Devan Moonsamy 

When a post becomes available in any organisation the first point of call would be the head of that department embarking on a hunt to find a replacement for the team. This results in job adverts being circulates, HR being roped in for the search and even looking internally to promote an existing staff member to a new position. 

But what if there was one decision, we could make that will ensure better diversity of applicants to fill that position in the organisation?

The Journal of Applied Psychology published a new study that found that if a woman and/or a person of colour heads a committee, it can have a huge positive impact on the diversity of applicants. 

Studies have found that applicants who find that the head hunter is a female then females are more likely to apply to the position if the head hunter is a male. 

At the same time, applicants of colour are also more likely to apply when other people of colour are actively recruiting. 

The same must be done to encourage employment of staff with disabilities. One of the ways we can try and create more diversity at work is by having a variety of people to have an opportunity at career growth. 

While job places have evolved, we do find that job postings need to evolve as well. As much as workplaces have realized the need to prioritise diversity in their teams the way these firms go about looking for talent should be re-evaluated. 

Companies need hire a diverse workforce to attract more people of colour, woman, LGBQT+ workers as well as people with disabilities. 

As an organisation we might be ready to welcome staff from all walks of life however the job description could be one of the reasons why we are not getting in a variety of applicants. 

When we start the head-hunting process a few changes could result in more diversity in our applicants. 

• Pay careful attention to the words you use. The way a job description is worded leads to the kind of candidates that apply. Try not to use words like able bodied. This is outdated. This is a huge way to exclude people with disabilities. Words like ‘recently qualified’ also makes the applicant assume that you are favourable to younger employees. The descriptions of a job are the issue most times as this could lead to an applicant meeting most criteria’s but feels inadequate based on a few highlighted points. 

• Rethink the listings when it comes to qualifications. Minimum requirements might isolate candidates who have the experience for a job but due to low-income backgrounds were not able to go to university. Skills and experience can be achieved outside university and we might miss out on the opportunity to employ talented individuals. 

• Be open and upfront about the organisation wanting diversity. If your organisation wants to hire a diverse workforce be open about it. It is beneficial to you to be clear about wanting a wealth of backgrounds and ethnicity. 

• Allow your advert to reach a wider audience. Making sure that your job listing reaches a wider audience will create a wider group of candidates who apply. 

The reality is putting in more effort to make the organisation more inclusive promotes a diverse working culture. But it should not only apply when finding new employees. This should also be applied to existing staff as well. Diversity is not about only attracting more people but also creating a diverse workplace that allows for talent to thrive. 

Devan Moonsamy is the CEO of ICHAF Training Institute, a South African TVET College. He is the author of Racism, Classism, Sexism, And The Other ISMs That Divide Us, AND My Leadership Legacy Journal available from the ICHAF Training Institute. 

The ICHAF Training Institute offers SETA-approved training in business skills, computer use, and soft skills. Devan specialises in conflict and diversity management, and regularly conducts seminars on these issues for corporates. To book a seminar with Devan or for other training courses, please use the contact details below.

Tel: 011 262 2461 | 083 303 9159 |

Email: admin@ichaftraining.co.za devan@ichaftraining.co.za | 

Website: www.ichaftraining.co.za |  www.devan-moonsamy.com

Devan Moonsamy

In the office environment we are no strangers to doing hard work and not having it noticed. It is perhaps one of the biggest lessons we learn as we navigate through our careers. Doing the hard work is not enough we have to make sure that management knows about it too.

Maybe bragging about it is not your style and you worry that it might come across as conceited behaviour. But the fact is that the only way we can move forward in our career is by actually being visible. We can’t hide in the shadows anymore and allow others to take credit for our hard work.

The new office operative of working from home has also put immense pressure on making sure that the hard work that you put in is recognised. Working from home has become the most convenient and popular work from. This puts pressure on those who are working from home to ensure their hard work shows.   

We need to move away from the thinking that hard work speaks for itself. Unfortunately, office culture is such that hard work does not speak for itself.

The individual doing the hard work needs to speak out for him or herself. If you find that your hard work is always shadowed and you are never recognised for it then perhaps it is time for a new approach.

Here are a few ways you can try and get recognised for your hard work.

• Share your accomplishments with others. This will bring up the much-needed discussion around your hard work. You won’t be bragging but rather sharing your accomplishment which will show how you have made progress.

• Credit others for their work and this will bring up the conversation of recognition for you. One way to get your work noticed is to acknowledge the work of others too. Sharing feedback will get a positive team culture going and it can get your team members to start hyping each other up. This can even get your team mates to give credit back to you.

• Always keep your boss updated on your progress. You don’t need to be kissing up to management for brownie points but rather ensure you keep them in the loop of you progress. This way when there are meetings you can feel assured that your productivity will be commended.

• Take on new challenges. Another way to get recognised is to take on more tasks that are challenging. Your team will not only be impressed but feel motivated to try and work just as hard. This will also get management talking about how you are always going above and beyond.

At the same time management must remember that when staff are not recognised for their hard work, they can be left feeling demotivated and despondent. If as management you feel the need to shake things up and encourage more hard work then create incentives and reward staff for their efforts.

Try to have monthly sessions were staff members who are straight up go getters are recognised for their effort and role in enhancing the workforce. The time has come to change office culture from an environment that just wants deadlines met to an office that value hard work.

Devan Moonsamy is the CEO of ICHAF Training Institute, a South African TVET
College. He is the author of Racism, Classism, Sexism, And The Other ISMs That
Divide Us, AND My Leadership Legacy Journal available from the ICHAF Training
Institute.
The ICHAF Training Institute offers SETA-approved training in business skills,
computer use, and soft skills. Devan specialises in conflict and diversity
management, and regularly conducts seminars on these issues for corporates. To
book a seminar with Devan or for other training courses, please use the contact
details below.
Tel: 011 262 2461 | 083 303 9159 |
Email: admin@ichaftraining.co.za devan@ichaftraining.co.za |
Website: www.ichaftraining.co.za | www.devan-moonsamy.co.za

Devan Moonsamy 

It has happened. The dreaded 3^rd wave is upon us and it is killing our loved ones. The new strain is spreading like wild fire in Gauteng. A number of businesses have been forced to operate at capacity as more and more people are needing to isolate. 

As we struggle to recover from the blow of the severe lockdown of 2020, the new found strain is threatening further restrictions putting even more concern on the business sector. As much the argument is people safety, it is also ensuring people have a livelihood to come back to.

At this point companies should have some sort of Covid-19 policy or protocol that staff need to follow. This should not be limited to just sanitizing and wearing a mask.  This should extend to more discussion around what steps should eb followed if one tests positive or if a family member tests positive. 

If you have not implemented a policy yet you should do so as soon as possible. Here is a guideline on what to include: 

• Your companies Covid-19 policy should include a guideline on what to do if anyone tests positive in the office. The process of getting tested is daunting enough and now having to inform the office and deal with the stigma might be intimidating. Perhaps you could have a Covid-19 task team that will notify the rest of the office should someone test positive. This can be part of HR but not limited to them. By having this set up will allow better control of information when someone tests positive. If someone tests positive and informs the team in charge of handling this process then they can notify the individuals that need to perform an office cleanse. 

• Once this is done, people who have symptoms should not come to work even after the office space is ready for work. Work from home options should be made available. If the office can accommodate people working with significant social distancing, then this can be done. However, the wearing of masks and PPE must be upheld at all costs. 

• We know that it is flu season and this means that Covid-19 and flu symptoms are similar. By asking individuals with the flu to not attend work will also ensure that the flu will not spread at the office. But this also needs to be monitored. We don’t want a case were staff members who are not sick taking advantage of the situation and failing to report to work. 

• Taking of people’s temperatures, sanitizing and even asking them to wear a mask is not enough anymore. We need to ask people to inform us of their activities. If someone is attending a gathering, they should let us know. If they have had a death in the family and they need to attend we should be notified. Be it a family member testing positive or coming in contact with someone who tests positive, we need to have engagement with staff on their whereabouts. This is not to violate their privacy but it is to have a record of who could be at risk of potentially getting the virus. 

• As much as we are at risk of getting the virus the looming fearing of getting the virus has a severe impact on our mental health. In order to assist our staff perhaps include a service to allow them to speak to qualified professionals about their mental health. Working from home and in isolation is not something they are used to, by having a discussion around their mental health wellbeing they could get the boost in confidence and perform better. 

We don’t know when we will be rid of this deadly virus. Implementing a policy will give a guideline to staff on how to operate in the business despite having uncertainty around the virus. Having a task team allows staff to ask questions and be familiar with how to function at the office or at home while dealing with the 3^rd wave.

Devan Moonsamy runs the ICHAF Training Institute, and he is the author of Racism, Classism, Sexism, And The Other ISMs That Divide Us, AND My Leadership Legacy Journal available from the ICHAF Training Institute.

ICHAF offers SETA-approved training in business skills, computer use, and soft skills. Devan specialises in conflict and diversity management, and regularly conducts seminars on these issues for corporates. To book a seminar with Devan or for other training courses, please use the contact details below.

Tel: 011 262 2461 | 083 303 9159 | Email: devan@ichaftraining.co.za |

Website: www.ichaftraining.co.za  |  www.devan-moonsamy.com

Devan Moonsamy 

Do you find that your employees are not as enthusiastic about their work as they should be? Is the company vehicle found in a poor condition after it has been used? Are your employees hating their uniforms? If you mentally ticked yes to the questions then you might have a serious attitude problem with your team. 

Employees might have low morale at work when they don’t feel valued and encouraged. This would result in the neglect of responsibilities at work as well as work resources. As an employer you might struggle with trying to get the team spirit up, unfortunately the change in behaviour and attitude must come from the employee. 

This means they would need to motivated to accept their roles, responsibilities and be encouraged to accept that they are representatives of their company. When we go to a franchise to buy an item and we are unhappy with the service we receive, we will not remember the name of the person but rather we will say I had bad service at this place. 

It is for this reason that we must remind employees that they are infact the brand outside work. We can’t have staff members using company branded vehicles driving recklessly on the roads. Again, other drivers will see the branding on the car and blame the company not the employee. 

In order for us to raise more awareness on brand wellness we have to enlist our employees as brand ambassadors. 

What is a brand ambassador? 

A brand ambassador is a representative or influencer of a company or brand. Sometimes they are enlisted to represent products of the company and to create and maintain the identity of a particular brand. 

A brand ambassador doesn’t always have to be someone that is employed specifically for these needs. They are also our staff members who are driving our branded vehicles, wearing our uniforms and representing our companies in the corporate world. 

What makes a good brand ambassador? 

• A brand ambassador is a representative that is passionate about what they do. They believe in the work they are sharing and will put their heart in it in order to make people more aware of what they have to offer. 

• They are trustworthy and honest. They will not sell or promote something they don’t believe in. likewise at work only practise being honest because clients want to work with transparent companies. This way they know who they are dealing with. 

• Reman professional and dignified at all times. We can’t believe in a brand if we see their employees getting into bar fights and slandering on social media. As much as someone’s personal life should not matter at work, we must remember that it plays a role in your work life when you wear a uniform or drive the branded vehicle in your personal capacity. 

• Being an employee means adhering to the code of conduct as well as other company policies. When you take on the identity of a brand ambassador you now have to live by this and preach this as it is the only way to get others on the train of motivation. 

In a time when most companies are closing their doors, reducing staff hours and salaries, taking away privileges and limiting the use of company resources we should be thankful we have a job to hold onto. 

That being said avoid abusing the privileges you have at work. If you are driving a company branded vehicle, try not to drive recklessly or push people of the road. Always remember when you are wearing your uniform you represent your brand. Avoid going to places where your companies’ values and morals might be questioned. 

Employees require training to remind them of the spark that they felt when they joined a specific team. Perhaps now is the time to book your Brand Ambassador training with the ICHAF training institute to boost the staff morale. 

Devan Moonsamy is the CEO of ICHAF Training Institute, a South African TVET College. He is the author of Racism, Classism, Sexism, And The Other ISMs That Divide Us, AND My Leadership Legacy Journal available from the ICHAF Training Institute. 

The ICHAF Training Institute offers SETA-approved training in business skills, computer use, and soft skills. Devan specialises in conflict and diversity management, and regularly conducts seminars on these issues for corporates. To book a seminar with Devan or for other training courses, please use the contact details below.

Tel: 011 262 2461 | 083 303 9159 |

Email: admin@ichaftraining.co.za devan@ichaftraining.co.za | 

Website: www.ichaftraining.co.za |  www.devan-moonsamy.com

Devan Moonsamy 

The month of June is the time when we shine the light on our youth. We tend to discuss the challenges they face and look at how they should change to be equipped for their future. But this is hard to expect of them when for most everything is found on a silver platter. 

Whether it’s the latest piece of technology to the newest, chicest brand of clothing being at the top of the game is a priority. One might wonder where does the money come for this? 

In most cases the age old “I didn’t have this or that growing up so I can’t let my child not have it” is to blame. Parents have become so consumed by not allowing their youth to experience the tough life that in the process we have created a generation of entitled young people. 

As much as we might disagree with these parents who believe in providing the best for their family we have to admit they have a point. It’s alright for them to want to give their loved ones the best. But perhaps look at the way in which it is given. How about creating incentives or rewards?

What happened to having our children do household chores and then having them earn some money for their effort. 

This piece is not aimed at teaching you how to parent but it is addressing the serious issue of entitlement we see in young people. Time and time again there is this laid back attitude that only grows into lack of interest which results in laziness. 

Are these how leaders are created? 

When the president introduced the R350 grant last year, majority of those collecting it were young people. Ofcourse we haven’t addressed the unemployment issue yet but that is a whole discussion that needs urgent addressing. But while we are on the topic what effort has been made by the unemployed youth to get a job? 

Back in the day, you would always find young people seeking employment during the holiday period. Now days we find a lot of our youth taking to social media becoming influencers. There isn’t anything wrong in using social media as a tool to gain experience but we shouldn’t feel this is the only sustainable career path available. 

From doing the many celebrity challenges to ridiculous dares, the online addiction of being the one with the most followers, the need to be relevant online is taking precious time away from us exploring our true calling. 

As we mark youth day this month perhaps, we need to shift our focus to what can be done to make youth feel more involved. 

We need to start a different conversation and look at how we can guide our young people to explore their potential. 

Perhaps we should explore why they feel this way? Maybe they have just accepted this life or maybe they don’t know how to remould the world they have inherited. For many their upbringing might have been the main drive to just accept what was handed. 

This youth month let us adopt the mentality of teach a man to fish instead of handing them to fish. This being said let us try and Include our youth in learnership programmes and encourage more involvement within broader career prospects. The sky is the limit the only way to eradicate the entitlement mentality is to create a world with opportunities and growth for our young people.

Devan Moonsamy is the CEO of ICHAF Training Institute, a South African TVET College. He is the author of Racism, Classism, Sexism, And The Other ISMs That Divide Us, AND My Leadership Legacy Journal available from the ICHAF Training Institute. 

The ICHAF Training Institute offers SETA-approved training in business skills, computer use, and soft skills. Devan specialises in conflict and diversity management, and regularly conducts seminars on these issues for corporates. To book a seminar with Devan or for other training courses, please use the contact details below.

Tel: 011 262 2461 | 083 303 9159 |

Email: admin@ichaftraining.co.za devan@ichaftraining.co.za | 

Website: www.ichaftraining.co.za |  www.devan-moonsamy.com