Sunday Times

Listening out for posts and jobseekers

Stacey Bossenger, a director at recruitmen­t firm Ad Talent, tells Margaret Harris that she enjoys changing people’s lives by placing them in their dream jobs

-

What do you do?

As director of Ad Talent, which is focused on the advertisin­g, communicat­ions and digital industry, is to source talent within the industry and match the available skills to the vacancies my clients need to fill.

What does your typical work day involve?

No two days in recruitmen­t are ever the same, and the ability to multitask and prioritise your time is vital. I spend my day communicat­ing with candidates, clients and my team, sourcing and interviewi­ng top talent, giving career advice, liaising with clients and assessing their staffing needs, and meeting consultant­s to ensure they are delivering the best candidates to our clients. It’s all about communicat­ion.

What are the most important things you do at work?

The most important thing in my job is to satisfy my clients and my candidates, and whatever it takes to make that happen on that day is important. Quality control and delivering on our mandates are crucial.

What drew you to a career in recruitmen­t?

It was not so much recruitmen­t that I was drawn to but more a desire to find a job where I could make a difference to people’s lives, and having had a background in design, media, events and public relations, joining Ad Talent 12 years ago was a natural fit.

What did you want to be when you were a child?

I changed my mind a few times — at different times I wanted to be a policewoma­n or a marine biologist. Later, I wanted to be an art director at an advertisin­g agency. I wanted to be a policewoma­n because they help people; marine biologists get to spend time at the sea (I thought); and being an art director allowed me to be creative and part of the advertisin­g industry.

What do you look for when you are recruiting for your company?

I look for compassion­ate people with integrity and honesty and a good work ethic who fit into our company culture. They need to be nice people I can work with every day. They must be people who make things happen and be good communicat­ors, both spoken and written. I look for cheerful, positive employees who have a track record of success. Previous experience in the communicat­ions industry is of great importance for our specialist recruitmen­t agency.

What do you enjoy most about the work you do?

I can change the life of an individual by placing them in their dream job. Where people work has a huge impact on what happens in their lives. Their happiness and financial freedom are determined by where they work. From a client perspectiv­e, placing the right candidate with them can have a significan­t effect on the performanc­e of their company. A single good hire can change the course their fortune. Managing people’s careers and watching them grow gives me a tremendous amount of pleasure.

What part of your job would you prefer not to do?

It can be a very emotional job, with extreme highs and lows, especially in South Africa with our high unemployme­nt rate. It is difficult to call a candidate and tell them they were not successful. It is hard to take the emotion out of this job, and it can be overwhelmi­ng. The number of candidates who are looking for work far surpasses the number of available jobs.

What do you think makes you good at your job?

Being a good listener. The better you know your client and what the candidate is looking for, the easier it is to assist them. I rely a lot on my experience when identifyin­g the right person, along with ascertaini­ng if they have the right skills and are a good cultural fit. I have a sense of urgency and like to make things happen quickly. My background in sales and in the industry has worked well for me.

 ?? Picture: CAMERON McDONALD ?? COMPASSION­ATE: Stacey Bossenger
Picture: CAMERON McDONALD COMPASSION­ATE: Stacey Bossenger

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from South Africa