HR on the Brain

Show Notes In this episode of HR on the Brain, Sheree Comninellis, CEO of Brain eBox, interviews guest Dr. Shirley Zinn about how she has navigated her incredible career, and the tips she would give to HR professionals to develop their careers. Dr. Shirley Zinn hails from the Cape Flats in Cape Town, and started her career as a secondary school teacher of English, then moved to the University of the Western Cape where she lectured in Teacher Education. During the course of her career, she has held the roles of the Group Head of Human Resources at Woolworths Holdings Limited, the Head of Human Resources of Standard Bank, Head of HR at Nedbank, SARS, and Reckitt Benckiser (Africa & Middle East). She was also an Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria’s Department of Human Resource Management, and former Adjunct Professor at the University of Cape Town. She also served on the University of Cape Town Council and is the Past President for the Harvard Alumni Association, South Africa. She currently serves as an independent non-executive director on several JSE listed Boards (Sanlam, MTN-SA, SpurCorp, Spar Group) and she is also the Chairperson of the V&A Waterfront. In 2015, she wrote her autobiography, a best seller, entitled “Swimming Upstream” which focuses on her personal and professional journey. The episode begins with us learning more about Dr. Shirley Zinn’s motivation to finish matric, which was not something many young women in her area achieved, as well as the support she received from her family and teachers to pursue tertiary education. She shares her lessons she learnt from her family that she still carries with her today, and she speaks about the commitment she needed to have to complete her first degree. We learn more about her decision to study at Harvard University, and to stay on to pursue a Doctorate. This incredible achievement was also filled with life lessons, which she shares with us on the show. In particular, she speaks about what is possible if we apply our minds. Dr. Shirley Zinn then takes us on a journey through her employment search, and how she analysed a Training Manager opportunity – noticing that it required all of her skills set; just in the corporate space as opposed to an academic one. She then shares with us how her career progressed and how her learning and expertise developed with each new role that she took on. It was this process that led to her being perfectly positioned for her first Head of HR role. She also shares with us the loss of her son, Jamie, at seven years old and the impact this had on her personally, her family and her career. Though she may have been in the best of times in her career, it was also the worst of times. She provides inspirational advice and guidance for any listeners who may be going through a difficult time, and how you can support yourself to get through these dark times. She also speaks to us about her tips for HR professionals who want to progress their career into the Senior Management and Executive levels, what’s on her mind in the HR space and how she achieves work-life integration. This episode is deeply inspirational. By listening you will gain insight into how you have the power to take control of your career and life, and how you can access the courage you need grow your career whilst continuously learning on the job. It will also open your mind to what is possible for your career and you’ll gain some tips on how to make this happen. What you’ll learn in this episode: 3:54 Dr. Shirley Zinn’s family roots and the importance of education for her and her family 8:19 The motivation Dr. Shirley Zinn received from her teachers during her matric year 10:40 Dr. Shirley Zinn’s experience at UWC in the 1980s 12:07 Shirley’s first teaching roles and her experience 14:43 Shirley’s further studies, her later decision to apply at Harvard University and her time at Harvard University 22:34 Shirley’s first year at Harvard University,...

Show Notes In this episode of HR on the Brain, Sheree Comninellis, CEO of Brain eBox, shares her guidance on how you can leverage digital learning in 2024. Sheree is a proven specialist in the Education, Training and Development (ETD) space, with a 17+ year track record in Learning and Development. She has worked across industries with businesses both big and small, to help them build competent and engaged teams through the power of skills development. Sheree founded Brain eBox in 2015 and works as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), leading the Brain eBox team and focusing on business development. She is passionate about working with companies to create and deliver powerful workplace learning solutions that unlock performance and help their teams thrive. In this episode, Sheree shares her insights on how your company can leverage digital learning in 2024. She shares the concept of a ‘digital-first’ mindset, as well as three key strategies you can implement in the year ahead. For each, she provides you with an overview and gives you tips on how to think ‘digital-first’ for your 2024 planning. This is an informative episode for HR and Learning and Development Leaders who are currently strategizing for 2024. What you’ll learn in this episode: 1:35 What it means to think ‘digital-first’ about your training interventions. 2:06 How to investigate what training you do on repeat, and how digital learning can support this. 3:16 How to manage the pace of learning needs coming in from your business. 5:18 Consider future fit virtual learning spaces. 06:51 The key question to ask yourself whilst planning for 2024. Featured in the Show:

Show Notes In this episode of HR on the Brain, Sheree Comninellis, CEO of Brain eBox, interviews guest Janet Jobson who is the CEO of the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation on the topic of Ubuntu in the Workplace. Janet comes from a career in activism and in the development sector, both locally and globally. Most recently, Janet was the Deputy CEO (and Acting CEO for the period Feb 2021 to Feb 2022) at the DG Murray Trust (DGMT) – South Africa’s largest private foundation. At DGMT Janet worked to grow the organization as a public innovator aiming to build a South Africa where all people can fulfil their potential. In addition, Janet has held governance roles and worked in various capacities with a range of organizations such as Activate! Leadership, Amandla.mobi, Life Choices, Amnesty International South Africa, CIVICUS, and the South African Girl Child Alliance. Janet’s brings to her work a drive to build a more compassionate, connected, and just world, with the technical skills to build strategies to fulfil this vision. In the first section of this interview, we discuss Janet’s career journey. She shares about her first professional role after completing her Masters, as well as her journey growing into managerial roles, and ultimately the C-suite. Janet shares openly about her career highlights, challenges and learnings which provide insight into what we need to consider as professionals when developing within our careers. We also have an interesting discussion on Janet’s view of HR’s role in an organisation, from her perspective as a CEO. From there we moved on to the second section of the interview where we discuss the concept of ‘Ubuntu’ and its relevance in the workplace. She shares a profound concept that the workplace is the place where most people come into contact with a breadth of diversity, they may not come into contact with in their personal lives. With this in mind, the concept of ‘Ubuntu’ becomes even more relevant. We talk about the representation of queer women in the workplace, as well as how others from marginalised communities can feel that they belong if the spirit of Ubuntu is present in the organisation, even if they do not see the representation that they hope to have seen. Janet shares her tips on how HR and Business Leaders can build a culture of Ubuntu in their organisations. We end the interview with Janet sharing the exciting upcoming events for the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation as well as how she draws inspiration from the life and example of the Archbishop Desmond Tutu. This episode pulls back the curtain on how to develop your career, from Janet’s experience of building her career from an intern right through to the CEO of an organisation. These tips will help you as an HR professional set yourself apart and add value to your organisation which will only benefit your career. This episode also helps us, as HR professionals, to consider how we empower our leaders and teams to create positive workplace culture. Janet provides us with the concept of Ubuntu to help us frame our thinking around diversity, inclusion and belonging through this lens. And, she gives us tips on how to bring this culture to life within our organisations. What you’ll learn in this episode: 4:32 Janet’s early career journey, and her tips for developing a successful career 19:32 Janet’s key learnings from transitioning into a managerial roles and then her shift into the C-suite 28:34 The role of HR and Janet’s expectations of HR as a CEO 34:01 The definition of ‘Ubuntu’ and how it could add value to how teams interact at work 38:52 Queer women representation in the workplace 41:50 Tips on how to build a culture of Ubuntu in your organisation 47:49 The Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation’s upcoming events 49:14 What has inspired Janet about Archbishop Desmond Tutu and what we can learn from him Featured in the Show:

Show Notes In this episode of HR on the Brain, Sheree Comninellis, CEO of Brain eBox, interviews guest Noloyiso (Nolo) Tlali, the Mindful Return South Africa Chapter Co-Lead, about the topic of parental leave. Nolo is an avid consumer of knowledge, she holds legal and business management qualifications from the University of the Witwatersrand and Henley Business school. She is a legal professional, diversity coach & facilitator, consultant, a wife and a mom to a very active and determined little girl. Nolo has spent time working as part of diverse HR teams as such has a keen understanding of the realities of transitioning from parental leave from different viewpoints. In this episode we discuss the realities of being a working parent, from the experience of being a pregnant person in the workplace, right through to having your kids start going to school. We talk about how the experience of being a parent is different for everyone, and how as HR professionals we need to think of our roles beyond policy, and instead look at how can we support team members through their life cycle. We also talk about how you can equip managers to understand how to support and manage employees who are returning to work from parental leave. For HR professionals, this episode is filled with golden nuggets which will help you think differently about parental leave. Yes, it’s important to get the basics right, but you can do so much more! Nolo provides numerous incredible insights and ideas to help you think creatively about how you can step up your thinking as an HR professional and encourage your company to better support working parents. What you’ll learn in this episode: 2:28 Nolo introduces the organisation, Mindful Return. 5:31 Nolo’s experience and the experiences some mothers face when being pregnant at work, and how HR professionals can support people who are pregnant at work, and people who are parents. 13:23 Understand the transitional periods for parents when returning to work. 16:19 What your team members are going through when returning to work after parental leave, and how you as an HR professional can support them. 23:47 How HR professionals can partner with business to think creatively about how to support parents. 31:00 How can we equip leaders with tools to help them manage and support working parents, so that companies retain working parents. 37:35 The limitations traditional paternity leave places on fathers, and families; and how we can think more creatively and flexibly about this. 47:17 How to create with your teams, not for your teams for challenges you are trying to solve for in HR, and Noli’s tips for HR professionals. Featured in the Show: https://www.mindfulreturn.com/southafrica/Mindful Return South Africa (Noloyiso and Stormme)

Show Notes In this episode of HR on the Brain, Sheree Comninellis, CEO of Brain eBox, shares her insights on the How to make the most of your training budget, after budget cuts. Sheree is a proven specialist in the Education, Training and Development (ETD) space, with a 17+ year track record in Learning and Development. She has worked across industries with businesses both big and small, to help them build competent and engaged teams through the power of skills development. Sheree founded Brain eBox in 2015 and works as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), leading the Brain eBox team and focusing on business development. She is passionate about working with companies to create and deliver powerful workplace learning solutions that unlock performance and help their teams thrive. In this episode, Sheree shares her learnings from her years of experience managing training budgets during challenging economic times. She provides three key tips on how to strategically recalibrate your training budgets after budget cuts. For each tip, she provides examples which will help you to envision how you can apply this learning to your team. This is an informative episode for HR and Learning and Development Leaders who are facing budget cuts, and grappling with how to handle these changes. What you’ll learn in this episode: 1:56 The impact of tough economic times on training budgets. 3:00 How to remind top management on the skills needs of the future. 5:20 How to position a conversation with top management on your budget requirements. 6:30 How to consider what your team can bring in-house. 9:12 Some creative ideas for how to handle training requirements that you no longer have budget for, and that you are not able to do in-house. 12:08 Build assets that will give you ROI for years to come. 14:21 A word of encouragement to L&D and HR Leaders facing budget cuts. Featured in the Show:

Show Notes In this episode of HR on the Brain, Sheree Comninellis, CEO of Brain eBox, interviews guest Megan Galloway, Director of thoughtsmiths, where she is the Head of the Coach Training School about the topic of igniting thinking with coaching conversations. Megan is a scientist by training, and in a previous professional life was a diamond exploration geologist working both in the field and in the laboratory. She worked for De Beers as well as smaller exploration companies for nearly a decade. Megan developed an interest in organizational culture, workplace effectiveness and the impact of leadership while working in this environment. She went on to qualify as a coach, ran her own coaching practice, and is now co-owner of thoughtsmiths Pty Ltd where she is currently the Head of Coach Training School. Megan has been coaching for 12 years and training coaches for 8 years. Her style of coaching creates a stretching, insightful and productive experience and her specific areas of expertise include leadership and mindfulness. In this episode we discuss how Megan made the move from Science to Human Resources, and what sparked her initial interest in coaching. What follows is a thought-provoking discussion on the value of coaching for leaders and organisations, and how it enables leaders to ignite the thinking of their teams. We had an interesting discussion about whether there is a “right way to coach” as there are so many coaches and ideas of what coaching is out there. Megan distils for us some of the key components of a coaching style conversation to ignite thinking. For HR professionals, this episode is jam packed with great tips on how you can show your C-suite the return on investment of a proposed coaching intervention, as well as how to encourage team members to get involved in these interventions. We also talk about how you can go about creating a coaching culture in your organisation. You’ll find yourself wanting to get a pen and paper out to take notes as you listen – it’s that good! What you’ll learn in this episode: 4:43 How Megan got involved in HR & Learning and Development, given her BSc and diamond exploration background and then what sparked Megan’s interest in coaching. 15:12 How can coaching help leaders and organisations reach their goals? 19:18 The benefits of coaching to teams and their thinking. 21:00 How to create a business case for coaching to present to your C-suite? 27:10 How HR leaders can encourage team members to participate in coaching interventions. 35:00 Is there a right way to coach, or can any leader implement coaching conversations. 41:49 How we can use our language to create powerful thinking. 49:47 How HR leaders can build a coaching culture in their company, without bringing in a coaching programme. 58:20 Megan shares more about Thoughtsmiths and how your company can get involved. Featured in the Show: https://coachingfederation.org/coaching-in-organizations/create-impactful-coaching-culturehttps://coachingfederation.org/blog/roi-in-executive-coachingadmin@thoughtsmiths.commegan@thoughtsmiths.comwww.thoughtsmiths.com

Show Notes In this episode of HR on the Brain, Sheree Comninellis, CEO of Brain eBox, interviews guest Sebe Galawe-Rasebitse who is the HR Executive at Woolworths F B H about the topic of: Women Empowering Women. Sebe is an accomplished and experienced Human Resources Director with a strong track record of success across various industries. With over 25 years working experience, Sebe has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and a keen ability to plan, design, develop and evaluate human resource-related initiatives that align with strategic goals. Her expertise spans diverse areas, including divisional and organizational leadership, talent management, diversity and culture initiatives, change management and transformation processes. At the start of this episode, we learn more about Sebe’s career through her eyes, and the women who empowered her and guided her through all of the various roles in her career; from her first, entry-level roles, through her career growth stages to where she is today as an HR Executive. During the interview portion of this podcast, Sebe shares her views on how we, as women, can empower the women we work with. She provides valuable insights on how best to support your female colleagues in the workplace who may be experiencing challenges. She reminds us to remember that each person as a unique individual and that, as a result, empowerment may mean different things to different people. To truly empower our team members she shares that we need to gain an understanding of what they want, and then as leaders our role is to create the space, a work space, that is conducive to empowerment. We also discuss tips for parents and how we can start to model empowerment of women with our children from a young age. Sheree also shares how Sebe empowered her, in her corporate career, and how these lessons have stayed with her to this day. We end this incredible episode with a powerful parting thought from Sebe, who shares the importance of our role as HR professionals when it comes to the empowerment of women. This episode is a truly special one, not to be missed. We are releasing this episode in Women’s month in South Africa, when the topic of women empowering women is extremely relevant. If you’ve been wondering how best to empower the women in your team; or how to seek this empowerment for yourself, in your career, tune in to get some wonderful tips. What you’ll learn in this episode: 5:17 Sebe’s reflections on women who have empowered her throughout her life, from her youth to the present day. 32:11 The importance of empathy when empowering others, and whether this is a skill that can be developed. 34:53 How to best support female colleagues who are experiencing challenges in the workplace 37:00 The essence of empowerment and how it differs between individuals 38:20 How HR leaders can empower their team members 40:55 Our role in empowerment in creating spaces for people to thrive 41:22 Suggestions for parents when it comes to women empowerment 45:52 How Sebe empowered me in my career 49:18 The importance of humanity in our work and leadership 50:33 Sebe’s powerful message of our role as HR professionals, leaders, mothers and women Featured in the Show: sebe.rasebitse@gmail.com

Show Notes In this episode of HR on the Brain, Sheree Comninellis, CEO of Brain eBox, interviews guest Ruth Shogoe, who at the time of the interview was the Executive: Human Resources for Maskew Miller Learning, about her HR career and her guidance for HR leaders who are wanting to break into the Executive level. Since the interview Ruth has been appointed as Group Executive Corporate & Public Sector at Maskew Miller Learning. Ruth Shogoe has a wealth of experience, having been a trusted advisor for employees in the e-commerce, fintech, digital banking, media and education sectors for over 14 years. Starting her career in Human Resources seemed like a mismatch at first given her BCom Economics and Econometrics. However, she immediately recognised the opportunity presented to understand the most important asset of any organisation; the people. She loves her job and having a commercial mindset enables her to better partner with the business in solving for the day to day needs of all stakeholders strategically. In this episode, we learn more about Ruth’s career. From her initial plans to enter the Commerce world, which was redirected to her entering her first HR role in the tech space. From there she shares her first experiences of working in Human Capital; and then how she transitioned her career to the Executive Level. Ruth shares valuable insights into how HR leaders should think about their role strategically, and how position themselves in the business. This includes her tips on how to grow your career to the Executive level, how to find a mentor and how to address challenging situations which you may come across during your career. In this episode we also learn about a few of Ruth’s career highlights to date, as well as her vision for her future career prospects. Throughout this episode Ruth reminds us that as HR professionals we need to adjust our mindset. We need to realise the important role we play and do the work to make an impact in the lives of employees and for the business' desired outcomes. When we do this, as Ruth says, your contribution speaks for itself. This episode is for you if you an HR leader wanting to learn how to position yourself more strategically in your organisation and amplify your contribution. Ruth shares actionable tips that you can apply today to start planting the seeds that will enable you to reap the reward of a bountiful harvest in years to come. What you’ll learn in this episode: 5:53 How Ruth shifted from completing her Commerce qualification to entering the world of HR. 10:00 Ruth’s first experience in Human Capital. 12:30 How Ruth transitioned to the Executive level. 15:35 How HR leaders should position themselves in the business. 20:02 Ruth’s tips on how to grow to the Executive level in HR. 23:21 Suggestions on how to find a mentor. 25:51 Ruth’s career highlights to date. 32:32 How to address people challenges you notice as an HR Business Partner 39:32 Ruth’s intended future impact and contribution to the education industry Featured in the Show:

Show Notes In this episode of HR on the Brain, Sheree Comninellis, CEO of Brain eBox, shares her insights on how to prevent burnout at work. Sheree is a proven specialist in the Education, Training and Development (ETD) space, with a 17+ year track record in Learning and Development. She has worked across industries with businesses both big and small, to help them build competent and engaged teams through the power of skills development. Sheree founded Brain eBox in 2015 and works as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), leading the Brain eBox team and focusing on business development. She is passionate about working with companies to create and deliver powerful workplace learning solutions that unlock performance and help their teams thrive. In this episode, Sheree shares her insights on how leaders can support their teams to prevent burnout in the workplace. She begins by providing a definition of burnout, and unpacking its impact on team members. From there, she shares strategies that leaders can implement to prevent and manage burnout in their teams. Throughout the episode, she emphasises the important role of leaders and HR professionals. In the busy world of work we find ourselves in today, this episode addresses a common workplace issue that often goes unnoticed until it is too late. This episode is for any HR and Business Leaders who want to find out how they can notice when team members are starting to feel burnt out, and what they can do to support their teams effectively. What you’ll learn in this episode: 6:00 Definition of burnout 07:52 The impact of burnout on team members 09:00 How you as an HR professional can support leaders to notice when their team members are burnt out 10:19 Strategies to prevent burnout 16:23 The role of leaders & HR professionals in preventing burnout Featured in the Show:

Show Notes In this episode of HR on the Brain, Sheree Comninellis, CEO of Brain eBox, interviews guest Zani Mashinini, Divisional Head HR COE’s at the South African Reserve Bank, about her HR career and her guidance for HR leaders who are wanting to break into the Executive level. Zani Mashinini is a mentor, coach, speaker and HR Executive. She has over 22 years’ professional and commercial experience transforming workplaces, with experience in Talent Acquisition, Talent Development, Talent Planning/Succession Management, Employee Relations, Performance Management, Organisation Design including Change Management and Human Resources Information Management. She has partnered with business leaders at all levels both nationally and internationally. In this episode, we learn more about Zani’s career in HR – starting from her very first HR role to her first senior HR role in her late 20s, to her role today as the Head of COE’s for the South African Reserve Bank. Zani shares her advice on how to fast track your HR career and break into the elusive Executive level. This includes her tips for building your brand in the workplace, networking professionally and leading HR teams. She also shares her knowledge on the power of analytics in HR, and how you can get started with HR analytics if it is a space that is new to you. We also learn about Zani’s current interests in the HR space. Acknowledging the disrupted workplace we find ourselves in today, Zani poses thoughtful questions on the challenges facing HR professionals and industry; and invites us on a journey to find solutions to these. This episode is for you if you an HR leader wanting to learn more about how to position yourself in your career so that you can break into the Executive level. Zani shares valuable tips that you can apply immediately to start building your brand and prepare yourself for your next promotion. What you’ll learn in this episode: 2:33 How Zani started her HR career 08:15 Zani’s first senior HR role in her late 20s, and one of her key projects 12:23 Zani’s advice for breaking into the Executive Level, and fast track your career 16:05 Tips for networking professionally 21:50 How to get started with HR analytics 24:15 Tips for leading an HR team 31:46 Zani’s interests in the disrupted HR space Featured in the Show:

Show Notes In this episode of HR on the Brain, Sheree Comninellis, CEO of Brain eBox, shares her insights on the 7 critical success factors for taking your training online successfully. Sheree is a proven specialist in the Education, Training and Development (ETD) space, with a 17+ year track record in Learning and Development. She has worked across industries with businesses both big and small, to help them build competent and engaged teams through the power of skills development. Sheree founded Brain eBox in 2015 and works as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), leading the Brain eBox team and focusing on business development. She is passionate about working with companies to create and deliver powerful workplace learning solutions that unlock performance and help their teams thrive. In this episode, Sheree shares her learnings from her years of experience with supporting clients to take their training online successfully. She provides a detailed overview of how to approach the final four critical success factors. For each, she shares mistakes that HR leaders often make, and how to avoid these using her top tips. This is an informative episode for HR teams who are considering taking their training online, or who have taken their training online but are not quite happy with the outcomes achieved just yet. It is jam packed with tips to support you on your digital learning journey. What you’ll learn in this episode: 1:34 Overview of the final four critical success factors 2:28 The mistake HR leaders make when selecting which technologies they make use of, and ways to overcome this. 6:11 The best strategy for digitalising your internal training programmes. 8:19 All of the costs that may be associated with digital learning initiatives. 09:15 How to show the value of an investment in digital learning to your Leadership Team. 11:40 What the hardest part of the digital learning journey is, and how it is often overlooked by HR leaders. 12:55 A useful strategy for rolling out digital learning into your company. 15:19 Where to start after listening to this episode. Featured in the Show: sheree@thebrainebox.com

Show Notes In this episode of HR on the Brain, Sheree Comninellis, CEO of Brain eBox, interviews guest Celeste Stewart, Owner and Founder of Bold Curiosity about ‘The Power of Curiosity’. Celeste Stewart is the Founder and Owner of Bold Curiosity. Celeste has more than 20 years working experience in both the corporate and consulting industries. Celeste helps clients articulate their strategy, design learning frameworks and interventions, facilitates and is a mentor and motivational speaker. As a learning strategist at heart, she is always looking for ways to ensure learners remain engaged, curious and excited to learn. In this episode, Celeste takes us on a journey to understand what curiosity is and the role it plays in the workplace. She shares what the role of leaders is when it comes to activating curiosity in their teams and how they can go about doing so. She provides tips for anyone who may be in an environment that is not supportive of curiosity, and gives advice for HR leaders on how to evaluate leadership development initiatives. We also learn about Celeste’s personal journey – from how she was initially exposed to Learning and Development, to how she started her business, and the exciting work that she is currently involved in. You’ll enjoy listening to Celeste’s refreshing perspectives on learning and life, and how she has made meaning of her journey. This episode is for you if you are a Learning Designer or HR Leader. It is jam packed with incredible insights and questions that you can apply to your work to amplify the value you provide to your workplace. If you’re a leader of a team, this episode will support you with unlocking the natural curiosity of your team members to better enable you to solve problems. What you’ll learn in this episode: 6:35 The significance of authenticity and representation. 9:57 Learning differences, and the importance of learning design in this process. 11:54 Questions learning designers can ask themselves about the learning process. 26:25 The role of leaders when it comes to ‘curiosity’. 32:20 How to activate ‘curiosity’. 33:52 Why should leaders place importance on ‘curiosity’ in their work. 38:51 Tips to stay curious in work environments that don’t encourage this. 49:04 Advice for HR leaders when they are evaluating leadership development interventions. Featured in the Show: www.boldcuriosity.comceleste@boldcuriosity.com

Show Notes In this episode of HR on the Brain, Sheree Comninellis, CEO of Brain eBox, interviews guest Sasha Knott, CEO of Job Crystal about AI in recruitment. Sasha Knott is the CEO of Job Crystal. She started her career in IT, and moved quickly in her career finding her passion for entrepreneurship and combining this with technology that works for the customer and often disrupts industries. Her mission with Job Crystal is to make job seekers lives easier while helping SME’s find talent fast and effortlessly! With Job Crystal’s new system called Crystal which combines RecTech, AI, machine learning and UX functionality - it makes it easy to find the needle in the haystack for SME’s looking for talent. The vision is to #make a dent in unemployment (watch this space)! In this episode, Sasha shares the challenge that Job Crystal seeks to solve for employers and job seekers, and how this is achieved using AI. Sasha also shares with us what AI is, as well as its benefits and limitations. We also learn about how Sasha got involved with the Kay Mason Foundation, as well as learn more about the organisation. This episode is for you if you have been wondering how you can make your recruitment process easier, using the power of AI. It will also be of interest to you if you have been wondering about what AI is and how it works. What you’ll learn in this episode: 5:59 What motivated Sasha to disrupt the recruitment space 8:09 The evolution of Job Crystal’s mission 13:00 What is AI? What are the benefits? 27:09 The limitations of AI 29:41 What’s next for Job Crystal 32:00 Sasha’s involvement with the Kay Mason Foundation 37:57 Tips for HR professionals who are considering using AI in their recruitment Featured in the Show: sasha@jobcrystal.co.za

In this episode of HR on the Brain, Sheree Comninellis, CEO of Brain eBox, takes us behind the scenes to learn more about Brain eBox, and to learn more about her story. Sheree is a proven specialist in the Education, Training and Development (ETD) space, with a 17+ year track record in Learning and Development. She has worked across industries with businesses both big and small, to help them build competent and engaged teams through the power of skills development. Sheree founded Brain eBox in 2015 and works as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), leading the Brain eBox team and focusing on business development. She is passionate about working with companies to create and deliver powerful workplace learning solutions that unlock performance and help their teams thrive. In this episode, Sheree shares the core purpose that drives Brain eBox’s work, as well as what makes the company unique. She takes us back to 2015 to share Brain eBox’s origin story, and how their work has evolved since then and what’s next for the company. Sheree also shares more about her home life and special interests. This episode is for you if you have been curious to learn more about Brain eBox and Sheree Comninellis. When you listen, you’ll be taken on a lovely behind the scenes tour that will give you the special details you have been interested in hearing about. What you’ll learn in this episode: 1:50 Brain eBox’s mission and service offering. 2:25 Why we do what we do at Brain eBox. 4:22 Brain eBox’s origin story, and work to date. 7:10 What’s next for Brain eBox? 10:42 Sheree Comninellis’ home life and special interests Featured in the Show:

In this episode of HR on the Brain, Sheree Comninellis, CEO of Brain eBox, shares her insights on the 7 critical success factors for taking your training online successfully. Sheree is a proven specialist in the Education, Training and Development (ETD) space, with a 17+ year track record in Learning and Development. She has worked across industries with businesses both big and small, to help them build competent and engaged teams through the power of skills development. Sheree founded Brain eBox in 2015 and works as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), leading the Brain eBox team and focusing on business development. She is passionate about working with companies to create and deliver powerful workplace learning solutions that unlock performance and help their teams thrive. In this episode, Sheree shares her learnings from her years of experience with supporting clients to take their training online successfully. She provides a detailed overview of how to approach the first three critical success factors. For each, she shares mistakes that HR leaders often make, and how to avoid these using her top tips. This is an informative episode for HR teams who are considering taking their training online, or who have taken their training online but are not quite happy with the outcomes achieved just yet. It is jam packed with tips to support you on your digital learning journey. What you’ll learn in this episode: 3:30 The 7 critical success factors for taking your training online successfully. 4:08 How to approach developing a digital learning strategy. 9:00 The mistake HR leaders often make when getting leadership buy-in for digital learning, and how to avoid this. 12:00 Why your internal champion for digital learning should not sit in your HR team. 13:45 Setting up a Project Board for digital learning Featured in the Show:

Show Notes In this episode of HR on the Brain, Sheree Comninellis, CEO of Brain eBox, speaks with Jen van Heerden, Owner and Director of Meraki Collective about Graduate Development. Optimist by nature, curious problem solver, relentless creative, Jen has over 14 years’ worth of experience working with young adults in corporates, NGO’s, universities and in government. During those years, Jen gained exposure to the lives of young adults and has an excellent all-round view of the learning needs and realities of the South African youth. Jen founded Meraki Collective, a values-driven human capital consultancy, which supports its clients with a full suite of HR services including strategic consulting, programme development, facilitation and coaching. Knowing that South African youth are ever evolving, Jen noticed that corporates were not igniting the full potential of youth in the workplace. Meraki Collective tackles this gap by looking at the learner as a social being with real life experiences. In this episode, Jen shares her experience regarding best practices for Graduate Development programmes and her insights into what graduates need to succeed in the workplace. She also shares the questions HR teams need to consider if they are thinking about hiring graduates. This is a must-listen to conversation for any HR professional hiring graduates or developing a Graduate Development programme. What you’ll learn in this episode: 2:58 Best practices for putting a Grad Programme together 8:38 The importance of the Line Manager in the success of the graduate in the workplace 12:55 What do graduates want from the companies they work for 20:22 Tips for HR teams wanting to set-up a Grad Programme 22:50 What is exciting Jen in the Grad Development space right now Featured in the Show: jen@merakicollective.co.za

In this debut episode of HR on the Brain, Sheree Comninellis, CEO: Brain eBox, speaks with Jo Blake, Group Talent Acquisition Lead at Absa Group Limited about her career journey from her very first HR role to where she finds herself today, as an HR Executive. With almost two decades of experience in the HR field, Jo has also earned her Honours Degree in Psychology at Stellenbosch University and achieved a Masters Degree in Psychology at UKZN, all while juggling a successful modelling career! Being a seasoned head hunter, negotiator, and talent match maker, Jo’s dedication, drive and experience has pushed her beyond imagination. Originally Jo pursued her dream of becoming a therapist, but things quickly changed once Jo became exposed to the Marketing & PR field. She was encouraged to pursue a role in recruitment – this marked a turning point for her career. One of her first placements happened to be a graduate who found a home in corporate. Seeing the positive impact she had on him and his family, had a profound impact on Jo, and her love for HR was born. Since then she has enjoyed a full career with experience both in working in recruitment agencies, and working internally as a Talent Acquisition consultant. At present, Jo is the Group Talent Acquisition Lead at Absa Group Limited – a role that is “made for her” – as it blends her expertise in Talent Acquisition, Employer & Personal Branding and Senior Leadership. In this episode, Jo shares with us about her career journey starting from her first role in HR, right through to her first senior role and beyond. She shares her insights into how to partner with a sponsor to guide your career and how to showcase your contribution so that you can move to the next level. She also tells us about her role at Absa and the next-level strategies that she is exploring and implementing, with her team, to build Absa’s Employer Brand. What you’ll learn from this episode: Connect with us: