How to Hire (and Keep) the Best Recruitment experts Donna Silver and Elvira Riccardi believe the future of your business's success lies in whether you're treating recruitment as a strategic imperative, and if you're upskilling your employees.

Vital Stats

• Players: Donna Silver and Elvira Riccardi
• Company: Afrizan, a business unit of Persaf Holdings
• Launched: 2001 (purchased from previous owner)
• Turnover: Group turnover is R150 million
• Visit: afrizan.co.za

Between 2001 and 2007, Afrizan's turnover was in the R12 million to R15 million range. Today the group as a whole is a R150 million business, and continues to grow. Why? Because it focused on a niche. "When you focus you can really become the expert in your field," explains Elvira Riccardi.

"For us, we recognised that South Africa needed a recruitment agency that specialises in affirmative action. This wasn't driven by altruistic or political motivations — it's an economic imperative."

The company's growth over the past ten years demonstrates how well this specialisation has worked. More importantly, the lessons that Afrizan has accrued as specialists in the field sourcing for industry leaders in finance, insurance and banking are valuable insights into how you can get the most from your scarcest and most valuable resource: Your people.

Here are their three core lessons in building a better business through smarter recruitment.

1. Recruitment and skills development are economic imperatives

"I have an economics background, and I'm passionate about transformation," says Elvira. "Our focus tends towards top-down solutions only. If we're going to grow South Africa's economy, we need to see bottom up transformation, as well. If we transform South Africa's workforce, we will transform the economy."

This isn't just transformation rhetoric for Elvira — there's a strong business case for every company in South Africa to get on board. "If you're interested in long-term growth, upskilling is an imperative," agrees Donna Silver.

"Companies have the view that if you spend money upskilling your employees, they'll leave and take their skills with them, and someone else will benefit from your investment. Our question is this: Are you in this for the short-term or long-haul? Because if you're focused on the future of your business, then the economics are simple — increase supply and the salary/skill variances will stabilise; not over decades, but in a few short years. At the moment, skill shortages mean paying a premium for scarce skills. Increase skills, and salaries will become more realistic."

Elvira and Donna have seen first-hand through the Cadet Academy, Afrizan's youth development vehicle, how teaching and training can make an impact on the workforce, salaries and the economy as a whole.

"The current reality is that corporates go to universities and all compete to scoop up the top performing graduates. They're competing with each other and international companies, and once those grads have obtained some experience in the workplace, they are head-hunted again by competing firms," says Elvira.

But there is a solution. "The workplace doesn't currently need another person with an over-subscribed degree, but we have learnt that the right degree from the right institution is a reliable predictor of ability," she continues. "The phenomenal success of our Cadet Academy proves this theory. We've placed over 1 000 cadets who didn't necessarily have the requisite experience or a relevant degree and found that a graduate will often learn more in three months than a non-degreed person will learn on the job in five years — even if their degree isn't necessarily related to the industry they've joined."

"The academy channels cadets into admin-intensive roles that function as incubators," Donna continues. "If you find a cadet with the right attitude, they are learning the business from the ground up. They get to know the brand, and, with the right attitude, are promoted. We only hire graduates who see the opportunity in joining an organisation in an entry-level position."

Afrizan is convinced of the benefit of a developmental focus. "There are currently less than 50 black female actuaries in South Africa, but the needle is moving all the time," says Elvira. "Female chartered accountants used to be a scarce commodity, now it's a position that's no longer on the scarce skills list. Things change. But you need to constantly work at it, and everyone benefits."

One of Afrizan's cadets is now head of graduate recruitment at a leading media house. "She drove here from Bethlehem to interview for our cadet programme. Her mother had to drive back to pick up her things when we offered her the job. She was willing and eager to start immediately. That's the calibre of people we find through this programme, and they're a great asset to their employers."

2. Recruitment is strategic, not operational

One of the biggest errors businesses make, according to Donna and Elvira, is treating recruitment as an operational function, instead of a strategic one. Although driven by operations, it shouldn't originate at an operational level.

"Recruitment and marketing should work hand in hand, and it should absolutely be at the centre of every company's strategy," says Elvira. "As a business, you're competing for skills and clients — every person who walks through your doors is potentially both. What is your strategy to attract the best, keep them, and ensure that you not only have a strong employer brand, but a brand that customers want to support?

"How you treat people, from those you've employed to people who you're interviewing, all interlinks in the market place with your customer pool. Your employees are future customers, and they can either be brand ambassadors in the market place, or spreading discontent based on how they and their colleagues were, or are treated. Your market cares about how your employees are treated, and your employees can directly impact customer goodwill."

In order to achieve this, Donna and Elvira believe that businesses need to start by changing their corporate vision, mission and identity. "This all speaks to how you meet people, mentor them and grow them," says Elvira. "Get this right and it will absolutely impact your bottom line. Where's the result? What did you achieve? It's a business objective — so is it filtering down? The future is skill. Your business's growth depends on it, so are you finding the right skills, growing them and nurturing them? Because that's your competitive edge when no-one else is doing it."

Donna and Elvira believe the most successful businesses must have a strategy parallel to skills development. "Hire the best and most skilled, and in addition develop internally, and grow your industry and business," says Donna. "For the first three years many of the people you train and upskill will be stolen, sure. But by then there will be new skilled individuals in the market, you can concentrate on hiring again, and salaries won't continue to be driven up by scarce skills."

There's an added benefit to this strategy too. "Consider what this is doing for your brand in the meantime," says Donna. "You're earning BEE points, plus you're developing a robust training policy that you can use to keep your employees by agreeing to payment terms if they leave the company within a stipulated time frame. You're also building a good employer brand known for having and training the best people in the industry that all your competitors are trying to poach. People will always feel brand affinity for a company that upskilled them, even if they leave — and they're sharing that affinity with their friends and family — your potential customers. It's a simple sustainability strategy, and you're training people into your culture, systems and processes."

Elvira agrees. "We're not focused enough on development. It's perceived as a cost. So many companies view this as a negative, and so people aren't trained or retained. Top executives agree that to survive today you need skills, but that doesn't filter down through the organisation. Procurement and learning and development just tick boxes. And the result is that you miss out on a real strategic differentiator.

"What we've experienced in the market is that too many businesses don't have enough respect for recruitment. What is your recruiter doing, whether they're internal or an agency? They are procuring a valuable skill. This should be viewed as a selling opportunity. Depending on their skill level, you aren't doing candidates a favour — you want to attract them. Does your ethos support that?

"Skills are the most sought-after commodity in the universe, and yet they're not given nearly enough strategic focus — not in recruiting them, upskilling them, or keeping them."

3. Use the skills development levy to your advantage

The new BEE Codes of Good Practice came into operation in May 2015 and included significant changes in terms of skills development. The target for spend increased from 3% to 6% of the leviable amount (your annual payroll). Donna and Elvira have seen a shift in the market because of this B-BBEE qualification. It's working — but are companies making the most of it?

"Procurement will drive BEE, because it's a mandate" says Donna, "This means businesses bring learners in, but too often they are under-utilised because we are too busy to train them. This is just one instance where you could be using a mandate as a competitive edge, instead of just ticking a box.

"Not only do you get points for training people, but if you keep those learners and employ them, you get five bonus points. SMEs through to corporates qualify for these points, and it's an excellent way for SMEs that are not majority black-owned, in particular, to reach level 2, 3 or 4 status.

"What are you doing to achieve this in your business? Essentially, you just need to focus on creating skills that you need anyway. This shouldn't be a grudge spend. It's a real business solution."

Top tips: Interviewing for success

Here are Donna and Elvira's top tips for interviewing — and hiring — the best candidates for your business.

1. Red flags

One of our favourite questions is "Tell me about when you missed a deadline.' It's an immediate red flag if they say they never have; either they're lying or they're not accountable. We're looking for an answer that says they had an issue, what that issue was, that they recognised it, and how they found a solution — solution and accountability are key. We've found that a person's belief system dictates how they answer this. Everyone believes they're right. No one is trying to give you a terrible answer, but what they say gives you real insight into their beliefs.

2. Uncover values

There's one sentence that will also give you huge insight into your candidate and their values: "What's the one thing your parents said to you that you will always remember?'

3. Hire for attitude

Look for phrases like "I'm prepared to do anything,' and "any work experience is positive'. You're looking for candidates ready and willing to roll up their sleeves and build their careers — even if it's from the ground up.

4. Find motivators

One strategy that will reveal how determined a candidate is to join your organisation and to prove themselves is to offer a lower salary with potential for growth.

5. People don't change

Interviewing is a psychological science. Past behaviour is absolutely a predictor of future behaviour, so you want to uncover that past behaviour. People change, but you can't change a person's wiring. People may grow and mature, but there are fundamental behaviours that won't change. If you're always late, you'll likely always be late, for example.

6. In control

As recruiters, we've found our biggest successes are often the children of entrepreneurs, because they've learnt that they are the architects of their own destiny.

7. Interviewing is a skill

Most managers aren't good interviewers; it's not a skill that's been practised or that they're focused on. It's not what they do. They are specialists in their fields. If you're a manager or business owner interviewing people, think through your questions and interview process carefully, and upskill yourself. In other words, take it seriously. This is the foundation of your entire staff strategy and complement.

8. Use technology

Technology can make the whole process easier, particularly if you are stretched for time. Spend time designing questions and then get someone else to ask them. Video each interview, watch the interviews in your own time, and then select the top candidates for face-to-face interviews.

9. People lie

Don't rely on CVs or take them at face value. People lie. One of the most common issues we see is people who take the job spec of the position they're applying for, and copy and paste it into their CVs. They're not truly representing themselves, they're just trying to be what the company says it needs. This makes the interview particularly important. People make up stories, and if you don't know how to interview, it's not always easy to catch them out.

10. Use references

Make sure you have qualifying questions to double check everything interviewees claim to know. One of the best ways to still do this is through reference checks. Many people think reference checks are a waste of time, but they're actually your greatest tool — if you ask the right questions. Be direct. Don't ask open-ended questions. We think people won't say bad things about someone else, but they also won't put their credibility on the line. If you state what the job entails, and if the candidate can deliver, that's a yes or no question. Ask for an example of what they have delivered based on specific requirements. In particular, ask the question "If you were going to develop the candidate, what would be your recommendation?' You're not looking for a negative answer, but it will give you insight.

Key insights

Skills shortages are driving up salaries — if you want to compete in the future, upskill now

You might invest in employees who leave, but if upskilling is integral to your long-term growth strategies, you'll not only increase the pool of skills in your industry, you'll become known as the company in your sector with the most skilled employees (that everyone's trying to poach and where everyone wants to work).

Recruitment is strategic, not operational

Operations drive recruitment, but the company's focus and mandate must be determined at a

board level. Skills are the most sought-after commodity in the universe — are you giving them enough focus?

The skills development levy is a boon, not just a compliance issue

BEE legislation now requires that 6% of an entity's leviable SDL salary spend (your annual salary bill) be spent on training. You can either use this to your advantage, or view it as a grudge purchase.