17 July 2009
	HIRING Recession-proof talent By Roshila Jarosz While a shrinking local economy threatens growth and job creation, graduates who have put hard work into their degrees will not have done so in vain

A survey released earlier this month shows that, though local employers have reported the least optimistic hiring plans since the survey was launched in 2006, they are still hiring. According to the Manpower Employment Outlook survey, "of the 18 countries surveyed in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, only employers in Norway, Poland, Switzerland, SA and the Czech Republic are reporting positive, but modest, third-quarter hiring activity". This concurs with what the heads of various graduate recruitment programmes are reporting - that they have not yet made any significant cuts to their recruitment programmes. "Like many other organisations, we have reviewed our budgets. However, we are still committed to recruiting graduates for our graduate programme in 2010, though the numbers may be smaller compared with that of previous years," says Anusha Ellery, head of the Graduate Recruitment & Development programme at Standard Bank. According to Ellery, the bank firmly believes that it obtains enormous value from its graduate programme. It would seem then that graduate employment has bucked the trend somewhat despite many industries curtailing hiring as a result of the global economic recession or has it? According to Jan Coetzee, managing director for recruitment firm Manpower SA, his company has seen a marked decrease in graduate recruitment. "We have definitely seen a decline this year in the number of clients who have requested that we focus on graduate recruitment for them. "It's a really tough time out there. Many companies have indicated that they are going to reduce staff in the coming quarter, as opposed to just freezing posts," he says. However, Coetzee says the demand for engineering and technical skills remains as great as ever, while the demand for IT and finance skills has slacked off. "If a company finds highly qualified people with engineering or technical skills, they still hire," he says. So what is a graduate to do? Coetzee's advice is for graduates to be more flexible, and have an open mind where their careers are concerned. "We tend to find that a lot of graduates come out of university with unrealistic expectations - wanting highly paid permanent positions immediately. Graduates should expect that their first job might not be exactly in line with what they've studied. They should be willing to take on temporary job assignments, which are more regularly available, in order to build their curriculum vitae." What are employers saying? FM Campus interviewed the heads of several corporate graduate recruitment programmes to get the inside story on their current hiring plans. Deloitte "The current downturn represents an opportunity. [At Deloitte], we've added some serious muscle to the structures of our recruitment programme, with a view to facilitating the evaluation of an increased number of available graduates. It's important to have top professional staff available for post-recession economic resurgence," says Ginny Cooper, the national talent and recruitment manager for Deloitte. Though many students perceive Deloitte to be purely an auditing firm, the company specialises in consulting, advisory and assurance services, and consequently looks at employing graduates from many different fields. National talent and recruitment leader, Willem van der Post says Deloitte does not look solely at academic credentials. "Our aim is to identify young future professionals who have the right kind of raw material, like determination, passion and attitude, which we can then fully develop and deploy through our greenhouse structures and exciting client base," says Cooper. To apply for the graduate recruitment programme at Deloitte, visit www.deloitte.com/za. Unilever It's business as usual at Unilever as far as graduate recruitment is concerned. "Talent management continues to be a key driver of our business strategy," says Ntwani Shilubane, who heads the company's Future Leaders Programme. It is, however, far more competitive out there, as the pool of candidates has increased. "It definitely has become more competitive to get into the programme due to the competition in the market, with great candidates vying for the same job," she says. The company looks to employ graduates across several fields, including human resources, customer development, research and development, engineering, supply chain management, finance and marketing. "We look for strong leadership skills, and individuals who are team players and are willing to learn," says Shilubane. Graduates can apply online for the Future Leaders Programme, at www.careersatunilever.co.za. Adams & Adams "Though we are concerned about the poor global economic climate, it has not had a direct effect on our short-term recruitment strategy. However, we have not been immune to the global recession, and have adopted cost-cutting strategies where appropriate," says Blain de Villiers, staff partner at Adams & Adams. Though the company employs law graduates for candidate attorney positions, graduates are usually required to have further qualifications, particularly for the company's patent department. "We look for all-rounders, with an emphasis on good academic results. Students who have shown dedication, drive and spirit in whatever they've done will be our primary targets because a balanced lifestyle is essential to what we do," says De Villiers. He says that competition is, however, tough in the current economy. To apply at the firm, students can hand their curriculum vitae to the firm's representatives, who are usually present at the various university career days. Alternatively, e-mail them on articles@adamsadams.co.za. McKinsey & Company At consulting firm McKinsey & Company graduates are put through their paces in the Business Analyst Programme. "No two weeks are the same, from gathering and analysing data, to interviewing stakeholders and presenting findings to clients. Our business analysts are exposed to a broad range of industries and business issues, constantly acquiring new skills and experience," says the company's recruitment manager, Helen Donald. Candidates are required to have a degree. "We look for graduates who have an excellent academic record at both matric and university, and also show evidence of leadership abilities in other areas. Our consultants include engineers, chartered accountants, lawyers, philosophy and music majors," says Donald. Interested applicants can visit www.mckinsey.co.za for further information. National treasury The national treasury graduate development programme consists of two programmes - the internship programme and the training outside of public practice (TOPP) programme. The former, a 24-month internship programme, is for graduates who have studied accounting, economics, econometrics, economic modelling, supply chain management, communications, human resource management, statistics and mathematics. The latter is a three-year programme, which allows prospective chartered accountants to receive training without going through an audit firm. According to treasury spokesman Lindani Mbunyuza, the current economic climate has not affected graduate recruitment at the department. "If anything, the economic situation could be positively affecting recruitment as private sector companies are cutting back on employment, resulting in a greater pool of employees," says Mbunyuza. Visit the department's website at www.treasury.gov.za for further details on the application process. Investec Investec Graduate Programme manager Natalie Lutrin says Investec will continue to employ talented individuals despite the current economic climate. "We recruit talent and will always endeavour to hire talented individuals within the context of business requirements and capacity," says Lutrin. Their emphasis is on graduates who are passionate, distinctive, creative and entrepreneurial. "We look for students who are currently completing their postgraduate degrees in commerce, business science, actuarial science, engineering, property studies and information technology," says Lutrin. To find out more, visit their website at www.investec.com. Standard Bank For its Corporate and Investment Banking Graduate Programme, Standard Bank focuses on graduates who have business or industry knowledge, a positive attitude and strong interpersonal skills. However, Ellery warns that graduates will be competing more than ever for limited vacancies. "Many companies will be reviewing their return on investment on graduate programmes, and only the best graduates will find a place. "Graduates should look at how they position their personal brand. Innovative thinking is required to solve problems in the workplace - textbooks no longer have the answers." Graduates, in particularly business science, actuarial science, investment management, commerce, economics, financial mathematics, financial engineering, engineering, pure mathematics and physics, can visit www.standardbank.com for more information. Statistics South Africa - Internship opportunity While we’re talking recruitment, here’s an excellent opportunity for SA graduates in loads of disciplines, including accounting, marketing, statistics, economics, and computer science. Statistics South Africa is advertising its 2010 internship programme, but interested people need to be quick – applications close July 31, 2009. For all the details and a downloadable application form, go here [http://www.statssa.gov.za/Internships/default.asp].