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Why Hiring Graduate Engineers Needs A Different Kind of Interview

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 07:46:35 GMT

Finding the right Engineering graduate.

Finding the right graduate engineer is a completely different experience from interviewing mid or senior professionals, and if companies don’t change their approach, it ends up being frustrating for everyone.

Keep in mind that for a graduate, this is their first step into the world of work. For an employer, it’s the beginning of shaping a young engineer’s career.

But when traditional interview methods are used:

The employer feels the graduate “wasn’t what they expected.”
The graduate walks away overwhelmed, unsure, or misunderstood.
Both sides miss what could have been a great long-term fit.

The problem isn’t the talent.
It’s the process.

Why graduates need a different interviewing approach

Graduates are still forming their workplace identity. They don’t have years of examples, complex project histories, or refined “interview polish.” What they do have is raw potential — and that’s exactly what needs to be uncovered.

When hiring a graduate, the goal is not to measure how much they already know.
The real goal is to understand:

1.
How they think
Not whether they know the formula or process but what they do when they don’t know the answer.

2.
How they handle pressure
Graduates are meeting their first real professional challenges. Their coping mechanisms matter.

3.
How independent they are
Do they try first? Do they take initiative? Or do they wait for instructions?

4.
How they communicate
Engineering is teamwork. Clarity matters as much as competence.

5.
Their curiosity and willingness to learn
Everything except attitude is teachable.

6.
Whether they fit your team environment
A brilliant graduate in the wrong culture will still struggle.

A Simple Interview Guide for Hiring Managers

Flags to note when listening to the answers to the questions above:

Remember, You Are Shaping the Future

Graduate engineers aren’t finished and polished products, it's important to find their potential.
As long as they are curious, eager, and ready to grow, they will become the kind of engineer every company will want.

With the right interviewing approach, employers can uncover the human behind the CV, match them better to the right team, and build engineering careers that last.

Looking For A Graduate?

If you need help securing high-potential graduate engineers this season, we’d love to support you.

Click the button below, submit your details and we'll call you.

Why Engineers Stay: Understanding What Drives Long-term Commitment

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 08:07:55 GMT

Behind every retention statistic lies a story. According to recent research, engineers stay in their roles for an average of four years and eight months - but that figure only scratches the surface. The real insight lies in why engineers stay, how their priorities shift over time, and what those choices reveal about the health of a workplace.

Understanding these dynamics is crucial for employers. After all, tenure reflects more than stability; it signals the strength of leadership, the depth of engagement, and how well personal ambitions align with organisational goals. Through countless conversations with engineers, we’ve seen that tenure is rarely about a single factor. It’s an evolving equation shaped by growth, recognition, challenge, and culture.

Early-career engineers (0–5 years): Growth and guided opportunity

In the first stage of their careers, engineers are driven by curiosity. They want to learn, to be mentored, and to see a clear path ahead. The excitement of those early years often comes from exposure to different projects and technologies, and from leaders who take the time to invest in their development. When companies provide structure, guidance, and a sense of direction, young engineers are more likely to find purpose and stay long enough to see their skills mature.

Clarity during the hiring process also plays a critical role. Early-career professionals want to know what their first few years will look like, how performance is measured, and what growth could realistically entail. When a company’s goals align with their personal aspirations, that alignment lays the foundation for long-term loyalty.

Mid-career engineers (5–10 years): Autonomy and recognition

By the time engineers reach the mid-point of their careers, their focus shifts from learning to leading. They begin to value autonomy, and they crave the freedom to make decisions and the trust to carry them through. Recognition becomes equally important. At this stage, engineers want to see their contributions acknowledged and their expertise respected.

The projects they take on also matter more. Mid-career professionals are motivated by complexity, responsibility, and the opportunity to create visible impact. They are often the ones holding teams together, translating technical detail into business results, and mentoring newer colleagues along the way. When an organisation recognises and rewards that influence (not just financially but through trust and visibility), it strengthens the bond between engineer and employer.

Senior engineers (10+ years): Impact and legacy

For senior engineers, tenure becomes less about climbing and more about meaning. These professionals have already proven their technical capabilities. Now, they seek to contribute at a strategic level, where their experience shapes direction rather than just delivery. Culture becomes the decisive factor: they stay where their voice is heard, their insights are valued, and their flexibility is respected.

For many, legacy matters. Senior engineers are deeply invested in mentoring the next generation and ensuring that the systems, products, or teams they’ve built will outlast them. When an organisation provides that space - a platform for impact - it transforms retention into something deeper than loyalty. It becomes a sense of shared stewardship.

The Cultural Equation

Culture is the quiet engine behind retention. Engineers thrive in environments that encourage experimentation, value technical excellence, and support honest collaboration. They want to be in teams where ideas are discussed openly, where mistakes are treated as opportunities to learn, and where feedback flows in every direction.

A healthy culture nurtures confidence. It tells engineers they belong and that their perspective counts. Toxic or overly hierarchical environments, by contrast, are quick to erode motivation. Even the best compensation package cannot offset a culture that stifles curiosity or undercuts respect.

Work that challenges and inspires

Beyond pay: The full value equation

Compensation remains important, but it’s rarely the main reason engineers stay. Increasingly, flexibility and wellbeing play an equal, if not greater, role. The option to work remotely, flexible hours, wellness programmes, and development budgets all signal that a company recognises the human side of engineering.

These benefits don’t just improve work-life balance - they also build trust. When employees feel their employer values their wellbeing and respects their boundaries, they’re more likely to reciprocate with loyalty and sustained performance.

Leadership that understands engineering

Engineers are more likely to stay when their leaders truly understand what they do. Technical competence in management builds credibility. Leaders who can engage meaningfully with the challenges their teams face, who offer thoughtful feedback, and who advocate for resources when needed, earn genuine respect.

This type of leadership naturally creates a sense of belonging. Engineers feel seen and supported, not managed from a distance. That trust forms one of the strongest bonds of retention.

Momentum through growth

Few things drive attrition faster than stagnation. Engineers want to keep moving - to learn, to explore, to progress. Employers who create visible opportunities for advancement, whether through training, certifications, or internal mobility, communicate that they are invested in long-term development.

When growth feels possible, engineers see a future with the company. That sense of momentum transforms day-to-day engagement into a sustained commitment over years.

Building teams that stay

Retention is the outcome of consistent attention to structure, empathy, and purpose. When companies understand how engineers’ motivations evolve and adapt their strategies accordingly, they create environments where people can build meaningful, lasting careers.

As we look ahead to 2026 and beyond, we know that the most successful organisations will be those that see tenure not as a statistic, but as a reflection of trust - trust built through growth, recognition, and shared purpose.

If you’re planning to grow your engineering team or refine your hiring strategy, we’d love to help

Contact Network Recruitment Engineering to discuss your goals, and let’s build engineering teams that stay, thrive, and deliver.

Finance, IT, Data: The Next Competitive Edge

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 07:43:57 GMT

The Fusion of Finance, IT, and Analytics is Redefining Competitive Advantage

In business, the old silos are collapsing. Finance, IT, and data used to run on parallel tracks, but now they’re colliding. And in that collision lies the next competitive edge. What once belonged exclusively to IT now sits at the heart of finance, marketing, and supply chain.

The rules are clear: clean data, analytical fluency, and the ability to turn insight into action in real time are the crucial skills that businesses need going into 2026. Miss any of those, and you’re already behind.

The shift: from reporting to decision intelligence

Finance is no longer just about recording the past. It’s moving steadily toward an analytics-first model. CFOs are reshaping the function with automation and advanced analytics, shifting from static reports to more dynamic, value-focused approaches. Many are scaling data exploration across the enterprise, using insights not only to report results but to identify new opportunities.

Marketing is following a similar path. Growth is increasingly powered by data, with organisations that embed analytics and personalisation into their processes consistently outperforming their peers, often by wide margins.

Supply chains are also changing rapidly. Companies that have adopted AI-enabled management are already seeing measurable improvements, like lower logistics costs, reduced inventories, and better service levels. These results point to efficiency gains that go beyond incremental improvements.

Deloitte describes this convergence as “decision intelligence”: connecting data, analytics, and AI directly to business outcomes. The shift is clear - less focus on dashboards for observation, more focus on using data to support action.

Why this matters for leaders

Better decisions, backed by proof. Data-driven organisations have already shown 5–6% productivity gains, even before generative AI entered the picture.
Faster strategy cycles. Finance can scenario-plan in real time. Marketing can test at scale. Supply chains can adjust weekly, not quarterly.
Shared risk, shared accountability. When finance and IT converge, the stakes rise on data quality, lineage, and model risk. CFOs and CIOs must co-own the guardrails.

What employers need to do in 2026 and beyond

1. Build hybrid finance teams

Accountants alone won’t cut it. The future finance function blends data engineers, analysts, and finance pros fluent in experimentation and AI-assisted analysis. No, this isn’t a theory - it’s the operating model already emerging inside progressive firms.

2. Prioritise use-cases, not tools

Technology is secondary. The real wins come from use-cases like cash forecasting, working-capital optimisation, marketing attribution, and demand sensing. Start where the value is visible, and wire analytics directly into KPIs.

3. Make governance a joint mandate

Finance brings rigour; IT brings architecture. Together, they safeguard master data, validate models, and anchor AI ethics. Without this partnership, scaling is impossible.

4. Upskill at every level

In a nutshell, this means:

Literacy for all: interpret charts, spot bias, ask sharper questions.
Fluency for managers: A/B testing, causal reasoning, cost-of-error.
Depth roles: analytics engineering, ML Ops, citizen-automation with Python or Copilot-style tools.

What this means for candidates

For finance professionals, the foundation in accounting remains essential, but it’s no longer enough on its own. The role now calls for fluency in tools like SQL and Python or R, the ability to model and visualise data, and an understanding of causal inference. Just as importantly, finance leaders of the future will need to grasp governance and model risk, as these areas increasingly shape decision-making.

For IT and analytics talent, the challenge runs in the other direction. Technical depth is valuable, but without business literacy, it risks being disconnected from impact. Building an understanding of P&L drivers, cash flow dynamics, and cost-to-serve ensures that models don’t just run, they also answer the right questions about how the business creates value.

For marketers and supply-chain specialists, the focus is on building stronger analytical muscles within their own domains. That means deeper expertise in first-party data, attribution and mix modelling for marketing teams, and advanced forecasting and optimisation skills for supply-chain professionals.

And for everyone - regardless of discipline - generative AI is becoming part of the daily workflow. Developing the skill of prompt-engineering, both for analysis and documentation, is now a baseline expectation.

2026 and beyond

The competitive edge of 2026 won’t belong to finance, IT, or data in isolation. Instead, it will belong to organisations that fuse them into a single operating rhythm, one that is fast, fluent, and governed.

For leaders, the question isn’t if, it’s how quickly. For employers, the challenge is building teams that can bridge the gaps and deliver decision intelligence where it counts: in the decisions that will define the future of the business.

Remote Work in Tech: What It Means for Employers and Candidates in 2026

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 07:01:34 GMT

Why Hybrid is Becoming The New Standard in Tech Recruitment

Remote work in tech was once the ultimate perk. Post-COVID, it became the norm. But as we move toward 2026, the pendulum is swinging back and both employers and candidates need to adjust.

Don’t shoot the messenger just yet. Tech recruitment comes with its own set of challenges. At times it feels like walking a tightrope with sharks snapping below, pterodactyls overhead, all while you’re searching for that elusive “unicorn.”

And unicorns, much like their mythical reputation, often want mythical things: a fully remote role from Plett, or a pound-based salary in Kathu. Do they exist? Perhaps. But they’re rarer than ever.

At Network Recruitment, we see both sides of the conversation every day: employers looking to regain collaboration and accountability, and candidates still seeking flexibility. The truth is, the future of remote work is no longer one-size-fits-all.

Why Employers Are Shifting Back

Many finance and IT leaders tell us that getting a developer fully up to speed takes longer in a fully remote setting, sometimes more than six months. Without daily interaction, collaboration suffers, mentoring slows down, and teams struggle to build trust. Some employers have also faced challenges like moonlighting or blurred work-life boundaries, where productivity drops over time.

For businesses, the message is clear: flexibility remains important, but performance and team cohesion come first. Hybrid models are emerging as the compromise, still balancing operational efficiency with employee expectations.

What Candidates Need to Know

The reality for candidates has changed. Roles that offer fully remote arrangements are becoming rare. Employers want presence, contribution, and culture fit. Those who refuse anything except remote risk are narrowing their options.

But this shift isn’t all negative. Candidates who are adaptable, i.e. open to hybrid models or occasional in-office days, are more likely to land roles with stability, growth opportunities, and strong career development pathways.

Developers, engineers, and analysts, your ability to thrive often depends on relationships and shared problem-solving, not just code.

How to Navigate the Shift — On Both Sides

For Employers: Be transparent about your expectations. If hybrid is the model, explain why it matters, elaborate on the productivity, collaboration, or client delivery. This builds trust with candidates.

For Candidates: Position flexibility is a strength. Show how you’ve thrived in hybrid teams, managed your time, and built strong communication skills.

For Both: Recognise that the future of work is fluid. Policies will evolve with business needs, client demands, and employee expectations.

Let’s talk about what’s right for you and your teams

The job market is changing, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. At Network IT, we believe in helping developers make career decisions that aren’t just about the next six months, but about long-term growth, fulfilment, and alignment with their personal goals. We’ll always be upfront with you about what’s happening in the market and help you find options that align with your ambitions and lifestyle.

If you’re feeling stuck or unsure about your next move, we’re here to chat. Reach out and let’s talk about what’s realistic for you right now and how you can stay competitive.

Your first job as an engineer: how to launch with impact

Sat, 06 Sep 2025 11:40:48 GMT

Graduating as an engineer is one thing. But turning that degree into a career that lasts? That’s where it gets real.

For many engineering graduates, the shift from lecture halls to live projects can feel like stepping into uncharted territory. While South Africa continues to see strong demand for mechanical, electrical, and electronic engineers, securing that crucial first role is rarely automatic. It takes preparation, positioning, and a clear sense of what today’s employers are looking for.

Based on what we’ve seen working with engineering graduates and employers across the country, here are four practical steps that can help you move from student to sought-after professional.

Step 2: Show that you understand employers’ real priorities

Engineering knowledge is essential, but it’s rarely the only deciding factor. Employers consistently look for graduates who combine technical ability with adaptability, communication skills, and cultural fit.

Demonstrating curiosity, flexibility, and a willingness to learn signals to employers that you’ll grow alongside their business. In a market where projects evolve quickly, that mindset is often just as valuable as your marks.

Step 3: Network like your career depends on it (because it does)

Engineering is a tighter community than it may seem. Joining professional associations, attending industry events, and building a thoughtful LinkedIn presence can put you in front of opportunities you’ll never see on job boards.

Remember, networking isn’t only about finding a job - it’s about building a professional identity, staying plugged into industry developments, and learning from people already doing the work you aspire to do.

At Network Recruitment , we connect graduates with opportunities that fit both their technical background and their long-term career goals. We know the employers, we understand the market, and we’re committed to helping you take that all-important first step.

If you’re ready to start your career on the right track, explore our graduate opportunities or reach out to Shaleen van Staden for guidance.

Your journey as an engineer starts here. Let’s make it count.

Speed Wins: How Fast-Moving Recruiters and Employers Secure Top Talent

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 07:16:12 GMT

Moving Faster to Secure the Candidates Who Won't Wait

With over 15 years in recruitment, we’ve seen one challenge surface time and again: a disconnect between recruiters and hiring managers on timing. Businesses want the best people, but the best candidates don’t wait around. The tension between hiring with precision and hiring with speed is real, and we see it play out daily.

In our experience, timing isn’t just a factor - it’s the defining variable in hiring outcomes. Data shows time is the single biggest risk in any recruitment process, and in contingent recruitment, that risk is magnified. That’s because recruiters invest time, energy, and specialist market insight upfront, without guaranteed payment unless the hire is made. Every CV submitted, every candidate qualified, every interview coordinated represents a calculated investment to deliver hiring success for our clients.

Contingent recruitment: built on performance, powered by pace

Contingent recruitment is a results-driven model where the recruiter is only paid if a successful hire is made. Unlike retained recruitment, which involves upfront fees, this model places the focus on outcomes rather than effort. Because success depends on securing the right candidate, both recruiter and employer are motivated to move decisively.

When we work together to keep feedback swift and stages streamlined, candidates remain engaged and less vulnerable to competing offers. In short, shared momentum protects access to the talent you want while maximising the value of the work already invested on your behalf.

The top-tier talent window is shorter than you think

Based on our data, in high-demand markets like tech, engineering, and finance, top candidates are off the market in 5 to 10 days. Each additional 24‑hour delay in feedback increases the probability of a counter‑offer.

In our experience, high-performing professionals respond to speed and clarity. When hiring managers stall or feedback drags, candidate engagement collapses.Timely, specific communication therefore safeguards candidate engagement far more effectively than additional incentives.

Candidates notice who moves with purpose

Clear communication signals professionalism. It shows candidates they’re dealing with an organisation that knows what it wants. In our experience, candidates lean towards companies that act with intent - the ones who prioritise interviews, provide timely feedback, and move decisively.

Clear, prompt stages in the recruitment process conveys organisational confidence and reinforce employer brand. We’ve seen countless cases where the employer who moved fast became the employer of choice, not just because of the role, but because of how the process felt.

Recruitment works best as a two-way partnership

We know people - what engages them, what keeps them interested, and what makes them walk away. And we know hiring managers need confidence in every hire.

That’s why the strongest hiring outcomes happen when urgency is matched on both sides. Our role is to help you stay aligned with market expectations so that the pace compliments precision. When clients mirror our urgency with prompt interview scheduling, consistent feedback, and clear decision-making, recruitment shifts from transactional to transformative.

Together, it is possible to tighten workflows, refine pipelines and ensure timelines reflect market reality rather than internal constraints.

The ripple effect of speed in recruitment

Hiring is about more than filling a vacancy. It’s about building capability and culture. A quick, focused hiring process leads to stronger onboarding, faster integration, and better early performance. You’ll get someone contributing sooner and staying longer.

Our experience shows that companies who move fast not only secure the best candidates but also report higher satisfaction with those hires. Delay, by contrast, leaves space for faster‑moving competitors to step in, an opportunity that is seldom recovered.

The recruitment advantage: speed backed by insight

We understand both the urgency candidates feel and the precision hiring managers demand. The balance between the two is where the magic happens. Our experience shows that when recruitment is approached as a shared investment in performance, results improve across the board, from faster time-to-hire to stronger cultural fit and better long-term retention.

This isn’t about rushing the process - it’s about aligning pace with purpose so that efficiency and quality reinforce one another.

Let’s build a faster, smarter recruitment process

If you’re serious about securing the right people at the right time, we’re ready to move. We know what high-performing candidates respond to and we know how to keep them engaged.

Together, we can build a recruitment process that delivers speed, precision, and long-term performance.

If you’re ready to hire with purpose and pace, we’re ready to partner. We know people - and we know how to get them through your doors before the competition does.

Why recruiting the right Engineers takes more than just a job description

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 10:22:00 GMT

Why winning the race for engineering talent takes more than matching skills to CVs, it demands speed, strategy, and a new way of thinking about recruitment.

In the world of engineering, nothing stands still for long. From AI-generated manufacturing to next-gen energy systems, the future is being built in real-time, and engineers are the ones building it. For employers looking to hire the talent driving that progress, the recruitment challenge is becoming more complex, not less.

At Network Recruitment, we’ve worked with engineering teams across industries and disciplines. What we’ve seen, time and again, is this: finding the right engineer isn’t just about matching CVs to job descriptions. It’s about overcoming a shifting set of technical, cultural, and structural challenges, all while competing with a global talent market that’s moving faster than ever.

Here’s what we’ve observed:

Precision meets pace: the new hiring equation

Recruiting engineers today requires a rare mix of technical discernment and strategic urgency. The most qualified candidates are in high demand, often fielding multiple offers at once. In sectors like electrical, mechanical, civil and mechatronics, delays in feedback or unclear hiring processes won’t just slow you down, they’ll ultimately cost you talent.

When you consider that many engineers are problem-solvers by nature, you understand why they respond best to hiring processes that are structured, clear, and decisive. If an offer drags or feels uncertain, high-performing candidates often assume that the work culture will mirror that indecision and move on swiftly.

We’ve seen companies lose out on ideal candidates, not due to salary mismatches or lack of interest, but because another employer moved faster and with a clearer plan.

Layered skills, limited time

Engineering roles don’t come with simple checklists. They’re layered with requirements like formal education, technical certifications, hands-on experience and - increasingly - cross-disciplinary knowledge. A controls engineer may now need to understand machine learning basics; a mechanical engineer might be expected to align seamlessly with software teams.

These requirements make screening a far more involved process. You’re not just looking for someone who can do the job; you’re looking for someone who can do it now, while adapting for what their role might become in 12 months.

The result of this shift is longer shortlists, slower assessments, and greater pressure on recruitment teams to get it right the first time. After all, in this market, there may not be a second chance.

Compliance is non-negotiable

Hiring in engineering doesn’t just require understanding various skill sets - it also requires fluency in the standards and regulations that shape the industry.

Each sector has its own distinct landscape. Think ISO certifications in manufacturing, EPC standards in civil and construction, or stringent safety compliance in mining and petrochemicals. A candidate might look strong on paper but fall short of critical requirements tied to licensure or compliance. Getting that wrong means more than a bad hire - it’s a real business risk.

That’s why we work closely with our clients to translate technical specs into recruitment criteria that are both compliant and commercially aligned. When regulatory misalignment leads to project delays or rework, everyone pays the price.

Project-based hiring, real-time demands

Not all engineering work is permanent. In fact, a large share of it is project-based, with short timelines, fixed scopes, and high pressure to deliver.

This introduces another layer of complexity: hiring contractors or temporary professionals who not only have the technical chops required, but who can also hit the ground running. These hires need to plug into teams quickly, navigate unfamiliar systems, and often work remotely or on-site under tight conditions.

In these situations, recruitment is about more than just finding the right skills - it’s about finding the right fit for a project’s tempo, team dynamic, and technical maturity.

The global tug-of-war for engineering talent

Of course, good engineers aren’t just in demand locally. They’re being courted globally.

Remote work, global project teams, and competitive relocation packages mean South African engineers are increasingly being snapped up by international companies. For local businesses - especially SMEs - this global competition creates real pressure.

To stay in the game, companies need to offer more than competitive pay. They need compelling employer brands, streamlined hiring processes, and growth pathways that speak to what today’s engineers really value: autonomy, challenge, and meaningful work.

The diversity gap still matters

Engineering is an industry that still battles with diversity across gender, race, and socioeconomic background. For organisations looking to build more inclusive teams, the challenge has shifted beyond attracting a wider pool of candidates. It’s now in creating the kind of environments where underrepresented talent can really thrive and grow.

This requires more than policies; it demands intentional hiring, thoughtful onboarding, and inclusive leadership. And yes, it means working with recruitment partners who understand how to surface talent outside of traditional pipelines.

Balancing experience with potential
A classic hiring dilemma: do you go for the experienced candidate who can deliver from day one, or the junior engineer with long-term potential and a fresh perspective?

In our experience, the best teams strike a balance. Senior engineers provide stability and mentorship; juniors bring energy, adaptability, and hunger to learn. But getting this mix right means thinking beyond the immediate hire—it means building a pipeline and a culture that can grow capability, not just buy it.

Retention is the second battle

Securing a great engineer is one thing. Keeping them is another.

In high-demand markets, counter-offers are common, and engineers know their worth. They expect meaningful work, career progression, and ongoing learning - not just a paycheck.

For this reason, the post-hire experience matters just as much as the recruitment process. The candidates we place stay longer when they feel valued, challenged, and part of something bigger than the role itself.

Smarter engineering recruitment starts here

The stakes in engineering recruitment are high, but so are the rewards. The right engineer doesn’t just fill a gap - they build capacity, drive innovation, and shape the future of your business.

At Network Recruitment, we bring sector expertise, market insight, and a performance-driven approach that aligns precision with pace. Because the right engineer at the right time can change everything. Let’s work together to make that hire.

If you’re ready to rethink how you recruit engineering talent - faster, smarter, and with market reality in mind - we’re ready to partner.

We know people. We know engineering. And we know how to connect the two.

What to Keep in Mind When Interviewing Engineers

Thu, 08 May 2025 12:06:34 GMT

Insights from inside the interview room - by engineering recruiters who know what makes or breaks a great hire.

“I’ve sat in over 1,000 interviews with engineers during my career and spoken to thousands more — across civil, electrical, mechanical, mechatronics, electronic, and industrial disciplines, from artisans to C-level. If there’s one thing hiring managers underestimate, it’s how much an engineer learns about your company in an interview.”

As specialist engineering recruiters working with leading companies across South Africa, we know that the technical questions alone won’t secure the right hire. Engineers today are evaluating your business as much as you’re evaluating their skills.

If you're relying on outdated approaches, you're likely losing great candidates to your competitors — especially in high-demand roles like those filled by electrical employment agencies or actuarial recruitment firms. Companies with archaic and slow processes are perceived in the same light as employers. Candidates respond well to dynamic interview processes that are effective and fast-moving.

So what should you keep in mind during your next engineering interview?

1. Technical Expertise and Skills

Strong Foundation

Engineers want to know you understand the importance of solid, hands-on technical foundations. Speak to the tools, platforms, and methodologies your team uses — and how they’ll contribute. Top engineers usually have a good feel for the industry — and they’ll pick up quickly if your team talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk. Be upfront about your environment and how you support your engineers — that honesty goes a long way in building trust from the start.

Problem-Solving Skills

Highlight how your business values problem-solvers, not just task-doers. Share examples of complex challenges your team is working on — engineers love to know they’ll make an impact. Give some insight into previous successes and the qualities of the team that you value.

Adaptability and Flexibility

The engineering field is constantly evolving — your interview should show that your business evolves with it. Talk about new technologies, cross-disciplinary exposure, or modernised processes.

What to say in interviews:

“We’re building a team where technical excellence is not only appreciated — it’s rewarded. Here’s how we approach complex challenges and empower engineers to lead those solutions.”

2. Highlight Soft Skills (They Matter More Than You Think)

Communication and Collaboration

Engineers don’t want to work in silos. They want to know how teams communicate, resolve problems, and share ownership. If you promote open forums, sprint reviews, or daily standups — mention it.

Teamwork & Leadership

Whether it’s a small technical team or a large division, engineers want to know who they’ll be working with and how collaboration works across roles. Highlight paths to leadership or technical ownership (without needing to manage people).

Commercial Awareness

Don’t shy away from business goals. Engineers appreciate context — they want to know how their work connects to the company’s objectives, especially in data-heavy or risk-based fields like finance and insurance .

What to say in interviews:
“We’re looking for team players who want to build with others, not just work in isolation. Here, engineers regularly work alongside product, operations, and finance to deliver real impact.”

3. Talk Growth — Not Just Job Descriptions

Continuous Learning

Do you offer training, mentorship, or certification support? Are junior engineers paired with senior mentors? Do you offer exposure across departments or projects?

This is especially critical for engineers in specialised industries — such as those typically placed through engineering recruitment agencies — who are often hungry for development.

Autonomy and Empowerment

Engineers thrive when trusted. Explain how your business gives them room to test ideas, solve problems, and work independently.

What to say in interviews:
“You won’t be stuck doing the same thing every day here. We encourage exploration — whether it’s through mentorship, certifications, or project rotations.”

4. Flexibility Is No Longer Optional

Hybrid and Remote Options

Today’s engineers — especially high-performers — are evaluating flexibility as a core decision point. Many of your competitors are offering remote-first models or hybrid flexibility. Are you?

Values and Culture

Engineers care about values — not just mission statements. What does your team act like? Are your managers supportive? How do you handle setbacks, celebrate wins, and promote diversity?

What to say in interviews:
“We measure outcomes, not hours. You’ll have the freedom to structure your day and focus on solving problems, not just sitting in meetings.”

5. What Engineers are Listening For During Interviews

Here’s what competitors might be saying — that you’re not:

“You’ll have access to cutting-edge tools and the freedom to try new ideas.”
“We support certifications, professional development, certifications, and conference attendance.”
“We don’t micromanage — we hire experts and let them lead.”

If you want to win the best, this is the kind of messaging they’re listening for. And if your organisation doesn’t offer these benefits yet — it’s time to evolve, or risk being out-recruited.

What to say in interviews:
“We’re excited about what you bring to the table — and if this isn’t the right fit, we’ll give you constructive feedback. We want this to be a great move for you, not just us.”

The Bottom Line: Engineers Want More Than a Job

They want an employer who gets it. One who:

Appreciates their technical skill
Enables their growth
Supports flexibility and work-life balance
Builds a culture of trust, autonomy, and impact

If you can communicate this clearly and confidently during interviews, you’ll not only attract top engineering talent — you’ll retain them, too.

Ready to Build a Smarter Engineering Team?

At Network Recruitment, we don’t just understand engineers — we speak their language. From precision screening to cultural fit, our deep industry knowledge ensures you hire right the first time.

Stop settling for near-misses. Start hiring with confidence.

Partner with us today — let’s find the engineer who’ll build your next big success.

Local gems to global gamechangers

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 13:48:30 GMT

How SA talent is cashing in on the international job market

Very few countries can match South Africa’s talent, diversity and innovation, so it’s no wonder international companies are hogging our top performers.

Yes, you read that right. We’re taking remote roles from international companies and declining local offers left and right. But…what’s in it for us?

Let’s talk about money

South African professionals have long been recognised for our expertise, adaptability and work ethic. But, until recently, we faced limitations due to geographical constraints.

However, times have changed. International companies want top talent without the hefty price tag and have set their sights on our local jewels.

And, because the cost of living in South Africa is significantly lower than in Western countries, we’re relishing better pay and exposure to global projects – from home.

Beyond the pocket

Considering South Africa’s current economic situation, a wallet boost on its own is convincing enough. But that’s not all there is to it.

Working for an international company can also offer:

· More flexibility and freedom : While your boss sleeps until 9am, you can work from anywhere and manage your time, schedule and lifestyle.

· More L&D opportunities : Many global companies are serious about investing in growth: offering training, mentoring, coaching and feedback.

· More impact and satisfaction : You get to work on projects with global impact and significance – possibly even solving social, environmental, or economic problems.

Why South African talent?

Whether we like it or not, COVID-19 was the biggest global catalyst for remote work acceleration. Suddenly office spaces were as redundant as gluten and companies realised that their talent could thrive regardless of location.

Most importantly, however, the talent got used to the arrangement.

Armed with strong technical skills, excellent English proficiency, and an almost-unheard-of work ethic, we’re in high demand. And here’s why:

· Mad skills : We offer a unique blend of technical prowess and adaptability. Our ability to seamlessly collaborate across time zones and developed/developing world norms makes us invaluable assets to international teams.

· We don’t need much sleep : SA’s time zone difference to Europe, Australia, and the United States doesn’t seem to bother us. Wake up at 5am for a meeting? No problem. Attend a webinar at 9pm? See you there. We’re agile, flexible, and willing.

· It’s remote : International companies don’t have to spend money on emigration sponsorships or deal with office politics. As long as we have a stable internet connection, we can be onboarded and ready to go.

· Tech-savvy : Although we’re not as infrastructurally advanced as first-world countries when it comes to tech, we do have a solid tech ecosystem - from software development to data analytics.

· Cultural intelligence : Growing up in a diverse society has enabled many of us to navigate cultural, societal, racial and linguistic differences, even across borders.

A broader future awaits

It’s no secret that more and more South African superstars are taking full advantage of international opportunities. And why not? We can contribute to world-spanning projects, shape industries, and leave our mark.

Want to know more about the international job market? Contact Network Recruitment for info or advice (or apply for a role beyond SA’s borders).

A bumpy ride for SA's finance sector

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 08:57:12 GMT

How this segment of the workplace is navigating HR change

The first rollercoaster was invented in the 1700s. And, as tech and design advancements improved, the rollercoaster became a massive hit in the 1900s – and beyond. But not everyone is a fan of rollercoasters, especially:

· Those who are afraid of heights,

· Those who need an even bigger thrill, and

· Those who currently work in finance.

Right now, SA’s finance sector is closing its eyes, holding on for dear life, and keeping the paper bag close until the ride is over. Let’s find out why.

Why the fluctuation?

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a global economic downturn – disrupting financial services operations beyond recognition. Businesses have become more cautious and risk-averse, while remote working, cyberattacks, and fraud continue to be thorns in many sides.

But that’s not all.

Digital transformation has accelerated, with more customers and businesses opting for online and mobile banking, payment, and lending services. As a result, there’s a shift in the skills and roles needed in the sector and there’s competition between tech and the ability to find, recruit and retain the right tech-savvy talent.

That’s right: the rollercoaster is even rockier when it comes to people.

For one thing, consider “brain drain”. Many highly skilled workers leave SA for better-paid jobs and overseas opportunities and many businesses, especially those in finance, face a bottleneck due to the critical skills shortage in these sectors.

For another, beware of changing expectations. There’s an increasing need for personalised, convenient, and transparent financial services, pressuring finance professionals to meet needs and wants that weren’t top of mind five years ago.

Horses for courses

It seems, however, that not all rides are created equal. Some companies find themselves on the Tower of Terror, while others are chilling on the Lazy River.

According to CHRO South Africa , a 2022 CareerJunction Employment Insight report revealed that the banking, accounting, and financial management sub-sectors have experienced the biggest decrease in recruitment activity.

For example, Standard Bank announced in 2019 that it would close 91 branches and cut 1200 jobs as part of its digital transformation strategy. This decision was met with backlash from customers, unions, and regulators, who criticised the bank for being insensitive to the social and economic impact.

On the other hand, insurance, investment, and auditing sub-sectors have accelerated employment, fuelled by customers and businesses looking for better protection, security, and diversification in their financial portfolios.

For example, Sanlam reported a 13% increase in new business volumes in 2023, attributing its success to a diversified product offering, strong presence in emerging markets, and focus on innovation and customer-centricity.

These contrasts prove that distinct sub-sectors of the finance industry not only have different resilience and adaptability levels, but also face different opportunities.

Hope remains.

Despite the uncertainties in many areas, there are definitely signs of improvement when it comes to the future of finance recruitment in South Africa.

The sector demonstrates its growing ability to cope with change and disruption, while innovating through products, processes, and people. It’s also working hard to do its part when it comes to L&D and attracting and retaining talent.

Another beacon is the sector’s exploration of new sources and channels for attracting and recruiting qualified and diverse candidates. And, thanks to DE&I, hiring practices are yielding a more attractive work environment.

So, while the finance industry as a whole is prone to rollercoaster rides, its various sub-sectors appear to be both highly adaptable and strongly committed to talent. This commitment, along with a focus on making the proverbial rides safer and more diverse, positions the industry for a future that, while not without its challenges, is likely to have riders with more smiles and fewer bilious complexions.

Contact Network Recruitment to discuss HR in the finance sector or to apply to upgrade your role.

Developers versus desks

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 08:44:12 GMT

Why developers are calling the shots on remote work (and why companies should listen)

Ah, the flexibility, autonomy, and productivity of remote work. What was once a perk is now a developer’s dream come true. No distractions. No one asking where to find Word or if you can remember their email password. Just pure, isolated bliss.

Unfortunately, though, many employers aren’t feeling blissful about this change. No cough or sneeze is holding them back, and they want their employees back where they belong: at the office – if not full-time, then at least a couple of days a week.

But is this practical for those in IT?

Many IT professionals don’t think so. In fact, there’s been a silent cold war brewing; one that could have dire consequences for both sides.

Staying on the remote boat

According to an Owl Labs & Global Workplace Analytics survey , 62% of employees feel more productive when working remotely, and 52% would trade a slight reduction in pay for this option.

For developers, the stats are even more pronounced.

Why? Because when developers work remotely, they say that they can:

· Work on projects matching their skills, interests, and goals, regardless of location or time zone

· Avoid the stress and hassle of commuting along with their equipment or buying their own equipment to use at home

· Create a comfortable and personalised work environment; in other words, they only have to see people when they want to

· Better balance their work and personal lives, especially if they have family responsibilities

· Spend time on IT tasks rather than on questions, meetings or co-workers

Why the rush to return?

While many employers embrace remote or hybrid environments, others cling to the cubicles. This is because they believe remote work can lead to:

· Loss of control and visibility over their employees’ work processes and outcomes

· Difficulty in maintaining communication, collaboration, and cohesion among teams and departments

· Challenges when it comes to establishing a sense of belonging, engagement, and loyalty

· Risks specific to security, quality, and reputational standards

· Problems in attracting, retaining, and developing talent in a competitive, dynamic market

Between an office and a far place

This tiff isn’t just about convenience.

The IT industry faces both a severe talent shortage and a high demand for innovation. According to Korn Ferry’s estimation , there will be a global deficit of 85.2 million tech workers by 2030, which could result in an $8.5 trillion annual revenue loss.

On one hand, developers are more selective and demanding in their job searches. They want employers to respect their autonomy, value their contribution, and offer flexibility and support.

On the other hand, employers find it harder and more expensive to attract and keep developers. It’s a shrinking talent pool, requiring changes in recruitment strategies and practices.

And let’s not forget the competition. For example, if a highly skilled candidate wants a remote position at a local company, and they refuse, the candidate can find a remote position with an international company – and will gladly accept the competitive salary that comes with it.

What would a mediator say?

The cold war isn’t sustainable for either party. It’s a lose-lose situation that affects productivity, turnover, quality, and innovation, all of which are critical to the industry. So how do we satisfy two stubborn forces?

1. Address the elephant

Developers and employers must stop the silent treatment and start a conversation. Express needs, expectations, and concerns, and listen to the other party’s argument. And remember to avoid making assumptions and generalisations.

2. Compromise

Consider arrangements that work for both sides. This may be a hybrid work model, or something more specific. Set clear and realistic goals, expectations, and boundaries, and measure performance based on results.

3. Be supportive

Invest in the necessary tech, tools, and infrastructure to facilitate communication, collaboration, and security. This may include training and feedback to help the developer and employer adapt to the new arrangement and overcome challenges.

4. Monitor and adjust

Data doesn’t lie. Review performance, culture, and professional development outcomes, and address shortcomings. Celebrate wins.

Feeling the pressure? Contact Network Recruitment for more.

Forget frantic. Stay focused.

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 14:11:27 GMT

How to avoid the backfire of rage-applying

Ever felt frustrated with your current job and spread your CV around like wildfire?

You’re not alone.

The term “rage-applying” refers to applying for dozens of jobs in a fit of frustration. According to Times Live, a Robert Walters South Africa survey of 2,000 South African professionals found that 62% of respondents admit to rage-applying.

Why? Due to a toxic workplace culture.

But, while rage-applying may seem like a cathartic way to vent dissatisfaction and explore new opportunities, it can negatively affect your career and well-being.

Why is rage-applying a bad idea?

• Reputation: Not doing proper research, not tailoring your resume and cover letter, and not following up may come across as unprofessional, desperate, or careless. This can damage your image in and around the industry.

• Time and energy: Applying for jobs takes attention and effort. If you don’t get a response, you’ve wasted valuable resources you could’ve spent on networking, up-skilling or seeking more rewarding opportunities.

• Enhanced frustration: When you put your emotions into searching for a new job, as a way to deal with frustration or disappointment in your current job, you may feel more frustrated and disappointed if you don’t get positive responses.

• Applier’s remorse: Applying for jobs out of anger or desperation can lead to settling for an offer that pays poorly or doesn’t match your skills and goals.

• Missing out: Doing proper research can yield better opportunities than you are likely to end up with through rage-applying.

How to avoid rage-applying (and rage-accepting)

We’re not saying you should settle for an unpleasant work environment or decline opportunities that have great potential. In fact, rage-applying isn’t really the problem; it’s merely a symptom.

The first step towards solving the problem is identifying and addressing the root cause of your unhappiness. And, next time, before firing up your CV, try these tips:

• Breathe: Try to calm down, reflect on your situation, and ask yourself, “What’s the main cause for my frustration? Is it my boss, colleagues, workload, salary, work environment, or something else? How long have I felt this way? How is it affecting my performance, health, and happiness?”

• Verbalise: If possible, try to talk to your manager or HR department about your concerns, to see if they can do anything to improve the situation. Avoid blame-shifting or complaining, and focus on constructive communication.

• Explore: If your situation can’t be resolved internally, and you do decide to make a move, do thorough research for other options in greener pastures.

Checklist for job-seeking prep:

1. Write down specifics: Think about these questions: What don’t you like about your current employer? What are you looking for in a new job? What are your skills, strengths, and expertise? Do you want to stay in your current industry or venture into a new one?

2. Research: Use online platforms to browse postings, network, and join communities. Don’t forget about LinkedIn. Contact specialised recruiters to see how they can help.

3. Make targeted applications: Identify and apply for jobs matching your criteria and qualifications. Focus on quality over quantity, tailoring your CV and cover letter to each role.

4. Prepare: When you are invited for an interview, do your homework. Research the company, role and, if possible, even the interviewer.

5. Be proactive: Appearing self-assured and confident makes a bigger impact on a potential employer than desperation. Never badmouth your previous employer or go into too much detail about why you left. This shows the new employer that you are mature and ready to move on.

Contact Network Recruitment for advice on or help with applying for a new role.

Resenteeism vs quiet quitting

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 13:23:03 GMT

How to address and tackle employee disengagement before it's too late

Employee disengagement is a problem that can affect any business, regardless of size, industry or area. Not only are disengaged employees less productive, but they’re also more likely to leave, spread negativity or harm the company’s reputation.

A recent Gallup survey revealed that only 32% of workers are actively engaged in their work. But how can you tell if your employees are engaged or not? And what can you do to prevent or address disengagement? Because, you can’t read minds, and “hawk-eyeing” (closely examining them) will only worsen the situation.

Why not just leave it? Well, resenteeism and quiet quitting are too hot to handle.

“Resenteeism”? What’s that?

Many of us know what it’s like to keep a job just to pay the bills. We’ve all done it, mostly for short periods of time or until we found our feet. But “resenteeism” is when you’re fundamentally unhappy and resentful and have no problem expressing it.

As an employer, you don’t never your employees to stay just for the salary. You want them to be passionate about the company, their colleagues and managers, and, most importantly, your products and services.

Resentful employee behaviour includes:

• Negative attitudes and complaints

• Procrastination and poor performance

• Withdrawal from team activities and collaboration

• Resistance to change or feedback

• Sabotage or conflict with co-workers or managers

The good news? There are ways to prevent resenteeism. The bad news? Quiet quitting is harder to spot.

When silence isn’t golden

Quiet quitting is a lot like mentally and emotionally detaching from your partner before breaking up, in that the employee has mentally checked out of their work and the company, and is doing the bare minimum required to keep their job.

They’ve lost their sense of purpose and have no intention of exiting Solitaire, never mind replying to emails. Some quiet quitters may have no plans to actually leave. They’re just demotivated and ‘more comfortable’ staying.

This is difficult to detect because quiet quitters don’t want to draw attention. Unlike resentees, quiet quitters demonstrate more subtle behaviours like:

• Turning down new projects, opportunities, or responsibilities

• Only taking on easy or routine tasks

• Claiming to be too busy or unavailable to help others

• Working slower, taking longer breaks, or leaving early

• Disengaging from social or professional interactions

How to tell the difference

Although resenteeism and quiet quitting are both forms of employee disengagement, they manifest differently and vary in outcome. Resenteeism is more visible, vocal, emotional, reactive, and disruptive, while quiet quitting is hidden and silent.

Additionally, resenteeism is more likely to affect the team and culture, while quiet quitting affects the individual and their performance.

Work your way back

These behaviours are often indications of internal issues, of which job insecurity, toxic workplace culture, economic and social challenges, and work-life imbalance are just some of the causes. So how do you address them?

As hard as the world’s authors, speakers, professors, and HR buffs try, there is no single guidebook that describes the “perfect” workplace or employer. Mind you, there’s no guidebook on how to be the “perfect” employee, either.

All you can do is look at what you’re already doing, get feedback, and fill in the gaps.

In the meantime, here’s a checklist:

• Recognise and reward contributions and achievements.

• Try to align employees’ work with the business’s vision, mission, and values, and show them, repeatedly, how they make a difference.

• Assign challenging and meaningful work, and encourage your people to learn new skills and take on new responsibilities.

• Give them greater autonomy and flexibility in how, when, and where they work, and involve them in decision-making and problem-solving.

• Communicate frequently and transparently.

• Ask for feedback and suggestions, and really listen to the answers.

• Support work-life integration and well-being, with real resources and benefits.

Got disengaged employees? Contact Network Recruitment for some good advice.

Executive Search Recruitment In Africa

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 18:12:26 GMT

Find C-Suite professionals for your organisation's success.

“Africa, one of the fastest emerging markets, is home to the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population, burgeoning cities, and bold innovations in everything from fintech to clean energy. According to www.Africa.com, the population of the African continent is expected to nearly double to 2.5 billion people by 2050. The continent presents myriad opportunities for robust, inclusive growth that harness its rich natural resources and abundant human potential to increase prosperity not only in Africa but around the world.”

With 54 countries at different stages of growth, different economic structures, and more than 1.2 billion people, the African Development Bank Group ( https://www.afdb.org/ ), estimates that Africa's economic development would outperform the worldwide prediction, with an average GDP of 4% between 2023-2024. This is higher than the predicted global averages of 2.7% and 3.2%. Among others, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria, two of the largest economies, are leading economic growth in West Africa, while Kenya, the strongest economy in East Africa, is also making a significant contribution to GDP and is forecasting an average GDP of 5 % by the end of 2024. Such economic growth on the continent attracts foreign investment and expansion into Africa, leading to an increased demand for Executive-level professionals and experts to strategically steer and drive this growth.

But, where are the professionals in the C-suite? The African market, with its distinct dynamics, presents several challenges for businesses seeking to expand. These issues frequently involve a lack of local knowledge on a global scale, as well as a skills gap in local talent pools. The recruitment sector is a complicated and diversified terrain that varies from region to country. The variances are considerable, and a single recruitment technique can't be used across the continent. At this point, organisations would need to collaborate with a specialist recruitment staffing agency specialising in Executive Search, such as Network Recruitment.

The Importance of Executive Search Recruitment in Africa

For companies operating in Africa, executive search recruitment plays a pivotal role in making strategic decisions, building a strong leadership team, and driving business growth by hiring the right executives. Acquiring candidates with a thorough understanding of the local business environment, cultural nuances, and the necessary skills and expertise is crucial, given the distinct challenges and opportunities presented by the African market.

What does a resourceful executive staffing agency look like?

A resourceful executive search partner will work to obtain better knowledge of your company, its culture, the gaps you want to fill, and to stimulate fresh ideas. Your search partner should be intimately familiar with your organisation, including its operations, goals, beliefs, and employees. This will help them to find the most suitable candidates to help your company grow and evolve.

Functional expertise

A good executive search partner will have an excellent understanding of the market, as opposed to just one industry or segment of the market. They will have extensive, functional expertise in their field that they can apply to any job.

Why is it crucial to partner with a specialised executive search recruitment agency?

To navigate the intricacies of executive recruitment in Africa, many businesses choose to collaborate with professional executive staffing organizations. These companies have access to a large network of successful professionals, a thorough understanding of the African industry, and excel at evaluating individuals for leadership roles. These companies and organizations can locate and recruit highly qualified candidates by combining market intelligence, research, and demanding evaluation processes.

At Network Recruitment, we are well-versed in the complexities of hiring for a crucial post in Africa. We are niche recruitment specialists that have a specialised process that we have perfected over the years, aiming to identify and hire senior executives who are not only skilled but also culturally aligned with businesses operating in this continent. Senior executives have a huge impact on a business, thus making the correct executive appointment is crucial. An executive search firm can assist you in finding the ideal people to propel your company forward and positively impact your top and bottom lines.

To be successful in Africa, organizations increasingly require a diverse range of people on their top teams. A varied top staff will have a broader pool of knowledge and points of view to draw from, allowing them to assist you in finding fresh solutions to challenges and developing new ideas that could propel your organization forward. A strong search partner will be able to leverage their experience to urge organizations to think differently and present you with people who can bring new perspectives.

What are the benefits of partnering with a specialised executive search firm?

1. Market Intelligence and Research

Specialised executive search firms compile market intelligence and conduct in-depth research to gain a comprehensive understanding of their clients' unique requirements. They analyse industry trends, competitor analysis, and economic factors to identify the skills and competencies in high demand within the African market. This enables them to build detailed candidate profiles and develop focused recruitment strategies.

2. Candidate Assessment and Identification

Executive search firms employ various techniques, including networking, direct sourcing, and referrals, to identify qualified candidates. Once potential candidates are identified, they undergo a rigorous evaluation process that may include background checks, psychometric tests, reference checks, and interviews. This ensures that only the most qualified and suitable candidates are presented to the client.

3. Cultural Fit and Local Knowledge

In the context of hiring executives for African businesses, cultural fit and local knowledge are crucial factors to consider. Executives must possess the ability to navigate the intricacies of operating in Africa, understand the local business environment, and adapt to the cultural dynamics of the region. When evaluating candidates, executive search firms consider criteria such as language proficiency, adaptability, prior experience in the African market, and familiarity with regional norms and practices.

4. Evolving Trends in Executive Search Recruitment

The executive hiring process has evolved significantly over time. In the past, promotions within the company were the primary method of filling high-level positions, but this approach has changed. While seniority remains an important factor in defining "critical talent," a broader range of attributes are now deemed essential in identifying top executives.

5. The Impact of Digital and Technological Advancements

The business landscape, including executive search recruitment, has been greatly influenced by digital and technological advancements. These advancements have transformed nearly every aspect of business, and executive search services are no exception. Traditional methods of executive search, characterised by personal connections and manual evaluations, now work in conjunction with innovative digital strategies. The digital age has opened enormous opportunities for the executive search industry, propelling it into a more promising future than ever before.

Conclusion

In summary, the process of executive search recruitment in Africa is a highly specialised endeavour. It's designed to pinpoint and attract top-tier executives who possess the necessary skills, experience, and cultural alignment to steer companies within the continent. This intricate process encompasses market analysis, meticulous research, the identification and assessment of potential candidates, and a keen consideration for cultural congruence and local insights. By forging partnerships with specialist firms like Network Recruitment, organizations can confidently secure the most fitting leaders to propel their African ventures.

Adopting the correct strategy for executive search recruitment allows businesses to unlock Africa's vast potential and effectively manoeuvre through its distinct set of opportunities and challenges. By harnessing the acumen of dedicated executive search firms and capitalising on digital innovations, companies are well-positioned to discover and recruit exceptional talents who are instrumental in spearheading their triumph in the African markets.

From bias to balance

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 10:09:49 GMT

How to craft gender-inclusive job ads

“Gender equality”, “gender-neutral”, “non-binary”, and other gender-related words and phrases have become a hot topic worldwide, with schools, institutions and communities on high alert about appropriate language use and assumptions. While progress has been made in many areas, there are still gaps — and gender disparities, exclusions and inherent biases continue to creep in.

Why does this matter?

It affects the number and quality of applicants while also reflecting well or poorly on a company’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I).

History and theory

Consider these classified ads from 1960 :

“Woman — Mature, 40 to 55 years of age for secretarial work in x-ray department of hospital. Typing essential, shorthand not needed. 5 1/2 -day week. Write stating age, experience and salary expected.”
“Radio Manufacturing Co. requires intelligent young man, 21-25, as Trainee Supervisor. Applicant should have Leaving Certificate standard of education and some mechanical experience. Reply stating age, education, and previous employers.”

Wow. Times have changed.

But, have they? Today we may use subtler words — gender-coded language — to discourage women, men or non-binary people from applying for positions. Here are some examples:

Male: competitive, aggressive, challenge, decisive, courageous, dominate, champion, driven, fearless
Female: collaborative, dependable, honest, loyal, interpersonal, enthusiastic, committed, connected, patient

These words are predominantly adjectives that describe personal attributes, not required outcomes of the job, specific experience or other factual information.

Back in 2011, the University of Waterloo and Duke University explored whether job ads in predominantly male fields used wording associated with “masculine” characteristics — such as “confident” and “competitive” — and whether this potentially deterred women from applying. The answer, unfortunately, was yes.

The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2023 suggests that proactively inclusive ads make people feel confident to apply, regardless of gender. A Harvard Business Review study similarly found that job ads using gender-neutral language receive more responses than gendered ones — yielding more diverse applicant pools and ultimately, workforces.

How to use gender-neutral language in your job ads

Companies and recruiters may post biased ads without meaning to. But the more you know, the more you’ll know.

Because gender-inclusive language doesn’t discriminate or exclude anyone based on gender identity or expression, you should try to avoid words or phrases associated with a specific gender, assumptions or stereotypes. Here’s how:

Leverage tools and resources to help you to improve the gender-inclusiveness of your job ads. Tools like Gender Decoder can help you identify and replace gendered words, measure and optimise the gender balance, and provide suggestions and feedback on making your job ads more inclusive and effective.
Choose inclusive terms to describe roles, responsibilities and qualifications. For example, instead of using “salesman”, use “sales representative”; instead of “chairman”, use “chairperson” or “chair”.
Familiarise yourself with pronouns , like they/them, their/theirs or we, us, and our.
Re-think titles or avoid them altogether. For example, instead of “Dear Mr/Mrs” or “Sir/Madam”, use “Dear applicant” or a simple “Hi there”.
Avoid words or phrases that typically imply a preference for a specific gender. Consider “we are looking for a skilled leader” instead of “we are looking for a powerful leader”.

It starts with the mindset

Whenever societal norms change or evolve, it can be challenging to understand and adapt to them. And, while bias is a natural and unconscious tendency, there are ways to ease conventional executives and management into embracing the change:

Emphasise the business case: Research shows that diverse and inclusive teams are more innovative, productive, and profitable.
Tackle inherent bias: Employee and leadership training programmes can raise awareness and challenge stereotypes.
Create a safe environment: Inclusive leadership means leveraging diversity, listening to and valuing different perspectives, encouraging collaboration and feedback, and supporting team development and growth.

The best way to adapt to new and dynamic lingo is by regularly revisiting job ad language, policies, and practices. Contact Network Recruitment for help.

How to work smarter, not harder

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 09:55:24 GMT

Finding and maximising your best 4 hours of the day

Ever feel like you’ve worked hard all day, but got nothing done? You’re not alone. Many highly competent people end the day feeling completely underwhelmed by their performance. Of course, this doesn’t mean they were unproductive. Events, disruptions and even minor hiccups can profoundly influence the average workday.

Still, there must be a way to achieve more with less stress.

This is where the “Best 4” concept comes in. These are the four hours of the day during which you are the most productive, creative and energised; when you can accomplish your most urgent and challenging tasks and upgrade your work and life.

But how do you find your best 4? And how do you leverage them in real time?

Finding your best 4

The first step is to understand your chronotype, or natural preference, for when you feel most alert and active during the day. According to the science of circadian rhythms, there are three main chronotypes:

1. Morning “larks”: Early risers who tend to wake up before sunrise, go to bed early, and feel most energetic and productive in the mornings

2. Night “owls”: Late sleepers who stay up past midnight, struggle to wake up early, and feel most energetic and productive in the evenings

3. Intermediate: People who fall somewhere in between; who can adapt to different schedules depending on the situation

It is likely that you immediately identified with one of these chronotypes (and, unfortunately, it is also likely that your partner is the opposite). If you can’t relate to any of them, try observing your natural sleep patterns when you aren’t influenced by external factors like alarms, deadlines or social obligations.

Once you know your chronotype, you can identify your peak performance hours. These are usually in the first half of the day for morning larks, in the second half for night owls, and around midday for intermediate types.

Leveraging your best 4

Once you’ve established your best 4, try to schedule your most important and challenging tasks for this period of time. These may be writing, problem-solving, decision-making or learning – depending on your work. Aligning your to-dos with your natural rhythm will help boost your productivity, creativity and well-being.

But this is only the first step.

To really elevate your best 4, you must create the optimal work conditions. Try to:

· Safeguard: Switch off your phone, email and social media notifications, and tell your colleagues, clients, and family that you’re MIA during this time. Work in a quiet, comfortable space where you can focus and avoid distractions.

· Prioritise: Don’t waste your best 4 on trivial tasks that can be done at any time of day. Instead, use them for tasks requiring the most mental energy, creativity and concentration. These tasks will move the needle closer to your goals and make you feel accomplished and satisfied.

· Prepare: There’s no point taking up valuable focus time on prep, so ensure that everything is ready for your success before you start your best 4. Set up your tools, materials, information and checklist. Even better, try to exercise before you start to warm up your body and brain.

· Celebrate: At the end of your best 4, reflect and pat yourself on the back. Reward yourself with something that makes you happy: a break, a slice of cake, a walk. This will motivate you to keep it up.

ADvTECH Group CEO Roy Douglas Retires

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 15:17:52 GMT

ADvTECH announces the retirement of CEO Roy Douglas and the appointment of Geoff Whyte as successor

The ADvTECH Group today announced the retirement of CEO Roy Douglas at the end of February 2024. Douglas will remain with the group for a suitable period after he steps off the Board to ensure a seamless handover.

ADvTECH Board chairman Chris Boulle said: “Roy has successfully led the group in its expansion strategy during his tenure, resulting in ADvTECH becoming the leading private education and recruitment group across the continent. He has refocused the educational division brand portfolios into well-positioned brands with distinct value offerings. This, together with a focus on effectiveness and efficiencies, resulted in a solid competitive advantage, and an agile and adaptive business model.”

“Also noteworthy, is his leadership through a pandemic by remaining responsive to a dynamic environment, where more than 70 000 students were seamlessly transitioned to an online environment. He leaves ADvTECH in a strong position to continue its growth trajectory. The Board wishes to thank Roy for his invaluable contribution during his tenure as CEO of the ADvTECH group and wishes him well in his retirement.”

The Board is excited to announce the appointment of Geoff Whyte as Group CEO and Executive Director with effect from 1 March 2024.

Whyte holds a Master’s degree in economics from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, and has more than 30 years’ experience across various industries. He is a commercially focused business leader with executive experience in global organisations including Unilever, PepsiCo, Cadbury-Schweppes, SAB-Miller and Nando’s.

Whyte has a record of success in a wide variety of geographies including South Africa, the UK, the USA, Holland, the rest of Africa, the Middle-East and sub-continental India. He is also an active member of the South African business community and was a founding participant in the CEO Initiative set up by Pravin Gordhan to avert a national credit rating downgrade.

Commenting on the appointment, ADvTECH Chairman Chris Boulle said: “We are confident that Geoff’s track record and experience will enable him to build on the group’s successes.”

Roy Douglas said: “Ultimately, it is people who are at the heart of what we do and it is people who have made ADvTECH so successful. I am proud of what we have achieved and am confident that I leave ADvTECH in safe hands.”

Accepting the appointment, Whyte said: “I am grateful for the opportunity and the faith the Board has placed in me. I look forward to continuing to build and grow this exceptional business, to ensure ongoing value creation, and the development of quality education in South Africa and the rest of Africa.”

Recruiting engineers during an energy crisis

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 09:11:14 GMT

How South Africa's power woes are shaping the future of engineering

For years South Africa’s energy crisis has affected its economy and society. Eskom, the country’s state-owned power utility, continuously struggles to meet the growing demand for electricity, resulting in frequent and prolonged blackouts.

As the situation worsens, challenges and opportunities emerge for engineers.

Although engineers are crucial when it comes to finding solutions to the country’s energy problems, they have their own difficulties finding jobs, advancing their careers, and keeping up with the evolving demands and expectations of the industry.

The energy crisis vs the engineers

On one hand, demand has increased for renewable energy, electrical, mechanical, civil, and chemical engineers who can design, build, operate, and maintain alternative energy sources while improving the efficiency and reliability of existing power plants and grid systems.

On the other hand, the energy crisis has reduced the availability of engineering jobs in some sectors. For example, according to the Inclusive Society Institution , manufacturing, mining, construction, tourism, and agriculture are negatively affected by frequent power cuts and rising electricity costs. Many are forced to cut costs, reduce production, lay off workers, or even close down.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Engineers looking for jobs or career advancement opportunities may face a lack of:

· Funding and resources for projects and research

· Innovation and competitiveness in the sector

· Skills development and training opportunities

· Diversity and inclusion in the workforce

· Recognition and appreciation for their achievements

· Collaboration and communication between disciplines

New types of engineers and jobs

Fortunately, the negative weight of the energy crisis has stimulated innovation and creativity in the engineering sector. New engineering jobs combine different skill sets from various disciplines to address complex and multidisciplinary problems related to energy.

These include:

· Energy systems engineers design, develop, integrate, optimise, and manage complex energy systems involving multiple sources, technologies, and stakeholders. This role requires electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, systems engineering, and project management skills.

· Smart grid engineers develop, implement, and maintain technologies that enable more efficient, reliable, and secure electricity transmission and distribution. Skills include electrical engineering, computer science, communication engineering, and cyber security.

· Energy efficiency engineers improve the energy performance of buildings, industries, and appliances through thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics principles and techniques. Skills include mechanical engineering, civil engineering, environmental engineering, and economics.

· Renewable energy engineers design, install, operate, and maintain renewable energy systems that use solar, wind, hydro, biomass, or nuclear power. Their skills combine electrical, mechanical, chemical, and environmental engineering.

While these roles can make a significant difference in how the country responds to the energy crisis, the challenge remains to find inspired young minds and provide access to the learning and development required.

What about skills from the past?

While appreciating new types of engineers and jobs, we shouldn’t forget about the knowledge and skills of those who have exited the industry. Even if technology has advanced, golden oldies can help to address current and future energy challenges.

In fact, many retired engineers were taught and trained during an era when technology wasn’t an option, which forced them to develop critical skills including:

· Problem-solving: Engineers have always been problem-solvers who can analyse, diagnose, and resolve complex issues, relying solely on their expertise, initiative, and experience.

· Creativity: They could generate, evaluate, and implement original ideas using traditional and modern tools.

· Mentorship: Because technology wasn’t as prevalent as it is today, most skilled engineers mentored and taught younger generations on the job, giving them tricks of the trade that aren’t widely known today.

· Ethics: With a passion for problem-solving, engineers prided themselves on ensuring solutions were safe, fair, and beneficial to society. They acted with integrity, responsibility, and accountability because it was in the country's best interest.

If engineering veterans are willing to offer their skills and expertise to government, firms, and institutions, we should consider welcoming input and assistance. This may help to minimise, or at least reduce, the impact of South Africa’s energy crisis.

Tips for companies and candidates

We recommend that firms, institutions, and companies:

· Look for engineering students, graduates, and candidates with skills in renewable energy, electrical engineering, and computer science.

· Consider approaching retired engineers with experience in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

· Offer competitive salaries and benefits to exceptional talent.

· Create a positive, supportive, and collaborative work environment.

· Prioritise professional development and growth opportunities for potential, new, and existing engineering employees.

If you’re an engineer interested in entering the energy sector:

· Consider developing your skills in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and demand response.

· Network with other engineers and professionals in the sector.

· Attend trade shows and conferences related to the energy sector.

· Keep your skills up-to-date by taking online courses, attending workshops, or doing internships.

Contact Network Recruitment for more insight into engineering recruitment and opportunities in the energy sector.

No-one wants to hire a bad egg

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 13:07:41 GMT

Here's why you shouldn't DIY candidates verification and screen

Hiring is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get…

Unless you carry out background checks. But even if you’re conducting verification and screening in-house, how can you be absolutely sure that candidates have the qualifications, experience, and skills they claim?

What’s more, do you - as a business owner, hiring manager, or HR professional - really have the time, resources, and expertise to conduct thorough background checks? Do you know how to access and interpret sources like education records, employment history, criminal records, and credit reports? Not to mention the legal and ethical rules of background screening, like data protection, privacy and consent.

Fact is, you could be doomed if you do and doomed if you don’t.

Screening someone in-house is like making friends online

Modern technology makes it incredibly easy to get an inside scoop into someone’s life - and even easier for people to hide themselves.

Social media, for example, allows us to connect with people worldwide but also creates a false sense of trust. We sometimes accept friend requests from strangers without verifying their identity, background, or intentions.

Similarly, screening someone in-house can be risky and inefficient.

Why you should outsource background verification services

Outsourcing verification and screening not only saves you time, money, and hassle but also ensures that you find the best talent.

Hiring someone without proper screening is like letting weeds grow and hoping they’ll make the garden look pretty. Soon they’ll outgrow other plants, suffocate them, and spread until your entire garden is ruined. You’ll have to start from scratch.

There’s a reason why employee verification exists in the first place. Some job-seekers are quite comfortable with deception; manipulating their CVs, potential employers, and even co-workers. Others are desperate and will do whatever it takes.

Our advice? Turn to an objective third party to do the verification. Here’s why:

1. Outsourcing simplifies processes and saves resources

Background checks require resources and manpower to collect, verify, and store data securely and efficiently.

When outsourcing, you only need to provide the basic candidate information; the service provider will handle the rest. They have advanced tools and methods of accessing and verifying data quickly and accurately. They’re also up-to-date with regulations, so you don’t need to worry about storing data correctly.

2. You get access to accurate, detailed information

How do you know if the information you’re receiving is reliable? A candidate can claim to have 50 contactable references, but you’ll have no idea you’re talking to a cousin, grandmother, or uncle.

Outsourcing companies have access to extensive databases and networks with accurate information on various aspects of a candidate’s background. Remember, they do this for a living and are good at spotting wolves among sheep. Once they’ve cross-checked information and flagged discrepancies, they’ll give you a detailed report of their findings and highlight the red flags.

3. Compliance and legal issues are handled for you

Several laws and regulations govern how background checks should be conducted, especially when it comes to data protection, privacy, consent, etc. As the person performing these checks, you must understand and follow local laws meticulously to avoid legal trouble or penalties.

Fortunately, knowledge of laws and regulations are part of the outsourcing agent’s job description. In fact, it’s part of the daily routine to follow these laws and standards while advising you on compliance before sharing or using the results.

4. Risk mitigation is built in, as a hygiene factor

One of the main reasons you’re conducting background checks is to mitigate the risks of hiring unqualified or unsuitable candidates. Apart from poor performance, theft, violence, legal cases, and sheer inconvenience, you also risk damaging your company’s reputation.

To say verification specialists have seen it all is an understatement. They can help you identify potential risks or issues before hiring a candidate and give you the full lowdown on the person’s qualifications, experience, skills, character, and integrity.

5. There is better confidentiality and data security

Screening someone is not just about protecting their personal and sensitive information. You also risk exposing your company’s information to unauthorised access, use, or disclosure. Pro providers have the correct systems and protocols to protect all parties using encryption, firewalls, passwords, and other security measures to keep data in the right hands. They also receive regular training on best practices, data protection, and privacy standards.

Need to verify candidates? Contact Network Recruitment for guidance on candidate screening, verification, and background checks.

Where are all the newly qualified developers?

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 12:55:31 GMT

Why finding and keeping skilled tech specialists feels harder than ever - and how to sharpen your IT staffing edge

The demand for skilled software developers is soaring, but the supply isn’t keeping up.

According to a recent BusinessTech article , businesses seem to be struggling to source talent for software development, technical and business architecture, database design, development and administration, systems analysis, data analysis and warehousing, and business analysis.

It turns out that finding and retaining qualified IT talent isn’t an easy task, especially in a competitive and globalised market.

If the world is so tech-driven, why is tech talent so scarce?

· Expensive and inaccessible education

Tertiary education isn’t readily available to those who can’t afford student loan repayments, top-of-the-range equipment or unpaid internships. And to make matters worse, those who finish their studies often need experience to prove themselves.

· Skills mismatch and gap

The rapid evolution of tech means that developers must constantly upskill themselves. But many developers struggle to keep up with the changing demands of the industry, creating a gap between what employers need and what candidates offer.

· Economic downturn

Many companies have reduced their hiring volumes, while others have increased their demand for remote and flexible workers. This has led to new challenges for candidates who may not have the high-tech tools to work remotely.

Then there’s the cost of being a competitive employer

To attract and retain top performers, companies need to make exceptional offers. This causes another catch-22: Qualified and experienced IT talent is hard to find, resulting in candidates being more demanding when it comes to salaries and benefits. In some cases, companies may be forced to choose between offering competitive salaries and benefits and not finding another developer for months.

Also, counter-offers may necessitate matching or beating other budgets.

We think there’s a solution. Well, two solutions.

One way to overcome the challenges and costs is to partner with recruitment companies that offer diverse costing models, like recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) or managed service provision (MSP). This way, you can find qualified developers faster, while reducing the risk of losing them to competitors.

Recruitment process outsourcing (RPO)

Ever wish you could ditch the hiring process and get on with the piles of other work? RPO lets you transfer all or part of your recruitment process to an external provider, whose job it is to take end-to-end care of candidate sourcing, screening, selection, and even onboarding.

RPO solutions outsource from offshore, nearshore, or onshore delivery centres and offer project or cost-based options, depending on your needs and budget.

Advantages of RPO include:

· Scalability: As technology and skills change, the provider adapts to your changing hiring needs.

· Cost savings: RPO lowers advertising, technology, training, and administration costs.

· Quality and efficiency: RPO providers have the skills, network, and tech to find the best candidates quicker.

Managed service provision (MSP)

What if you only need talent when and if you’re experiencing an influx of work or IT issues? MSPs focus on the temporary or contingent workforce. Like RPOs, they handle the entire process, although they focus primarily on flexible workers, like consultants, contractors, freelancers and the like.

Think of MSPs as liaisons who operate between you and staffing agencies, handling end-to-end management of the on-demand workforce for you, including tracking resources, time reporting, payroll, approvals, compliance. The whole nine yards.

Advantages of MSPs:

· Cost-savings: Their services are often more affordable than hiring a full-time employee.

· Predictability: You only pay a set amount monthly or annually.

· Flexibility and focus: Adjust your hiring capacity according to your business needs and market conditions, and let your internal team focus on more strategic tasks.

Less obvious ways to attract IT talent

Yes, competitive compensation packages are important. Yes, job ads should be clear and appealing. But there are two extra considerations when trying to appeal to tech specialists like developers:

1. Appeal to their values: Developers are often motivated by the impact and purpose of their work, the opportunity to learn new things, and access to cutting-edge technologies. Tell them about your company’s mission, values, and vision, and show them how they can make a difference.

2. Opportunities for creativity: Many developers are creative problem-solvers. Demonstrate to candidates that they can stretch their creative muscles in certain situations.

Contact Network Recruitment for assistance with finding IT talent or to discuss the ideal recruitment model for your business.

From bedrock to boardroom

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 12:38:54 GMT

Tapping into the DRC's mining engineering talent

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is Africa’s largest country and a significant player in the global mining sector. The country is currently witnessing an upswing in mining engineering recruitment, which is directly linked to the country’s vast mineral wealth, including cobalt, copper, diamonds, and other vital commodities.

According to Investing News Network , the DRC accounts for roughly 70% of global cobalt production, making it the world’s largest producer. As a result, the DRC drives the boom in electric vehicle (EV) and renewable energy industries globally.

A considerable portion of mining in the DRC is artisanal, meaning that it is done by hand, often in difficult and hazardous conditions. These operations, which are frequently informal, present significant social, environmental, and safety challenges.

Regarding education and skills, the DRC mining engineers market is becoming increasingly competitive.

Challenges in the DRC recruitment landscape

The DRC has a unique set of engineering recruitment, many of which stem from the nation’s socioeconomic and geopolitical context.

Some recruitment challenges in the DRC include:

Limited local talent pool: Despite the industry’s growth, there’s a relative lack of skilled local mining engineering professionals. The education system has struggled to produce graduates with the necessary qualifications and practical skills, which is why many businesses rely on foreign experts.
Insufficient infrastructure: Poor infrastructure, particularly in remote mining areas, can make attracting and retaining skilled personnel challenging. Difficult living conditions, unreliable transportation networks, and lack of amenities contribute to the lack of qualified talent in remote mining areas.
Political instability: The DRC’s history of political instability and occasional conflicts can create an uncertain operating environment. Legal and regulatory changes can affect the stability of operations and job security, potentially impacting the attractiveness of roles in the industry.
Health risks: The DRC has been impacted by several health crises, including Ebola outbreaks and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Artisanal mining competition: Many mining operations in the DRC are artisanal, often competing with industrial mining for labour and impacting wages, working conditions, and recruitment.
Environmental and social concerns: The mining sector is often criticised for its environmental and social impact. Potential recruits who are concerned with sustainability and ethical practices may hesitate to work in contexts where these issues are prevalent.

Investment in education, mining, and development

While numerous factors contribute to successful recruitment and skills development in the mining engineering sector, investment in education and training is arguably the most important.

Mining engineering is a highly specialised field, requiring extensive knowledge of geology, metallurgy, mineral processing, environmental management, and mine safety, among other disciplines. A solid fundamental education, supplemented with practical on-the-job training, is critical for individuals in the industry.

For a country like the DRC, where local talent in mining engineering is currently limited, investment in education and vocational training is a strategic long-term solution. This investment may take various forms, including educational programmes at universities, partnerships with academic institutions, apprenticeships, internships, and continuous professional development programmes in mining companies.

As a result, it’s essential to attract not only candidates with the right technical skills but also those with a passion for learning and growth in the field. Skills development programmes should focus on hard technical skills and soft skills training such as leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills. These are becoming increasingly important in the modern work environment and can significantly enhance the productivity and efficiency of teams in the mining engineering sector.

By investing in education and skills development, the DRC’s mining engineering sector can develop a robust talent pool, reduce dependency on foreign expertise, improve employment rates, and contribute to the growth of the country’s mining industry.

Want to recruit someone in or from the DRC?

Recruiting mining engineers in the DRC involves navigating the country’s labour laws and understanding specific hiring processes, including:

Standard 45-hour work weeks, with exceptions for longer hours in mining
Contracts that must include details such as the job’s nature, pay, working hours, and termination terms
Pay that must meet the DRC’s minimum wage, with employers held responsible for withholding and paying employees’ personal income tax
Congolese nationals to fill 70% of all roles within foreign-owned companies
Foreign nationals to have work permits approved by the Ministry of Labour
Employers to ensure a safe work environment, adhere to health and safety regulations, and provide safety training
Employees to be registered with the National Social Security Institute (INSS), with contributions made to the social security fund
Employers to respect workers’ rights, including union rights, especially given the scrutiny of labour rights in the mining sector
Investing in training programmes to help develop local talent and meet the local employment quota
Developing strategies to retain staff, such as providing competitive benefits and career development opportunities

The recruitment and skills development landscape of the DRC’s mining engineering sector has many unique opportunities and challenges, but the country’s immense mineral wealth offers significant economic growth and development potential.

Contact Network Recruitment for more information or advice about hiring talent in or from the DRC (or apply for a career in mining engineering).

A Tale of Courage: Felicity's Inspiring Path Through Breast Cancer

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 10:10:55 GMT

She lost herself in terror, and fear consumed her...

Felicity’s Story

1964 - Current

In June 2013, Felicity Munsamy was a proud, confident 52-year-old. Felicity was fortunate, as her employer’s wife, whom she was friends with, owned a medical centre, and Felicity was able to go for frequent health screenings and mammograms. She felt a lump in her breast, and it was painful to the touch.

She immediately asked for a screening test. A mass was detected, and a biopsy was sent off. It was cancer. Her breast had to be removed, with no time to spare. Along with this diagnosis came a heaviness, that seeped into the Munsamy family, her children, and grandchildren. One that, 10 years later still has them in its grip, enslaving them in limbo. She is neither sick nor well, simply in the in-between, along with all those who love her.

Simply put, Felicity was never the same. Her life can be divided into all that was before November 2016 and all that was after November 2016. She lost herself in terror, fear consumed her, and she started researching on Google, working herself into an absolute panic and distress, with this panic spreading into her family with far-reaching consequences. Those that had to be strong for her, were crippled with stress and worry.

Her right breast was removed and followed by an immediate reconstruction. Shortly after that, Felicity got the green light. She was cancer-free. However, Felicity herself was not free.

This may have been the end of a battle, what lies ahead was and still is a crippling psychological war that nobody seems to understand.

Felicity’s mind was altered. She no longer trusts her own body and is paranoid, nervous, and worries constantly about herself, her children, and her grandchildren. She expects the worst, and her fear is at times irrational. She truly feels that nobody understands her.

Her attitude about her physical appearance and state of health and wholeness has broken down. Her trust in her body has broken down. The changes in her appearance led to a negative body image and various psychological problems. Felicity’s paranoia about her health and that of her family is borderline obsessive. She is not living every day to the fullest, instead living in fear.

Cancer to her, was a thief.

The loss of her breast has had a dramatic impact on her body image, she is ashamed of her appearance, and perceived loss of femininity and body integrity.

For Felicity, the scale of the psychological reaction to the removal of a breast is very closely related to her sense of emotional wellness.

Felicity’s near-obsessive fear of her cancer returning may have her in her doctor’s room with every ache and pain, and it does not stop with her. She urges her children and grandchildren to go for regular check-ups.

While Felicity and her family members appreciate the hype that BCA campaigns create, and her daughter's own words, “I will wear pink, and smile and participate”, I sometimes just wish that someone would ask her “How are you doing”.

The result of her mastectomy was much more than a change in Felicity’s body image. Providing professional psychological support for the patients after mastectomy is overlooked. This discussion led us to believe that Felicity will benefit immensely from support groups of women (and men) who face the same difficulties and how much lighter a burden may feel if it is carried together.

Our wish is that Felicity’s story will evoke not only awareness of breast cancer itself but also the stigma, trauma, and psychological agony that lasts long after a patient is in remission. They are not well until they are mentally well. These women are alive, but not living.

For Felicity, mother of Premilla Calvin (Candidate Consultant, Network IT Recruitment)

Surviving the Storm: A Personal Journey Through Breast Cancer

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 10:06:16 GMT

A routine check-up that changed Hilda's life irrevocably in an instant.

Hilda's Story

1914 - 2000

On a Tuesday morning in 1976, a fiercely independent Hilda Loder, 62, mother of six young women, went for a normal routine checkup at Addington Hospital in Durban. Little did she know that her life was about to change irrevocably in an instant.

The Doctor discovered the unthinkable. Her left breast was bleeding from the nipple, and the hospital ran tests. Within a day the devastating diagnosis came, it was breast cancer, and she was booked into theatre for a mastectomy of the left breast the next day. There was no time to think, simply shock, and her daughter Lana, who was five months pregnant at the time, faced the possibility of losing her mom before her son came into the world. Lana and her five sisters were worried sick. The fear of the unknown, the uncertainty, and of course, in 1976, the stigma of “the big C”

What followed was sadly, worse. Hilda found herself questioning the world’s perception of femininity and struggling with her body image. While major advances were made in the 70s with the treatment of cancer with radiation, she was subjected to strong radiation for eighteen months, leaving her once soft olive complexion scarred, black, and peeling. Stiff joints, tiredness, dry mouth, and loss of appetite were the new normal. It made her very sick, and she struggled with depression and of course, the constant fear that the cancer would spread.

Hilda’s daughters lived in a state of unpredictability. Their mother was all they had, thoughts of losing her crossed Lana and her sister’s minds and left them panic-stricken and anxious. During this time Lana gave birth to her son, Nithia, and the joy of early motherhood was tangled with juggling emotions such as fear, worry, and uncertainty. Throughout this entire time, Hilda drew nearer and nearer to God and relied heavily on her faith and the support from the catholic church.

After five years, in 1979, Hilda went into remission. From her devastating diagnosis to the healing and transformation of her life, her faith kept her strong and guided her way. She was uplifted by the power of faith and family. She lived a further 24 years and passed away peacefully after receiving her last communion and sacrament from the Priest. She told her daughters what flowers she would like to have at her funeral and breathed her last breath on a Saturday morning in 2000, with her daughter at her bedside.

Today, Lana is 72. Nithia is 46 and his little sister Natasha, is 41. Although Natasha only knew Hilda for 18 years, she remembers her fondly as a kind granny, who let her plait her beautiful white hair. She was fluent in Xhosa and Zulu and loved to sing. Natasha grew up to be a naughty and feisty teenager, and a strong-willed, hard-working woman, reminiscent of the warrior her grandmother once was.

Lana’s advice to all women is not to be as stubborn as her precious mother. Hilda must have known something was amiss. All ladies need to check themselves regularly, early detection is important, if Hilda had been more gracious to her own body, and less strong-willed, she could have avoided losing her breast or prevented radiation. Draw nearer to God and your family.

For Hilda, granny of Natasha Tyron (Senior IT Recruitment Consultant, Network IT Recruitment)

The hidden job market

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 11:24:08 GMT

A double-edged sword or a modern hiring tool?

Looking for top talent? You have two options: post the job opening (online or in print) and wait for the applications to pour in from the wide world, or tap into your existing contacts or networks to find a suitable candidate without advertising.

Many companies opt for the latter: “the hidden job market”. This refers to jobs not publicly advertised but filled through word-of-mouth, networking, or internal referrals. Some estimates say that 70% of jobs in the hidden job market never go public.

But why do companies turn to the hidden job market in place of (or in addition to) traditional job postings? And how does this affect the quality, diversity, and fairness of the hiring process?

Here’s the thing: this concept can be a double-edged sword. Although it is a powerful tool to fill jobs quickly and efficiently, it offers up a range of challenges.

Why use the hidden job market?

· It saves time and money

Advertising and posting jobs can be expensive and time-consuming. You must pay for the platforms, write compelling job descriptions, screen and filter through hundreds of applications, and conduct first, second, and third interviews. But the hidden job market lets you focus on finding top talent that’s already interested, qualified, and recommended.

· It yields higher quality candidates

Candidates are more likely to fit the role and company culture well. They may have relevant skills, experience, and achievements that CVs or online profiles can’t fully capture. Additionally, they may already have a positive impression of your company, especially if they’re referred by someone they know and trust.

· Discretion and confidentiality

Ever needed to fill a sensitive or confidential position, replace a key employee or create an entirely new role – that you’re reluctant to announce publicly? Using the hidden job market can help you to avoid unwanted attention, speculation, or backlash from competitors, customers, or current employees.

Why avoid the hidden job market?

· It limits the candidate pool

By not advertising or posting jobs publicly, you risk missing out on talented candidates who aren’t aware of the opportunities or don’t have access to the networks connecting them to you. This may lead to a smaller and less diverse candidate pool.

· Legal and ethical issues

The hidden job market may expose you to potential legal or ethical issues, like discrimination, favoritism, nepotism, or conflict of interest. Always ensure you follow fair and transparent hiring practices that don’t violate any laws or regulations protecting equal opportunity and diversity.

· It restricts employer brand exposure

If you rely too much on the hidden job market, you may lose the chance to showcase your employer brand and value proposition to a broader audience.

What’s our advice?

When in doubt, stick to best practices. Here are some tips to consider:

1. Mix it up

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Use various methods to find and attract talent, including advertising on relevant platforms, attending events, hosting webinars, and creating content. This way, you can reach a larger and more diverse candidate pool and increase your chances of finding the best fit.

2. Leverage relationships

The hidden job market is based on trust and referrals. Tap into your network to find and attract candidates who aren’t actively looking for jobs or may not see public postings. Offer incentives or bonuses for employees who refer candidates or partner with reputable recruiting firms [TM1] with access to the ideal talent pools.

3. Connect broadly

Connect with potential candidates through social media, online forums, and industry events, and share information about your company culture, values, and goals. Remember to follow up with your contacts, to build trust and foster proactivity.

Treasure trove or trap?

Sure, the hidden job market can be a lifesaver if you want to find and fill jobs quickly without the hassle of advertising, but remember that relying solely on one recruitment method won’t nab you the golden nugget.

Use the hidden job market sparingly to complement other sources, and ensure your hiring process is fair, transparent, and compliant with relevant laws and regulations.

Most importantly, monitor and evaluate the outcome of your hiring methods so you can make adjustments if and where needed.

Or let us handle it all for you – using both traditional and hidden-job-market methods. Contact Network Recruitment for the best recruitment strategy for your business.

Want to make a career move?

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 12:36:12 GMT

The pros and cos of using the hidden job market

Ever wondered how jobs just fall into some people’s laps? It’s particularly frustrating when you apply for every possible position but don’t hear as much as a “Yes”, “No”, or “Thanks for your application”.

You may even wonder if there are any opportunities out there – or if you’re doomed to settle for a less-than-ideal job.

But what if there is a whole world of jobs you aren’t seeing? Jobs that aren’t advertised or posted publicly but instead filled through word-of-mouth, networking, and referrals.

Here’s the thing: There is a world of jobs below the surface. Hidden from most job seekers' eyes, they are accessible to those who know how to find them...

According to Eddy , over 85% of jobs are found through the hidden job market, which refers to jobs not advertised on career pages or social media. But accessing this market means you need to implement a few skills and strategies.

Benefits of the hidden job market

· Less competition

Because these listings aren’t widely shared, you’ll likely be up against a few other candidates as opposed to thousands of applicants, increasing your chances of getting noticed and hired.

· More jobs matching your skills and preferences

These positions may be more specific and tailored to your skills, experience, and interests – or offer more flexibility, autonomy, or growth potential. In other words, chances are higher that you’ll find a role that suits you.

· Employers’ trust

Hidden jobs are often filled through referrals or recommendations, so you’ll have more credibility and trust with employers. This can help you showcase your skills and qualifications and make negotiating terms easier.

· Greater variety

You can explore different industries, roles, or locations that may not be available in the open job market. For example, a job with added benefits like travel allowance, a company car, international opportunities, and study grants.

Challenges of the hidden job market

· More effort and initiative

These jobs aren’t easy to find, so you’ll have to put more effort and time into your job search. Remember to build and maintain your network, reach out to potential employers, and follow up regularly.

· More uncertainty and ambiguity

You may not know precisely what employers are looking for, what the hiring process is like, or what the status of your application is. The worst part? Dealing with possible rejection or silence from your contacts or employers.

· It can be more risky

Hidden jobs aren’t necessarily regulated or verified, so you need to be careful not to fall for scams or unethical practices that could damage your career or put you in danger.

But where is the hidden market?

1. Look within

Look for internal opportunities if you’re happy with your current company but want to change roles or departments. Many companies prefer hiring internally as it saves time and money. Connect with people on other teams and ask about open spots.

2. Reach out to existing contacts

Ask friends, family, former colleagues, mentors, clients, or vendors for referrals. You can also ask them for formal introductions to their contacts.

3. Join networking groups

Connect with online communities, social media groups, offline events, workshops, or seminars related to the industry or profession you’re interested in. These groups usually offer trends, insights, and opportunities, so participate in discussions.

4. Join organisations

Associations, societies, clubs, or unions offer membership benefits like training courses, certifications, job boards, or newsletters that help keep you updated and relevant in your field. These organisations generally have influential people who can open doors for you.

5. Stay active on social media

LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube allow you to display your personality, portfolio, and achievements and engage with other influencers. Remember to use hashtags, keywords, or tags to optimise your profile and posts.

6. Connect with recruiters

Head-hunters, staffing firms, executive search firms, and career coaches can access hidden jobs matching your skills and preferences, while giving you feedback and guidance throughout the hiring process.

7. Contact employers directly

Although it seems terrifying, contacting companies directly is a proactive approach to finding potential opportunities. Research and identify companies in your preferred industry, location, and niche, and send them a compelling email that introduces yourself, explains your interest, and highlights your value proposition.

8. Try volunteering

There’s little as powerful as making a positive impact while gaining experience and exposure. Volunteering opportunities can include non-profit organisations, charities, foundations, or causes that need your skills or expertise. This develops your knowledge and builds your network and reputation.

Want to try your hand at the hidden job market? We can help. Connect with us. .

Why ASSA & Network Recruitment are Your Allies

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 11:09:25 GMT

Navigating the Actuarial Landscape: Insights, Opportunities, and Unparalleled Support

The ever-changing actuarial science field brings with it new challenges, trends, and possibilities. And there is no better venue to immerse yourself in this ever-changing world than the ASSA Annual Convention. If you're still debating whether to attend, we're here to shed some light on what's in store for you and how collaborating with Network Recruitment can help you further your career.

1. The ASSA Benefit:

• Seeking the Best Advice: Seminars are led by industry leaders at the ASSA Annual Convention. Get firsthand insights and expertise on everything from new approaches to global trends to stay ahead of the competition.

• Networking Opportunities: It's not just about numbers! Meet with potential collaborators, mentors, and peers. Contacts made on this page may lead to future initiatives or opportunities.

• Creative Workshops: Prior experience is required. Participate in programs designed to develop your skills and provide you with hands-on experience with current industry issues.

2. The Networking Advantage:

• Tailored Benefits: We don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Network Recruitment spends time learning about your abilities, interests, and ambitions. Our goal is to connect you with opportunities that align with your professional goals.

• Industry Insight: We have our finger on the Actuarial pulse, we can advise you on current market trends, salary standards, and in-demand talents. We believe that knowledge is power, and we want to help you get it.

• Ethical Recruitment: We have built our reputation on transparency and trust. We treat all applicants with dignity and respect, facilitating a smooth transition whether you are moving jobs or entering the market for the first time.

• Post-Recruitment Assistance: Our relationship does not end when you accept a position. We provide ongoing assistance to facilitate a smooth transition into your new employment.

3. ASSA's 'Extra' with Network Recruitment:

In keeping with our commitment to provide unique experiences, we've included some fun this year! At our booth, we guarantee a blend of nostalgia and networking inspired by famous 1980s experiences. It's more than just a series of debates; it's an unforgettable experience.

The actuarial world is full of challenges, but it can be transformed into a road of growth, learning, and achievement with the right allies. Whether you're a seasoned actuary or a beginner, the combination of ASSA's extensive offerings and Network Recruitment's devoted support is unrivalled.

Join ASSA’s 50 ^th Annual Convention and let's pave the way to your actuarial success together. Your journey to greatness begins here.

Unlocking Success: Expert Tips for Actuarial professional Job Seekers at the ASSA Annual Convention

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 11:06:42 GMT

Mastering the Actuarial Interview: Stand Out with Network Recruitment's Insider Insights

Over the years, Network Recruitment has interviewed many Actuarial Professionals and discovered significant traits that make candidates stand out during the interview process.

Here are a few examples:

1. Demonstrate your technical expertise: Actuarial jobs require excellent technical skills, so be prepared to demonstrate your command of statistical modelling, data analysis, and risk assessment.

2. Highlight your problem-solving abilities: Actuarial experts are solvers of issues by nature. During the interview, discuss how you have overcome difficult obstacles and delivered distinctive solutions in previous job or academic assignments.

3. Effective communication: Actuarial practitioners are usually called upon to deliver difficult information to non-technical stakeholders. Demonstrate your ability to communicate technical concepts clearly and concisely, as well as your experience working in cross-functional teams.

4. Demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning: Actuarial science is a rapidly evolving profession. Employers value candidates that are committed to staying up to date on industry trends and achievements. Include any professional certifications, continuing education, or membership in actuarial organisations or communities.

Network Recruitment, for example, must employ effective methods to attract top talent in a competitive job market. Network Recruitment establishes itself as a trusted partner for Actuarial Professional job seekers by creating appealing job advertisements, utilising social media, and displaying knowledge at industry conventions. Similarly, Actuarial job candidates can benefit from Network Recruitment's interviewing recommendations to help them stand out during the interview process. Employers and applicants that follow these rules will be able to successfully traverse the actuarial world.

Re-thinking traditional recruitment

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 10:21:00 GMT

Is your hiring process as up-to-date and effective as it could be?

If you’re a hiring manager or recruiter, chances are you have a set of standard interview questions. You may ask, “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” Or “Tell me about yourself,” You may also rely solely on a CV, references, or qualifications if you’re under enormous time pressures.

But are these interview questions and recruitment techniques still relevant and practical today? Are they getting a little tired? Are they missing something?

According to some, the “conventional way” of recruiting may fail to capture the candidate’s actual competencies, talents, and potential for cultural fit. Worse, they may waste time or resources for both employers and candidates.

What experts say

The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2023 predicts that, by 2027, 40% of the core skills required for an occupation will change and 97 million new roles will emerge, characterised by new ways of working for humans, machines, and algorithms.

Unsurprisingly, the report also highlights the need for diverse recruitment practices.

A critical review of various recruitment techniques reveals that traditional methods of evaluation, like CVs and references, may be prone to biases or even errors. The review suggests that assessments, simulations, and gamification may provide more accurate and fair results for both employers and candidates.

To the questions

Emotional maturity (EQ) should feature in your questioning. For example, hiring an IT genius with a long list of qualifications is great, but what if a cyber-attack happens? Will the person be able to deal with the threat, physically and emotionally?

Alternative recruitment techniques include:

· Work simulations

Give the candidate a task similar to what they would do on the job and observe how they complete it. This way, you can evaluate their technical skills, creativity, quality of work, and time management.

· Virtual reality (VR)

Use VR communication to create an immersive interview experience. Meet candidates in three-dimensional spaces, introduce them to the environment, and show them the workplace culture to give them realistic insight into the company.

· Pre-interview prep

Send the candidate a list of questions before the interview to help them prepare, calm their nerves, and feel more confident to have a conversation as opposed to an interrogation.

· Gamify the interaction

Ask the candidate to play an interactive game with employees or try open-ended job posts that allow them to propose their own projects that show initiative and skills.

Possible questions might include:

1. Tell me about a time you had to work closely with a team member or colleague who had a different perspective or working style. How did you handle the situation, and what was the outcome? This question evaluates teamwork, communication, and adaptability.

2. What is the most interesting technical problem you've encountered recently, and how did you go about solving it? This question assesses a candidate's passion for their field and their problem-solving abilities.

3. Can you share an example of a time when you had to prioritise multiple tasks or projects with tight deadlines? How did you manage your time and ensure everything was completed successfully? This question evaluates time management, organisation, and the ability to handle pressure.

4. Describe a situation where you had to explain a complex technical concept to a non-technical stakeholder or client. How did you ensure effective communication? This question assesses communication skills and the ability to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical individuals.

5. Tell me about a project or initiative outside of work that you're passionate about. How do you balance your personal interests with your professional responsibilities? This question provides insight into a candidate's interests, passions, and work-life balance.

6. What books, blogs, or podcasts related to your field do you regularly follow or recommend? This question helps determine a candidate's commitment to continuous learning and staying updated in their field.

Tips to get you started

The best approach will depend on your specific needs. But we have a few extra tips:

· Follow up on responses to your questions, with further questions that enable you to delve deeper into their experiences and insights.

· Review the CV, profile, application, and social media accounts for more insight - and to avoid asking for information they’ve already provided.

· Coordinate with other interviewers on your team. Share your interview questions, ask for feedback, and evaluate the criteria to ensure a consistent and fair process.

· Remember to sell your brand and company culture. Highlight the benefits and opportunities of working for and alongside you, showcase your values and vision, and be ready to address any questions or concerns.

Contact Network Recruitment for advice about hiring (or to apply for your next job).

Communication after the job application

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 09:58:45 GMT

What to expect and what not to expect when you’ve applied for a position

You’ve applied for your dream job and you eagerly await a response. An hour goes by, then a day, then a week… How long should you wait? And how should you follow up? Email? Phone? No follow-up at all?

In an ideal world, you get a personalised response within a day: "Thank you for reaching out, [your name]. Your CV looks good. Chances are good that you’ll be shortlisted. Please wait for us to get back to you.”

But this is not an ideal world. In reality, you’re likely to get an automated message thanking you for applying and asking you to wait. Unfortunately, when it comes to CV submissions, no news is usually bad news.

Getting a response depends on the stage of the hiring process, the method of communication, and the general best practices in the country where you’re applying. Here’s what to expect and what not to expect when you’ve applied for a position.

When to follow up on a job application

First, consider the timing. You don’t want to follow up too soon or too late because both could affect your chances of getting hired. Remember, employers receive hundreds, if not thousands, of applications per position.

On the other hand, if interview proceedings have been initiated or there’s contact from a recruiter, you can and should expect updates, communication, or direction.

If you haven’t heard back after an interview, follow up after three to five days. Remind them of your interest in the role, ask for feedback, and inquire about their decision timeline. Still no response? Then, as they say, “consider it unsuccessful”.

Why employers don’t respond to candidates

As the candidate, you already have an emotional attachment to the position. For example, you may really need the job and feel a sense of desperation or anxiety, or it’s your dream job, and you’re filled with anticipation and excitement.

But to the employer, there’s significantly less emotion attached – especially if they aren’t in a hurry to fill the position or they get huge amounts of applications.

Here are some reasons you may hear *crickets*:

· Time: They just don’t have it. The hiring process involves multiple stakeholders and procedures, so the recruiter may not have the capacity to respond quickly.

· Changed plans or priorities: Employers often face unexpected developments that affect their hiring needs, like budget cuts, restructuring, or external events. They may put a position on hold, fill it with an internal candidate, eliminate the role, or realise they want to change the job description.

· Disinterest: Although disappointing, you may not be as suitable or qualified for the role as you thought you were. In this case, shake it off and keep trying.

· Fear of legal issues: Some employers may avoid giving feedback or rejection letters because they may fear that you’ll misinterpret feedback as discriminatory, biased, or unfair and expose them to legal risks.

· Plain rudeness: This is the least acceptable reason, but it’s also possible that some recruiters lack communication skills or empathy and choose to ghost you instead of explaining. Not ideal, we know. We don’t like it either.

Tips for candidates include:

1. Follow up: Send a thank-you email within 24 hours of the interview or conversation with the recruiter, and ask about the next steps.

2. Respect the process: Understand that it takes time. Don’t bombard the employer with emails or calls.

3. Be flexible: Keep your options open and be ready to respond to any extra requests from the employer, like additional references.

4. Positivity is contagious: Don’t take rejection personally or burn bridges; ask for constructive feedback and learn from each experience.

And, if you’re a recruiter or employer, we have a few tips for you too:

1. Time is critical: A good rule of thumb is to follow up on an interview within 24 hours or the next business day. Keep candidates informed about their application status and the next steps in the process.

2. Be clear: Use simple and direct language, avoid jargon and slang, and highlight factors you feel are most important, like cultural fit, flexibility, attention to detail, etc.

3. Be professional: Treat candidates courteously and respectfully, regardless of the application outcome. Thank them for their time and interest.

4. Constructive feedback: Give honest feedback, both positive and negative, and provide specific examples of their strengths and weaknesses. Try to be transparent about the reason for your decision.

Kenya's FinTech Future

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 08:32:35 GMT

The rising demand for financial talent in Kenya

The dynamic and diverse Kenyan economy makes remarkable strides across different sectors, with the financial industry, in particular, playing a pivotal role in the country’s overall economic growth.

This is evident in the evolving recruitment landscape.

In Kenya, increasing economic activity has initiated the demand for skilled financial personnel in roles ranging from data analysts to risk and compliance officers and digital finance experts. In fact, the Kenyan FinTech sector set a new record in 2022, with $158m capital raised, further intensifying the demand for top talent.

Challenges in the Kenyan recruitment landscape

No country is without its challenges and Kenya, like many other countries, faces a skills gap when it comes to financial and digital technology. What’s more, the demand for employment far exceeds available employment opportunities.

Recruitment challenges in Kenya include:

An immense youth population: A 2019 census shows that 75% of Kenyans are aged 35 or under, which has led to many graduates and youths entering the workforce. However, there aren’t enough employment opportunities to accommodate this pool of candidates, often resulting in limited exposure for younger job seekers when compared to more experienced candidates.

Regulatory rigidity: Employers recruiting in Africa tend to grapple with stringent governmental regulations. For instance, the Kenyan government has strict mandates on which companies may offer employee severance pay if staff members are retrenched, ultimately making hiring and termination expensive while limiting access to formal job opportunities.

Gender constraints: Government-imposed regulations and obstacles limit women’s participation in the workforce. Certain jobs remain inaccessible to women and limitations are imposed on their working hours. These restrictions hamper recruitment efforts, reducing the pool of potential applicants and curbing employment opportunities.

A weak formal sector: Most Kenyans work in the informal job market, including agriculture and trade. As a result, many top-talent candidates opt to freelance to prevent being taken advantage of in the informal job market.

Battle for high-quality talent: Despite the youthful population, there is a significant gap in the skills and experience required by employers. Highly skilled and experienced talent tends to be quickly absorbed by multinational corporations, particularly in the technology sector.

Long-winded recruitment: Hiring in Kenya is often drawn out, demanding considerable time from HR. On average, recruiters dedicate 18 hours exclusively to CV screening and an additional 19 hours to interviews. Combine 30 hours of recruiting with the sheer volume of applicants, and you have no time or budget left.

Light at the end of the “Silicon Savannah”

Kenya’s capital and largest city, Nairobi, is often called the “Silicon Savannah” - a nod to California’s “Silicon Valley” - for its unique blend of tech and local culture. The city has many FinTech start-ups and has attracted investment from around the world.

Like Silicon Valley, Nairobi is a centre for developing and exploring new technological ideas, including mobile money platforms like M-PESA and innovative tech companies like BRCK .

The city also has places like iHub , where people can collaborate and innovate. This, combined with the city’s young and energetic workforce, adds to Nairobi’s status.

Want to recruit someone in or from Kenya?

Kenya has a “Vision 2030” long-term development blueprint, intending to nurture top talent development and balance the scale between the formal and informal sectors.

Here are some tips to consider when recruiting talent in and from Kenya:

1. Get to know the country

In Kenya, non-residents need a work permit, with different classes available based on the nature of work and qualifications. In addition, according to the Employer Act 2007, jobs over three months must have written contracts outlining wages, duties, leave, and termination notices. Probation periods should not exceed six months, with at least one month’s notice for termination during this period.

The country also has a variable minimum wage and a maximum 52-hour workweek. Employers must contribute to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) for their employees.

Lastly, termination rules require a fair reason, notice, and severance pay.

2. A note for FinTech recruiters

Because Kenya is a leader in mobile money technology, candidates with experience in FinTech and digital financial services are particularly valuable. Technical skills such as accounting, financial analysis, risk management, and knowledge of finance-specific software are also essential. Also, consider the candidate’s adaptability to a rapidly evolving financial sector and commitment to continuous learning.

Candidates should understand Kenya’s financial regulations, including the regulatory sandbox introduced by the Capital Markets Authority for testing financial technology solutions.

Final thoughts

Kenya's current finance recruitment state mirrors the country's broader economic growth, digitalisation trends, and socio-cultural shifts. Although challenges persist, the future is optimistic, with projected growth in the sector and an increasing focus on diversity and technology integration.

Contact Network Recruitment for more information or advice about hiring talent in or from Kenya (or apply for your next big career opportunity).

Digging deep for specialists

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 08:18:59 GMT

Unearthing mining engineering talent in the Ivory Coast

The Ivory Coast or Côte d'Ivoire is rich in oil, natural gas, and minerals. As a result, there is a significant demand for mining engineering specialists in the field, leading to a high reliance on foreign talent.

The mining sector, particularly gold mining, contributes significantly to the country’s economy. In fact, it is one of Africa's largest producers of gold. This thriving sector has led to increased job creation but has also highlighted a gap in sufficiently trained local professionals.

To bridge this gap, the government and the private sector have invested in education and training, with local universities introducing advanced degree programmes in mining engineering to increase local talent.

Challenges in the Ivory Coast recruitment landscape

Despite the sector’s success, there’s still a notable deficiency in mining engineers and recruitment challenges in the mining engineering profession include:

A skills shortage: A fundamental problem is the lack of skilled mining engineers. There aren’t enough trained local professionals to meet the industry’s demand, largely due to a skills development deficiency.

Skills gaps: Historically, the Ivory Coast’s education system has lacked specialised programmes for mining engineering, contributing to skills gaps. Although efforts are underway to bolster educational programmes, it will take time for these initiatives to yield a significant number of trained professionals.

International recruitment difficulties: While hiring foreign professionals can help address the skills shortage, it also brings its own challenges, including the need for competitive compensation packages, cultural and language differences, and potential legal or visa issues.

Gender issues: The mining industry is traditionally male-dominated, and addressing gender imbalances in the profession remains challenging.

Rapid tech advancements: The mining industry increasingly relies on advanced technologies, such as AI, machine learning, and robotics. As a result, it is a challenge to find professionals who are sufficiently tech-savvy.

Sustainability: As the global focus on sustainable mining practices intensifies, it becomes increasingly important for mining engineers to understand and apply principles of ecological sustainability. However, finding appropriate experts is difficult, because of inadequate skills development.

Ready for golden opportunities

Gold has been the fastest-growing sector in the Ivory Coast’s mining industry, with exports increasing significantly over the last decade. As a result, the country has attracted significant foreign investment, with several global mining companies having set up operations in the Ivory Coast.

Besides gold, the Ivory Coast has substantial reserves of other minerals, including manganese, nickel, and bauxite. Recognising the need for local mining expertise, the government has invested in education and training; Felix Houphouet-Boigny University offers advanced degree programmes in mining engineering.

Want to recruit someone in or from the Ivory Coast?

According to Lexology , 73.2% of the Ivory Coast’s workforce is composed of young people and hiring is governed by several laws and regulations, including:

· Labour laws

The Ivory Coast’s Labour Code provides the overarching framework for all employment matters, including hiring. It has several rules concerning working hours, wages, leave, and termination. Be sure to familiarise yourself with these provisions to ensure compliance.

· Hiring locals vs expats

Employers in the Ivory Coast are encouraged to prioritise the employment of Ivorian citizens. According to Article 23.2 of the Labour Code, employers must justify hiring a foreigner by demonstrating that no local candidates have the necessary skills or qualifications for the job.

· Money and benefits

In addition to minimum wage requirements, employers must provide certain benefits, such as paid leave, maternity leave, and social security contributions. In a competitive field like mining engineering, offering a competitive package with additional benefits is key to attracting top talent.

· Employment contracts

Employment contracts can be for a fixed term, an indefinite term, or a specific task or project. Mining companies often employ a mix of contract types depending on the role, project timeline, and whether the employee is local or foreign.

Final thoughts

Developing advanced degree programmes in mining engineering is a significant step toward reducing the skills gap in the Ivory Coast’s mining sector. From a recruitment perspective, it presents an excellent opportunity for Ivorian professionals to enter the industry, giving access to a larger pool of local candidates with a deep understanding of the country’s mining landscape.

This can reduce the need for international recruitment, save on work permits and relocation costs, and help companies comply with local hiring laws. What’s more, employing local talent can foster community relationships, which is crucial in the mining sector. As these initiatives continue to grow, companies recruiting in and from the Ivory Coast can expect a more vibrant, diverse mining engineering workforce.

Contact Network Recruitment for more information or advice related to hiring talent in or from the Ivory Coast (or apply to unearth a golden career opportunity).

From bedrock to boardroom

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 07:23:53 GMT

Tapping into the DRC's mining engineering talent

Regarding education and skills, the DRC mining engineers market is becoming increasingly competitive.

Challenges in the DRC recruitment landscape

The DRC has a unique set of engineering recruitment, many of which stem from the nation’s socioeconomic and geopolitical context.

Some recruitment challenges in the DRC include:

Limited local talent pool: Despite the industry’s growth, there’s a relative lack of skilled local mining engineering professionals. The education system has struggled to produce graduates with the necessary qualifications and practical skills, which is why many businesses rely on foreign experts.

Insufficient infrastructure: Poor infrastructure, particularly in remote mining areas, can make attracting and retaining skilled personnel challenging. Difficult living conditions, unreliable transportation networks, and lack of amenities contribute to the lack of qualified talent in remote mining areas.

Political instability: The DRC’s history of political instability and occasional conflicts can create an uncertain operating environment. Legal and regulatory changes can affect the stability of operations and job security, potentially impacting the attractiveness of roles in the industry.

Health risks: The DRC has been impacted by several health crises, including Ebola outbreaks and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Artisanal mining competition: Many mining operations in the DRC are artisanal, often competing with industrial mining for labour and impacting wages, working conditions, and recruitment.

Environmental and social concerns: The mining sector is often criticised for its environmental and social impact. Potential recruits who are concerned with sustainability and ethical practices may hesitate to work in contexts where these issues are prevalent.

Investment in education, mining, and development

While numerous factors contribute to successful recruitment and skills development in the mining engineering sector, investment in education and training is arguably the most important.

Want to recruit someone in or from the DRC?

Recruiting mining engineers in the DRC involves navigating the country’s labour laws and understanding specific hiring processes, including:

· Standard 45-hour work weeks, with exceptions for longer hours in mining

· Contracts that must include details such as the job’s nature, pay, working hours, and termination terms

· Pay that must meet the DRC’s minimum wage, with employers held responsible for withholding and paying employees’ personal income tax

· Congolese nationals to fill 70% of all roles within foreign-owned companies

· Foreign nationals to have work permits approved by the Ministry of Labour

· Employers to ensure a safe work environment, adhere to health and safety regulations, and provide safety training

· Employees to be registered with the National Social Security Institute (INSS), with contributions made to the social security fund

· Employers to respect workers’ rights, including union rights, especially given the scrutiny of labour rights in the mining sector

· Investing in training programmes to help develop local talent and meet the local employment quota

· Developing strategies to retain staff, such as providing competitive benefits and career development opportunities

Contact Network Recruitment for more information or advice about hiring talent in or from the DRC (or apply for a career in mining engineering).

Network Recruitment CFO shares his Turn-around Toolkit

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 13:49:31 GMT

Talking with CFO, Zubair Samrod speaks about the CFO turn-around toolkit

When you think of the term “Chief Financial Officer (CFO)”, an Excel spreadsheet and calculator are likely the first elements that come to mind.

Indeed, a CFO is responsible for interpreting the numbers – but there’s more to it than crunching numbers and consolidating figures.

CFOs must understand the industry, people, trends, and forecasts before making sense of the numbers, especially in the context of a turn-around.

But what exactly is a turn-around? And where does the CFO fit in?

Re-structuring how we face challenges
Turn-around is the objective when an organisation, in an unfavourable financial position, enters financial recovery. For example, the Covid-19 pandemic presented challenges that leaders hadn’t previously been exposed to or, initially felt equipped to handle, causing financial distress.

This black swan event made many of us realise that you can study a method for years, but when the mandate changes, you have to mitigate risks that were never previously relevant, to support the success of the turn-around strategy.

Reasons for a turn-around include:

A shift in market demand
New competitors
Economic shifts
Unsuccessful commercial decisions
Ineffective management

This process involves revisiting the company’s strategies, margins, target market and cost bases to reverse the damage.

It takes a village to achieve a turn-around
A turn-around typically has many moving parts and is a collaboration between CFO and senior management. It is essential for that senior management to play as large a role as the CFOby tracking and understanding the numbers at an operational level.

But what happens when there’s a gap between the CFO and senior management?

1. Conflicting views

There must be holistic buy-in for a turn-around to work. The process gets complicated when a strategy makes commercial sense to the CFO, but the team sees it differently. Pushback can cause conflict, which negatively impact the outcome.

2. Directional discord

There’s no point in a turn-around process when synergies are absent, and people head in different directions. The key to implementing change is to move as a collective, communicate effectively, and make data-driven decisions.

3. Contextual difficulties

Situations don’t always allow for radical structural changes at a specific time, which is why timing, staging, and testing are critical for any successful turn-around.

4. Communication barriers

CFOs may struggle to communicate in layman’s terms, while senior managers may struggle with financial terms. This is why both CFOs and senior managers must try to ‘speak both’ to ensure that all parties are on the same page.

The CFO turn-around toolkit
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to a turn-around, and CFOs and senior managers must work together to remove the noise and re-unite the company. In the interim, there are a few skills that underpin a CFO’s success in a turn-around.

1. Tap into your experience

If you’re a CFO, chances are you have a solid background in Finance. So, leverage off that experience and industry knowledge to develop the right strategies for the business. Once your team recognises your confidence and credibility, they’re more likely to consider your approaches.

2. Be flexible in your thinking

Now is not the time to stay in your comfort zone. After all, comfort zones place companies in tricky situations in the first place. While driving down costs and increasing margins are important, you must also focus on getting the business into the right position for the next 3-5 years, which may require short-term sacrifices.

3. Unite all the solid thinkers

Call on those who form part of the solution to help you in the turn-around process. This includes the CEO and senior managers who have the authority to make decisions, guide employees, and cut ties with unnecessary resources that compromise profits. When interacting with senior teams, it’s also important to balance the harsh realities with a solution focused approached.

4. Think on your feet

Merely having data isn’t sufficient. A turn-around also requires research and analysis to make data-driven decisions while responding to new challenges.

5. Numbers and people

Numbers only have meaning because of people so, if the company is sliding, look behind the numbers to identify areas with potential, stay positive and don’t automatically default to the R-word (retrenchment).

As a finance professional there are multiple opportunities to make an impact and, once you have implemented a successful turn-around strategy, you will experience unparalleled personal and professional satisfaction.

Where are all the newly qualified CA(SA)s?

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 11:05:24 GMT

The CA(SA) talent pipeline is experiencing an explosive market shift, with international companies dipping their toes into the South African CA(SA) candidate pool.

Sure, this is great news for CA(SA)’s looking to find golden opportunities – but where does it leave the South African talent pipeline? We’ll tell you: Under pressure.

A rock or a hard place for SA corporates and audit firms

It’s no secret that South Africa faces a significant talent and skills shortage. Various industry reports reveal an influx of top CA(SA)’s leaving our workforce for different pastures. What’s more, many businesses underestimate this shift in the market and prioritize cost of a hire over the price of an empty seat.

Let’s take a brief look at the factors driving this market shift.

1. Global opportunities

South Africans have an excellent reputation when it comes to work ethic and competency, this coupled with mastery of the English language has translated into global companies headhunting them with international opportunities and hybrid or work-from-anywhere business models.

2. The ITC exam

According to The Citizen , there’s been an alarming 24% drop in candidates writing the ITC exam. This has two main causes:

· Declining matric math results impacting the volume of candidates entering accounting streams in university.

· Students are struggling to adapt to the combination of online and live learning.

3. Online learning

While e-learning increased efficiencies for some South African students, it had the opposite effect on others. Those facing challenges in their living environments or, with insufficient access to online resources and tech devices are struggling.

4. Increased salaries

The median salary for a newly qualified CA(SA) has increased by 20% to 25%, causing talent to decline job offers below their (new) desired income level. This leaves many South African businesses unable to afford new talent.

As a knock-on from these four factors, South African businesses experience:

· Excessive staff turnover

· Declining retention rates

· Unaffordable skilled talent

· Competition with international employers

The pursuit of greener grass

According to BusinessTech , SA’s latest Critical Skills List includes key finance and banking jobs lost to international employers. Many young professionals believe that international opportunities provide a platform to progress and achieve long-term goals.

Unfortunately for local businesses, South Africa’s socio-economic challenges and weak exchange rate only serve to make international work more attractive for young professionals. So… how do we keep our top performers?

It becomes critical to step back and evaluate the primary why’s, what’s, and how’s of talent acquisition and retention:

· Why are top CA(SA)’s leaving? Opportunities and financial benefits

· What is the challenge? Finding top talent before they join international companies

· How do we attract them? Invest in employer brand image, review traditional talent acquisition structures, and make a targeted effort to understand employee needs which requires humility from the employer.

There’s a silver lining

Although we don’t want to see our top CA(SA) talent leaving South Africa, there are benefits to them having international experience as they transfer their skills and perhaps, even mentor, the next generation when they return.

Our best advice for you

1. Remember face to face engagements

We can’t emphasise enough the importance of prioritising face to face interactions. Living behind a screen can make an employer feel “not real”, a job feel “not real”, relationships feel “not real”. The connection between employer and candidate/talent is best established in real time, in real life.

2. Invest in your employer brand image

You can’t attract and retain talent with basic job offers and benefits. Even worse is offering what seems like a golden opportunity and not delivering on that promise.

So don’t hint about an exciting career path and consistent development opportunities. Be explicit

Top talent join organizations that operate with the same performance orientation as the talent they are searching for. If you want top talent, make sure you position your brand, and the job offer, as the best possible choice for them.

3. Plan and pipeline

Talent planning and pipelining are no longer nice-to-haves; it is imperative to understand the cost of talent versus the price of shorting it. When more people leave the company than enter it, a business is faced with new challenges, like being understaffed and overworked, losing staff due to burnout, and eventually losing clients.

However, with desired talent in the pipeline, you have an arsenal of potential employees ready and waiting for you to hire them.

This will position you as a competitive employer of choice, support your access to top talent when needed, and decrease your risk of being understaffed and unable to deliver on key business outcomes.

4. Tap into talent resource support

Talent pipelining and planning is a key pillar in any organisation, but you need to stay at the forefront of market changes – and not be caught in the tail end.

Assess the value of your internal structures as well as that of your external talent partnerships. The perspective on and demand from this key support has become more complex than just the traditional issue of cost control.

At Network Recruitment, we specialise in sourcing and placing top global financial talent. This is how we put you one step ahead in the candidate’s mind.

New audit reporting standard

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 13:35:43 GMT

South Africa and the world recently saw one of the most significant changes in the audit sector with the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board’s (IAASB) recent project to improve the current audit report by enhancing its communicative value.

The expected benefits of the revised standards are an increase in the transparency and informational value of the auditor’s report.

The audit report, as we know it, was standardised and provided very little information to the users’ of the financial statements about the issues that were of concern to the auditor during the audit. But this has changed with the new audit reporting standards, which became effective for financial periods ending on or after 15 December 2016.

While the manner in which audits will be performed will not change, communications with those charged with governance (TCWG) and documentation of significant auditor judgements will become more important during the audit process.

These measures are expected to increase the users’ perception of audit quality and increase the confidence of the users of the financial statements, in the audit process as well as the audited financial statements.

Important changes

The most notable modification to the new audit report is the change in format. The audit opinion is now at the beginning of the report to emphasise its prominence.

ISA 700 Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements prescribes that the first section of the audit report includes the “Opinion” paragraph directly followed by the “Basis of Opinion” paragraph.

The descriptions of the auditors’ responsibilities is enhanced and an affirmative statement is included about the auditors’ independence and compliance with the relevant ethical requirements.

The new auditor’s report includes enhanced reporting on a company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The responsibilities of management with regards to going concern is now clearly stated in the audit report and the report allows for specific commentary about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern.

The most significant change to how and what is communicated in the auditor’s report, is the introduction of ISA 701 Communicating Key Audit Matters in the Independent Auditor’s Report.

This applies to the audits of complete sets of financial statements of listed entities or when required by law or regulation. Currently, the Council for Medical Schemes is the only regulator who has announced the requirement to include key audit matters (KAMs) in the auditor’s report. It is likely that more regulators will adopt this in the near future.

Key audit matters and their impact

Although the auditor has the ultimate responsibility to implement the changes, the introduction of KAMs may affect other stakeholders as well.

Management will need to ensure that all disclosures in the financial statements are adequate and complete. The KAMs may now make reference to such disclosures in the financial statements.

Should the KAM refer to disclosure, TCWG and the auditor should be aware of the fact that the KAM should not include new information and should merely refer to information already disclosed in the financial statements.

King IV, launched in November 2016, recommends that the audit committee discloses significant matters considered in relation to the annual financial statements and how these were addressed by the committee.

The inclusion of KAMs would require considerable attention and effective communication between the more senior members of the audit team and TCWG.

To ensure that all relevant stakeholders realise the benefits of these revised standards, preparers, TCWG and Registered Auditors’ should familiarize themselves with the requirements of the new standards and the South African Auditing Practice Statement (SAAPS3).

Discussions should be held with your auditor earlier on to determine the expected increase in cost for your engagement if they are required to disclose KAMs in their audit report.

This article was originally posted byrnews.co.za

Looking for a Finance job? Contact Network Recruitment, for all your specialist recruitment needs. Click here to APPLY.

How Lara Rea wife mother and IT Bruma Branch Manager SLAYS

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 13:33:20 GMT

1. How old are your twin boys now?

They are nine and a half months old.

2. How has motherhood been treating you so far?

It is intense. Three days into motherhood, it dawned on me that the term "alone time" will become a memory I will cherish for the next 18 years. I was ill prepared for the unconditional love that hits you seconds after you first hold your newborn babies. Then there is the sleep deprivation! The first week into this gig transformed me into a zombie. I now understand why in some countries, sleep deprivation is the most severe form of torture.

3. How has been back at work been?

I'm having conflicting emotions about being back at work. When I get into my car on a Monday morning at 6:20, I sing along to the chorus of "Hallelujah" – because my car is quiet, and no one is climbing on me. Then, 30 minutes later I am texting the nanny, asking if they are ok. It can get hectic when a little one is sick because of the demands at work. Lately, it has been very tough for me to stay at work beyond 16:30 because I only spend two hours in the afternoon with them during the week. I get upset and stressed if that time is cut short so coming home late is just plain hard for me. I have this 'working mom guilt' – I feel like I have to be there for them.

4. As the manager of one of our successful branches, what are the biggest lessons you have learnt so far when it comes to having a work-life balance?

I don't check my emails between 16:00 and 18:30. When I am home with them during the week, work stuff can wait for two hours. I had to learn to trust my nanny who has strong mommy instincts. I try my best to still spend time with my husband when the babies are asleep at night, usually, we are both pretty exhausted but we try to watch something on TV together (after we first argue and negotiate what to watch).

5. What makes your branch so successful?

I have a very strong core team.

6. How do you continue to grow and develop your branch?

We have added some new talent to my core team, we try to be a differentiating IT recruitment agency by coming up with creative solutions for our clients.

7. What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

I have a quick 10 - 15 minute read on my kindle or do some mindless Instagram scrolling,

8. Besides being a mother, what is one personal highlight you've had over the past year?

It has to be achieving over R2 million target in February 2017 for the first time.

9. Name three things you cannot get through your day without?

Chocolate, Coffee and phone.

10. Do you think motherhood has made you a better manager?

Tricky question. In some ways, I am more understanding towards the moms that are employed by me. It has made me more determined to reach my branch's sales goals than ever before, as I will be in a better position to provide for my children if I do. In other ways, I am sometimes unavailable and I feel bad about it. I do think it is a phase that all new moms go through.

11. What advice would you give mothers who work in a high sales driven environment?

Get your support network sorted out! My parents are both in Durban, so I have a live-in nanny. She has given me tremendous peace-of-mind.

Lara Rea is the Branch Manager at Network Recruitment

Looking for an IT job, Finance job or, Engineering job? Contact Network Recruitment, for all your specialist recruitment needs. Click here to APPLY.

Will the face of development change

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 13:31:29 GMT

Until very recently, developing native mobile applications meant having an iOS team who coded in Objective C and an Android team who developed in Java. Stark differences between the two ecosystems and the languages themselves meant there were few developers who were experts on both platforms. As a result, development for each system often occurred in relative isolation.

Over the last few years, however, new languages have been introduced for both iOS and Android that could see the start of a new era in native mobile development – one where teams can collaborate more and may even be able to work on both systems.

Apple introduced Swift, initially as a proprietary language and a predecessor to Objective C, for developing iOS and OS X apps in 2014. Despite the fact it was a radical improvement to the rather old Objective C, uptake for Swift was initially slow. Lack of backwards compatibility between each release did not help developers migrate their projects with confidence.

With the release of Swift 2, and taking Swift open source, the floodgates for adoption have been opened – in January 2016, Swift overtook Objective C in the TIOBE index. Unfortunately, the release of Swift 3 did not include a stable Application Binary Interface (ABI) and so we will probably need to wait for Swift 4 before developers consider this a safe language to invest in.

Kotlin has been developed by the JetBrains team who produce Android Studio – the official IDE for Android development. It has been around since 2011 but the first stable release was made in February 2016. It is a JVM language, which means it compiles down to Java byte code. It represents a step forwards from Java but has been designed to be fully interoperable with Java, even to the point where a lot of the syntax should be easily recognisable to Java developers.

While Kotlin has not been announced as Google’s chosen replacement for Java on the Android platform just yet, the support for the language via Android Studio has helped drive adoption.

Both Swift and Kotlin are seen as modern programming languages. When compared to their respective predecessors, they bring a host of features and structures that the old languages do not support.

At a high level, it can be argued that both of the new languages are:

Easier to read

Easier to maintainLess verboseHave improved safety – thanks to strict strongly typed systems, which include nullabilityHave a more modern syntax

Both languages have powerful features like extensions and immutability and they support functional as well as procedural programming paradigms, allowing developers to use new patterns in their designs. An interesting aspect of these languages is their similarity. In fact, the syntax is so similar, it can be tricky to distinguish them. This provides opportunities for development teams. The ability to more easily share designs between the platforms have mixed peer reviews where Android and iOS devs review each other’s code and potentially share common libraries would change the landscape for mobile developers.

While I don’t see the system specialists disappearing anytime soon, there is the very real prospect of support teams working on both platforms and even building development teams with central mixed discipline developers supported by systems experts. At the very least, the syntactical similarity means that cross training from one platform to another should be a simpler job in the future – anyone who has tried to persuade a Java developer to take up Objective C will appreciate this!

These developments may also have a bearing on the ‘native vs hybrid’ conversation that occurs periodically in nearly every mobile team. With little overhead of switching between systems, shared code, and easier support, I’d expect the balance to tip even more in favour of native development. Systems like Xamerin, React Native and Cordova may in time feel the pinch from these new languages.

A further advantage of these new languages is the way they are being adopted as server-side languages. IBM is using Swift for developers to write server-side applications and Spring has announced that Spring Framework 5.0 will have dedicated Kotlin support. In one of our existing teams, where the mobile team are also responsible for writing service layer code, this possible alignment of languages across the systems is an exciting prospect.

While it’s unlikely that we’ll reach the point of just using one of these languages to code for both mobile platforms anytime soon, their similarity and the fact that their adoption is moving outside of just the mobile arena will impact our mobile teams. More robust products built from closer developer collaboration, consolidated and streamlined support teams, and the ability to keep developers engaged by allowing them to more easily work as full stack developers, are some of the ways future mobile teams will be different from those of today.

This article was originally posted byIT News Africa

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

Lies commonly told during job interviews

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 13:29:45 GMT

As a specialist recruitment agency, our clients seek candidates with specialist skills who are going to add value to their organisation. Finding the right candidate is crucial during the recruitment process and this is where Network Recruitment plays an important role.

When the pressure is on and you're in the hot seat, exaggerating or stretching the truth during a job interview is not the best strategy. Whilst there may be professionals who landed a great job because they did not approach their interview with integrity, we strongly recommend against this type of behaviour as the truth always has a way of coming out.

According to Steven D. Levitt, the co-author of Freakonomics, 50% of candidates may be lying on their résumés.

What job seekers don't realise is, is that not only does your fabrication put you at risk and affect the organisation's productivity,it is indeed a crime. Furthermore, you run the risk of being red-flagged (blacklisted) by a recruitment company, and this could affect your career negatively in the long-term.

Here are some of the lies commonly told during job interviews:Reason for leaving

This is the most common lie that job seekers tell, as they believe that being fired makes you a bad candidate. There are many successful CFOs and CEOs who have been fired once or twice in their lives. You should always be truthful about your reasons for leaving an organisation. Specialist recruiters can communicate reasons for leaving your previous employment in a manner, which will reflect positively when they present candidates to prospective new employers.Salary expectation (CTC)

There is a common misconception that your current salary will affect your future earning potential. If you think you are being underpaid, your recruiter will be aware of this, as they know what the job market is currently offering. Be honest and allow them the opportunity to assist you to get the salary you want.Criminal record

Mentioning your conviction may seem counterproductive, but it allows you to take control and explain the predicament on your terms. If you have a criminal record, disclose it from the outset as that builds trust between you and your interviewer. During the job interview, mention your criminal history and give a brief explanation of the circumstances. Position and duties

It might be tempting to exaggerate your previous roles and duties in an interview. Specialist recruiters are trained to conduct thorough reference checks to ensure that your duties correlate with what you have said, and they will find out if you have been untruthful.Qualification(s)

Job seekers can falsify information about their qualification(s) in two ways; they claim to have a qualification that was never awarded or they alter their grades to reflect better results. We urge you not to lie about your qualification(s) as specialist recruitment agencies screen candidates and verify qualifications before presenting them to clients.Skills and experience

Avoid misrepresenting your skills because, in due time, you will be asked to demonstrate your competence in these areas. If you are not able to deliver as promised, it will become clear that you misrepresented yourself during the interview.Employment gap

If you took time off in your career, regardless of the reason, it's best to share this information with your interviewer. Explain the situation and provide clarity so that the specialist recruiter is able to provide you with the best advice and guidance.

In conclusion, don't create false expectations about your competence. Be honest during your job interview and know that you got the job based on who you truly are. As Mark Twain once said, "if you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything".

Looking for an IT job, Finance job or, Engineering job? Contact Network Recruitment, for all your specialist recruitment needs. Click here to APPLY.

CESA celebrates a decade in unearthing future engineers

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 13:27:59 GMT

In its quest to promote engineering as a career of choice, Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) and its Young Professionals Forum (YPF) has for the past decade celebrated Job Shadow Day with the aim of attracting South Africa’s learners to becoming the country’s future engineers.

The initiative is geared towards showcasing the engineering profession, particularly consulting engineering as an exciting career option and also serves as a call to action for Engineering Corporates to develop a pipeline of much-needed engineering professionals in South Africa. CESA’s YPF chairperson, Amanda Masondo-Mkhize, points out that June is a significant month and is used to commemorate the role of youth in the liberated society that we live in today.

“To ignite and commemorate the resolve of those gallant students. I would like to urge all CESA member firms to partake in the Job Shadow Initiative and allow high school pupils to experience ‘A day in the life of a Consulting Engineer’,” Masondo-Mkhize says.

Since 2008, CESA’s Job Shadow Initiative has reached over 15,000 learners from previously disadvantaged backgrounds. In 2004 CESA established a young professional forum to expedite the development of practicing young professionals by creating focused platforms of interaction that could be utilised to address areas of development that were identified as lagging by these young practitioners.

CESA president Lynne Pretorius’ view is that we should develop a pipeline of professionally registered engineers. This is a long-term approach and requires various roleplayers to:

Identify and support learners with an aptitude for Mathematics and Science at secondary school level.Support, guide and mentor learners towards choosing Engineering as a career.Provide financial assistance towards tertiary engineering studies.Provide the necessary social support to students in these tertiary engineering study programmes from disadvantaged schools and backgrounds.Assist with work placement after graduation.Ensure adequate workplace mentorship and guidance to develop competence and ultimately professional registration. These will ultimately become the future leaders in our industry, Pretorius says.

Delivering infrastructure

Engineers are the main role players in the delivery of infrastructure. The development and maintenance of infrastructure is a key ingredient for sustained economic growth, which ultimately leads to job creation and poverty alleviation. By affording learners this opportunity they get to imagine, live, work and play engineering – opening their minds to a world of possibilities.

Engineers change the world by conceptualising practical solutions while inspiring people to create and design solutions to problems faced by modern societies.

The Job Shadow Initiative takes the form of a poster competition, from which the three best posters describing the learners’ experience having spent time with a member company get the recognition at the CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards which will be held on 16 August 2017.

In 2016, Royal HaskoningDHV was the winner of the CESA Job Shadow Poster Competition with UWP Consulting and Nako ILISO as the runners-up.School talks

The CESA Job Shadow Initiative has been expanded to include school talks by individuals or organisations, who do not participate in the main Job Shadow programme. School talks were necessitated by the fact that many learners continue to struggle with Mathematics and end up doing Mathematics Literacy which limits them in their later career choices. “I now understand what engineering is about and I find transportation engineering very interesting,” says a learner from Bhekizulu Senior, “I thought this was just a matter of taking these kids to site and back. I was extremely moved by how well this event was organised,” says Bhekizulu Senior Secondary School Deputy Principal. “The level of information conveyed to the learners and the motivation and techniques you shared with them. We shall take this to the classroom and improve the quality of teaching and learning at my school.”

This article was originally postedInfrastructure News

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

Demand for software developers outweighs available skills

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 13:26:23 GMT

The demand for software developers is growing in South Africa, but the country’s skills pool is shallow.

The growth of the internet, technology and analytics play a critical role in business growth in South Africa as business uses technology to connect to its consumers.

Different software in computers, smartphones, televisions and wearable technology is being used to understand consumers and sell to consumers.

South Africa has a need for more software developers to create and build software for different businesses in multiple industries, yet a lack of skills to build these software remains a challenge – SA throttling economic growth. “One of the biggest pain points at the moment is the inability to find enough skills in the country,” says Entelect GM of Operations Sheldon Lyne. He says the software industry is booming as more businesses recreate their digital strategies and international companies look for resources to build their systems. “There are a lot of opportunities but we get hamstrung by the ability to service that because there are not enough skills in the market,” says Lyne.

“As a young entrepreneur looking for software development skills, it’s quite difficult to find guys that are good quality and are able to deliver high-quality solutions because of the big shortage,” he says. He says young people need to be encouraged to consider software development as there are more job opportunities in the industry compared to other industries.

Lyne says more can be done by business, universities and schools and well as the government to boost the workforce available in the software development industry.

According to the Joburg Centre for Software Engineering, SA needs to meet its growth needs in technology to remain competitive.

The 2016 JCSE ICT Skills survey notes “software as a service” and “application development” among the priorities in the ICT industry.

“There is an immediate unsatisfied need for skills in the ICT sector that is only going to get worse in the medium and long term,” notes the survey report.

This article was originally posted bySABC News

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

What millennial's and success have in common

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 10:48:24 GMT

1. June is Youth Month, do you think we still need to be talking and writing about Millennials in the workplace or has this topic run its course?

Yes definitely. It's a generation completely different from any other, with a unique set of challenges. They are likely said to be studied the most and are the largest generation in western history to date that will dominate everything in the future.

2. In working with Millennials, what do you see as some of their biggest strengths?

The use of technology, without a doubt. There's an app for just about anything at the moment and it's available at your fingertip, literally. They have the natural ability to grasp anything using complicated, technical tools quickly and effectively. They are able to engage with people using different platforms which are imperative to their successful in our industry.

3. What about their challenges and opportunities to grow?

Millennials are usually very enthusiastic when starting their careers fresh from varsity but have a rude awakening around the six months mark. They realise that the corporate world is different and relentless – not quite what they were exposed to at school or varsity. It's every man for himself and the numbers don't lie. Some understand the responsibility required to focus and create their way to the necessary skill-set to be successful in their respected positions.

4. What do you think is the common attribute that a Millennial needs to have to be successful in the workplace?

Perseverance. There's no app for success, as you are responsible for it. It won't happen overnight, so they need to add some patience to their list of focus.

5. What are some misconceptions you think the IT industry has about Millennials?

Some of the most talked about misconceptions of Millennials is that they are lazy, don't have any career aspirations and aren't working hard towards it.

6. Are these misconceptions justified?

In my opinion yes. In my experience, they are more than willing to do what's needed - if they are guided well enough by their Managers. Most of the time they know exactly where they see themselves in the near future but not always what's needed to get there.

7. What should employers know about Millennials?

That they can add much value to their business, especially where some innovation is needed. They also tend to know more about technology affecting their business than they would.

8. What can employers in the IT sector do to attract Millennials?

Millennials are known to be a tech-savvy generation. This means that they would be naturally more attracted to an organisation that's aligned the same way. I'm not only talking about the companies with the PS4's and Foosball tables next to the beans bags. I'm talking about companies that will combine technology and business to better society and make a difference.

9. What big mistakes do you think millennials are making that hurt their careers?

Not preserving through the difficult times. They tend to resign between their first six months to a year when things don't work out as well as they were pictured it. They then move on just to be faced with the same situation at a new company.

10. How can Millennials position themselves for success in the IT field?

I would encourage Millennials to have in-depth conversations with successful people in the industry they are interested in. By doing this, they will learn first-hand what it took to be successful. Furthermore, they can join a company that will value their input and have the necessary support structure that will enable them to get off the ground.

Looking for an IT job, Finance job or, Engineering job? Contact Network Recruitment, for all your specialist recruitment needs. Click here to APPLY.

Resigning soon Be prepared

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 10:46:22 GMT

You've thought long and hard about moving on to new opportunities and have already submitted your letter of resignation. After delivering the news to your colleagues some may be happy with your career move, whilst others may be disappointed.

While you may be excited about your future career and feel ready to end your notice period like a winner, unexpected things can happen once you have officially resigned.

Your manager may not think you're making the right move

Your manager may be caught off-guard by your resignation and you should be prepared to answer questions regarding your new role. "Your boss will likely ask where you are going, what you'll be doing at your next job, and what made you want to leave your current position," says Amanda Slavin, founder of CatalystCreativ. He or she may mention that you might not ready for such a role or imply that you might not be the correct cultural fit. Listen with grace, don't panic and tell your manager that you appreciate his / her concern.

A counter offer might be coming your way

Counter offers are a reality in today's job market. Employers have realised that it's much cheaper and more convenient to make a counter offer to an employee than to find a replacement. Be prepared for a counter offer and know what your response will be.

Your manager or co-workers might take your resignation personally

You may find that your manager or co-workers take your resignation personally. For example, you might notice that you stop receiving invitations from the group you once had lunch with every day. As hurtful as this may be, don't let their reaction bring you down - rather spend time with those who support your move.

A sudden expression of gratitude

You may start receiving e-mails from your co-workers expressing their sadness at your departure and wishing you luck in your future endeavours. Others may congratulate you on successful projects which you worked on in the past. Take the time to show appreciation for their kind words and respond to all those who reached out to you.

During your last couple of weeks, do the best that you can to make most out of your notice period. Keep working hard and be as engaged as you were when you first landed the role.

Looking for an IT job, Finance job or, Engineering job? Contact Network Recruitment, for all your specialist recruitment needs. Click here to APPLY.

Crack the hackers eight business tips

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 10:40:27 GMT

NHS Attack Reminder to Stop Hacks in Tracks

Recent cyber-attacks on the UK National Health Service and companies all over the world have rung alarm bells over how firms protect their business from being targeted by criminals.

A new report tells business leaders how to crack the hackers on scams such as executive impersonation, where fraudsters dupe unwitting staff into transferring money from company accounts.

In the three years to 2016, almost 16,000 organisations across the globe had their IT systems breached – or 17 cases of business e-mail compromise every day, according to the US-based Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Eight steps, ranging from better use of technology in preventing malpractice, to encouraging whistleblowers, are included in the report, Keeping Business Clean. In addition to fighting cybersecurity, the advice also covers how to counter theft of machinery, false invoicing and concealing activities such as forced or child labour.

Tanya Barman, Associate Director of Ethics, the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, said:

"The three main types of fraud and corruption affecting firms are theft or misuse of a company's assets; falsification of documents for financial gain; and bribery and improper use of confidential information.

"Professional accountants are trained to analyse financial and non-financial information, putting them in a good position to challenge any suspicious activity in their company."

"As well as the financial damage from a fraudulent act, corruption costs both the business affected by the initial crime and the supply chain, too."

Peter Van Veen, Director of the Business Integrity Programme for Transparency International UK, which tackles commercial corruption, said:

"The role of accountants and finance professionals in detecting, uncovering and preventing corrupt practices in organisations is critical. This publication shows the positive role they play in the fight against corruption."

Keeping Business Clean can be downloadedhere, along with the Anti-Corruption Landscape 2017 report, co-produced with Transparency International UK.EIGHT WAYS TO FIGHT THE FRAUDSTERS:Leadership – Businesses are encouraged to establish an anti-fraud policy, and engage the board in talking to staff, customers and suppliers.Identify key risks – Check how fraud might happen in your company, such as through written-off stock or budget over-runs.Promote anti-fraud culture – Speak from the top. Executives should let staff know they have a strong process for weeding out scams. Employee reward schemes can also reduce attempted deception in companies.Develop anti-fraud controls – Put extra checks on admin procedures, such as a second signature, or avoid giving authority for a job over the phone.Encourage whistleblowing – Retain the employee-manager route for addressing initial concerns, but give staff access to free confidential advice, and discretion when raising concerns.Develop a response plan – Plan for fraud before it happens. The fraud itself might be outside your control, but how you respond is within your gift, from reporting lines to a PR strategy.Harness technology to fight fraud – the better the technology at your disposal, the easier it may be to spot fraudulent behaviour before it's too late.

Develop or improve internal controls – Ensure invoices are linked to purchaseorders,

and remove as much as paperwork as possible, in favour of electronic systems.

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

Work your notice like a winner

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 10:32:57 GMT

Leaving your current job for another is a common practice amongst professionals in the workplace. Irrespective of your reasons for leaving your current job, you need to ensure that you serve your notice period like a winner.

Your notice period is an important aspect of your working life when you are about to embark on a new professional path. While it can range from two weeks to three months, your conduct during this transitional period is what will set you apart from all the other ex-employees. It is your last chance to leave an enduring positive impression on your superiors and colleagues.

Here are some tips on how to serve your notice period like a winner:Maintain your daily routine

Stay focused until the end! Once your resignation has been accepted, most professionals may start feeling disengaged or detached from their job. It's vital to remember that your reputation/ personal brand is at stake. Whether you choose to leave a good or bad impression depends on how you behave while serving your notice period. Furthermore, your employer will expect you to fulfil your duties until the day of your departure, as you remain an employee of the organisation until then.Hand over your responsibilities

It may be easy to disregard projects on your way out. However, leave the organisation on a good note by sharing details with the individual who will be handling your duties after your departure. If you're a professional who manages a team and has clients, suppliers or customers, it's important to inform them about your resignation. Not only is handing over your responsibilities common courtesy, it also ensures that your employer doesn't suffer in your absence.Ask for references

This is the perfect time to speak to managers or colleagues and ask them to write reference letters for you. These letters serve as long-term investments that confirm your positive attributes in the period during which you were employed.Be respectful to your employer

Resist the temptation to speak ill about your manager or the organisation to your colleagues as this will ruin your reputation. Don't be negative and try to bring the team down during this period. Always choose the moral high ground.

To work your notice period like a winner, remember to maintain the highest level of professionalism. Keeping these points in mind will help you to make the most of your notice period.

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

Professional Engineers skills retention vital for South African mining

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 10:29:58 GMT

It is unfortunate that one of the largest consumers of the commodities produced through the mining process, namely China, decided to temper its growth rate from 7.5% in 2014 to 6.7% in 2016. This 0.8% decline meant a sizeable reduction in demand for most commodities, which caught both the mining industry and its service providers off guard, writes Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) CEO CHRISTOPHER CAMPBELL.

Investment in infrastructure in mining developments, as well as transportation infrastructure related to moving commodities from pits to ports, became pedestrian, and in some cases was completely put on hold. To fuel what became a perfect storm, we also saw other markets across the world slow down.

Locally, we probably just added a bit more ‘fat into the fire’ by creating a huge amount of political and policy uncertainty to scare potential investors off even more. The consulting engineering industry, along with others, became a direct victim of this ‘perfect storm’ as projects were put on hold and even investment in further prospecting stalled. This does not bode well for the sustainability of our industry, especially when the effects are not only felt through the local markets but also through international markets such as Zambia, Mozambique and Guinea in Africa as well as much further afield such as Canada, Australia and Chile where our engineering expertise is held in high esteem and much sought after.

Many of our companies in this sector who do not have a diversified service offering targeting either public sector projects or even private sector property development projects have had great difficulty surviving. Those with a multinational footprint have been able to move their resources around to other parts of the world whilst others have had to resort to the unfortunate situation where they had to reduce their staff complement through retrenchment.In a country such as South Africa, where the list of top ten scarce skills is as follows:

1. electrical engineer, 2. civil engineer, 3. mechanical engineer, 7. physical & engineering science technicians, 8. industrial engineer, 10. chemical engineer, with mining engineers most likely omitted in error, an unemployed engineer should be regarded as an aberration.

We therefore cannot afford to lose any of these scarce skills as it can take up to a minimum of 10 to 15 years at least to replace a qualified, experienced and professionally registered engineering practitioner if we start the clock from the time the person has finished high school with a good grounding in mathematics and science, both of which are essential to successfully pursue a degree programme in engineering. If you have succeeded in completing the programme, it takes at least another five years before you have developed enough competence and experience to be registered as a professional with the Engineering Council of South Africa.

Even then, once registered, it takes a bit of time before you start working independently and making expert decisions around the choice of underground support you may need for a specific mining operation.

The limited working opportunities do not bode well for retaining seasoned engineers; and to make matters worse, the most recent Trends in the International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) has assessed the matric results of South Africa over the last few years where South Africa came 47th for mathematics and 48th for science out of 59 countries participating in the study worldwide. In another more recent national assessment comparative study (you may have to do some research here) it is rumoured that our Grade 10 results were compared to Grade 9 in other countries. Even worse, the engineering, medicine and commerce sectors are all competing for a small pool of well-performing learners, further limiting the ability to build a future pipeline of engineering practitioners for the future.

Our industry recognises this challenge and though it has been making contributions to investing in the future talent pool, we believe that we need to increase our efforts through contributions at various levels in the developmental process: starting at high school, through university all the way into professional development and employment.

This, of course, is only achievable through the collective efforts of our member firms that have in the past been doing this in a well-intended but fragmented manner.

This well-intended process of skills development will unfortunately also be dependent on economic growth in our country, coupled with political certainty and growing investor confidence. Very little can be done without

financial stability and future predictability in the infrastructure and mining development projects landscape. It is hard to plan a skills pipeline to service an industry which is plagued by a ‘feast and famine’ syndrome.

During the ‘feast’ there are too few practitioners and during the ‘famine’ too many. What is needed is a longer-term view, much as would be required in our National Development Plan, where the demand for infrastructure development is spread out over longer periods as opposed to hoping to have it all done in five years and have no development in the subsequent five years, for example.

In that way, we will be able to ensure a stable skills pipeline that remains employed where young people will continue to aspire to become the engineering practitioners of the future. The sheer numbers of potential engineers from previously disadvantaged communities will in itself transform what was previously an untransformed profession. We just need to work on affording all an equitable opportunity at good quality education and attract them to the profession.

Sufficient support through the tertiary education process as well as through the developmental process towards becoming a professional engineer is what is needed.

A lot more still needs to be done to attract and retain women in the profession as well. I recall attending a graduation ceremony at Wits University some years ago, either 2011 or 2012, and witnessed a class of at least 20 to 30 black females graduating as mining engineers. I was both excited as this was a good indication of transformation in at least the engineering sector but also concerned as I often wondered whether enough would be done to retain these graduates in an industry that was reputed to be sometimes as ‘abrasive’ as the surface of an underground shaft.

We are of course not ignorant of the fact that investors in mining want instantaneous returns and have very little regard for the sustainability of our industry and other industries related to mining. This is unfortunately short-sighted, because if we do not have regard for that, we will end up with little or no engineering practitioners experienced enough in this field and projects may not even get off the ground, so your investment may not yield any returns anyway.

What is really needed is an approach that seeks to ‘eat your cake a slice at a time for many years to come’ rather than ‘gobble it all away’ over a short period with little or no prospect of finding the source of the next cake.

There seems to be some hope on the horizon though. China’s growth has picked up from 6.7% in 2016 to 6.8% in January 2017 with prospects of further growth towards 7% by year-end. We know of course that China first has to exhaust its current stocks in commodities before the rest of us start seeing demand increase, but surely we should be using the quiet time to invest in gearing for the boom so that we do not lose out as we did with the last boom.

It has been highlighted that mining houses are even not investing enough in prospecting which further begs the question – where is the stock going to come from if we were to, as a country, become competitive in meeting the demands of such a boom?

Another area that has not been adequately explored is how we can use our local engineering expertise to develop more industries around the beneficiation of these commodities. We probably have access to the widest array of minerals in this country and many of the best engineers but not enough local development of products that are integral components to technology developments around the world.

Maybe a more holistic approach to mining needs to be developed between the public and private sector, to which I am sure even consulting engineers and the construction sector as interested and affected parties may be able to make valuable contributions. The impasse between government and the mining industry does not bode well for our sector and we need to ensure that we have a sustainable industry, regulated by constructive and well-informed policy led by competent people who put South Africa first.

It is what we need for the future if we are to develop skills and have more engineers that will be available for infrastructure development – the foundation for economic growth and ultimate poverty alleviation.ABOUT CESA

CESA boasts a proud history of 65 years as the voluntary industry association for consulting engineers. Its member firms, which have grown to over 530 in the past few years, have provided a high standard of consulting engineering services to many industry sectors, public and private, and the mining sector is one of these. It is a self-regulating body established to ensure that its members consistently provide the best quality consulting engineering services to their clients whilst at the same time establishing positive and mutually beneficial relationships with the industries which its members serve to ensure industry sustainability.

This article was originally posted by Mining Review Africa

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Career paths Software Developers might want to pursue

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 10:18:48 GMT

When it's time for developers to take on management responsibilities, these three roles offer a path.Not every senior developer is cut out to be a manager. In fact, many aren't. That's not a dig at developers. Rather, it's a recognition of the role's nature.

Many programmers select the field because they want to be individual contributors, not managers. Even those interested in mentoring others — say, as a software architect or lead developer — may not want to be a developer manager.

Yet, either by external or internal pressures, top software developers are often forced into leadership roles they don't want. Sometimes, they fear plateauing if they don’t move into management. Other times, IT leaders push the move so they can bring in less expensive replacements with similar skills.

Regardless of the reason, the result is the same: unhappy leaders, disaffected direct reports, and less effective product development teams.The management mistake

As a programmer by trade and a mentor to Yeti's junior developers, this problem hits close to home. I've seen programmer peers grudgingly accept management responsibilities and regret it. They fell short of expectations because the "promotion" felt like something they should do instead of something they were passionate about.

These friends followed a career path that's familiar to many software developers. Initially, they were elevated to project development leads, which might sound like a senior developer role. But instead of continuing to hone their coding skills (as they thought they'd be doing), they found themselves constantly checking on teammates and providing project updates to superiors. Success, previously based on their own skills and motivation, suddenly required them to extract effort from their peers.

Too often, that becomes a vicious cycle. With less time to code, they get less of their own work done. With less work to show, their sense of value suffers, which causes them to work even harder to balance their own challenges with those of the team. Eventually, they either revert back to being an individual contributor, quit entirely, or learn to see their team's success as a yardstick for their own.

That's a cycle developers without management dreams don't need to struggle through. Yes, some aspire to tackle it, but management simply isn't right for many technical team members. It's the responsibility of IT leaders such as myself to nurture them along whatever career path — including non-traditional options — they may have in mind.Software developer career paths

What, exactly, can developers do when they're ready to move up? In my experience, they tend to gravitate toward one of the following upper-level technical or leadership roles:Software architect.

This role is typically the end game for technically focused developers. Although titles differ by company, it involves making critical software architecture choices for the team.

Software architects often mentor junior developers, but they don't have direct reports. They are serious problem solvers, many with a decade or more of specialized software expertise orgeneralized experience across several different stacks.

To support software developers pursuing this career path, encourage them to stay up-to-date with new technologies. Even specialists should exhibit some understanding of the full software development stack, and even generalists should have in-depth knowledge of one or more popular languages.Lead Developer.

Sometimes referred to as a developer manager, this role is for developers with strong time management and interpersonal skills. Lead developers are a sort of bridge between nontechnical and technical team members. They delegate work to direct reports while keeping communication lines open with company leaders.

Try assigning interested developers small, self-managed projects. Can they hold themselves accountable to deadlines? If they succeed, hand them assignments that require delegation. Can they communicate clearly with others? How do they evaluate direct reports' performance?

Depending on the company, this role could be exclusively management, or it could be a combination of management and coding. Regardless, those pursuing it need to understand that people management requires a distinctly different skill set than coding does.Senior technical project manager.

While not as common as the prior two, developers with strong resource planning and budgeting skills can ascend to this role. Technical project managers work closely with stakeholders and involved teams to keep the project on track and on budget. Candidates should be enthusiastic, efficient, organized, design-minded, and able to thrive under pressure.

How can today's managers prepare developers for technical project management? With careful oversight, let them plan projects, allocate resources, and manage timelines. Encourage interested employees to shadow a project manager, who'll likely appreciate their technical knowledge.

One of the toughest -- yet most rewarding -- parts of management is helping direct reports discover their futures. Inform developers of their options, observe their skills, and suggest paths they might be suited for. But whatever you do, don't push them. That's how people end up in roles they don't want, and, ultimately, that's how technical teams topple over.

This article was originally posted byInformation Week

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NMMU to phase out engineering diplomas

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 10:07:18 GMT

National diploma programmes in civil, electrical, industrial and mechanical engineering will no longer be offered at NMMU, while new bachelor degree programmes will be introduced.

The new three-year Bachelor of Engineering Technology (BEngTech) degrees will be offered from next year.

Endorsed by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), approved by the Council for Higher Education (CHE) and registered by the South African Quality Authority (SAQA), the new programmes will include a degree in Marine Engineering once registration with SAQA is completed.

The final intake and registration for BTech degrees will be in 2019.

This article was originally posted byHerald Live

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Business is booming in building and construction

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 10:04:36 GMT

Companies in the construction industry should be able to make a decent return for shareholders, provided they position themselves correctly on product quality, price and service delivery, says Andries van Heerden, CEO of listed aggregate supplier Afrimat.

Investors in listed contractors in the building and construction industry have however seen the value of their shares drastically reduced over the last few years as companies battle to recover from the effect of problematic contracts and the collusion scandal that still haunts them. Afrimat and well-known economist Dr Roelof Botha joined forces to develop the Afrimat Construction Index (ACI), which measures activity in the sector.

The ACI is calculated from nine different constituent indicators: the volume of building materials produced; the sales value of building materials; the value of buildings completed within larger municipalities; the value of building plans passed by larger municipalities; the FNB/BER building confidence index; the FNB/BER civil construction index; retail trade sales of hardware, paint and glass; formal employment in construction; and the value added by the construction sector.

In the fourth quarter of last year the ACI was at a two-year high and since the third quarter of 2010 it has expanded by 22.7%, more than double the growth rate of the economy as a whole (in real terms), says Botha.

SA Reserve Bank data that shows substantial growth in investment in construction works over the last five years supports this, says Medium-Term Forecasting Associates Dr Johan Snyman.

Over the last five years, the share prices of only two of the big seven contractors improved, namely WBHO (+9.12%) and specialist road builder Raubex (+77.24%). On the other hand, Murray & Roberts saw a drop of 45.86%, Aveng 83.98%, Group Five 19.91%, Basil Read 92.23% and Stefanutti Stocks 73.96%.

Profitability was generally under pressure.

HEPS of construction companies over the last 5 years

Source: Bloomberg

The listed construction sector has had a lot to cope with over the last few years. Most notably was the R1.5 billion total penalty for collusion, agreed upon with the Competition Commission in 2013. As whistleblower Group Five was spared the penalties, but shared equally in the damage to the industry reputation.

The industry was branded corrupt and untransformed and subsequently battled to get government contracts.

In October last year, a further agreement was signed between the seven companies and government, which would settle possible civil claims from public sector clients for the collusion and address transformation.

It required an additional R1.5 billion financial contribution as well as huge transformation commitments by either selling an equity stake or assisting smaller contractor development.

By February, the seven companies had in aggregate paid R117 million in terms of the agreement. The next payment is due this month. Murray & Roberts has sold 100% of its construction and engineering business and Aveng sold 51% of Grinaker-LTA to black investors. Both exceeded the required 40% equity transfer.

WBHO, Raubex and Stefanutti Stocks have opted for the development of emerging contractors to enable them to sustain cumulative combined annual revenue equal to at least 25% of each of the mentor companies’ annual revenue by 2023.

Group Five, which is currently embroiled in a boardroom battle after the departure of former CEO Eric Vemer, sparked a flood of leadership resignations and Basil Read was still weighing its options.

ReadGroup Five shareholder intervenes

Against this background, the structure of the market has seemingly changed. Afrimat’s

Van Heerden says there has been movement away from large contractors to smaller players. This he attributes to government policy to package contracts into smaller units and support small to medium companies, rather than the big players.

The names of the big listed contractors have in fact dropped off Afrimat’s list of top 20 clients, says Van Heerden.

Snyman agrees that it is due to the movement of government policy towards packaging projects in smaller units. He says listed contractors have high overheads and battle to compete in the current market.

The latest State of the Industry report by the South African Forum of Civil Engineering Contractors (SAFCEC) shows grade 9 projects contributed only 2% of tender activity in the first quarter of 2017.

The MD of a second-tier construction company who did not want to be named said this might be the result of several factors, including the damage to industry reputation in the wake of the collusion scandal and pressure from government’s constituency to gain entry into the industry.

He says that currently, companies are required to sub-contract large portions of big contracts. This facilitates fronting and builds in layers of inefficiency.

He is of the opinion that Murray & Roberts did the right thing to exit the local industry. “They sold a relatively small portion of the business and got rid of a lot of their headaches with one move.”

Allan Gray portfolio manager Leonard Krüger, says some listed construction companies suffer from legacy contracts. “Project execution is below average and risk is too high,” he says.

He agrees that the listed sector battles to compete due to high corporate costs, which companies try to address through restructuring. To compete in future these companies will need a strong empowerment component. The unlisted sector is highly empowered and this has become imperative to be sustainable, he says.

Krüger says the order books of listed companies are not all that bad, but Snyman says as big government projects like Medupi and Kusile near completion, times may only get tougher.

Van Heerden says companies like WBHO and Raubex are able to look at the environment strategically and adapt to changing conditions.

He says the empowerment drive might be a blessing in disguise for the listed sector. To be successful in future, transformation will be a prerequisite to maintaining relationships, but companies will also have to change the way they do business to suit the needs of the current market.

This article was originally posted byBusiness Tech

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How to Improve your Hiring Process

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 10:01:06 GMT

While regular recruitment companies may fill roles in every business sector, specialist recruitment agencies concentrate on a specific industry and niche. Specialist recruitment agencies provide services and other benefits that organisations may not be aware of.

In this blog, Network Recruitment will outline why organisations should consider seeking help from specialist recruiters who have industry specific experience.

They save your organisation time

Organisations that are looking to hire may not necessarily find the time to facilitate an effective hiring process to get the ideal candidate. This is especially true in highly specialised industries such as IT, Finance and Engineering. For example, if an organisation posts a career opportunity online or via other media platforms, only a fraction of the applicants would embody the complete package of education, skills and experience required. Most organisations don't have the time to vet all the applicants.

Specialist recruiters, on the other hand, are trained to critically review a career opportunity, vet a candidate's resume and immediately recognise whether they have the right skills for the company. Only suitable candidates will be processed for consideration, thus saving your organisation time and ensuring a hassle-free recruitment process.

They reduce hiring mistakes

Not only do specialist recruiters understand the industry jargon associated with an industry, they know how it works and which particular skills can benefit your organisation. They possess technical knowledge that allows them to ask relevant questions to ensure that the candidates are competent and capable of fulfilling the required roles. They will find Java Developers, Artisans or Cost Accountants who are experienced, have the right skills and who are going to fit well into your company culture.

They have high calibre candidates

Specialist recruiters have a database of highly skilled candidates that could take organisations years to build. As a result, they can provide organisations with high calibre candidates that have outstanding achievements and strong work experience. Furthermore, specialist recruiters constantly interact with potential candidates in the marketplace through social media platforms, seminars and conferences, ensuring that they continuously grow and develop their networks in niche areas.

They have industry knowledge

In addition to saving your organisation time, reducing hiring mistakes and having access to high calibre candidates, specialist recruiters have sound niche market knowledge. They are in a position to advise organisations about the current state of their niche market and current talent pool. In addition, specialist recruiters are able to advise on what the market-related salary is for specific career opportunities.

Although an organisation will be required to pay a recruitment fee, making the wrong hiring decision is more expensive than making the right one. Working with a specialist recruitment agency should be viewed as an investment. Specialist recruitment companies can add value to yourorganisation's hiring process especially when you need to fill a specialised contracting or permanent position.

Looking for an IT job, Finance job or, Engineering job? Contact Network Recruitment, for all your specialist recruitment needs. Click here to APPLY.

Salary vs benefits

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 09:53:23 GMT

When faced with a job offer most professionals are inclined to accept the job, which offers a higher salary than their current net salary. They may argue that money is the only deciding factor whether you accept a job offer. However, the employee benefits offered by a company should never be overlooked as they provide important sources of passive income as well.

Although employee benefits may reduce your nett salary, they have long-term value for professionals. Employee benefits assist employees to fund important expenditure such as retirement, life and disability cover and medical aid.

While benefits and remuneration are both equally important, Network Recruitment's specialist recruiters all agree that it depends on the candidates' preference. To determine which is more important to you, first establish why you want to leave your current employer then ensure that your new employer can meet your needs on a professional and personal level.

In addition, job seekers should always consider what is most important to their lifestyle. Given the current economic circumstances, the benefits that one receives from your employer could help you tremendously in the long-run. Medical aid and pension fund contributions are savings plans for that "rainy day" which might feel like a pinch in the pocket right now, but helps in future when it is really needed.

It makes sense for job seekers to want employee benefits because of the long-term rewards. However, we have noticed that many of employees prefer a higher net salary and have their own savings plans or Retirement Annuities (RA).

If you are good at saving on your own and prefer to choose whom you save with and what level of medical care you require then the best option would be to opt for a higher net salary and less employee benefits. Take into account that most conglomerates do not give you an option unless one can prove that you already have such policies in place.

Based on Network Recruitment's research, many of our finance candidates prefer not to have medical aid or pension included as part of their salary package as they want to choose their own medical aid and be able to manage their own investments or RAs.

Whether you choose a job offer with a higher salary or one that has more benefits, the choice is ultimately yours. However, if you chose the latter and your net salary is lower than your current net salary, keep in mind the long-term rewards of the benefits.

Looking for an IT job, Finance job or, Engineering job? Contact Network Recruitment, for all your specialist recruitment needs. Click here to APPLY.

Ways to amplify your IT job search

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 09:50:37 GMT

1. Can you talk a little bit about your experience and expertise when it comes to dealing with IT professionals?

Having been in the IT recruitment industry for more than four years, I have realised that the industry is one that is forever changing and expanding. As a result, one needs to create quicker and more diverse solutions to existing problems. In my experience, IT professionals are vastly different from other professionals. As a specialist recruiter, I understand the pressures and stresses that they have to deal with on a daily basis and I need to ensure that I do not add extra stress while they are in the job market. The key to dealing with IT professionals is to find an effective way to communicate with them whereby both parties reach a mutual agreement that will be best suitable for both parties.

2. What can you say are some of the obstacles IT professionals face in the industry?

The biggest obstacles that IT professionals face would be wanting to constantly develop their skills to stay relevant in an ever-changing market. I would also place dealing with customers, satisfying their career needs and speaking to their employers about setting realistic deadlines high on my list of obstacles. I say this because many IT candidates have expressed that they felt that their employers set unrealistic deadlines and expectations and they couldn't deal with the pressure of delivering on these expectations on a continuous basis. Consequently, they burn out as they are expected to work extensive hours, weekends and throughout the night to deliver as promised.

3. How can IT professionals stand out from a competitive job market?

In order for IT professionals to stand out from this competitive job market, they need to have the following:

Good track record. They need to be with their current or previous employers for a long period of time (3 - 4 years)

The correct qualifications. IT-relevant qualifications and certifications will allow them to be confident in working with latest technologies

Willing to learn. They need to take on projects that will test their ability as an IT professional (pushing themselves out of their comfort zone)

Have the courage to fail. They shouldn't be afraid to fail as they learn and grow that way!

4. What do you think are the common mistakes IT professionals make when they job search and how they can rectify them?

As an Executive IT Recruitment Specialist, the first mistake would have to be the way their CV is constructed. Often it doesn't represent the candidate in a good light. It's riddled with grammatical errors which make them look unprofessional. As a result, they aren't invited for a job interview with a specialist recruitment agency or employer. Furthermore, IT is about skills. Candidates can add value to their CVs by elaborating on their duties of all their previous roles, along with a detailed skills matrix. This will give you the opportunity to explain further during their interview.

The second mistake is how they conduct themselves in the interviews. Many candidates are unprepared for interviews. They don't do their research before the interview. By conducting proper market research, this can add significant value to the applicant's interview and the company will immediately identify the value they can bring to the table.

Lastly, is their lack of confidence and passion. I cannot stress enough how important confidence and passion is in the IT market. I have had clients informing me that the candidate they interviewed lacked motivation, passion or confidence in the interview and therefore they will not be a good fit for the company. IT professionals should always embrace the interview with a positive mindset and ensure that they are fully prepared for the interview by conducting research on the company, speaking to colleagues in the industry, using social media to gain current trends that are happening with the company.

5. What are employers looking for in an IT candidate

My experience with employers in the IT sector is that they are mainly looking for candidates who have the following:

Passion. For many of our clients, it's not always about how much you know, but about the passion that you have for IT. A candidate who has the passion for doing the job but does not have the right skillset for the job will grow quicker than a candidate who has the right skillset but no passion for his work.

Qualifications. Employers are always more open to hire candidates that are continuously learning and upskilling themselves. It shows them that you want to stay relevant within the IT space.

Good track record. Our clients prefer candidates who have worked for an organisation for about of 3 - 4 years at a time, as they would want to see a return on their investment when employing the right candidate.

Technical Ability. Employers are looking for candidates that have a vast array of skills, as this will allow them to take on different projects in the future knowing that you will be capable of managing those projects for them. They do not have to back down from good potential business opportunities.

6. How does one market themselves if they have an IT-related qualification but no job experience?

This is, unfortunately, the most challenging part graduates and Junior Developers face when entering the job market. The best form of advice that I can provide is to try to add as many achievements on your CV as possible. Highlight any great qualifications, academic or sport or leadership achievements and IT projects that you have performed over the years (for example, a small basic website that you created). Provide as much information about self-learning and certifications on your application in order for the client to understand that you are always open to upskill yourself.

7. What advice would you give young IT professionals about finding the right career?

Follow your passion! It doesn't matter whether you want to become a Technician, Data Analyst or even Developer if you are motivated to get your body out of bed every morning - then you have made the right career decision FOR YOU!

Looking for an IT job? Contact Network Recruitment, for all your specialist recruitment needs. Click here to APPLY.

New audit standards more transparent

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 09:48:21 GMT

A report by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (Saica) provides an overview and analysis of the auditor reports for listed South African clients, which were early adopters of the new and revised auditor reporting and related auditing standards.

Auditor reports have changed forever with the introduction of these new and revised standards of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB), which have been adopted by the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors for use by registered auditors in South Africa. More transparency

“The auditor's report is more informative and transparent about the audit that has been performed. It enables a better understanding by the users of financial statements of the auditor's responsibilities, work effort and the outputs of the audit process as well as an enhanced perspective about the audited financial statements. The relevance and value of the external audit are enhanced by adding to users' confidence in the entity's financial reporting as well as the audit,” says Willie Botha, senior executive: assurance and practice at Saica.

Although the new requirements were only effective for financial periods ending on or after 15 December 2016, auditors had the option to early adopt the standards, and some have done so.

“Saica has prepared a report on the early adopters in South Africa, with a focus on entities listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). The report includes an overview and analysis of the presentation and contents of the auditor reports that were issued, in the context of the key changes as required in accordance with the new and revised auditor reporting and related auditing standards,” he added.Key audit matter

There were four early adopter audit firms in South Africa which issued auditor reports in relation to nine listed entities. The most prominent change with respect to increased transparency about the audit and enhancing the information value of the auditor’s report is the communication of key audit matter (Kam); those matters that, in the auditor’s professional judgment, were of most significance in the audit of the financial statements of the current period. A total of 30 Kam was communicated in the early adopter auditor reports concerned.

When investors and analysts (and other users of financial statements) are provided with more entity-specific and audit-specific information, it would provide a better context for understanding the overall message of the audited financial statements and the auditor’s report. The subject of the Kam reported varied and was specific to each entity. Common Kam related to the valuation/impairment of goodwill and intangible assets, the valuation of property plant and equipment, and deferred taxation and income tax.

“The early adopters have led the way and based on the analysis of their reports, the objectives of the IAASB in undertaking this project are well on their way to being achieved. The IAASB is planning a post-implementation review of the standards two years after the effective date (commencing in early 2019) and SAICA will continue to monitor and provide feedback regarding implementation in South Africa,” concluded Botha.

This article was originally posted byBizcommunity

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The big 4 vs investment banks

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 09:43:35 GMT

As a finance graduate, you have probably entertained the thought of either working for one of the big 4 accounting firms (PwC, Deloitte, KPMG and Ernst & Young) or starting your career at one of the well-known investment banks (RMB, Investec, Goldman Sachs etc.). In this blog, Network Recruitment will discuss what you can expect should you decide to pursue a career at either of these types of organisations.

There is a difference between how the big four firms and investment banks hire - their recruitment processes are similar to comparing apples to oranges. In the article,It's far easier to get into the Big Four than an investment bank. And the people are nicer, writer Tom Cheeseman says "despite taking on thousands of graduates every year, the vast majority of investment banks' recruits go into the back office. This means that your chances of getting into a 'banking' job are near impossible, and if you're not perfect you will be rejected".

While investment banks hire graduates, their graduate intake is much smaller than that of the big four firms. As a result, it is believed to be more difficult to land a job at an investment bank. However, once you have entered the industry, the work you do is said to be highly satisfying with wonderful opportunities to showcase your skills.

Although admission to one of the big four may be easier, you have to bear in mind that the initial rate of remuneration is generally lower. This means that, although your chances of being hired by an investment bank are slim, your earning potential will be higher than that of your peers who work at a big four firm.

According to Finance Specialist Recruiter, Mia Nel, corporate tax consulting at a big 4 firm pays less than corporate tax accounting in a commercial organisation. Furthermore, it is also notable that analysts and auditors in the accounting and audit niche market earn more at investment banks than their counterparts at the big 4.

Although a career at an investment bank may be financially rewarding, both industries provide great career growth opportunities. Career opportunities at a big four firm are endless. For example, one can branch into different areas such as tax, risk, consulting and so forth. According to KPMG's head of HR, Martin Blackburn, "one of the biggest selling points to working at a large professional services firm such as KPMG is the breadth of opportunity we can offer to our graduates and school leavers. Many of our schemes offer rotations around the firm so that individuals can find the area of the business they most enjoy working in, and in turn, excel at". A career at an investment bank is stable and one has the opportunity to choose from numerous financial and accounting disciplines, especially in terms of public accounting.

Whether you choose to pursue your finance career at an investment bank or one of the big four, you would have made a good choice.

Looking for a Finance job? Contact Network Recruitment, for all your specialist recruitment needs. Click here to APPLY.

Artisan shortage

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 09:28:53 GMT

Given the current economic climate, unemployment is at an all-time high. The media regularly reports on skills shortages and the dire need for artisans in the workforce. In addition, many companies have also expressed their concerns about finding suitably skilled, qualified and experienced artisans.

In a previous survey that was done conducted byAccelerate Cape Town in 2016, it was reported that South Africa will need 30 000 artisans by 2030. However, from research conducted by Network Recruitment, it was found that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of artisans currently in the job market that are struggling to find career opportunities.

Information gathered from Network Recruitment's database demonstrates that there are more than 3 500 artisans, including but not limited to electricians, fitters and turners and Boilermakers who are currently active in the market and seeking employment.

Information accessed from online platforms found the following in relation to artisans that are currently unemployed or on short- term contracts:

2 510 Electricians

5 144 Fitters

869 Boilermakers

2 300 Mechanics

Even if these numbers are reduced by 50% to accommodate obsolete profiles or candidates that have recently found career opportunities, it remains concerning that the number of immediately available artisans seeking career opportunities is high.

Given the available information, it seems evident that there is a miscommunication or missing link somewhere. We are of the opinion that candidates struggle to reach the right employers and employers are struggling to find the perfect candidates.

Perhaps it's time that employers change the way they go about finding the right hire and turn to specialist recruitment agencies that specialise in this field to assist them. Network Engineering specialises in engineering recruitment, and we are confident that, given our years of specialist experience, we will find our clients the best candidates to meet their needs.

Network Engineering not only sources and identifies suitable candidates, but also interviews them to establish their skills and experience, reasons for leaving previous employers, qualifications etc. We also enter into conversations where we assess the risk of candidates accepting a counter offer and manage salary expectations. If a candidate is in the recruitment process with a prospective employer, we will verify their qualifications and do a background check to determine if they are legitimate. By making use of Network Engineering's services, employers can rest assured that the candidate is suitably qualified and does not have a criminal record.

Taking all of these processes and checks and balances into account, the value in making use of our specialist services, or any other similar agency's, is evident. Network Engineering will alleviate the pressure of going through hundreds of unsuitable CV's and significantly reduce the time it takes to find the right candidate. We understand the nature of our clients' businesses and the technical skills they require.

Zelda Botha is a Branch Manager at Network Recruitment.

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

Rodney Irwin: How CFOs can radicalise corporate reporting

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 09:26:11 GMT

“CFOs are in a unique position to make a difference – by taking steps to understand what reporting requirements are out there and how various risks may affect companies now and in the future, they can help safeguard their companies and advance the future of sustainability,” says Rodney Irwin, MD, Redefining Value at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

The financial system is not broken but, in many ways, its objective is too narrow – it allocates financial capital and that’s pretty much it. The system was not designed to be equitable so it doesn’t necessarily consider impacts and dependencies on other forms of capital - from society or the environment, for example. As a result, it misses a lot of pertinent and appropriate information.

Focusing solely on financial performance has, for too long, meant that companies have blind spots with regards to their performance and risk profiles. They have overlooked important aspects of material risk and opportunity management, reinforcing patterns that contribute to serious global issues like climate change and resource scarcity. But all of this is changing. Across the globe, business have learnt – sometimes at their cost – that they cannot be successful in societies that fail.

As such, governments and other stakeholders are increasing the pressure for corporate transparency. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues are entering into the mainstream, and business is increasingly expected to know how to reduce negative social and environmental impacts. What’s more, investors are beginning to demand better information on ESG risks and opportunities.

According to EY (pdf), 60 percent of surveyed investors called for companies to disclose environmental and social risks more fully.

Many companies are beginning to grapple with these issues and are working to inform their strategic decision-making by looking at information such as environmental impact, societal value and sustainable development.

South African companies are ahead of the game under the new King IV Governance Code (pdf), where good corporate governance is central to running a business, upholding an ethical culture, enhancing performance, and building trust. In fact, 450 companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) are required to apply the King Code, which encourages companies to produce integrated reports that include financial and sustainability information.

This is an excellent starting point. By acknowledging that the management of ESG risks and opportunities is part of fiduciary duty, South African CFOs can help fill important information gaps, transform their companies, safeguard against material risks, and open new channels to create value for customers, shareholders and society at large.

Here’s how to go further:

Understand what’s out there

The ESG and corporate reporting worlds are complex. Over the past 25 years, there’s been more than a ten-fold increase in the number of corporate reporting requirements on ESG issues – never mind the additional requirements businesses face in mainstream accounting and disclosure. Lack of coordination makes it frustrating, overwhelming and time-consuming for businesses to keep up.

Over 1,000 reporting requirements – both mandatory and voluntary – across 60 countries, means there’s bound to be overlap and redundancies in the way companies are asked to disclose ESG information. According to the Business and Sustainable Development Commission’s Better Business, Better World Report, 79 percent of investors say they’re unhappy with their ability to compare sustainability reporting between companies in the same industry.

CFOs need to ensure they’re encouraging their teams to report on the most decision-useful information out there, not only to meet the demands of their investors but also to better understand their risks and opportunities while adhering to their fiduciary duties.

There are resources that can help. The Reporting Exchange is a new, free, online global platform that helps business leaders find guidance on what, where and how to report. It’s the single most up-to-date and comprehensive source of sustainability reporting requirements and resources currently available. By using the Reporting Exchange, CFOs and other business leaders can ensure they’re not duplicating their work, and that they aren’t inadvertently missing important disclosure standards and guidelines.

Zeroing in on key reporting requirements and using available resources to help embed sustainability into corporate management approaches will go a long way towards improving sustainability reporting disclosure and decision-making.

Explore integrated reporting

Including financial and non-financial information in annual reports is key for understanding the range of different events, factors, risks or developments that can affect a company’s ability to create value. These are the material issues.

Tools like the Integrated Reporting Framework help companies understand where they derive much of their value – whether from manufactured capital, financial capital, intellectual, human capital, natural capital or social and relationship capital. These are the areas where companies should be paying close attention and disclosing relevant information.

By incorporating this wider set of metrics into corporate reporting and decision-making, companies make themselves more resilient against global challenges while equipping themselves with the best information for accurate decision-making.

South African companies will already be familiar with the concept of integrated reporting, as companies listed on the JSE are encouraged to produce an integrated report in place of their annual financial and sustainability reports. The challenge here is identifying which issues are the most meaningful.

More information isn’t always better. Companies should carefully choose and disclose the most meaningful information they can – focusing only on the factors that could potentially impact their company. When this is done right, CFOs gain a better view of their corporate risk profiles and can take into consideration which factors may affect value creation both now and in the future.

Include climate-related risks

Just because a particular risk may not be material today, doesn’t mean it won’t be in the future. Take climate change, for example. In 2015, the Financial Stability Board Chairman, Mark Carney warned that climate change could significantly impact financial stability. The G20 then created the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) to help businesses understand and quantify climate-related risks and opportunities. On 29 June this year, the TCFD released its final recommendations and guidance to help businesses understand their climate-related financial risks. The TCFD Recommendations aim to create a standardised framework for aligning climate-related financial disclosures across G20 countries – but the recommendations fit with existing reporting frameworks the world over.

By creating a set of uniform recommendations and guidance, the Task Force has made it easier for businesses to deliver on investor demands for climate-related information, and smart business leaders will capitalise on that.

Look into the future

No one can predict the future, which is why it’s important for C-suite executives to explore how a range of future scenarios could impact their business. Most companies already explore a range of different scenarios for crisis planning, stress testing or for understanding potential impacts of investments but companies should also engage in scenario analysis for ESG issues – including climate change, natural resource dependency and impact, talent, and so on. Doing so will help ensure that their companies aren’t blindsided by unforeseen transition and physical risks – including changing regulatory, social or environmental conditions.

An appropriate understanding of risks – present and future – as well as an appropriate risk management strategy, are key for the success and survival of any business. Companies should start experimenting with scenario analysis in the ways that make the most sense for them.

The TCFD’s Recommendations on Scenario Analysis are a great place to start. They encourage businesses to conduct sound scenario-planning by providing tools to help companies see what their operations would look like under various climate scenarios. They also go further and require businesses to disclose the results of these scenarios, if material, to the investor community.

By helping business lay out and understand a range of possibilities, the TCFD scenario analysis helps companies discuss climate-related risks in a quantitative way and provides transparency to capital markets.

Climate-related risk is a great first step, and may help open the door for other ESG considerations.

Create alignment

For companies which aren’t ready to pivot to integrated reporting, focusing on alignment between sustainability reports and legal/annual filings will be key.

Despite the fact that risk management experts from all over the world state that social and environmental risks are fast-becoming legal and economic risks for business, the way companies report and disclose tells a different story.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s 2017 Sustainability and Enterprise Risk Management report compares over 180 companies’ sustainability and risk disclosures and reveals that, on average, only 29 percent of the areas deemed to be material in a sustainability report were disclosed in a company’s legal disclosure of risks. In addition, 35 percent of member companies did not disclose any of the sustainability risks identified in their sustainability reports in their legal filings. Evidently, many companies are failing to adapt to, respond to, and mitigate social and environmental risks.

Some of the reasons for this may include limited knowledge of sustainability risks, difficulty quantifying sustainability risks, short-term horizons and limited guidance for implementing risk management frameworks beyond the usual suspects. The result is that sustainability issues are often ignored or not disclosed.

This doesn’t have to be the story – CFOs can make a difference

Risk management and sustainability are important areas for improvement in corporate reporting and disclosure. CFOs are in a unique position to make a difference – by taking steps to understand what reporting requirements are out there and how various risks may affect companies now and in the future, they can help safeguard their companies and advance the future of sustainability.

It’s up to CFOs and other corporate leaders to be honest with themselves and transparent with their stakeholders, and to identify the risks. CFOs have an important role to play in bridging the gap between financial and non-financial disclosure. It’s time to radicalise the world of corporate reporting, and CFOs are in the lead.

This article was originally posted by CFO Magazine

Looking for a Finance job? Contact Network Recruitment, for all your specialist recruitment needs. Click here to APPLY.

These are the skills the chartered accountant, auditor of the future will need

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 09:08:28 GMT

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new,” said Greek philosopher, Socrates. If this is true, then why, almost 2500 years later, are the disruptive children in the classroom still scolded for being bad apples when they should be praised for changing the status quo? One profession is embracing disruption as the new order of the day. Here is how chartered accountants [(CAs(SA)], along with other professions, are preparing to navigate their way through the disruption of the digital age."

The ability to adapt to change (which is happening at an unprecedented rate) is arguably one of the most important attributes that CAs(SA) will need in our digital age.

In January 2016, the founder of the World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab, said that we are entering a fourth industrial revolution; characterised by new technologies that will fundamentally alter the way in which we live, work and relate to one another.

He added that technological advances such as artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things, biotechnology and quantum computing, among others, could transform industries in every country.

“Future CAs(SA) will need a balance between non-technical and technical skills to continue to demonstrate competence in serving the public’s interest,” says Professor Karin Barac, head of the Auditing Department at the University of Pretoria, “Future CAs(SA) will also need more business acumen to support decision-making.”

This is precisely why, in a project called CA2025, the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), together with the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA), has commissioned research into the expected competencies of CAs(SA) and Registered Auditors (RAs) in the future.

This research, which is being undertaken by a research team comprising academics from the University of Pretoria’s Department of Auditing recently concluded the first phase of a three-part study to identify current thinking of the competencies that future CAs and RAs will most likely require.

Karin Barac, lead researcher for CA2025, offers a perspective on gaps in the CA(SA) skills set that need to be filled in South Africa.

“Competence is highly prized by the accounting and auditing professions, in addition to theoretical knowledge,” says Barac. “This explains the stringent assessment methods used for certifying accounting and auditing professionals, where it is not uncommon for candidates to make several attempts before meeting the assessment criteria and qualifying.

“Qualification expectations are specified in terms of outcomes, or what an individual can accomplish, rather than just theoretical knowledge.”

“The CAs of tomorrow will need a clear understanding of big data and analytics, together with a high level of IT competence.”

“Included among their non-technical skills,” Barac continues, “will be the need to demonstrate competence in high order thinking skills (such as critical thinking skills, analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as strategic thinking skills) to interpret computer-generated data and to make the right decisions. Future CAs(SA) will need more business acumen to support decision-making.

“This will need to be done by CAs(SA) who are both ethical and lifelong learners and who demonstrate continuous and timely efforts to learn, unlearn and relearn.”

Although it is early days, a general theme has emerged through the research.

“Preliminary findings show a “knowledge triangle” of technical knowledge, business acumen, strategy and risk,” says Barac. “This is supported by higher-order skills, interpersonal skills as well as leadership and citizenship qualities.”

An important competency that has emerged is citizenship; described as the ability to display social conscience across cultures.

“Our emphasis is on the need for CAs(SA) to be relevant and to evolve as the needs of the market unfolds,” says Mandi Olivier, Senior Executive for Professional Development at SAICA. “It’s incredibly important that we create entry-level CAs(SA) who can think critically and out of the box, and adapt with ease to the changing environment.”

This article was originally posted byCNBC Africa

Looking for a Finance job? Contact Network Recruitment, for all your specialist recruitment needs. Click here to APPLY.

Employment checks: the candidate experience

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 09:05:24 GMT

Prior to a job offer being extended, specialist recruiters will conduct a range of checks to ensure that the information provided by the candidate is factually correct. Reference checks are done by contacting the candidate's former employers to get a sense of their work performance and personal abilities.

Network Recruitment has found that, in some instances, job seekers are going to extreme lengths to find employment bytampering with their qualifications and payslips. As a result, running background checks have become a crucial part of the recruitment process.

As important as it is for organisations to have access to information about the candidate, it is equally important for the candidate to have access to information about the potential employer to enable them to make an informed decision about their next new work environment.

Although candidates are encouraged to research the organisation before their job interview, there is only so much information they can obtain from a corporate website, social media platforms, press releases etc. "As much as it is a risk for organisations to hire candidates without conducting background checks, it's a risk for candidates to accept a job offer without having sufficient knowledge of the organisation," senior engineering specialist recruiter, Disi Khoza, Assistant Branch Manager at Network Recruitment explains.

Network Recruitment has seen some candidates who accept a job offer leave the job within months after discovering the company culture, management style, or the role and what was expected was different to what they believed. According to a study done by Leadership IQ, 46% of employees do not make it through their first 18 months of employment due to company culture, management style or the actual job itself.

To avoid this kind of staff turnover, Khoza suggests that organisations consider implementing an 'employee shadow system' where candidates are taken on a tour of the new workplace to observe the work environment, engage with potential co-workers and ask their own set of questions. This approach gives the candidate the opportunity to dig deeper and establish for themselves if it would be a good company fit. In addition, employees may give you valuable feedback about the candidate that could result in direct time and money savings.

"Should candidates' also be allowed to conduct a reference check on a potential employer?" by, for example, contacting a previous employee to obtain more information about how the organisation operates in practice.

Share your thoughts in our comments section on social media.

Disi Khoza is an Assistant Branch Manager at Network Recruitment.

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

UP CLOSE with Executive Consultant Alma Delport

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 09:03:44 GMT

1. You are the Executive Consultant for Network Finance. When and why did you decide to pursue a career in recruitment?

I was working for an NGO for six years in Rustenburg before I woke up one day and decided that I needed to move to Pretoria. During those six years, I realised that one cannot work for 'nothing' so I needed to find a role where I could still help people and change lives but make a good living while doing that. Long story short… This is where I ended up I've never looked back.

2. 2017 is coming to an end. How have you found the year so far?

This year so far… I have yet again learnt a great deal about myself. This role forces you to change constantly in order not to fall behind. It forces you to deal with a great deal and as a result, we learn every day. This year has actually been the best one so far since I have started.

3. What can you say is the secret to your success?

This is not true for all days, but I think you have to practice the law of attraction on a daily basis and believe every morning that 'today will be a good day' even if you are not sure what your plan for the day is. You have to believe that something that you have done in the past will manifest positive results.

4. How do you overcome fear when you are about to embark on a new challenge?

I ask myself what is the worst that could happen. For me it is the same as getting on seriously scary rides – if you get a kick in the chest afterwards, at least it was a thrill, to begin with. :-)

5. What do you love most about your job?

When candidates scream or cry on the other side of the phone because I have just secured them their dream finance job that is really going to change their lives. Oh, and the commission of course :-)

6. What keeps you motivated and positive?

My personal goals! I also have to give credit to my team – we are a tight team with great energy and we get to be ourselves around each other always.

7. What can you say makes Network Finance difference from the rest of the recruitment agencies?

I think the fact that we really are specialists in our field. When clients need that specific skill, they know exactly where to go. In addition, from what I can gather by speaking to the candidates, our professionalism is way above any other recruitment agency.

8. Back to you, who is Alma Delport?

For my job, which I am passionate about, I can often be impatient and straight to the point because I take dealing with people's lives seriously. I become intolerant with unfairness and people not telling the truth. For the rest, in my personal life, I am one big-hearted softy. However, mostly, what you see is what you get. You never have to worry or wonder where you stand with me because you will know by how I interact with you. I am not great at faking anything.

9. If a movie was made of your life, what genre would it be and who would play you?

It would probably be a Comedy-Drama and I would have to say either Drew Barrymore or Rebel Wilson.

10. If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would those words be? Compassionate, driven and loyal.

11. Since you like to travel, where is your dream destination?

There is too many for many different reasons. I can, however, say that I am not too excited by the idea of visiting the cosmopolitan capitals such as Paris or New York. I've always wanted to go to Norway and take a hike in the black woods and maybe through the Amazon.

12. What is your favourite song at the moment?

This is a difficult one, seeing as music is my absolute favourite thing in the whole world and for me it is situational...

For love:

For Motivation:

For my little one on the way:

13. Are you a morning or evening person?

An evening person.

14. If you were a superhero, what powers would you have?

I would have the ability to teleport.

15. How many books have you read thus far this year?

I think around 6

16. Finish the sentence: When I dance, I look like ….?

…I've never seen it in the mirror J

17. If you were famous, what would you be famous for?

This has changed every year since I can remember but for now, I would probably say for being a Muso.

18. What is the most interesting thing you have in your purse / wallet?

Well, now the cat is out of the bag – My next appointment card at the doctor for my follow-up 12-week sonar.

19. What sitcom family would you belong to?

I'd have to go with Friends. They are my family.

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Finding the right candidates

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 08:59:40 GMT

When specialist recruiters and employers are on the hunt to find a candidate, they look for a professional with the right experience and background. While culture fit and soft skills are amongst the things recruiters look for, technical skills are equally important.

When searching for IT, finance and engineering candidates, one of the challenges facing most specialist recruiters and hiring managers is finding those who are technically capable of doing the work. Candidates' knowledge and ability to perform specific tasks could be the deciding factor on whether a job offer is extended or not.

Here are three recommendations that hiring managers and recruiters can implement to find qualified candidates.

Join niche-focussed social media groups

Niche-focused social media groups are the perfect tool for recruiters to connect with potential candidates. By joining these groups via your personal Facebook or LinkedIn accounts, not only will you be tapping into a new pool of candidates, but you will also be kept up to date with industry news. Founder of Tech Ladies, Allison Esposito, points out that since people joining these communities want to connect, support one another and share resources, they're often more trusted platforms for candidates to consider new career opportunities.

Understand the technical requirements of the job spec

According to Senior Finance Specialist Recruiter, Sunette Roccon, in order for specialist recruiters to deliver the best candidates, employers need to do the following:

1. Have an internal briefing session before they approach a specialist recruitment agency. "This will enable the HR team to answer any technical questions posed to them and in return assist the specialist recruitment agency in finding the right candidate for the role," Roccon explains.

2. Take the time to speak to your specialist recruiter. Roccon suggests that employers take some time to articulate the job requirements so that recruiters can find the best candidate for the role - someone who will not only meet the technical requirements but who will also fit in with the organisation's culture. Understanding the core of the role is, therefore, essential in finding the right candidate.

Ask for a portfolio

Recruiters and hiring managers can update their technical evaluation process by asking candidates to provide a portfolio. Professor Bob Sutton from Stanford University, says portfolios, amongst other documents, demonstrate the kind of work that a candidate has done. As a result, recruiters can get a better understanding of the candidate's technical ability and this should carry weight in the hiring process.

Recruiters can widen their candidate search by implementing these methods to stand a better chance of finding their next best hire.

Looking for an IT job, Finance job or, Engineering job? Contact Network Recruitment, for all your specialist recruitment needs. Click here to APPLY.

Understanding the year-end job search process

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 08:57:38 GMT

As the last month of 2017 approaches, it's time for professionals to evaluate their current job situation and think about whether they should make a career move or not. While many job seekers may think that the festive season is a bad time to look for a new job opportunity, Finance Team Leader Michelle Calvert urges job seekers to continue with their job search.

In this blog, Network Recruitment will outline what job seekers can expect from a year-end job search:

Have a flexible schedule

Be willing to meet recruiters at short notice during this time as specialist recruiters will want to get in touch with top candidates before other recruiters. In addition, expect recruiters to send you to meet potential employers especially if the organisation is keen to fill a role in the new year.

Accelerated recruitment process

The last quarter of the year is important - don't wait for January to fine-tune your career plans and strategies, start now! According to Calvert, when employees leave a company during a holiday season, employers are under pressure to appoint a replacement and often speed up the recruitment process as a result. If you are an immediately available candidate it could put you at an advantage as this accelerated recruitment process is perfectly suited for candidates who can start immediately or who have a short notice period.

There is less competition

Take advantage of the fact that most professionals will be so distracted by shopping, family responsibilities and holiday festivals that they may not have time to look for a job opportunity. Kathy Gans, Accounting Principals senior vice-president, explains that it's easier for job seekers to stand out from the crowd and get ahead during this time.

As organisations start preparing their 2018 staff strategies, job seekers such as yourself need to be prepared for any opportunity in order to make a career move before 2018.

Looking for an IT job, Finance job or, Engineering job? Contact Network Recruitment, for all your specialist recruitment needs. Click here to APPLY.

Revealing the unreal CV

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 08:44:39 GMT

You've followed the straight and narrow, were (mostly) completely honest during all job interviews and didn't boost up your CV to impress that possible employer. However, you still haven't received any job offers. Slowly but surely you're getting desperate. The bills are piling up and your children need new shoes or your manager is constantly on your back and looking over your shoulder.

You are ready to quit this job sooner than later…but first, you need to secure another position. So you consider tweaking your CV. You know, just to ensure that your skills match the employers' job spec. Maybe you make a little change to your employment history. And nobody really cares if you describe your post-graduate degree as completed, right? You only needed two more subjects to finalise it anyway.

What is CV fraud?

CV fraud refers to any act that involves providing fictitious, exaggerated, or otherwise misleading information on a job application or CV. If you knowingly provide inaccurate information to a potential employer, it's almost always grounds for immediate dismissal from the position or retracting of an offer. Lying on your CV isn't a criminal offence per se, but once you begin obtaining money under false pretences, it equals to deception and fraud. In some cases, you could face legal implications and even jail time. When applicants submit a fraudulent CV, what is the most common misleading or untrue information presented?

The most common themes on fraudulent CVs

According to Nina de Winter-Peer, Head of Communications at Managed Integrity Evaluation (MIE), about 10% of CVs received for screening contain some sort of fraudulent information. And it is widespread, with candidates ranging in age, job level and industries. It seems that the most common themes related to fraudulent CVs are stretching of dates of employment, inflating past accomplishments and skills, enhancing job titles and responsibilities, false information related to education and degrees, unexplainable gaps in employment due to a criminal record, omitting past employment, faking credentials, fabricating reasons for leaving a previous job and providing fraudulent references.

Why do applicants include misleading information on their CVs?

Applicants mainly present misleading information in an attempt to receive an offer for a higher-paying job. These applicants also strive to fill high-status positions in order build their CVs. Some applicants are newly graduated or have been unemployed for some time, and are desperate to find any kind of work.

Can you get away with it? Do you even want to?

Research shows that applicants who present fraudulent CVs, and subsequently fill the position they applied for, often experience low work satisfaction due to lack of necessary skills and high anxiety levels due to uncertainty. They also often experience high-stress levels when they can't live up to expectations or deliver on promises. This is especially prominent when the applicant is appointed to a senior position but isn't equipped to handle the responsibilities that accompany the role.

Still considering including false degree certificates or omitting your criminal record? Don't underestimate the employers' savvy and resources invested in background checking. Assume that your credentials, qualifications and references will be checked and verified. If you haven't completed your degree or have credit problems, it's best to take control of the situation and be upfront about it.

Depending on the situation and context, the employer won't automatically dismiss you as a potential candidate. Being upfront could count in your favour – the employer will probably applaud your ability to take the bull by the horns and manage a potentially difficult or uncomfortable situation.

Can you imagine the career impediments if your false claims come to light? Not only will it ruin your reputation and credibility, but no reputable recruitment agency would want to represent you again.

Looking for an IT job, Finance job or, Engineering job? Contact Network Recruitment, for all your specialist recruitment needs. Click here to APPLY.

What to do if you’re in office during the festive season

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 08:34:55 GMT

It's the end of the year and the festive season is right around the corner. Unfortunately, not all of us will be going on a three-week vacation. If you are part of the bunch that will be in the office over December, don't despair. In this blog, Network Recruitment will give you tips on how you can use your time wisely so that you start 2018 feeling prepared and in control. Here's how:Clear your inbox

With colleagues on leave and your phone not ringing so often you have time to attend to the endless e-mails clogging up your inbox. This is the time to read outstanding e-mails and decide how best to deal with them, whether this means responding, archiving or deleting. If there are some e-mails that require your attention, now is the time to take action.

Tidy your workspace

While the rest of your colleagues might have a messy and disorganised desk to deal with when they return from vacation, you can take this time to tidy your workspace. Not only will your desk be clean and organised, your mind will thank you for it in January.

Utilise your lunch hour

At last, you actually have time to enjoy your lunch break! Pack a nutritious lunch and bring along the novel you've been longing to read for weeks. Better yet, bring your training gear to work and go for a walk or an express spin class at the gym.

Finalise planning for 2018

Take some time to do thorough planning for the year ahead; start with general year planning and include events, project deadlines, public holidays etc. In addition, focus on the first three months of 2018 by jotting down some to-do items for this period. This could also be a great time to do some career planning by taking conducting acareer audit.

Don't stick around if you don't need to

Many companies allow their employees to knock-off early on certain days in December. Furthermore, some managers are quite comfortable with employees leaving work a little earlier if things are slow. Take advantage of these offers and don't feel obliged to stay until the end of the workday unless you absolutely must.

Take a break as soon as you can

For various reasons, some professionals choose not to take a break from the office during December. However, it is important to make plans to enjoy some kind of a break during the year to reduce the chances of burnout.

Looking for an IT job, Finance job or, Engineering job? Contact Network Recruitment, for all your specialist recruitment needs. Click here to APPLY.

Where to begin with a new job search

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 08:31:32 GMT

Finding the right job match can be a daunting task, even for seasoned professionals. In this blog, Network Recruitment will provide tips to assist professionals in IT, Finance and Engineering to start their job search on the right note.1. Zero in on your ideal job

Before you begin your job search, you need to assess your interests, abilities and current skills. By conducting this type of assessment, you will be able to establish what career opportunity is right for you. In the book 'The art of work'', Jeff Goins elaborates on how the job search initially begins with passion but does not end there. He explains that only when your interests connect with the needs of the role, can you begin to live for a larger purpose than yourself.2. Give your CV a face-lift

In today's job market you need to ensure that your CV immediately catches the recruiter's eye. As your career develops, so should the format of your CV. We live in an era where it only takes eight seconds for a specialist recruiter or a hiring manager to identify the correct hire. The purpose of your résumé is to ensure it lands you a job interview. Make sure that you place yourself in pole position with the right CV.3. Approach a specialist recruitment agency

You can rely on a specialist recruitment agency like Network Recruitment to help you with your job search. They connect candidates with top employers and can provide seasoned professionals with the best career advice according to their industry knowledge. By building a relationship with a recruiter, you are guaranteed the best career options to land a perfect job.4. Networking is king

Developing relationships with specialist recruiters, business owners, managers and potential colleagues can help you in your job search. Attending industry events and networking with other professionals in your area of expertise, as well as industry leaders and decision makers, could bring you one step closer to your dream job.5. Don't forget your online presence

Specialist recruiters make use of social media analytics tools to get a holistic view of who their candidates are, making social media an important element to consider in your job search. It is, therefore, important for job seekers to build and maintain a strong online personal brand. Social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter can help to demonstrate your expertise and passion for what you do.

Partnering with the right people is a great tool for making the right career moves.

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

What makes Network Recruitment different?

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 08:24:25 GMT

Having been at the forefront of the specialist recruitment industry for more than 30 years, Network Recruitment retains its competitive edge by developing and maintaining sustainable relationships with its clients and candidates. Job seekers trust Network Recruitment to find the best fit for them, and employers are assured of top quality candidates at all times.

Network Recruitment specialises in the niche markets of IT, Finance, Engineering and Supply Chain recruitment, either permanent or contract, depending on the candidate or clients' needs. Over the years, the agency has developed a reputation for delivering incomparable skills to top employers while providing candidates with the best job opportunities available. Network Recruitment is committed to developing sustainable partnerships with the candidates they screen and the clients they work with.

Network Recruitment's specialist recruiters have sound technical knowledge and experience and focus exclusively on sourcing high-calibre IT, Finance, Engineering and Supply Chain specialists across South Africa and other countries in the continent. In addition, they are educated and extensively trained in specific niche areas in these sectors. These specialist recruiters soon become their candidates' and clients' trusted advisors during the recruitment process, drawing on their ongoing training and substantial industry knowledge to provide expert advice.

By constantly expanding its pool of skilled professionals through its proactive methods and screening of candidates, Network Recruitment is able to offer clients the best talent available. Network Recruitment provides expert advice and job information and is passionate about providing exceptional recruitment support to its clients.

If you're in search of a recruitment company that is trusted by candidates and clients alike, whilst meeting the demands of a highly competitive job market in South Africa, look no further than Network Recruitment, your trusted partner in professional recruitment.

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

Valuable partnerships

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 08:20:22 GMT

The success of a specialist recruitment agency is achieved by a combination of effective job search strategies and innovative recruiting methods. However, a partnership cannot be effective unless you have one defining factor – trust. Trust is a critical component in today's business environment; in fact, it is the foundation for developing and maintaining sustainable partnerships.

In this blog, Network Recruitment will outline the importance of trusting your specialist recruitment company with your organisation's recruitment needs.

Specialist recruiters assist in strengthening your employer brand

In today's job market, where professionals discover information about an employer on social media, employer branding is crucial. When you form a partnership with a specialist recruiter, you must trust that they will provide potential candidates with a positive candidate experience, accurate information and realistic expectations on what it's like working for your company.

There is a return on investment (ROI)

Outsourcing all or parts of the recruitment process to an agency means you need to trust that the recruiter will deliver on their promise to find you the right hire. Working with a recruitment agency, you will save your organisation time and money and boosts the quality of new hires.

You have peace of mind

In order for agencies to provide you with exceptional service, they must have a proven record of accomplishments. When you trust them with their candidate choice, you will feel more confident in your hiring decision.

As a specialist recruitment agency, Network Recruitment always goes the extra mile to ensure a great recruitment experience for both clients and candidates during the hiring process. Contact Network Recruitment today to build a partnership based on mutual trust.

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job or Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, your trusted partner in specialist IT, Finance and Engineering placements for 30 years.

The importance of trust

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 13:43:53 GMT

In this blog, Network Recruitment will outline the importance of trusting your specialist recruitment company with your organisation's recruitment needs.

Specialist recruiters assist in strengthening your employer brand

There is a return on investment (ROI)

You have peace of mind

Ongoing transformation for the Chartered Accountancy profession

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 12:41:38 GMT

In its attempt to ensure that there is a constant flow of suitably qualified accounting professionals who represent the race and gender composition of the country, theSouth African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) says significant progress has been made in both of these areas. This comes after reviewing the Initial Test of Competence (ITC) January 2018 exam results.

In March 2018, SAICA announced that out of more than 3 000 aspiring Chartered Accountants CAs(SA) who wrote the ITC exam, 2 220 of them passed. With an overall pass rate of 74%, the results revealed interesting information such as an increase in African and Coloured candidates, as well as female and first-time candidates. This has been one of the organisation's ongoing transformation goals.

In an article, Mandi Olivier, Senior Executive: Professional Development at SAICA, stated that for the first time the number of African first-time candidates presenting themselves to write the ITC exceeds the number of white candidates. When looking at the proportion of black first-time candidates entering the exam, we also see significant progress, as 60% of candidates attempting this exam for the first time are African, Coloured and Indian.

Olivier also added that the body's current membership statistics reveal that one in three qualified CAs(SA) are women, and just over half (54%) of the ITC January 2018 exam population was female. Since women make up just over half of the country's total ITC population, this means that the profession is getting closer to reflecting the country's true gender demographics.

SAICA's Thuthuka Bursary Fund (TBF) saw over 1 500 of their candidates of colour achieve a pass rate of 76%. This is slightly higher than the national average. "This illustrates just how successful the substantial amount of time, effort and funding the profession directs into the TBF have been in yielding positive results and creating a growing pipeline of African and Coloured students coming through the CA(SA) qualification process," Olivier explains.

Although the organisation has admitted that they still have a long way to go with transforming the overall membership of the body, the statistics illustrate a positive outcome from the various initiatives that are already set in place.

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

Developing scarce skills

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 12:39:24 GMT

The gap between the professional talent needed by employers and those available in the working sector is widening as the years go by. The Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) has stated that South Africa is nowhere close to reaching the international benchmark. In its present condition, the international norm is one engineer per 40 people and South Africa only has one engineer per 2 600 people. If South Africa intends to prosper and compete in the global market, it needs to develop scarce skills.

According to Professor Ian Jandrell, Dean of the faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at the University of Witwatersrand (Wits), South Africa could possibly run the risk of falling behind and sidelined by the global community if it does not consider scarce skills as a national priority, particularly in the engineering sector.

Employment studies have disclosed that there is an increased change in the level of skills needed in the country, making education a vital part in combating this challenge. As a result, institutions and training centres need to provide students with the right skills for successful job placements. The development process should start from high school, through to university all the way to professional development and employment.

Prof Jandrell agrees that universities can replicate in great measure the high-level scarce skills to move the country forward and foster development on the continent. He recommends that continuous alterations be made to the curricula taught at institutions to ensure that students stay at the cutting edge of innovative technology, knowledge, and research.

Although there are institutions that are currently working with the private and public sectors to assist in developing skills, much is dependent on economic growth, political health and growing investor confidence in the country. For example, little can be done in the infrastructure and mining sectors without financial stability.

In order to develop these scarce skills, transformation should be a priority. A considerable amount of work still needs to be done to attract and retain females in the engineering profession. ECSA's 2017 Annual Report states that of the 16 733 registered professional engineers in South Africa, only 865 were females.

If the country is to develop scarce skills in engineering, the number of engineering graduates needs to increase in the years to come. Mentorship programmes need to be implemented to upskill the current engineer pool in order to transfer expert knowledge.

Do you have any thoughts on how to develop scarce skills in the country? Share your ideas on our social media comment section.

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

Change is the only constant in your career

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 12:34:00 GMT

It is said that the only constant thing one can count on is change, and your career is no exception, especially in the current job market. While companies remain in a permanent state of dynamic flux, the sooner you get used to the routine of change, the greater your chances for survival and sustainability are. In short: adapt or die!

If you are work in industries such as IT, Finance and Engineering you have probably realised that learning is not limited to the confines of university or school. Although it is strongly advised that one should acquire a degree or qualification of some sort, today's job market is compelling professionals to get out of their career comfort zones in order to stay relevant.

Digitization, automation and machine learning has continued to alter the way professionals work and live. According to The Solutions Lab, roughly 45% of jobs in today's market could be automated much sooner than we think. Moreover, if you plan to future-proof your career, you need to maintain and sustain your value in the marketplace despite these rapid changes. Network Recruitment has the following advice if you want to make yourself irreplaceable:Take a proactive approach

Observing the trends and challenges facing your industry can assist in maintaining a competitive edge. Not only can these observations help you make informed decisions about your career, they can help you to assess your value in your current company.Embrace learning

Given the rate of change, constant learning is essential. If you embrace learning and change your mindset that learning is a 'once-off' occurrence, you'll acquire skills and knowledge that will help you stay ahead of your competition.Know how tech can affect your industry

Knowing how technology will benefit your career is one way you can become more employable. Understanding how technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, big data and cyber security affect your career can help you to determine what your industry may look like in the near future. Specialise

Know what differentiates you from your peers and refine it. In order to differentiate yourself in today's economic workplace environment, Richard McDermott of the Harvard Business Review says professionals should position themselves in such a way that they are ahead of their discipline and find a market niche. Specialising provides you with an edge in terms of job security and gives you the authority you need in your chosen field – your specialist knowledge places you in a leadership position.Build a solid network

To remain top of mind, professionals should get into the habit of participating in building business relationships. Attend seminars, conferences and events that will provide you with the opportunity to network with peers in your industry. When you have a solid network, you will find that identifying possible solutions and fruitful opportunities become easier.

While change is inevitable, one needs to adapt in order to stay relevant and valuable. Being curious and versatile in your approach will help your career.

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

Recruitment, technology and the human element

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 11:55:39 GMT

Technology shouldn't be seen as an alternative to the human touch that a specialist recruiter contributes, even in an era where access to job opportunities and candidates is just a click away. Technology is a tool in the recruitment process but it cannot replace the process itself, which is people-driven.

Since our establishment in 1987, Network Recruitment is proud to be associated with more than 622 000 highly skilled candidates who at some stage of their career sought out the assistance of our specialist recruiters in their career move. This clearly indicates the value and benefit of a specialist recruitment agency for both employers and job seekers.

The true value, however, in working with a recruiter, as opposed to relying exclusively on technology, can be found in the following aspects:

Culture and value match

A good specialist recruiter understands the critical importance of the culture and value match between an employer and applicant. He or she knows how to evaluate these aspects and bring the right people together. For example, our highly skilled recruiters understand the requirements of executives and hiring managers when employing staff. As a result 60% of our placements, especially in our finance division, is from repeat business.

Unique candidate qualities

Often, a candidate's CV doesn't always reflect their true strengths or most important qualities clearly. This means that, when employers use only technology to search for candidates, the real talent could be overlooked. A good recruiter draws out the talents and strengths of a candidate and brings it to the attention of the prospective employer. Our specialist recruiters build long-lasting relationships with South Africa's top talent. Take our Engineering division; they interview over 40 new engineers on a monthly basis.

The art of real communication

Successfully bringing together an employer and job seeker is a sensitive process which involves ongoing communication and negotiation. The art of communication becomes a half-painted picture without the human element. The sole use of technology in the selection of candidates does not allow for a multi-faceted approach and often results in assumptions being made which lead to misleading conclusions.

Specialist recruiters need to know how to use technology to their advantage, but even the best technology cannot replace the human element and capacity to interpret a situation.

Technology and its impact on the engineering sector

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 11:50:09 GMT

Given the explosion in innovation, the engineering sector has seen a glimpse of what their industry will look like in the future. Furthermore, the industry is finding that it has to change and adapt due to the advancements of the digital age. Predictions indicate that by the year 2020, 25% of the world's total economy will be digital. Moreover, 82% of allmid-senior jobs will also require some sort of digital skills.

With all these changes and predictions, will the engineering sector be able to keep up with digital advancements? The answer to that question is yes. In fact, engineers in different niches utilise various innovative tools, which are discussed below.

1. Building Information Modelling (BIM)

BIM is improving efficiencies in the building design and construction process. This model helps engineers and architects work from a shared database and computer model where they can visualise designs and projects before they have begun. These files display a clear digital vision of a building or product and if changes need to made, they can. This helps them identify errors before construction has begun.

2. Augmented reality (AR)

The concept of AR has been used all around different sectors and engineering is no exception. Engineers can use AR to design a product in the location it will exist in before production – giving them a clear idea of space restrictions, clashes and aesthetics. For example, News Zealand city planners and engineers use AR to visualise the end product in its real location.

3. Smart sensors

Smart sensors are considered one of the biggest advances in automation. Apart from being sensors and instrument packages that are driven by microprocessors, they include interesting features such as communication abilities and onboard diagnostics that deliver stats or information to a monitoring system or operator to increase operational efficiency and reduce maintenance costs.

4. Drones

The adoption of drones in the construction sector is growing especially now that they are building drones that will suit every industry's needs. The construction sector, however, uses them to map and inspect construction sites as well as help with building surveys. A recent study revealed that 26% of construction professionals are using drones at the moment.

5. 3D printing

3D printers help engineers produce components and complex design parts. By digitally designing these elements, products will not be restricted by complex geometries. It is for this reason that the aerospace industry is taking full advantage of this invention. Engineers have taken a liking to this sort of printing because they are able to create high-quality porotypes much quicker and cheaper.

The engineering sector is expected to undergo the biggest changes in the emergence of new trends. If engineers want to remain relevant in a competitive market such as this one, they must be willing to reinvent themselves to keep up.

Are you looking for an Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, your trusted partner in specialist IT, Finance and Engineering placements for 30 years.

Renewable energy market a hit

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 11:47:34 GMT

Did you know that about 80% of South Africa's electricity is from coal plants and only 7% is from renewable energy sources? Many experts think it's time for government to prioritise the latter. In a keynote address at the African Utility Week conference in Cape Town earlier this year, Energy Minister Jeff Radebe informed delegates that government will integrate renewable energy sources into the current energy infrastructure.

This means that government intends to include renewable energy as a means to provide a sizable portion of the country's electricity needs. Radebe reiterated the country's commitment to collaborate with independent power producers as he applauded government's "very successful independent power producers' procurement programme". The plan is to open a new round of renewable agreements with independent power producers in November this year in the hopes of unlocking investments worth R50 billion.

Although the renewable energy market in the country is reasonably young, K2 Management South Africa country director, Hebren James, told media house Creamer Media that South Africa is ahead of the curve. Hebren explains that this is due to power purchase agreements (PPAs) that have been accepted by the National Treasury.

James believes that the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) has so far been a monumental success for the renewable energy market in the country as it has created a suitable environment for competitive bidding, resulting in continued market confidence.

Radebe advised delegates that to date government has concluded 91 projects with a capacity of 63 000 MW. Of the 91 projects, 63 have a combined capacity of 3 800 MW which has been connected to the grid. In addition, approximately R136 billion has already been invested in the country's economy with investments in the range of R56 million expected over the next three to five years.

South Africa will be joining countries such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya and Morocco who have already incorporated renewable energy into their electricity infrastructure and have seen what a significant role it plays. This will also aid the economy, as thousands of jobs will be created for South Africans participating in these projects.

However, if you're in the engineering sector and are currently in search of a career move, click here to search and APPLY online. Contact Network Recruitment, your trusted partner in specialist IT, Finance and Engineering placements for 30 years.

Plan your career as a newly qualified Chartered Accountant

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 11:40:59 GMT

A career in chartered accountancy certainly isn't for everyone. For one, it will take you at least four years of academic study at one of South Africa's top universities and another three years gaining practical training. However, it doesn't end there – you will also need to simultaneously study and pass two of the toughest professional exams in any business, anywhere.

In South Africa, chartered accountancy training is based on a broad competency model, which requires a focus on business strategy, ethics, governance, communication, and other, non-accountancy based disciplines. A deep understanding of the current International Financial Reporting Standards is also imperative.

While many newly qualified chartered accountants confidently enter the job market encouraged by reports that there is an urgent need for their skills, they soon realise that the reality is vastly different. A CA(SA) qualification remains outstanding and it most definitely paves the way for career opportunities, but it isn't a guarantee of an immediate job offer in an industry of choice. It's understandable that job seekers are baffled when their career aspirations aren't fulfilled immediately.

Here are important points young Chartered Accountant should consider when planning their careers:For many newly qualified CAs, irrespective of race, the job search can take considerable time.

Start your job search in good time so that you aren't under pressure to find something at the end of your studies.Although there are selected career opportunities available in the public sector, most opportunities are at audit firms and slightly less are on offer at private companies. Anyone wanting to start their career in the private sector will face a more challenging journey due to the scarcity of career opportunities.Many young accountants fall into the trap of staying at an audit firm for too long. Commercial experience early on in a candidate's career can be a significant differentiator in the search for a job.Companies would rather employ young accountants who have experience in their particular industry. Try to specialise in one or two sectors to ensure that you are able to pursue a career in a particular field.Job seekers need to adjust their expectations and their strategies according to market realities. Just because you have a CA qualification doesn't mean that you can make demands which employers will not meet due to a lack of experience or industry-specific skills.

There are positions available, and candidates who have a clear career strategy, who start their search early and who are patient will eventually be rewarded.

There are numerous resources available to newly qualified CAs, and aprofessional specialist recruitment agency can be invaluable when it comes to market knowledge and managing expectations. Our Finance Specialist recruiters can also help with career planning advice on your job search. Contact Network Finance today to make your career aspirations a reality.

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

Career growth is important to IT professionals

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 11:35:18 GMT

A variety of factors can contribute to the reasons why a professional may want to start looking for a new job. While many may argue that salary is the main reason why professionals leave their current employers, studies show that this is not the case. Network Recruitment's statistics indicate that although 90% of the IT social media community is currently seeking a new career opportunity, 53% named career growth as the main reason for leaving their current employer.

Well-known international job site, Glassdoor, recently released a study in which they sampled over 5 000 career moves from CV profiles that were shared by job seeking professionals on their site from 2016 – 2017, and revealed that career growth was among the top 10 reasons why professionals decided to leave their job.

It's apparent that organisations in the IT industry should start making succession planning a priority. In fact, companies need to address their current career progression strategies in order to provide a meaningful and challenging work environment that will lead to growth for their employees. Professionals are no longer only motivated by earning potential. Instead, they want to be identified by management and developed into leadership roles in order to further their career growth potential.

In an article titled "Career development of South African knowledge workers", Roelof van Staden and Adeline du Toit penned that IT professionals, and to be specific, software developers, desire challenging work, and learning opportunities.

In addition, many articles site that professionals, especially in the IT sector, remain with their organisation for a long period of time because they feel supported by their employers and are given the opportunity to grow significantly within the business.

Exposing your IT staff to different projects and allowing them to work with knowledgeable professionals will encourage growth and teach them valuable lessons, which they may not necessarily be exposed, to elsewhere. Keep this in mind to retain your tech team.

Are you looking for a challenging IT job or an IT Contracting Assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, your trusted partner in specialist IT, Finance and Engineering placements for 30 years.

The facts on soft skills for job seekers

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 11:29:13 GMT

So, you're proficient in or even excel at the skills that helped you land your current job. However, if you're ready to elevate your career and climb the corporate ladder, it's time you expand your view of what makes a key employee, and that means turning your attention to developing your soft skills.

The rules have dramatically changed in the modern world of work. It's no longer enough to have one skill set, no matter how good they are. Organisations want employees who can add value in many different areas, whether that's providing excellent customer service or taking the lead in helping your team solve a tricky problem.

What stands out in these situations is the ability to communicate clearly and effectively. No matter what role you're in, there are bound to be instances where you have to interact with people whose technical knowledge is less comprehensive than your own. Or, perhaps, you'll face a situation where your colleagues know more, or less, about a certain subject than you do.

In either case, the key is to draw on emotional intelligence in order to convey your message. If you're speaking to a non-technical person, this may mean using tools like diagrams in order to make yourself more clearly understood, or making sure that you are able to get that message across clearly in writing. When dealing with team members, it may simply mean adopting a more collaborative and cooperative approach.

As an individualist, you might find this difficult at first – which is why you'll find it helpful to practice the skill of active listening. The development of this skill means that you'll be able to find common areas with whomever you are engaging with, and will, therefore, be able to respond to their concerns with empathy.

Traditionally, less weight has been placed on soft skills; even the term 'soft' skills imply that they can be easily dismissed if the core competencies are in place. However, as a professional with well-developed soft skills, you'll be able to add more value to your organisation. After all, that's precisely what today's organisations need.

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, your trusted partner in specialist IT, Finance and Engineering placements for 30 years.

What it takes to be a great leader

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 11:24:40 GMT

How would you describe a strong leader? In one leadership study, qualities such as assertiveness, adaptability, intelligence and conscientiousness were cited as the most important. "Research clearly shows that transformational leaders – leaders who are positive, inspiring, and who empower and develop followers – are better leaders," explains psychologist and leadership expert Ronald E. Riggio. "They are more valued by followers and have higher performing teams."

There are many leadership programs available today, from 1-day workshops to corporate training programs. But chances are, these won't really help. In this clear, candid TedTalk, Roselinde Torres describes 29 years observing truly great leaders at work, and shares the three simple but crucial questions would-be company chiefs need to ask to thrive in the future.

Gender diversity – the key to company success

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 10:07:33 GMT

Did you know thatorganisations with diverse leadership perform better than those without? This is a finding of a study ongender diversity by Marcus Noland, Tyler Moran, and Barbara Kotschwar. Although it was hard to pinpoint the exact performance rate women in leadership positions brought, it did, however, suggest that gender diversity leads to better company performance.

Studies from The Peterson Institute and MSCI ESG Research Inc. revealed that in order to change the dynamics of a company's board, three or more women are required to bring about substantial change.

In this blog, Network Recruitment will provide five reasons why having women in leadership roles are beneficial to your business.

Build strength in your organization's Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Many organisations have yet to realise how important EQ is for their business as the lack thereof can negatively affect the organisation's morale. Studies have found that on average women have an edge over men when it comes to emotional intelligence, as they are more self-aware. Jon Warner, an executive coach and management consultant explains that in the workplace this translates to an employee who understands their own strengths and weaknesses in addition to how their actions could affect their team members. Self-aware employees are also better equipped to handle constructive criticism and learn from their mistakes.

Improved problem solving

Women are known to be holistic problem-solvers. They gather and incorporate information faster and arrange them into more complex patterns than their counterparts. Research across the world also reveals that a workforce represented by diverse professionals leads to a diverse problem-solving approach, which in turn increases your company's bottom line.

Create a more trusting company culture

While women are considered better communicators, they are also perceived, to be honest, more friendly and empathetic. According to Gallup's survey, women have the ability to engage and develop people. It is understood that this is a definite benefit for your business.

Increased collaboration

Research has indicated that women are rated better collaborators and team leaders. With good networking skills, they are able to create a good peer-to-peer camaraderie that is essential for keeping productivity at an all-time high. This boosts company morale and aids in growing the business.

Establish a bigger pool of great mentors

It has been proven that mentorship is a critical element of an employee's personal and professional development. A study by professional services firm, Egon Zehnder, found that 54% of women have access to senior leaders who serve as mentors. If your organisation has a diverse leadership, it will allow more women to access a pool on knowledge. For example, in male dominated industries where women often find it difficult to build networks a feminine mentorship from can assist. As they will by share knowledge and, expertise and experience.

Women in Finance

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 09:58:11 GMT

Stats indicate that the finance industry is in need of females more specifically female CAs(SA). In their current issue, AccountancySA, featured eight brilliant women who have managed to find their truest purpose in life and are taking the industry by storm.

Watch the video below to hear what career advice they have for aspiring female CAs(SA).

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

How blockchain will change the finance industry

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 09:49:18 GMT

Blockchain, the new technology associated with cryptocurrencies, promises to bring about a substantial change to industries such as accounting and auditing. It is said that in future it will be as significant to the accounting industry (through automation and streamlining of manual processes) as the software that is currently being utilised to record and reconcile financial transactions.

What are the benefits of blockchain?

Working as a global and public ledger, blockchain cannot be tampered with or corrupted even if you're the owner of the accounting system. This is due to that fact that it doesn't have a central database. This permanent cryptographically sealed document creates a trail of financial DNA allowing information to be stored across a number of computers, making hacking technically impossible while allowing participants to verify and audit transactions without a third party (like lawyers etc.).

Real-time updates

Furthermore, it is perfect for financial and accounting applications as information is updated in real-time and each 'block' or transaction is time-stamped. In addition, data cannot be deleted as changes and all amendments are transparent. This assists in curbing any fraudulent activity.

Faster audits

According to Charles Pittaway, Managing Director of Sage Pay, "transparency and standardisation will enable auditors to verify many of the records they need to look at automatically. This could, within the next 10 to 15 years, reduce the manual tasks involved in auditing, though it is likely that human auditors will still be needed to sign off audits and provide advice around complex transactions". This way, audits will become faster, simpler, more reliable and less prone to error.

Simplified transactions

Blockchain will simplify financial transactions between a company and its supplier. Rather than keep and reconcile records of the same transaction, the two parties will record them on a shared blockchain ledger, allowing them to streamline invoicing, payments and other business-to-business transactions. "Other future applications for blockchain in accounting might include authenticating the ownership and history of an asset the company is buying or selling," Pittaway mentions.

While automation is inevitable for accountants and auditors, Pittaway says there will still be a demand for financial professionals and practices as clients will still require strategic advice in numerous industries.

Are you looking for a Finance job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, your trusted partner in specialist IT, Finance and Engineering placements for 30 years.

Nip fraudulent CVs in the bud!

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 09:37:23 GMT

What is CV fraud?CV fraud refers to any act that involves providing fictitious, exaggerated, or misleading information on a job application or CV. If at a later stage the truth emerges that the applicant knowingly provided false information to a potential employer, it is usually grounds for immediate dismissal. Due to the current increase in the unemployment rate, experts expect CV fraud to rise.What do job seekers lie about?

The most common themes related to fraudulent CVs are stretching of employment dates, inflating past accomplishments and skills, enhancing job titles and responsibilities, false information related to education and degrees, unexplainable gaps in employment due to a criminal record, omitting past employment, faking credentials, fabricating reasons for leaving a previous job and providing fraudulent references. What can employers do?

Seek the help of a specialist recruitment agency. This is what you can expect from Network Recruitment's highly trained and skilled consultants:

They are thorough. Our application process ensures that all aspects of education and employment history are covered, reducing the risk for selective aspects to be left out.We check all the given information. Our consultants are taught to conduct checks from the get-go on the accuracy of the information provided by the candidate. This is done by obtaining originals of qualification certificates and contacting several references, amongst others.In order to learn about the candidate's qualifications and work experience, and to explore any gaps in their CV with them, our consultants interview candidates prior to introducing them as potential employees to employers.Our consultants always ask in-depth and probing questions.When being made an offer, candidates are notified that the offer is subject to the satisfactory outcome of all verification processes and reference checks.

CV fraud could cost a company a fortune. If you want to ensure that your next hire is the right hire, contact Network Recruitment.

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

Positive corporate culture can counter absenteeism

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 09:03:06 GMT

Earlier this year Huffington Post South Africa reported that one in four South African employees suffer from mental health concerns and take more than 18 days off work. This results in a cost of more than R232 billion annually due to a loss of productivity.

In the article, psychiatrist Dr. Renata Schoeman informed the news hub that more than 40% of all work-related illness is due to major depression, anxiety disorders, burnout, and work-related stress. "Undiagnosed and untreated mental health conditions directly impact a workplace through increased absenteeism and presenteeism," Schoeman explained.

Absenteeism arises for many reasons. Even the best-managed company can't control it. Occasional absences from work are inevitable – people get sick or injured, have to take care of sick children, or need time during business hours to handle personal business. It is the habitual absences that are most challenging to employers, and that can have the greatest negative effect.Corporate culture as underpinning to fight absenteeism

Investopedia explains that absenteeism is a difficult problem to tackle because there are both legitimate and poor excuses for missing work and it can be challenging for employers to effectively monitor, control and reduce absenteeism.

Having said that, one could conclude that happier employees will be able and motivated to go to work each day, resulting in increased productivity and higher morale for the individual workers as well as the entire team.

Employers should not just take physical health and the working environment into account, but also focus on psychological health, work-home balance and economic health.

Allow for regular breaks (away from their desks!), motivate them to do express workouts at the local gym or organise a lunchtime walk. Celebrate goals reached and reward employees for going the extra mile. Allowing work-life flexibility shows trust and facilitates balance, which in turn contributes to mental health.

These factors are built into a strong and positive corporate culture with principles like trust, recognition and mutual respect as underpinning elements. Yes, the Human Resources team does have a role to play. However, to make a real impact, top management should champion and promote these values.

Although these strategies may be expensive to implement and maintain, they can have a net positive effect on a company's bottom line – and that's good for business all round.

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

Do you have the soft skills to succeed?

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 09:00:38 GMT

Displaying strong interpersonal or social skills when searching for a job opportunity has become more important than ever for millennials. In addition, it has become apparent that soft skills (qualities and attributes that help a team perform well together) are vital for employers when looking for their next hire.

Online employment website CareerBuilder's recent survey revealed that 63% of employers want to know what kind of soft skills their candidate possess before extending an offer. Furthermore, studies revealed that successful employees working at Google display strong social skills - in fact, it's one of their top seven characteristics.

In this blog, Network Recruitment will outline five soft skills employers are looking for in an employee:

Have the ability to learn

As the need for change in business is constant, and as the saying goes 'adapt or die', employers are looking for candidates who have a thirst for knowledge. Employers are now placing top value on candidates who have learning agility and the hunger to develop in their careers to meet these changes.Have a team mentality

For many organisations, teamwork is needed to complete projects. As such, the success of an organisation is driven and reliant on employees' ability to function as part of a successful team. During a job interview, employers seek practical examples from candidates of how they handled working in team-focused projects. Expressing yourself as a team player provides the employer with evidence that you possess the soft skills needed to succeed in the business.Being committed and flexible

Employers are eager to learn whether a candidate is flexible and committed to projects when deadlines and briefs change. Although complex to describe, discuss when a project's deadline or brief changed and how you managed to complete it successfully.Have project management skills

Employers are looking for candidates who are not only organised but who can focus on a task and work under pressure. Project management skills enable you to lead from both a strategic and operational perspective through communicating the vision, executing tasks, resolving conflict, setting goals and evaluating performance. All of these attributes have a positive impact on the bottom line of the business.Be self-aware

Understanding people and knowing how they perceive you is an underrated soft skill. Many professionals assume that they possess a healthy sense of self-awareness when in reality, they don't. studies reveal that self-awareness and emotional intelligence are closely intertwined. Be aware of how your actions and words are perceived by colleagues as this is a good foundation for great leadership.

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

Java vs Kotlin

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 08:56:40 GMT

Java and C have still ranked the most popular programming languages in the world, but will Kotlin take over?

According to the Tiobe Index for January 2019, Java, C, and Python remain the most popular programming languages in the world. Other popular languages include C++ and Visual Basic, all ranked highly on the index.

While Python gained popularity significantly over the past year, Java remains the most popular language. It has dominated the rankings for years and still shows high year-over-year growth, meaning it is not going anywhere for now.

There are multiple reasons for the extended popularity of this programming language, from its ease of use and capability to its widespread adoption and development.Powerful and widely adopted

Many developers learn Java as one of their first programming languages, with its relatively simple syntax making for easier reading and understanding of functionality. The language is also object-oriented and has a useful API, which provides many easy-to-use features.

While these make for a powerful and accessible programming language, the popularity of Java is the direct result of its adoption across platforms and its community investment. Oracle has made Java available for free to all developers, and this has cultivated a strong community which produces a large collection of open-source libraries.

Perhaps most importantly, Java can run independently on the Java Virtual Machine – making it ideal for web programming and cross-platform applications. Java developers can create applications for desktops, mobile, online platforms, and more, thanks to the language's versatility.

The programming language currently has a variety of uses and is used to build everything from Google docs to mobile games. Most commonly, it is a tool to make small application models for use in web environments like e-commerce websites or financial trading platforms.

A number of useful software platforms are also created using Java, including Netbeans, Eclipse, and IntelliJ. While it can be used to build impressive video games like Minecraft, it can also be used in an embedded environment, as any system only needs 130KB of RAM to use Java technology.

The versatile programming language has also become the default for scientific applications. The programming language is taught at universities and various other educational institutions worldwide, and is also available as a course from massive online open course (MOOC) platforms, including Udemy, EdX, and Coursera.Kotlin

Java is not without its competitors though, even though they do not appear in the top 10 rankings for popularity of programming languages. While it does not appear on the top 10 list, Tiobe predicts that the programming language Kotlin will enter the top 20 list this year due to its rapidly growing popularity.

Kotlin is designed to fully integrate with Java and the Java Virtual Machine but offers more syntax that is concise and the option to compile to JavaScript. It also fixes a number of issues, which Java suffers from. For example, its null reference is controlled by the type system, arrays in Kotlin are invariant, it has proper function types and does not have checked exceptions.

Google also officially supports Kotlin for mobile development on Android, and the language is included as an alternative to Java in Android Studio. Kotlin is currently ranked at 31 on the Tiobe Index, but it is expected to soar up the rankings over time.

However, it still has a long way to go before it takes on Java for the title of the most popular programming language in the world.

Source: MyBroadband

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

How analytics can drive smarter Engineering and Construction decisions

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 08:53:15 GMT

Three applications illustrate how companies are beginning to embrace data solutions while establishing a foundation for more ambitious initiatives in the future.

The construction business faces a major productivity challenge. While labour productivity in the global economy has increased by an average of 2.8 per cent a year over the past two decades, and in manufacturing by an impressive 3.6 per cent, the construction sector has registered a mere 1 per cent annual improvement. As the capital-project partners responsible for execution, engineering and construction (E&C) firms are well positioned to drive changes that can help close this troubling gap.

To do so, some are turning to data-driven solutions that have already revolutionized many other corners of the economy. These techniques are emerging as vital tools for improving capital project outcomes and reducing risk. By enabling E&C companies to leverage the vast amounts of data they already collect, analytics can uncover critical insights that both speed up and improve the quality of management decisions. In particular, they can help project teams assess market conditions, portfolio composition, and individual project performance.1. Should we bid on this project, and if so, how much?

Usually, E&C firms must decide whether to bid on a project based on incomplete information. Major construction projects often have a five- or 10-year timeline, if not longer, which makes it difficult to accurately define the scope and predict likely complexities or complications up front. Companies rely on staff experience to weigh potential risks and profitability, but those judgments are subject to inherent biases and may be affected by ambitious growth targets or individual incentives.

Misjudging risks and underestimating costs can prove disastrous. In a business with typical margins of 5 to 7 per cent, underestimating a bid by 10 per cent without the ability to recover the extra costs can make the project an expensive money-loser for the E&C firm. Conversely, overpricing a project by building in too big a contingency cushion will likely mean the loss of the contract—something a firm can ill afford in an industry with win rates of merely 15 to 25 per cent.

Data modelling can replace cognitive bias and flawed assumptions with fact-based insights about a project’s statistical chances of success. By analysing historical information such as types of labour and contract arrangements, regional spending trends, and project size, analytics can assess the probabilities of project outcomes. Those, in turn, enable teams to better evaluate the attractiveness of a given project, re-balance the portfolio away from jobs that tend to underperform and calculate the right level of contingency to include in a bid.2. Are the subcontractor bids reasonable?

When E&C firms receive bids from subcontractors, they turn to procurement specialists to assess the quotes. These individuals often rely on parametric estimates to evaluate the quoted costs and tap the expertise of project managers, slowing down the process. Complex estimates pass through multiple reviewers, with each one adjusting the estimate based on his or her own experience and judgement (as well as potential bias).

Despite these extensive consultations, the lack of an empirical foundation makes it hard for engineering companies to credibly challenge a subcontractor’s estimates beyond relying on generalized rules of thumb. In addition, while many companies maintain (and subscribe to) databases of parametric cost factors for bidding, they rarely follow up with the actual costs at the end of their projects to gauge the accuracy of those estimates.

Analytics can provide a solution to these problems. By analysing individual drivers of past project costs, such tools can enable E&C companies to rapidly assess a realistic level of effort and cost for a project and compare those figures to subcontractor quotes.3. Is the project about to run into trouble?

Traditional project controls often lag the incurrence of costs by days or weeks, which makes them an effective tool for retrospective reporting but not for managing ongoing projects. The controls also don’t account for the interconnectivity of different metrics and the unique combinations that may have outsized effects on performance.

Unable to continually track and grapple with all the data a project generates, managers tend to follow a few key performance indicators. The resulting incomplete picture of the project’s daily progress can lead to flawed decisions on the ground.

Analytical tools can deliver a significant improvement on this front by allowing companies to quickly and continuously analyse project data and assess progress, enabling managers to react faster to potential problems. With real-time or near-real-time project controls in place, an E&C firm can track events or problems known to correlate with the erosion of bid margins, such as a one-day weather delay or three consecutive days of a subcontractor’s failure to complete designated tasks.

Engineering and construction firms wishing to prepare for the digital age will need to establish a new operating model. Such a shift requires treating digital initiatives as part of the core strategy, adapting processes and organizational structures, and ensuring staff have the necessary training to deploy, troubleshoot, and lead digital initiatives. But the first step in such transformations is applying analytics to assess current operations and performance.

Companies also need to establish standards for the data they collect in the future. Whether it’s a full-fledged data management system or simply a standard way of tagging and collecting information, standards for what you want to collect and how you collect it are critical to a long-term analytics strategy.

As digitization penetrates all parts of the economy, including engineering and construction, capitalizing on the insights hidden in data will become essential. E&C companies reluctant to invest in the systems and skills needed to harness what they have collected should remember that competitors who have successfully made the move are already reaping significant benefits. Firms that embrace analytics can make sharper bids, thus avoiding unprofitable projects and increasing their win rates on those with strong margin potential. They conduct savvier negotiations with subcontractors, reducing costs and increasing decision speed. And they anticipate problems with ongoing projects, allowing managers to intervene before potential delays and cost overruns turn into real ones. As the industry increasingly deploys these tools, the companies that get in early will likely emerge as leaders.

Source: McKinsey & Company- Capital Projects & Infrastructure

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

Specialisation, and why it works

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 08:47:28 GMT

In a previous article,what makes Network Recruitment different, we shared why countless employers and candidates alike choose to work with us. Our biggest differentiator, however, is that we are aspecialist recruitment agency in the sectors of IT, Finance and Engineering.What does that mean?

This means that our recruiters do not consult outside their areas of specialisation. For example, you won't find a mechanical engineering recruiter dabbling with chemical engineering, or a Finance recruiter who specialises in Chartered Accountancy recruiting in the prudential risk niche.How does Network Recruitment achieve this?

With more than 30 years in the business, this specialised focus has enabled our recruiters to build a significant base of technical knowledge and expertise. We invest in ongoing consultant training and develop our recruiters to become the best in the industry. Similarly, they are educated and undergo extensive technical training in specific niche areas in these three critical sectors. This training enables them to understand the requirements of available jobs in the market and equips them to assess candidates' technical ability and needs.Why does it work?

In today's job market, the need for specialised skills has become apparent and we cannot ignore this need. For this reason, hiring managers, employers and job seekers prefer to engage with a recruiter or recruitment agency that specialises in their niche. They would like to work with recruiters who understand their industry and can speak their language.

Executives and employers trust Network Recruitment because of our flawless matching of candidates to jobs, effectiveness and fast turn-around time, all of which set us apart from our competitors.

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

Amp up the recruitment process: quality vs quantity

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 08:44:52 GMT

The great debateOver the years, there has been continuous debate about a qualitative vs quantitative recruitment process. Do you interview many professionals in a short period and increase your chances of finding the right candidate for your role; or do you play the waiting game until you find the perfect candidate?

What generates success is actually a combination of both processes. From a recruitment perspective, the ultimate success is to find the right candidate for a vacant role the first time around.

In this blog, Network Recruitment will share tips to help amp up your recruitment process.1. Get in touch with a specialist recruitment company

The hiring process begins when the need for a new hire emerges. Many employers who don't have the time to look for specialised skills contact a specialist recruitment agency such as Network Recruitment. This is because our specialist recruiters exclusively focus on sourcing high-calibre skills for different employers in the IT, Finance and Engineering sectors. Furthermore, they maintain and develop relationships with these candidates. As it currently stands, our candidate database is home to over 600 000 talented professionals. If you're looking for a candidate, we can assist. 2. Collaborate and host events with recruitment agencies

Professional events are a great way to network. In an article titled 'How to hire for quality and quantity at the same', co-founder and co-CEO of ThirdLove, Heidi Zak, shared that while these can help attract talent and foster professional networks, they also create a platform for professionals in the industry to discuss new ideas and projects where everyone who participates can benefit in some way or another.

For example, Network Recruitment co-hosted an event with the South African Institute of Tax Practitioners (SAIT), where tax professionals were able to participate in discussions and share information about trends in the tax industry. We saw many professionals build and develop relationships with each other and are proud to be associated with this type of initiative.

For many organisations, recruitment has become a challenging and time-consuming process. However, if you have a specialist recruitment agency such as Network Recruitment who spends a great deal of effort attracting and screen candidates to fit your needs, it makes the process easier.

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

Personal brand vs freedom of expression

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 08:36:08 GMT

In this technological era, the average employee has 10 times more followers on social media than the average business. In fact, 92% of consumers trust an individual recommendation over a brand's advertising, making it easy to lose sight between work and personal perception. Although everyone has the right to post anything on social media, take into account that everything that is posted on social media has a direct or indirect effect on your personal brand.

Social media makes the world much smaller and provides people with access to shared information at the drop of a hat. Freedom of expression empowers individuals to have opinions about any issue and receive, seek and impart information and ideas through any media.

Here are tips that will help you to uphold your personal brand on social media.Don't politicise your brand

Social media, when used correctly, can be an effective marketing tool in your personal and professional capacities. In addition, it's also about building an emotional connection and trust with your followers. Remember, you are more than just a personal brand; you are an extension of your company. Anything you post on social media that may be perceived as offensive may have a negative impact on the company you work for. Your community/ followers may associate your comments with those of your current employer. Always ask yourself: "what is my content saying about me?".Don't vent discriminatory views

Professionals should be aware that their employer can dismiss them for any insensitive and inappropriate behaviour and content posted on social media even if it doesn't have anything to do with the employer and company as explained by Werksmans Attorneys.

Their director Bradley Workman Davies explains that the reason behind this is because the inappropriate content can cause potential hard to the business of the employer. "Equally, employees should realise that in the digital age, with regards to the employment relationship, nothing posted publicly is private or irrelevant," Davies added.

Davies made an example of an employee of Nehawu who was dismissed after being found guilty of misconduct for consuming alcohol after hours at a union congress. "In this case, the adjudicator found that 'employees are considered to be employees 24 hours out of 24 hours at a Congress' and therefore after-hours consumption was as good as consumption during working hours," Davis mentioned.

According to Verlie Oosthuizen, head of Social Media Law at Shepstone & Wylie, racial rants on any social platform will get you fired. In a BusinessTech article, Oosthuizen mentions that while there aren't many Labour Court cases regarding dismissals around social media expressions, racial rants on Facebook will get you fired.

For example, there was a policeman who posted a racial comment on Julius Malema's page and was dismissed from his job. Oosthuizen explained that the judgement indicated that the courts don't tolerate the use of social media to vent one's racial views. She warned users not to expect any sympathy if you decide to participate in this type of behaviour.

However, employers will always provide the employee with the right to makes statements of whether they are guilty before deciding on what action, if any, would be taken against the employee.

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

5 tips for enhancing your online brand

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 08:25:54 GMT

Your online presence plays a significant role in your career. Depending on how you are perceived, your online footprint can not only position you as a thought leader in your niche market, but also open exclusive career and learning opportunities. Here are some tips to enhance your personal brand online.Highlight your accomplishments onsocial media platforms

With specialist recruiters increasingly using social media to evaluate potential candidates, highlighting your career achievements is a good starting point. What successful projects were you part of? Did you implement processes that increased the productivity of your company?Don't downplay your capabilities

As a professional, the worst mistake you could ever make online is to downplay your skills. Employers and specialist recruiters want to know what you bring to the table from their first interaction with your online persona. Consider infusing this vital information on all your social media platforms.

Become a thought leader

Participate in online conversations that resonate with you. Repost articles and engage with like-minded professionals in your industry to cultivate an organic audience. To take it further, you could also write content on trending topics in your industry.Don't forget to network

Platforms such as LinkedIn make it easy for professionals to connect with their peers. Start and cultivate meaningful connections with these professionals in your social media networks as it may advance your career. In an article titled'stay top of mind by being an effective networker', we highlight the importance of nurturing the relationships in your network.Be authentic

If you would like to differentiate yourself from all the other job seeking professionals, incorporate your unique personality and core values online. Your online persona should inspire other professionals. Know your speciality, speak with one voice and be consistent. All of these will create an authentic brand that will leave a long-lasting impression.

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

We ask Top Management; what career advice changed their life?

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 08:22:34 GMT

At some point or another, you will encounter a moment where your employer, business partner, colleague, family member or friend will offer career advice that will stick with you throughout your career.

We asked some of our management team to share the most important career advice they received that changed their life.

Tumi Keele – Marketing Manager

"A Professor who was my boss when I started my career saw that I had a fear to lead or take charge as I was a young manager at the time. He then told me the reason he was being that hard on me was because I needed to make a mental jump to catch up with the rest of my life. That changed how I not only saw myself but how I needed others to perceive me as a professional too. Now I enjoy a bird's eye view into my career."

Graham Paulsen – Finance Branch Manager

"Someone that I look up to in business once said to me that you need to be able to justify the salary that you earn – when looking at your work product, do you add more value than what your cost to the company is? The result should be a net positive. I think this is particularly important in today's business world where there is such a focus on value-adding leadership and the perceived entitlement of millennials as the formula can be applied to every level of the organisation across functions."

Angelique Van Rooyen – Finance Team Leader

"The career advice that changed my life would be from my father that has always been a big inspiration in my life. He would always say that nothing in life comes for free; in order for you to achieve big success or results in your life, you need to be willing to put in the work and make things happen. If life knocks you down, stand up and make another plan…success is only for the ones who dare to believe and dare to challenge themselves on a constant basis."

Naydene Cronjé – IT Team Leader

"Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." – Winston S. Churchill. Experience taught me; you are hard on yourself because of high expectations. This viewpoint will boost your confidence to persevere. I also learnt that by being too harsh on yourself, you infest doubt and fear which prevents you from taking the risk. The realization of my fear of striking out and losing kept me from having the courage to play the game. Now, I am aware. "Don't let the fear of losing be greater than the excitement of winning." – Robert Kiyosaki

Tanya Hattingh - Finance Branch Manager

Some very significant career advice has been "always aim for higher than what you will be comfortable achieving, you may miss the stretch goal but you will land where you originally wanted to."

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

win-win strategies to embrace cultural differences

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 10:32:23 GMT

As more conglomerates continue to occupy the global marketplace, the multifaceted concept of workplace diversity is expected to evolve. While most thriving organisations have a culturally diverse workforce, it needs to be managed effectively. After all, there is power in diversity.

Take South Africa, for example. It has 11 official languages and it's rare to find a business that doesn't have employees who speak less than four, if not all eleven, languages. Although the most spoken language of choice would be English, all these employees have different values and belief systems. This can be beneficial for a company as studies reveal it allows for easier adoption to consumer demands and shifting markets.

In this blog, Network Recruitment will highlight 3 strategies that you can implement in your business to embrace your culturally diverse team.

Understand each culture

According to Stats SA's 2018 mid-year population estimates report, it's likely that SA will have about R1.02 million immigrants by 2021, and that 47.5% of those immigrants will settle in the economic hub of Gauteng. As such, it's becoming necessary for businesses in Gauteng to understand each culture and how it differs from others. Organisations should start investing in learning about different cultures from their current employees.

Create a positive company culture

In order to manage cultural differences in any organisation, the employer needs to be able to interact with employees from differing social, economic and cultural backgrounds. In today's workforce, it's crucial for team members to be aware of their cultural differences and how they will directly or indirectly affect the way in which they communicate with each other. Make an effort to create and implement positive strategies where cultures within the organisation are celebrated.

Improve your team's communication skills

In any organisation, communication is crucial. It, therefore, becomes essential for your staff to understand that verbal and non-verbal communication differs from one culture to another.

These strategies will not only broaden your view and that of your employees on a global level but will also go a long way to establish respect from all parties. If your company prioritises the creation and maintenance of an inclusive company environment where cultural differences are respected and celebrated, it will thrive.

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the center of recruitment excellence.

8 Things Every Job Seeker Should Know

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 14:56:38 GMT

South Africa has many problems and a shrinking economy is one of them. According to Stats SA - in the whole of 2019, South Africa's economy grew by 0.2% (in real terms), the decline is larger than what economists had predicted. A climate like this does not make it any easier for job seekers.

We had a chat with our Executive Consultant – Sunette Roccon, who has been in the industry for over five years and she shared eight expert tips on how candidates can improve their chances of getting a job.

1. Apply for roles you qualify for

When applying for a job, apply for roles where you at least tick 60% of the boxes. Applying for a Property Manager role when you only have experience as a Typist won't improve your chances of getting an interview

2. Keep your CV concise
Rather expand on your work experience than listing your interests and strengths, keep your CV simple and concise.

3. Be tech-savvy
With lots of companies now becoming tech-savvy and trying to find efficient ways of doing business, you can't be an average performer anymore. Make sure that you stay on top of new technology trends in your field of expertise.

4. Work with a recruitment agency
Connect with the right niche recruiters to get better results. Like Network Recruitment, we specialise in IT, Finance, Engineering, and Supply Chain. If you Specialise in Digital Marketing then work with a recruiter specializing in that field.

5. Finish the application process on job portals
Always complete the process. It's a tedious exercise but do it. For example, when creating a Pnet profile, you will have to retype your CV into their system, do it once properly and then it's done.

6. Initiate change if you are not happy
You cannot complain about not having a job or complain about your current one if you are not actively applying and doing something about it. Start the process of change instead of complaining.

7. Let your friends know you're job searching
Don't be shy to tell your contacts you are looking for a new job. Your close contact - who works as a General Manager for a multinational company might be looking for someone with your skills but no one knows that you are looking. Sharing just a little bit might help sometimes.

8. Consider further studying
Should you study further in order to secure a new job?" The answer is simple, yes! Some jobs do require a minimum qualification. If you do not have a degree, then get one!

Are you looking for an IT, Finance, Engineering or Supply Chain job? Contact Network Recruitment, the centre of recruitment excellence.

How Covid-19 is Changing the Face of Recruitment

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 14:56:38 GMT

Reading time: 01:47

Thanks to Covid-19, the world is facing uncertainty in all industries, and recruitment is no different. This pandemic has changed the hiring process as we know it. And going back to normalcy might be a thing of the past. Here is why:

Virtual recruiting is here to stay
Most consultants source candidates online and have been doing so even before COVID-19. Social media, online job portals, ATS et al. Telephonic interviews have always been part of the process and the prolific use of Zoom, Skype and other video apps will not necessarily plummet after COVID-19. Recruitment companies have to refine attracting, recruiting onboarding, and retaining their virtual teams going forward.

Remote work
Chats about remote work have been at the forefront of most employees, especially those whose roles are purely digital. Actually 'remote work' is not a new phenomenon. Many Fortunes 500 companies spearhead this trend. It will be interesting to see how - as the virus diminishes, organisations may suggest a permanent shift toward working from home for certain roles.

Marketing
Recruitment and related marketing strategies that remain the same as before COVID-19 will likely fail as there has been a shift in the labour market. Changes in regulations around how non-essential businesses can conduct operations daily and the pace at which hiring needs to happen in some industries. Talent acquisition managers and marketing will have to change their strategies in order to align with the changing need in the recruitment industry or risk failure.

Office space
A number of companies are keen to get their employees back into the office but as the law states, they need to create more space between teams and supply personal protective equipment (PPE.) Also, the reality of bringing a number of people that have been furloughed during lockdown back to work and expecting them to 'just' get back to work will be something interesting observe.

Increased number of applicants post COVID-19
The unemployment numbers in South Africa were horrifying pre-COVID 19. One can only imagine what the stats will be post it. The reality is: people are falling through the cracks when it comes to income and job retention and this is going to cause an increase in applicant numbers when businesses reopen their doors. Are recruitment companies ready for this influx of candidates?
This virus has revealed the need for technologies that support a remote work environment and companies that did not have the necessary tools and technologies are going to feel the pinch even more.

We are Market Leaders in Specialist Recruitment. Visit our website to learn more about us.

The Plight of the Overqualified

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 07:22:37 GMT

According to a recent study done by SC Johnson College of Business, managers are likely to make an offer to candidates with a less impressive CV as opposed to one with a stellar CV.

This is because hiring managers assume that candidates with a stellar CV won't be as committed to the company as candidates with an average CV.

Hiring managers are people and thus prone to vanities and bias so the findings in this study may not be 'all true' and this may vary based on the company and nature of the role. However, if you have been told that you are overqualified, here is how you can counter it in the future. But first, let's break down why you are likely to be labeled as 'overqualified.'

Overqualified is a pretext for something that the hiring manager might not be in a position to disclose, like:

You'd be difficult to manage
You're too old
You have high salary expectations
You are not a culture fit or
Your expertise could be viewed as a threat to existing management

Here are three ways to counter it

1. Highlight the underlying reasons for taking 'a lower job'
South Africa's economy shed 2,2 million jobs in the second quarter of 2020, couple that with COVID-19, 4IR, and many other factors it means that more people find themselves in the market even though they are highly skilled. The reasons may vary. Highlight clearly to the recruiter why you are taking 'a lower job.'

2. You have more to offer
Once you make it clear why you are downscaling, assure the hiring manager that they can benefit from your rich experience as you can easily scale up when tasked with difficult projects, and are likely to complete them on time and efficiently. Say this without sounding arrogant and making it seem like the job is too menial.

3. Be flexible on salary
During your conversation with the recruiter or hiring manager, make it clear that you expect to be paid the current market rate for the position and that your previous earrings are not relevant to your current job search. There is a lot of factors that go into a hiring decision and being rejected for being 'overqualified' shouldn't stop your search.

If you are looking for a job as an IT, Finance, or Engineering candidate. Visit our website to register your CV and apply online. We are Market Leaders in Specialist Recruitment.

South African companies leading the diversity charge

Mon, 16 Sep 2019 10:16:38 GMT

Earlier this week Network Recruitment shared a blog highlighting the importance of embracing diversity within an organisation. There are four South African organisations that continue to pave the way in embedding diversity and inclusion in their company culture strategy, and it's evident that their respective strategies are working.

According to the 2018 Thomson Reuters Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Index, Woolworth's Holdings (24th overall), Vodacom (42nd overall), Clicks Group (58th overall) and Nedbank (95th) were amongst the top 100 most diverse companies to work for in the world.

For any organisation to qualify as diverse and inclusive, the Index considers numerous factors such as the make-up of the company's board members in terms of gender and culture, if they make concessions for disabled employees or not, and how they go about training current and new employees. Furthermore, it considers working conditions, remuneration and the amount of time the company was covered by the media on a controversial issue.

These are the Index's top 20 diverse companies in the world:

Company Name Overall D&I Percentage Score (%)HQ Country Accenture PLC84.25Ireland Novartis International AG79.25 Switzerland Medtronic PLC79.00I reland Diageo PLC78.75 UK Gap Inc.78.50 USA Telecom Italia SpA77.75 Italy Kering SA77.50 France Natura Cosmeticos SA77.25 BrazilL'Oreal SA77.25 France Acciona SA 77.00 Spain Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.77.00 USA Ucb SA75.00 Belgium Roche Holding AG75.00 Switzerland Woolworths Group Ltd.74.75 Australia Nestle SA74.50 Switzerland Microsoft Corp.74.25 USA Colgate-Palmolive Co.74.00 USA Procter & Gamble Co.74.00 USA Eli Lilly and Co.74.00 USA HP Inc.73.75 USA Merck & Company Inc.73.75 USA.

Partner with one of our specialist recruiters and gain access to organisations which are diverse and inclusive so that you can finally work for the company of your dreams!

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the center of recruitment excellence.

Four tips to make you employable

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 10:38:04 GMT

South Africa has an acute skills shortage in major sectors such as IT, Finance and Engineering. Coupled with a high rate of unemployment, this divides our workforce into three categories: employed, unemployed and unemployable.

Employed is the honorable and sought-after status. However, many people in the current economy find themselves in the less favourable ensuing categories. At first glance, it is easy to mistake one word for the other. Most, if not all, agree that while being "unemployed" is hardly bearable, one never wants to be perceived as "unemployable". Dictionary.com defines an "unemployed" person as one "without a paid job but available to work". The same site defines an "unemployable" person as someone who is "not able to get paid employment because of a lack of skills or qualifications."

If you search online job portals, you will notice that there are hundreds of companies waiting for the right employees to fill their numerous positions e.g. C# Developers, Java Developers, and SAP Integration Specialists. Yet the rates of unemployment, especially those of graduates, is still terrifyingly high: This begs the question: are South Africans without work unemployed or just plain unemployable? If the latter, how do we get them back to the former?

Here's our advice if you fall into the "unemployed" category:As an initial act, stop listening to the negative press. It will only make you feel hopeless.Be sure that your CV is the best that it can possibly be. If you have any doubts, ask a career professional or one of our specialist recruiters for their input.Practice your interview skills and, if possible, engage a specialist recruiter to evaluate your soft skills rather than just your technical qualifications. Working with a career specialist will eliminate all negative thoughts and build your self-confidence.Keep abreast of market trends in your preferred industry. For example, if you are in IT you should be aware of the developments that are happening in mobile computing, virtualisation, augmented reality and the latest versions of .NET Framework and Smart devices.

Our specialist recruiters are trained to know the current trends in the market and are the best professionals to advise you which career path you should take. Contact them today to schedule an appointment.

Are you looking for an IT job, Finance job, Engineering job, or a Contracting assignment? Contact Network Recruitment, the center of recruitment excellence.

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Beyond the pocket

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A broader future awaits

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Horses for courses

Hope remains.

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Between an office and a far place

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Forget frantic. Stay focused.

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If you need help securing high-potential graduate engineers this season, we’d love to support you.

Balancing experience with potential
A classic hiring dilemma: do you go for the experienced candidate who can deliver from day one, or the junior engineer with long-term potential and a fresh perspective?