In South Africa, unemployment is sitting at a ridiculously high level. Many may argue that the informal sector is not included in the official unemployment figures. Still, in June 2022, according to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the first quarter of 2022, the unemployment rate was 63,9% for those aged 15-24 and 42,1% for those aged 25-34 years, while the current official national rate stands at 34,5%.

This indeed creates a vast pool of suitable people for employment, but sadly, we still hear companies saying that it is hard to find the right staff today. Does this mean we need to change how we recruit, or are there no suitable applicants looking for jobs? When interviewed, Sonya Skipp, General Manager of iFacts, said that there were various reasons companies were not easily finding the right staff.

  1. Engineering
  2. Construction
  3. Real estate
  4. Public service
  5. Healthcare
  6. Transportation

Skipp said the lack of suitable applicants was not limited to positions requiring qualifications. She stressed that the staff turnover rate ranged from 100 to 300% in high turnover industries such as the security industry. Security guard turnover is linked to several factors: stress, poor recruiting, inefficient wages, and a lack of compliance and training.

These factors all make the recruiting of the right person that much more difficult regardless of which industry sector you are in. She said that the combination of too many people, the lack of qualifications and the desperation to be employed led to increased pressure on recruiting staff.

At iFacts, the number of invalid qualifications, driver’s licenses and industry verifications showed desperation. A simple, online verification of information provided in a job application could quickly eliminate risk and reduce the number of job interviews needed. She stressed that online interviews were a further helpful tool in the recruitment process.

It is essential that companies review their policies and procedures regularly and do not continue to do it the way it has always been done.

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