Screening applicants key to addressing unemployment
Managed Integrity Evaluation (Pty) Ltd. (MIE), ), an established credentials verification services provider in South Africa, says by employing hard-working, dedicated people and assisting in efforts to combat certification fraud, companies will contribute towards sustainable development and job creation.
Employment and development have been identified as priorities by the South African government.
In his State-of-the-Nation Address, President Jacob Zuma explained that despite progress, the country continued to grapple with the challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality
He mentioned that in 1994 South Africa inherited what he termed “structural employment” which dated back to the 70’s. During the first decade of the new millennium the country experienced job growth, but unemployment did not fall below 20%.
The President cited the recession of 2009 as “another setback” for the unemployment situation. He said that last year 365 000 people were employed, indicative of the country’s best performance since the recession.
As an established service provider positioned at the forefront of credentials verification and background screening checks, MIE believes that companies have a definite role to play in efforts to put people to work.
“We are in a very important stage of development within our young democracy. Employment is crucial to growth within the formal and informal sectors. The situation is urgent and people are desperate for work opportunities. Our message to the market is to be cautious amid this sense of urgency and adopt a vigilant approach to the recruitment process,” explains Ina van der Merwe, CEO at MIE.
Coupled with this message is the warning from MIE to employers to be cautious about any documentation from candidates.
The fact is that in a market with high unemployment and fewer opportunities, people will do their utmost to secure positions - and even resort to fraud to bypass security checks.
Screening plays a very important role in being able to employ people who are honest and committed.
“In an ideal world, applicants would not attempt to manipulate the process and would be entirely honest with their information and all relevant details. There would be no need to resort to fraud. Unfortunately, the reality is we have a discrepancy between the number of available positions and the number of applicants. Competition is such that people will do whatever they can to gain advantage,” van der Merwe adds.
www.mie.co.za
This article was originally posted on Africa ICT & Telecom Network
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