Government recruitment ad so odd, it was hauled before Senate

BEHOLD the government’s awkward attempt to talk to the youth of Australia. It’s so odd, it was hauled before the Senate.

THE diets of Australia’s top university students have become part of the government’s strategy to hire the best and the brightest — and the healthiest.

And at the Department of Finance, they know which side their banana bread is buttered in the hunt for star graduates to employ. Make that plain banana bread — hold the butter.

A promotional video, “The Game Changers”, aimed at encouraging clever young people to consider a career in the department has been given an unflattering review in a Senate estimates committee hearing.

“A little trivial,” Liberal Senator James Patterson said.

The opening dialogue — started by a young, newly signed-on woman, Claire — goes like this.

“Hey guys, I’m going to get a paleo pear and banana bread if you would care to join me,” she says to two older colleagues billed as “senior influencers”.

Actual dialogue from the Finance Department recruitment ad: 'Hey guys, I’m going to get a paleo pear and banana bread if you would care to join me.'

One of them declines the offer saying, “It’s a little bit fancy for me.”

This senior influencer continues: “I’m actually off to an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff network meeting.”

The next two and a half minutes show young people mixing with top Finance Department officers and taking big assignments, as well as enjoying a “buddy program”.

'Hey buddy!' Another awkward moment from the Finance Department's ad.

But it’s the paleo pear reference that roused the interest of senators at last night’s hearing of department matters.

“It seems a bit trivial for a serious agency of government like Finance to be joking about paleo pears and banana bread,” Senator Patterson said.

Department deputy secretary David Fredericks, a man who does not look like a paleo adherent, had an explanation.

“That was a change made in the script at the time of the filming,” he told the committee.

“It was actually made at the request of the graduate. And it was basically accepted because, we took the view — and I think the agency took the view — that we are probably not the best people to understand how best to communicate to a young generation of graduates.

“So this graduate, with a bit of innovation, wanted to change the script and as I understand it that was allowed.”

The department now is waiting to see if the pear and banana lure works.

Definitely not reading her script off her iPad.

Originally published as Government recruitment ad so odd, it was hauled before Senate