Introducing our new partner People Power Placements
What motivated you to start your company?
Tell us more about you as the founder of People Power Placements.
Operating since 1990, Auguste (Gusti) Coetzer is the doyenne of executive search in the Sub-Saharan Africa recruitment industry and is the founder and CEO of People Power Placements SA (Pty) Ltd, trading as Auguste Coetzer Executive Recruitment.
Before this, Gusti was an academic and held executive human resources positions in the motor and retail industries and the Chamber of Mines.
Over the years, she has gained credibility as a head-hunter in the executive search industry in terms of delivery, cross-cultural sensitivity and being a top biller. She is a generalist executing largely Executive level (C-suite), Non-Executive Directors and specialised skills searches. She has demonstrated an ability to work for clients in various industries such as banking and insurance, energy, fast-moving consumer goods, industrial, mining, telecommunications, agriculture and parastatals.
Furthermore, Gusti has an established client track record with Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) companies and has gained recognition in recruiting executives from different ethnicities. She has also executed numerous cross-border assignments for different locations in Sub-Saharan Africa such as Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda. She has an in-depth knowledge of conducting business in Africa.
Gusti holds a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology and a Post Graduate Diploma (cum laude) in Industrial Relations from the University of South Africa. She is registered with the Health Profession's Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and a member of the International Women's Forum (IWFSA) . She speaks English, Afrikaans and her Xhosa is fair.
When she is not in the office, her interests include an appreciation of classical music and spending time in nature. She's an enthusiastic cook and collects cookbooks of different countries, cultures and regions and keeps her wine cellar well catalogued.
What are the biggest learnings from your career?
Your best candidate can "bomb out" during panel shortlist interviews to the extent that you wonder why you selected this candidate for the shortlist in the first place. Whilst the docile one can surprise you most during this crucial shortlist interview sparkling like a well-cut diamond!
What is your company's USP for clients and candidates?
In South Africa, cross-cultural sensitivity is paramount. There are eleven official languages and economically diverse challenges such as sadly from the poorest to the super-rich. You should never exclude those that did not attend prestigious schools or universities. Often, these "disadvantaged" candidates are the needle in the haystack and are determined to succeed.
What is one thing you would recommend to companies that want to recruit talent?
For example - when a client has to choose between the final two shortlisted candidates and the one is somewhat below specification but displaying excellent relevant competencies for the position. The recommendation in this instance would be to choose this candidate over the other candidate who is slightly above specification. The risk is higher, but the long-term rewards will result in higher dividends.
You have spent your entire career in recruitment and executive search. What is your favourite thing about this industry?
The curveballs that clients and candidates can through at you in the most inopportune moments.
What are the most frequent intercultural problems? What's the biggest cultural misunderstanding that you've seen?
In the European and western orientations, for a man to open a door for a woman and let her walk out first, whilst in other local societies, it is gallant for a man to walk out the door first to face the "dangers" first and to protect the lady behind him.
What did you learn from working interculturally?
That there is no right or wrong. People are emotionally intelligent in different ways.
What is something that a foreign company would never guess about your country's labour market?
Gems in the labour market at all employment levels can come from any ethnicities in South Africa, regardless of colour or creed.
Why did you decide to join the Talentor network and what do you think is great about being part of an international network?
The like-minded entrepreneurial spirit of each company in the network.
What do you think is great about being part of an international network/the Talentor network?
The world becomes your global oyster.
What advice would you give your younger self or any young person when starting?
Businesses could be referred to you from the most unexpected source. Clients from all walks of life can entrust you with their recruitment needs. Candidates trust you as the head-hunter. You should remain open and honest about the future employer – warts and all! You're impacting your candidate drastically by changing their career path's direction. Is this the best for them? Or am I trying to squeeze an extra sardine into the tin?