Inspiring Grads: Humanities 1

Geraldine Kwenda

Job history

2019–Present Human Resources Manager SouthSouthNorth

2016–2018 HR and Training Manager Shout-It-Now

2014–2015 Recruitment Consultant Hire Resolve

2011–2013 Business Development Consultant Tourism Enterprise Partnership

2010–2011 Administrator Braxton Consulting

Academic history

2020–2021 MPhil specialising in Programme Evaluation University of Cape Town

2017 Certificate in Practical Labour Law (short course) GetSmarter via University of Cape Town

2009 BSocSc Honours specialising in Organisational Psychology University of Cape Town

2006–2008 BSocSc in Labour, Organisational Psychology and Human Resource Management University of Cape Town

What do you do?

I am the Human Resources (HR) Manager at SouthSouthNorth (SSN), an organisation which focuses on addressing climate change issues worldwide. My day-to-day work includes developing and implementing organisational policies; overseeing employee performance management; managing and negotiating remuneration; and providing technical HR advice. I’m also responsible for recruitment, role changes and selection within SSN.

My favourite part of my job is making people’s working lives better, even in the smallest way, and the variety of complex work that comes my way.

How have your degrees helped you to get where you are?

My qualifications have given me the scientific foundation to understand how individuals and organisations work, and what drives them to perform effectively. They have also aided in my decision-making and solidified my ethics, allowing me to improve workplace environments and productivity,

What has been a highlight of your career?

In both my HR management roles I have managed to set up all HR processes and systems within the organisations. Prior to me joining, neither of them had a dedicated HR hub. Seeing the systems I have set up (recruitment and selection; performance reviews/management; salary grading; internship programmes; internal policies, etc.) working and making people's work lives easier has been rewarding and a great achievement.

What advice would you give to graduates starting out in HR?

Don’t look down on entry level positions you get within HR. When you work in HR, people are your business, therefore getting exposure to a variety of roles and organisations and their cultures will help develop your skill set. It can be a tough market, but HR is a broad field, so you can explore opportunities and gain exposure in different areas within HR, like Recruitment and Selection, Learning and Development, HRIS, Industrial relations, etc.

How did you juggle working full-time with your studies?

Working full time, while having to submit assignments, develop a proposal and write a thesis, was very tough. However, because of the lockdown, there was nowhere to go and we ended up working from home, which meant less time on the road or seeing people, so I made use of all my non-working hours to study. But it took a conscious effort.

How do you see your industry evolving in the near future?

I think HR positions have been evolving from the traditional transactional/administrative role to a more strategic business partner role.

This has been highlighted by the pandemic, as businesses have had to transform their work practises, for example implementing remote working, which required HR professionals to develop innovative ways of evaluating and improving performance.

Organisations are also utilising big data and artificial intelligence (AI) trends to analyse People Analytics, forcing HR departments to rethink the skills and competencies that the workforce requires to remain efficient and competitive.

COURSE recommendations

I would recommend doing a Practical Labour Law and Basic Labour Relations course. As an HR professional in SA, it is imperative that you know the practical aspects of labour law. Having this technical knowledge also gives you an advantage. Also look at courses that help people challenge and navigate today’s workplaces – these include ones that focus on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Strategic HRM and Business Partnering.