Adopt your own mantra on the road to successWritten by: Janis Kinnear Somewhere along the line, someone on the Datafin team initiated a mantra we ended up just going with for the year. We set off each new month by attaching an adjective, or two, or three, to describe that specified month. For the technical folk – using Alliteration to inject positivity and fuel the team to be motivated for the month ahead. It was “Fabulous February” and “Magical March”. Came April, our customized recruitment mantra slash cheer or battle cry grew, even stronger with “Astronomically Abundant April”. Some months proved a little trickier than others – like October. To slot in that descriptive word with just the right motivational ring to it. Whereas the month before, we had countless words to put in front like Super, Successful, Sterling, Stupendous and Stunning September. So, we bent our own rules a tad and went with the mandatory Rocktober! Many of the blogs I write are often about holding onto the positive bits. Having hope despite the stress of trying to find a job when you’re unemployed, making a daunting career shift or simply navigating the complexities of the workplace. These are…
When you make your time matter you live more intentionally. You thereby enhance your actions. Ultimately, becoming aware of just how valuable your time is. You start doing more of what will make your time count. Life goals and gains like finding that dream job will no longer be a mere tedious task. What you do with the time you have becomes vital. A job hunt then becomes a tool to transform your existence. “The trouble is you think you have time.” We have reached the tail end of the year. A time when this Buddha quote rings so true for many of us. Suddenly you realise you never looked at job sites. You forgot to update your CV.Those mental notes unticked, and nothing actioned. And now it’s nearly Christmas. Businesses are winding down as festivity plans get underway. Time has flown by, and you have not utilized it as you promised yourself you would. The holiday season often sets off that nagging voice in your head of “woulda, shoulda, coulda”. It could be that voice bemoaning you over wishing you had a job that affords you more free time. To be able to go on that family vacay. Or…
Skip the scarcity mindset and spring into action as your new job awaits Always thinking about what you don’t have. You focus on what’s missing and secretly believe you could never attain it. That you never have enough – the pay hike, the promotion, or the job of your dreams. Well, that’s the scarcity mindset. Skip the scarcity mindset today. It’s that recurring thought pattern that for example – you will never get that dream job. The one you’ve been hoping would miraculously find you. By applying the following techniques, you could skip the scarcity mindset and instead, spring into action as your new job awaits. By acting now, you could be setting off into the new year with a stunning new job. That job you can be passionate about. Or one that’s more lucrative to get your debt down. Or a job that allows you to finally purchase that SUV you’ve had your eye on. When you skip the scarcity mindset, it will give way to see you transition into a mindset of abundance. Take a deep breath and really take the time to evaluate the positives in your current position. If you really think about it, you have…
Grit and golden treatment service, has seen sisters and Datafin co-owners, build one of the country’s top Recruitment Agencies Hearing the latest social media term “Delulu” (aka delusional), a broken convection oven in need of repair and a newly acquired pet – a chameleon named “Stick”. These revelations emerge in a Monday morning MS Teams meeting. This, after a quick check-in with members of the all-women team managed by Datafin Recruitment bosses and sisters, Lindy Sollinger and Bev Sollinger. But amidst malfunctioning cooking devices and recounting having to Facetime the grandkid to show that “Stick” is indeed still alive and well – runs a well-oiled Recruitment Agency – a top contender in the SA landscape. Celebrating Women’s Month this August, I wanted to find out if the Sollinger duo always envisioned having a business, how it transformed into a staff compliment of women only and the secret ingredients to Datafin’s success. Initially starting out working for a Recruitment company herself, Lindy soon learnt the ropes and decided this was something she could pursue independently. “I always knew that I wanted to run my own business, but my heart became set on it when working for bosses in a recruitment company…
Spotting candidates red flags is a Recruiter’s invaluable human tool Spotting candidates red flags takes a mix of robust screening and experience. Then that human hunch a Recruitment Consultant gets that something may be amiss. Spotting candidates red flags is a Recruiter’s invaluable human tool. In any engagement between Recruitment Consultant and candidate, there’s a rapport of unspoken trust established. The candidate entrusts a Recruiter to find them a job that’s in sync with their vision for their career path. Sometimes it’s to grow their skillset. It might be to work in a team with a shared mission. Or perhaps to soar to seniority where you can lead and impart onto others your expertise. But the trust in the Recruiter-Candidate relationship needs to be a 2-way street. Spotting candidates red flags is a Recruiter’s invaluable human tool. While certain red flags are obvious others require closer examination. This usually follows our human instinct that kicks in when your internal suspicious alert goes off. The first introduction to any candidate is their CV. This is the first point of scrutiny where a Recruiter will fact-check. Questionable aspects like discrepancies in dates will be noted. Or huge gaps in employment or moving…
As South Africans we shall soon cast our very critically important ballot at the election polls. Your vote ensures simple pleasures like your neighbourhood maintaining a pristine aesthetic. That’s if, of course, your dirt bins get regularly collected – and on the assigned day. Your vote decides who takes charge of your municipality and your city. It’s an invaluable exercise which reminds us that we still live in a democracy. A country where you have the right to justice and my personal favourite – freedom of expression. In the workplace, your voice is that tool to express and give input as a member of the team. Similarly, in any job, use your voice as you would your vote. Navigating the complexities around the workplace IS tricky since many companies now operate remotely. it has Thus become more crucial to speak up and voice your concerns. Each team member plays a pivotal role in the cog of the business engine. A colleague closely linked to your workflow might not be doing something in a specific way you would like. To ensure continuation or optimal productivity, have a chat with them to iron this issue out quickly. Communication platforms like MS Teams…
ALLEVIATE WORKERS’ STATE OF “PRESENTEEISM” AND “RESENTEEISM” As the cost of living continues to soar along with retrenchments on a global scale, employees are left with uncertainty. Bosses can, however, utilise ways to help alleviate workers’ state of “Presenteeism” and “Resenteeism” and inject positivity back into their staff. If you’re of the “old stock” like myself – you know life before cellphones existed and you would have physically used a fax machine. If that’s a silent nod in agreement – then you probably have no cooking clue as I did when hearing workers today are suffering a state of “Presenteeism” and “Resenteeism”. Well, it’s the latest in the string of trendy terms, summed up as two ways of describing workers who are at work, but not happy or particularly productive in their job. The difference between “Presenteeism” vs “Resenteeism”. In the case of “Presenteeism” you’re signed in for work and online or physically at the office. You presenting as “Checked In” at your workplace. But you’re not performing your job optimally. You are highly unproductive and usually it’s due to personal problems. This could be issues with your physical or mental health or other distractions unrelated to work.When you’re down…
To ensure cohesive teams and trusted business engagement despite being remote, we need to build authentic connections in the virtual office. Many a Valentine today in the digital age could probably be through an online cupid connection. Fewer outdoor ventures and more Insta scrolling means more relationships begin through social media and dating apps. With many of us working fully remote, we now meet new colleagues for the first time via a PC screen. We meet new clients and candidates on video calls. To ensure cohesive teams and trusted business engagement despite being remote, we need to build authentic connections in the virtual office. Online romances flourish while maintaining virtual courtships. So too, we must nurture and cement professional ties when working remotely. It remains critical that even when working from home, we cement and maintain professional ties. With online dating, profiles get perused, similar interests sought and so the virtual courtship begins. The assumed expectation – with what one can only but hope (and through countless chats, emojis & voice notes (VNs)) – would soon translate into a real-life romantic relationship. But similarly in the workspace of the “Webosphere”, how do we form and solidify co-worker bonds and relationships…
Be it Rugby or Recruitment – being ethical ensures long-term successWritten by: Janis Kinnear After a nail-biting match, the 2023 Webb Ellis Trophy came home to South African soil. The victory is greatly attributed to SA Rugby Team Captain Siya Kolisi’s leadership. in the realms of Rugby or Recruitment, Kolisi exemplifies how being ethical ensures long-term success. South Africans continue to beam with pride after the SA Rugby Teams’ triumph having won this year’s World Cup trophy. Team Captain Siya Kolisi has been lauded for being an ethical leader who genuinely cares about his country’s people. The battle on the rugby field is refereed by strict rules of the game. If you opt to play dirty it can be costly (sorry All Blacks). Our national Rugby team tried to maintain fair play. And this display of sticking to the rules, plus their mad Rugby skills of course, proved that being ethical ensures long-term success and victory. When people are your business, you deal with the element of unpredictability. Practicing ethical recruitment helps avoid bulldozing tactics. It also presents a show of understanding. Particularly during the recruitment process when candidates or clients’ circumstances change at the drop of a hat. Here…
BEING NICE TO CO-WORKERS COUNTS WHEN JUMPING SHIPWritten by: Janis Kinnear When jumping ship to find a new job, you most likely need references – often from your existing company. your persona and actions towards coworkers may need some tweaking if you want to present exemplary attributes to a new potential boss. As a promising candidate enters the final stage of the recruitment process to land a new job and becomes the “Chosen One” – reference checks are done. And being nice to coworkers counts when jumping ship to ensure sterling references to seal the deal. Are you that colleague who’s constantly late for MS Teams meetings? Are you selective when it comes to responding to a colleague’s email? Prefer to go grab a bite to eat first before answering them on a work-related query. Do you neglect to inform your team when it becomes clearly obvious (to them included), that you’re not going to make the proposed deadline? Are you open to working with others or do you participate and show your reluctance by objecting to good ideas? Do you avoid your colleagues like the plague instead of engaging with them. Can you multitask or think critically? These actions fall into…