1: A quick introduction of Who Mabuke is, what is your background

I am Limpopo born, half xhosa / half pedi proudly SAfrican mother of 3 beautiful  girls. I initially studied Advertising but soon realised it wasn’t for me. I have been in recruitment since! I have worked in global search firms (executive recruitment)and smaller Africa focussed boutique firms. I have worked across all industries and functions but I would say the Industrials, FMCG and Finance industries has been where I have focussed most.

2: How long have you been in the recruitment sector and why did you choose this sector to specialized with –

I have been in the industry almost 14 years. Recruitment chose ME! It was not always my plan to get into recruitment but once I heard about the space and its value, I was sold. My industry plays a vital role in creating relationships of trust by connecting employers to job-seekers. That aspect resonated with me and I love that my work has a ripple effect in terms of the individuals and corporations that benefit.

3: What is the normal day looks like at the office ?

A normal day comprises of lots of telephone calls and meetings. As a recruiter it is imperative to stay plugged in – I am constantly engaging with captains of industry and other professionals in the quest to learn every aspect, about every assignment that I am engaged on. Most days I am compiling my knowledge, insights and work into reports to share with my clients. Recruiters are not only paid to fill vacant positions but to add further value to our clients, who may not have full view of industry trends and insights.

4: What the Up and Down of the recruitment business ?

Recruitment is entirely dependent on the economy. as well. Financial markets affect things such as development, new job availability, job movement, industry trends and skills development – all of these factors have a direct impact on recruitment as a whole. This creates a lot of ups and downs. The recruitment market is also highly saturated and it is key that recruitment firms understand their differentiator and their niche focus/market in order to maintain stability even in downtimes.

5: South Africa is experiencing high unemployment rate at moment, how has it impacted on the recruitment business ?

It has impacted contingent firms worse in my opinion as these type firms often work on bulk, higher volume and lower level roles (these are entry level to mid management roles). Retrenchments and unemployed have a bigger impact  at that level of staff more than senior executive roles. As an example – banks need multiple tellers but need only one CEO. Executive search is not a high volume industry by nature so I think we take the hit less, but I think the risk for us is that candidates are more cautious under volatile economic waves.

6: What is the most memorable experiences that you had ? what was it and what was the outcome of it ?

There have a number of memorable experiences both professionally and personally. Career-wise I would say a highlight is a placement I worked on to fill a CEO role for a well-known philanthropic organisation in South Africa. The company does amazing work assisting sickly children whose families do not have the means and resources to treat complex and rare diseases. This allowed me to make an impact that stretched beyond those children to the hope that this organisation brings to families from all over Africa. It was a real pleasure and honour to be a part of that team.

My other memorable career moment was travelling to India to meet with colleagues from around the globe. 8 countries were represented, it was a beneficial time in learning about other markets, trends and the general recruitment market at large. The industry is worth billions and it was eye opening to get first hand a global view. The experience positively changed the way I engage with clients and candidates.

My most memorable personal moment was bungee jumping. Memorable and scary.

7: with all those digital recruitment platforms in the market, companies and candidates have plenty choice available to them, is there still a need for recruitment agency ?

As with all industries, technology has changed the way we work and the approach which we take in order to execute on our mandates. I think it is about us as recruiters constantly innovating our resources and service offerings if we hope to remain competitive and deliver value. Having said that, recruitment is a people business and there is much more to our processes than check boxing against qualifications and work experience. A different side is measuring and assessing aspects like EQ, motivation, commitment etc. I don’t think technology will easily replace that aspect of the sector.

8: for the existing and potential business owner who would like to start a recruitment business, what are three advises that you can share with them to give them a better chance of success?

Knowledge. Insight. Strategy. As mentioned previously, we are a saturated market. Build relationships, define your differentiator well and know a niche market that you want to work in before starting your business. As mentioned, our industry is saturated and one definitely has to develop their own lane in order not to be drowned out.