Be Careful Not to Overcook Your Lunch-&-Learns
- Marcus Lynch
In my 17 years building a recruitment business, I learned more from my mistakes than anything else β and boy, did I make plenty. I've always been the "let's give it a shot" type when it comes to innovation, which made me a prime target for every tech peddler claiming to have the most disruptive recruitment platform on the market. I'd usually go all in.
Some bets paid off big β like buying 40 LinkedIn Recruiter licenses when most big agencies had one shared login gathering dust on the desktop machine in the corner. Others? Not so successful β like that video CV platform from the UK (we'll spare names) that candidates flat-out rejected. 50 licenses (ka-ching!), and about 6 video CVs! π€£
When it came to training, I likewise threw everything at the wall β lunch-and-learns, learning days, keynote speakers, mandatory-sessions, opt-in sessions, different forums, mediums, outsourcing, insourcing, you name itβ¦ Some worked. Most didn't.
Here's what I concluded:
1. Prolonged training always watered down the intended learning takeaways. More time invested usually meant diluted impact.
2. Anything over 1-2 hour learning blocks? Glazed eyes everywhere, learning environment diminished.
3. Mandatory weekly lunch-and-learns became box-ticking exercises β badges over substance.
4. Teaching skills for visionary usage (like retainers to newbies) wasted everyone's time.
5. The sweet spot? Short, actionable lessons that build confidence through repetition. Not theory β real habits recruiters can use immediately.
That's why I built Zinger the way I did β no fluff, just what works when it matters. No marathon sessions that leave recruiters more exhausted than educated. Just battle-tested techniques, delivered in the rhythm of actual recruitment work: short, sharp, and designed to be used now. In recruitment, the difference between good and great isnβt about who knows the most β itβs about who can apply the right knowledge at the right moment.