Integr8 On Aggressive Recruitment Drive

April 20, 2009 - PRLog -- Human resource management is of critical importance within the current economic and business climate. The empowerment of people through focused training, an ideal work environment and internship programs can make all the difference to a company’s bottom line claims Robert Sussman, joint CEO at the Integr8 Group, the largest privately owned national BEE ICT managed services company on the African continent. .

This is the time where Integr8 Group has a deliberate strategy to take advantage of the weaker JSE listed ICT companies.

The HR function in commerce is affected by both internal and external factors. By virtue of its level of influence in a business, it is also among the first to be affected by volatile market conditions.

Integr8 IT, the infrastructure management company housed in the Integr8 Group, is an established provider of managed information communication technology services and offers these services via its acclaimed high-tech customer relationship management hub or Nerve Centre™.

The success of the company’s offering is dependent on the recruitment and retention of technical skills sets, as well as the degree of product knowledge each member of the team can demonstrate – including the ability to apply this knowledge. However, in addition to these technical skills, the company employs a wide range of skills to fulfill positions in the many silos of operation.

Each employee fulfills a critical role and Sussman believes that any business that invests in its people will certainly achieve a return. The company has received recognition for being amongst the top ICT Workplace Providers for five consecutive years

“Generally people need to feel secure, that what they do makes a difference and that they are progressing in their career and as individuals. In present socio-economic conditions, a business can truly get the very best out of its people by simply investing the time and effort to guide, mentor, support and teach,” says Sussman.

Executive management at the company have always advocated that success in managed ICT services and support lies in establishing a careful but very powerful balance between people skills/ intellectual capacity and technology.

Sussman points to a number of its personnel who have, as a result of their hard work, determination and consistent training, elevated themselves into new roles and higher positions within the company.

“The list of achievers and their accomplishments is impressive. We have Wouter who started in the workshop and is now a senior account executive, Gwynith who first filled a temporary position as a receptionist and is now an executive PA and Office Administrator, as well as Jerry who began his career with Integr8 as a driver and is now a workshop technician. There are other examples such as Karin who started as a helpdesk call logger and is now an MSD Business Unit Manager,” adds Sussman.

According to Sussman differentiation of the corporate in this business climate is really down to how effectively and how astutely a company utilises its resources.

There are in excess of 450 employees listed on the Integr8 Group payroll.
The Group continues to receive a high percentage of applications for various posts – evidence that the current economic downturn is adding pressure to the situation and ensuring that any prospects to build a career are coveted says Sussman.

“It is clear that there are a number of career seekers that are entering the market and are faced with the conundrum of having to secure employment armed with qualifications but limited experience – or, in some cases, with no experience at all. It would be fair to say that the ICT industry will always represent a channel of opportunity but that the market is under pressure at the moment and this can make a difference to those aspiring to break into the industry and establish a foothold. However, there is always a chance and much depends on how much research candidates have done, their ability to demonstrate their capability, their willingness to work hard and their determination to get ahead irrespective of the circumstances,” he adds.