Tell us about your professional journey and how you became a recruitment manager at MSF
I started my career after finalising my BTech in Human Resources. I worked as a salesperson in a jewellery shop and landed a sales administrator position at a small IT hardware firm. I would work at the Jewellery shop on weekends, and during the week, at a hardware firm. I was exhausted. But I was young and hungry for success, so I maximised every opportunity. I then got an internship at EOH recruitment solutions in 2012. That’s where my love for recruitment began. I worked there for about three years, then moved to management consulting firms. I then worked for an IT company where I was now doing internal recruitment; I worked for those firms for about three years—then landed a job at Doctors Without Borders, where I started as a recruitment specialist and then recruitment manager.
What does recruitment management at MSF entail?
Annually, the field HR team across the movement is given a target to meet based on the needs of the multiple projects in the 70 countries where we work. Field recruitment is different from traditional recruitment in that we have spontaneous recruitment, which means that our website is always open to accept applications. Once an applicant has submitted their CV, it will end up on our recruitment system tool. We can receive anywhere between 800 to 2000 applications every year. From this number, we can only place 60 applicants.
As a woman in a leadership role, what strategies or approaches do you believe have been instrumental in your success?
I had to prove myself in my work. I believe in teamwork and open communication.
As a leader, I know how counter-productive micromanaging is. I always ensure that my team members are well trained, give them the freedom to work and manage their work, and be available to provide support anytime they need it. I also apply a humanity-first approach, which means that before someone is a recruitment officer, they are human first. I am compassionate and professional at the same time. Networking is also vital in my role and is one of the strategies contributing to success.
What is needed to create a workplace culture that values diversity and empowers underrepresented groups?
As with all organisations operating in South Africa, we’re guided by the law and employment equity – but this is just the baseline.
As a recruitment manager, I understand the significance of implementing initiatives and strategies that create an environment where everyone feels valued, included, and empowered to contribute their best.
Our organisation has a comprehensive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) program; it encompasses a range of strategies designed to address biases, provide equal opportunities, and encourage open dialogue about differences.
Specifically, in our office in Johannesburg, we have a Dismantling Structural Racism (DSR) team which is instrumental in ensuring diversity through their mandate; some of the work they’ve already done is writing and implementing an anti-racism policy, contributing to the movement’s
Behavioural Commitments which all staff must adhere by.
Furthermore, we have a leadership accelerator program which aims to ensure inclusivity and diversity within the organisation by ascertaining that historically marginalised groups occupy critical leadership positions.
Despite our executive team in the Johannesburg office being well-represented by having most leadership positions held by women of colour, the program seeks to do more, not just in Southern Africa but internationally as well.
We also have a good internship programme which has seen a few of our previous interns securing jobs within the organisation and in various industries after being with us for 12 months.
How do you balance the demands of work with your personal well-being and motherhood?
I’m blessed with a supportive family. My mother has retired and always steps in when I’m travelling or working odd hours.
Motherhood is challenging, especially when you’re doing it without a partner. It’s a complex and sometimes overwhelming journey.
However, it has taught me patience, compassion and working smart. We work with large volumes of applications we need to work smart to get the work done quickly and produce quality work.
In next week’s edition, we speak to Zani Prinsloo, a trained nurse/midwife who has been with Doctors Without Borders (MSF) for the past decade.
Cape Times
* The Cape Times’ Big Friday Read is a series of feature articles focusing on the forgotten issues that often disappear in the blur of fast news cycles, and where we also feature the everyday heroes who go out of their way to change the lives of others in their communities.
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