I have recently been involved in a few give back programs hosted by Pro Talent on the topic of careers and preparing properly for ones future. It has been an eye opener to see what the other side has to say about the job market, and I would like to share some of my observations from these sessions.
- If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life?! It is coming to my attention more and more often that the passions people have in their lives are in no way linked to the jobs they are actually doing. This is a scary thought because how are people supposed to be motivated to perform in their jobs, if they are not passionate about what they do? Employers could start to analyse their company culture and see if it is breeding winning A-Players or stifling the success of its staff. There could be many small changes that could turn a negative environment into a motivating and uplifting place to work in. Allow your staff to state their passions and perhaps pursue these with the backing of the company.
- Following on from the above, many of the younger candidates have found it increasingly more difficult to find their initial employment because owners of companies are unwilling to provide them with the opportunity. In this case the next logical step is to volunteer their services for free and prove their capabilities. Once experienced has been gained, it is easier to be paid for the wok done, especially if this work has added value to the company. Further, these young candidates who have a passion for a niche environment find it difficult to find employment. Perhaps companies who are specialised should look at hosting internships and graduate programs. Debbie Brien from SourceME can be of great value in this regard- sourceme.co.za
- Most companies seem to be wanting Purple Squirrels but yet are not willing to pay for these “never before seen” creatures. A candidate who is a newly qualified CA (SA) is looking for a very high level salary. When a job vacancy states that this qualification is needed for a Bookkeeper up to Trial Balance and the salary is R15 000 per month, this is Purple Squirrel country. We find that clients are looking to groom staff to move into managerial positions one day, which gives them massive brownie points, but their expectations may not be realistic about the initial starting point. This notion can also be seen when a specific computer package is needed or if a certain number of years within a position is called for. Perhaps a little bit of negotiation and leeway is needed. If the candidate is unemployed at the present, perhaps hire them on a fixed term contract. This can be seen as a working interview.
- In light of the above, many candidates have skills that are easily transferrable between varying industries and sectors. The easiest example is a candidate in External Sales. If a candidate has shown year-on-year growth on both clients and sales, in an industry they initially did not have experience in, why can’t they start over in a new company with a new product? They clearly have the ability to build and maintain relationships, to learn about a company’s existing and new products, and close deals. The theoretical underpinning of sales is a skill that can be transferred to other industries, especially if the candidate can prove their target achievements and money made for the company. In fact, a client recently saw the importance of transferrable skills and hired a candidate who ran several smaller companies under one umbrella company. The skill set and ability to be able to do so, transferred into his business model and he was able to make the right hire for his company.
Pro Talent truly have some amazing candidates who are looking for a company to look beyond their CV. We have always believed that even a 10 minute meeting at a coffee shop is better than dismissing a candidate from only seeing their CV.
If you would like to hear more about some of these amazing candidates, give us a call on 031 265 2000 or view our Top Talent web page- http://pro-talent.co.za/top-talent/
Written by:
Storm Scott
