Thread by @Dr_Blaine

#Ukraine Volunteer Breaks Down, Finds Out #War Is Not a Video Game

#soldiers
#mercenaries
#recruitment

via @YouTube & @richimedhurst

Let me offer a 3rd pint, middle ground position, to the dichotomy raised by @richimedhurst in recruitment of these mercenaries for Ukraine.

I say this as one who has recruited staff for many emergency relief ops (tho not mercenaries) in #Africa and #MENA. 1/n

3rd point*

1.
It is not uncommon for both private for-profit vendors and #NGOs to flock to various emergency ops, anywhere in the world, as those ops can be a potential hiring/purchasing bonanza for such orgs.

2.
“Our Brand is Chaos” (film)

There is an entire matrix of overlapping global service industries that specialize in addressing the needs orgs and nations in crisis.

They blast in, do what they’re trained to do, collect their fees, & blast out.

When it comes to hiring staff for such ops, is not uncommon to have intermediary private firms who may post foreign staff to other orgs (3rd parties).

Imagine a kind of staffing “pump-and-dump” scenario. You recruit, pass the staffer along, collect your fee and keep moving.
3/n

4.
“Welcome to Hell!”
(or “Hey! This wasn’t in the brochure!”)

The “staffing org,” having fulfilled it’s mission, has successfully placed you and is now done with you. Your new on-site supervisor now has an exciting field assignment just for you!

5.
I say all of this to say that our American-sounding spox for the “hiring firm” here has a certain element of deniability, as far as *his* own work was concerned.

*He* didn’t deceive anybody. If our frightened soldier boy didn’t like the local working conditions, well… 🤷🏽‍♂️

6. That deniability will be important if that recruiting / contracting firm is to salvage or maintain its reputation. Why? Future contracts, baby! What kinda track record@you got? Your only as good as your last job. It’s all about them Benjamins! 💵

You’re*

Dyslexia will be the “daeth” of me. 👈🏽

How many times did I myself have to deal with staff complaining about, “This is NOT what I was promised!”? Oh, BooHoo, poor you! Get in line buddy. There’s people ahead of you.

{bombs in distance} In the meantime, we got fresh casualties coming RN; and you might wanna help out.

Please understand that these places are chaotic as Hell. Hence the “emergency” designation.

Employees/volunteers may well have some legit HR issues, but it’s often hard to focus on them with the sound of explosions in the distance.

Moral of the story:

Potential Employees: Before you deploy into some hot mess, do your homework; talk to others with relevant experience; and generally try to know what you’re getting into (as best you can).

Don’t wait until it’s “Welcome to Hell” time to complain to HR!

@threadreaderapp unroll