Has there ever been a more challenging time for recruiters?
Not in recent memory. The pandemic has re-imagined how Talent Acquisition (TA) teams work. From talent attraction strategies to digital onboarding, the world of recruitment looks considerably different today.
It’s been a steep learning curve for many TA teams. While some organisations’ recruitment strategies ground to a halt during the pandemic, others required a fresh approach to meet their targets.
Such is the case with iKhokha, a Durban-based financial technology company that provides card machines and develops business tools to small businesses.
As one of South Africa's fastest growing fintechs, iKhokha continued its aggressive growth trajectory throughout 2021, meaning their TA team needed to find creative ways to attract, engage and hire top talent.
According to Steph Snyman, Head of Talent at iKhokha, having a team willing to experiment and able to adapt helped iKhokha rise to the challenge.
“The pandemic undoubtedly put additional pressure on us from a recruitment perspective,” says Snyman. “It presented a unique challenge for our team, but coming from an ever-changing, very dynamic environment, we were able to quickly reassess our approach and establish new processes to help us excel in a competitive skills market.”
Over the last 20 months, iKhokha has increased its headcount by 59% with many new hires occupying highly skilled positions in Product Development.
And with many of these hires coming from larger metros like Johannesburg and Cape Town, relocation has been another obstacle for the iKhokha Talent Team.
“We’ve noticed a trend in the millennial workforce that indicates people are looking for value alignment with their future employer and the opportunity to do meaningful work. iKhokha ticks those boxes for our recent relocated tech hires,” says Snyman.
Despite the challenges faced, Snyman and her team have continued to go from strength to strength. In their most recent triumph, the team was named the Best Talent Acquisition Team (under 500 employees) in Africa in the LinkedIn Talent Awards.
"As a business with startup roots that’s competing against big corporate players for tech talent in a small talent pool, it is affirming to be recognised by a global brand for the work we're doing,” says Snyman.
“But more importantly, it's another opportunity to further build trust in our brand and introduce iKhokha as an employer of choice to a broader talent community who want to work in a purpose-driven company.”
As iKhokha continues their recruitment roadmap, tech talent hires remain their top priority.
“With us, tech professionals get the best of both worlds,” says Snyman. “A startup culture, the Durban lifestyle and the added opportunity to see the tangible impact their work has on South Africa's small businesses.”
For more information on vacancies at iKhokha, please visit www.ikhokha.com/careers to connect with Africa's best TA Team and #JoinTheHustle.