The unemployment rate in South Africa has escalated to alarming levels in 2021 and the recruitment landscape worldwide has changed irrevocably since the COVID-19 pandemic. A report released by the World Economic Forum has shown that the acceleration of automation and economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic will lead to the displacement of 85 million jobs and the creation of 97 million new ones globally by 2025.

According to Ayanda Mbanga, CEO of leading recruitment solutions agency Ayanda Mbanga Communications, this presents a huge opportunity within the disciplines of learning and development as well as human resources. “Recruitment has always been a volatile environment, but the recent changes have been particularly challenging. Within a two-year period, the industry has changed dramatically and it requires particular resilience to stay relevant. As a company, we have been able to accomplish this by establishing ourselves in the global market.”

A DIGITAL SHIFT

The award-winning agency signed a ground-breaking agreement with global platform LinkedIn Talent Solutions last year. As a certified partner in the South African market, they can now offer a unique service to navigate this new environment for companies recruiting new staff as well as job seekers.

LinkedIn became a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft in December 2016 and the company’s mission is to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful. By September 2021, LinkedIn had more than 774 million registered members from over 200 countries and territories, making LinkedIn the world’s largest professional network. LinkedIn Talent Solutions helps customers make data and insight-driven talent decisions, thereby improving customers’ time to hire, cost to hire and quality of hire. The offering includes the LinkedIn Learning platform which provide more than 16,000 expert-curated learning courses.

The partnership agreement with LinkedIn Talent Solutions allows Ayanda Mbanga Communications to expand their footprint of customers, who are invested in their hiring, learning and engagement solutions.  Access to global research also cultivates a better understanding of the global and local recruitment market, which has been transformed by the COVID pandemic.

“We have carefully scrutinised the research conducted by LinkedIn internationally and looked at key take-outs that could benefit our clients. The LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report identified learning and development (L&D) as crucial to reshape or rebuild organisations. The report states that 59% of L&D professionals agree that upskilling and reskilling have become priorities in the post-pandemic landscape. Resilience and digital fluency were identified as the two most important skills across every country surveyed,” mentions Mbanga.

NEW RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES

Mbanga explains that their collaboration with LinkedIn Talent Solutions can help employers to save time and money by pre-targeting potential candidates and engaging directly with suitable candidates. Research conducted for the 2020 LinkedIn Global Talent Trends report identified employee experience, people analytics, internal recruiting and multigenerational workforces as important requirements to not only retain current staff, but also in attracting new talent.

“Recruiters have changed the way candidates are assessed and appointed, looking at their potential and transferable skills instead of their history and technical capability. Virtual recruitment is here to stay and the LinkedIn platforms offer incredible solutions for identifying suitable applicants. This results in a better quality hire and the focused approach increases efficiency and speed of employment, while saving on salary commissions. Depending on the subscription package, potential employers can also see what competitors are offering to draw prospective employees.”

CAREER COACHING AND UPSKILLING

The agency also acts as talent developers for job seekers. Career coaching can be booked via the company’s website to help applicants to present themselves as the best candidate for a particular position. Guidance is provided to create powerful profiles accompanied by great resumes to target potential employers directly.

LinkedIn research has shown that upskilling has become a global trend. “Traditionally the average life span of a skill was five years, but that is rapidly decreasing with new skills emerging more rapidly. The pandemic has caused a massive shift from instructor-led training to online learning. Online learning solutions such as LinkedIn Learning have created global access to education opportunities. Generation Z is learning more than ever and focused on career growth, while older generations are focusing on developing soft skills such as communication and leadership.”

THE FUTURE OF REMOTE WORK

Another development on the recruitment front has been the prevalence of remote working, which was necessitated by international lockdowns. Rapid technological advances have created a growth in this trend during the past decade, but the pandemic has made this a norm and has probably changed the traditional office environment forever. An article in Forbes magazine revealed that companies across the world are frantically trying to create the future workplace and that remote work has definitely made an indelible impact on what this workplace will look like. Mbanga reckons that this will also shape the recruitment agency. “Digital nomads are becoming the norm, which has opened the market considerably. Job seekers are no longer restricted by geographical boundaries – and neither are recruiters. Global platforms are therefore becoming indispensable.”

 Ayanda Mbanga Communications was established in October 1998 and delivers recruitment advertising solutions, including media buying, marketing and online career coaching and advice to a wide array of clients in the public and private sectors. Their scope of clients includes provincial governments, local municipalities, education institutions and the NGO sector. They have received numerous awards for their work in this niche industry over the years. Moving from traditional markets such as newspapers, they made the digital move to online platforms such as LinkedIn.

 According to CEO Ayanda Mbanga, the deal with LinkedIn is true globalisation in action. “The narrative surrounding globalization has been around for years and has not necessarily been real for many people. With this agreement, Ayanda Mbanga Communications will be offering value added services to its customers. Once you’re partnering with an international organization with offices all over the world and sharing daily operational responsibilities that differentiates you as a global player. The story behind this deal is no longer about being black, female and BBBEE-compliant. It has become about deliverables and our reputation of being able to deliver on our promises.”

THE TEST OF TIME

It took almost two years of rigorous scrutiny and operational unpacking to clinch the deal with LinkedIn. “We were brought within LinkedIn’s line of sight because of the way we have been operating for the past 23 years. It was not luck, it was hard work and being in the right place at the right time. Our proven track record was the reason why a small South African business run by competent South African women had been able to become the first certified LinkedIn partner in the country.”

Mbanga is adamant that their corporate reputation was key to the deal. “We came to the table with hard-earned credentials based on integrity and strict principles. Naturally we have evolved as a business over the years. We stayed on the mark through perseverance and determination. And obviously our clients in the public, private and NGO sectors have consistently supported us over the years, because we have consistently given them what we promised them. If you keep on doing the right things, good things will happen to your business.”

 She is however also firm about the future trajectory of the project. “Signing the deal is one thing and the door of opportunity has been opened for us, but the real hard work starts now. More than ever before, we are going to need the support from our staff, clients and the government. Now we need to make things happen.”

 Mbanga is confident that this deal is also beneficial to South African clients as they can now depend on exceptional service with a global footprint, but with local support and expertise. “We are providing ease of doing business in this market for our clients, while facilitating these transactions for LinkedIn and complimenting their existing strategy in the region.”

Read Ayanda Mbanga’s blog on the post-COVID job market https://ayandambanga.co.za/vukuzenzele/post-covid-19-career-trends/ and visit www.ayandambanga.co.za for more information.