LEGACY SYSTEMS. "He has a deep understanding of the opportunities and the challenges facing the industry today, and will leverage this as he leads LEGACY SYSTEMS in driving strategic programmes and initiatives. I'm delighted to welcome Steve.”

Bloke was previously Executive Vice President of Strategic Strategy for WidgetCorp. Prior to that, he worked in senior management roles at leading industry companies.

"I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by LEGACY SYSTEMS. The company has played an important role in the development of the industry," commented Mr Bloke. "I am looking forward to leading the company to help and support its customers and staff to face future challenges and continue development of the company."

[ENDS]

The solution is, instead of using a form release, to focus on the real attributes of the new appointee. Include interesting comment that doesn’t resort to formulaic phrases and communicates a real sense of enthusiasm about the appointment. Of course, if you’re not excited about it, don’t put out the release.

We can do a better job than simply recycling the same old, dry frame of words every time somebody gets a job. Such activity is routine but with a little creativity, the announcement doesn’t have to be.