Over the summer of 2018, a hashtag on Twitter went viral after conspiracy theorist Alex Jones announced that “liberals were planning a second Civil War.” Needless to say, this was false, and the Twitterverse turned this nontruth into the most hilarious trending hashtag: #lettersfromthesecondcivilwar. What does this have to do with recruiting you ask? Three words: War for Talent.
Source: Chertanova / Shutterstock
We’ve all heard the phrase “war for talent,” but one Twitter user has had enough of the term, saying:
The phrase “War for Talent” cracks me up. I wonder what letters from the front would sound like.
Dear Ma,
The news is not good. We have not received word from General Hiring Manager for days. I fear the candidates will begin to desert us.
Lovingly,
Alyssa#WarforTalentLetters
— Alyssa B (@AlyssaRecruiter) January 29, 2019
RecruitCon 2019 co-presenter Katrina Kibben, of Three Ears Media, quickly jumped on this trend:
Ha! Game on. #WarforTalentLetters
Dear Bessie Mae-
We have yet to find the specialist. Will be at least 3 weeks before we connect again as my hunt for competence continues across harsh employment conditions.
Stay strong. https://t.co/COfQ0yjWPf
— Katrina Kibben (@KatrinaKibben) January 29, 2019
Dearest Michael,
Today we intercepted communications from a mercenary army. They are offering to source more enlisted talent. I am gravely concerned that their intel is old and could prove dangerous. I remain vigilant.Ever yours,
Alyssa#WarforTalentLetters
— Alyssa B (@AlyssaRecruiter) January 29, 2019
To assist in the “war” newfound technologies emerged:
Dearest Mother, sorry it’s taken so long to write but I’ve been testing some new technology called the ATS. It will make the war easier in the long run I’m told. The side effects – disillusionment, headaches and feeling of isolation – will wear off I’m told. #WarForTalentLetters https://t.co/1RWBiOxe3V
— Andrew Jacobs (@AndrewJacobsLD) January 30, 2019
One recruiter fighting the good “war” even encountered ghosts! Spooky!
Dearest Mother, We’ve encountered several bands of supporting troops that have agreed to join our cause, only to disappear when enlisting papers were finally drawn up. I fear our lack of haste may have driven them into the ranks of the enemy. – Michael #WarforTalentLetters
— Michael G. Cox (@Mike_Recruiter) February 1, 2019
But sadly, the War for Talent rages on:
Dearest Mother,
We’ve been engaged in this single skirmish since November & see no end in site. The spoils of this war are sure be lost as our very own General Hiring Manager continues to sabotage his own success with the silliest of tactics. – Yours, MC #WarforTalentLetters https://t.co/iX2bPvevPq— Michael G. Cox (@Mike_Recruiter) January 30, 2019
But alas, even jobseekers tried to “enlist” in the “war.”
Can candidates play too? #WarForTalentLetters
My Dearest Everett:
I have attempted to enlist this morning, but have been averted to an additional processing station. Will complete my aptitude battery shortly.
All my best,
Violet
— Bernadette Vielhaber (@BVielhaber) January 29, 2019
While the “war for talent” continues for some, other “fighters” are waving the white flag, and honestly, the lack of avocado toast would make us back out as well!
OMG.
Hello Father –
Provisions are running low. The cafe ran out of avocado toast, and my Linked Recruiter seat was lost due to poor response percentages. I fear I won’t make it home in time for harvest. #WarForTalentLetters
— Amy Miller (@AlaRecruiter) January 29, 2019
Here’s to the recruiters still in the game, we hope you win the war for that perfect purple squirrel!
Did you enjoy the creativity of these tweets? Then you’ll definitely want to check out Katrina Kibben and Elena Valentine’s workshop: “The Power of Storytelling: How to Design and Deliver Recruitment Messaging to Supercharge Your Hiring Strategy,” at RecruitCon 2019 in Austin, Texas | May 8-10, 2019. Click here for more information or to register today!
