Reg Rumney talks to the founders of a new recruitment agency specialising in affirmative action for NGOs
BY concentrating on affirmative action for non-governmental organisations and development organisations a new recruitment agency has carved itself a unique niche.
The carefully targeted two-woman, sorry, two-person business, operating out of — where else? — Braamfontein, started in March this year with a small commercial loan.
According to Lisa Garson and Ruth Underwood, Action Appointments already is paying its way, and inquiries are coming in fast enough to point to a profitable future. Growth in inquiries has been dramatic, and they are now actively looking to place around 10 people.
Both have worked for the past 10 years in the development world, and bring experience in the field as well as contacts to the business.
They have both been involved in recruiting, support services, and organisational development.
Unlike other recruitment agencies, Action Appointments makes no bones about its focus on finding people who are not white and often not male to fill posts.
Garson says they are upfront about their affirmative action role. ”We believe affirmative action is incredibly positive if handled properly and sensitively. We don’t feel we want to hide it.”
Garson says she has found the commercial world to be more coy about affirmative action than NGOs.
The agency is moving into affirmative action recruitments for the commercial world, but started off in the NGO sector because this is an area they know and where they saw a niche.
Underwood comments that NGOs have tended not to use recruitment agencies, but she and Garson are familiar with the world of NGOs and are finely attuned to their needs.
Included in the placement fee is a support service, but they offer organisational development support, if needed, for the people they place, at an additional fee. They will set up monitoring and performance appraisal systems in NGOs too.
Isn’t the NGO sector contracting as donor funds dry up? Garson reckons there is no way the new government can take over the responsibilities and tasks of all existing NGOs. Rather, she considers, funding will be directed through the government to NGOs instead of directly, and NGOs will be contracted to work for the government.
Underwood adds that while some are disappearing, others, such as those involved in land reform, are expanding and working on aspects of the Reconstruction and Development Programme. At the same time NGOs are losing staff to government.
They define affirmative action to include any disadvantaged group, including women and the disabled. The agency has placed many skilled black women, they say.
Generally, the demand from NGOs is for black (ie not white) appointments rather than specifically African. The agency will also place whites in jobs. ”We don’t turn applicants away on the basis of race.”
The placment depends on the brief from the client. If the job is highly specialised, or the skills requirement high with no on-the-job training offered, there may be no choice but to employ a white applicant.
What next? The two new entrants into the business world plan to grow slowly but surely and watch their cash flow. By next year they may even employ a new staffer — an affirmative action appointment, naturally.