RECRUITMENT COMPANY TAKES JOB OPPORTUNITIES TO COMMUNITIES

Now this is what I am taking about - the opportunities and the good things that are being done for the various communities.

Well done Quest!

Recruitment company takes job opportunities to communities
04 December 2007 at 11h00

Earlier in 2007 Quest Flexible Staffing Solutions held a pilot community employment recruitment drive in Johannesburg to attract job seekers from specific communities, offering job opportunities, career changes, career path assistance and access to learnerships for further skills development.

The event attracted over 2 000 applicants from the suburb of Bosmont, a number of whom have now registered for work through Quest. "The response from the Bosmont community was excellent, with requests emerging from other communities for similar drives," said Jacqui Koopman, organiser of the Bosmont event. "This model has proved to be extremely effective for job seekers, the community and the recruitment company."

Based on the success of this pilot project, Quest Flexible Staffing Solutions will now roll out a nation-wide programme of community employment recruitment drives. In October and November drives were held in Cape Town and Pretoria. According to Matheena Ismail, the national co-ordinator of these events, the drives are in response to a shift from a national shortage in employment positions to a shortage in the supply of staff in contact centres, and the financial, retail and cellular communication industries. The robust growth of the South African economy over the past decade, the implementation of affirmative action and the trend towards outsourcing business processes has led to this increased demand for human capital, says Ismail.

Human resources and business process outsourcing firms have been hurt by these shifts. "The process of drafting a CV, applying for a position and being interviewed can be intimidating for job seekers who may believe they lack the necessary skills and experience," says Ismail. "Through these drives, we hope to create an informal, less intimidating, one-on-one context in which job seekers can investigate their options and sign up for employment in a fun environment."