OPINION | In a country with a high unemployment rate, outdated HR systems are not playing ball

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Lumko Mtimde writes that he has spent time assisting unemployed new graduates with an outdated process, where applications have to be hand-delivered, and noticed that often applicants lost hope and interest in participating.


Youth unemployment in rural areas, townships and peri-urban areas is alarmingly high due to a variety of reasons such as an ailing economy, skills mismatch, low skills level, the Covid-19 pandemic and load shedding.

This situation is worsened by some old-fashioned and obsolete recruitment practices and processes. Denial by some employers to transition from conventional manual and analogue systems to digital has stood in the way for some job seekers and against the battle of ending unemployment. Let us be innovative, take advantage of digitisation (transitioning from conventional analogue systems to digital), and create new business concepts and processes.

Developments in technology have provided much enhancement to business process efficiencies. Sadly, some human resources processes are so outdated and as a result, work against the emancipation of humanity, particularly the poor and working class.

Recruitment processes by some companies, embarrassingly even some government departments, leaves much to be desired. Their adverts in newspapers will boldly state, “No emailed applications will be accepted.” This, in 2023, reflects a poorly conceived understanding of how unemployment is a cancer that erodes human dignity. It leaves one with the idea that a cut-and-paste exercise from 1912 adverts is more preferred than making means to save time and efforts for those trying to gain a seat at the employment table.

Interestingly enough, upon enquiring from a few “culprit” HR departments about these adverts, they argue that some candidates do not have access to the internet in order to email their applications. As much as one is not advocating for draconian measures to be considered in this regard, this argument is so disconnected from the socioeconomic realities at the grassroots, and is outdated.

Job seekers are usually and mostly unemployed. The logistics arrangement involved in hand delivering applications is too costly, after paying for printing and packaging in an envelope. These costs far exceed searching for a nearby internet cafe and emailing the application. Even if you take into consideration expensive data costs, this still does not compare to the costs of printing, buying an envelope, stamps and transport to deliver an application.

Some employers are dragging their feet

A game changer in this debacle would be if everyone was appreciative of the fact that new technologies enable interactive application processes, wherein applicants register a profile, login, apply and attach all requisite documents. This will make the process more affordable and accessible. In the same breadth, it is also encouraging to see the spirit of innovation and revolutionary at play for some employers such as the Ekurhuleni Municipality, Ethekwini Municipality, and Gauteng Online for example.

It is saddening to see employers like some national government departments dragging their feet in creating a conducive recruitment space that would be cost effective and accessible to many job seekers. A lack of digital and integrated recruitment processes make verifications and security clearance challenging, which also lengthens the recruitment period.

Former UJ Vice Chancellor Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, quoting McKinsey said, “By digitising processes and making organisational changes, governments can enhance services, save money, and improve citizens’ quality of life.”

Digitising government remains a challenge due to lack of digital awareness despite the recommendations in the Presidential Commission Fourth Industrial Revolution Report (PC4IR) published by the Minister of Communication and Digital Technologies, in October 2020.

Identifying some of the contributing root causes, the Director General of Public Service and Administration Department, Yoliswa Makhasi addressing the Future of Work (FOW) Ambassadors Programme in July last year said the challenges facing the public service is that the workforce has limited ICT expertise. She continued:

If you want to run a digitisation programme in the public service, surely you need more numbers of not just young people or employees in the ICT departments, but young people or people who are open to the idea of using technology.

I have spent time assisting unemployed new graduates with this cumbersome and outdated process to the point where one witnessed that they lost hope and interest in participating in this emotionally invested and very costly application process. They don’t even trust the process. It is equally disturbing to mention that the applicants are always met with no acknowledgement of their efforts. In contrast, a digitalised application process always produces an automated response, acknowledging receiving an application, which gives an assurance.

I challenge accounting officers, HR Directors and even executive authorities and those interested in saving company costs to look in their mirrors and charge and sentence themselves for contributing to frustrated, disgruntled, despondent unemployed youth. They must urgently develop an action plan to digitally transform their business processes and in particular human resources processes.

Employers in the public spaces such as Parliament, Legislatures and Councils, must call on those responsible to stop this draconian archaic requirement to hand-deliver applications immediately. At least, for flexibility, a compromise should be to accept both emailed and hand-delivered applications.

Our youth are tired of unreasonable requirements for them to get access to the job market; therefore we fail to attract talent. If it is not this, it is that a newly qualified graduate is expected to have experience.  Let us design processes enabling young talent and graduates to access careers. We should also reskill our staff to accelerate digital thinking and capabilities.

The PC4IR report prioritises digital transformation. It will yield positive results to business, government and society.  Digitalise business processes, and make digital information work. E-recruitment solutions help attract highly skilled candidates, who  add more value. Let’s make it easy for young people to access jobs or at least to be considered.

– Lumko Mtimde is a former Special Advisor to the Minister in the Presidency. He is also a long serving public service executive and former CEO of public entities. He writes in his personal capacity.


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