The JobCrystal Happiness Indicator

19 April 2010 – South African companies should not be resting on their laurels. According to the first JobCrystal Happiness Indicator, fewer than half of South African employees are currently happy in their job. Only 47% say they are “comfortable” or “happy” in their current position. The remainder are “miserable” or “frustrated”. One has to wonder how productive these miserable employees are in their roles. And, additional cause for concern for employers is that even these happy employees have listed their details on JobCrystal, the only interactive talent management portal in South Africa.

Taking a closer look at who the happy and unhappy candidates are: men and women fare almost equally, with 48% of men and 46% of women happy in their current position. From an ethnicity point of view, 55% of Asian and 54% of Black candidates are happy, with only 47% of Coloured candidates and 40% of White candidates happy.

In terms of job function, more than half the staff in accountancy, education, HR/training and research and development roles are happy. On the flipside, people in creative/design, legal/paralegal, manufacturing, retail/FMCG, sales/new business and transportation/logistics rank the lowest in terms of happiness.

“Employers need to be thinking very hard about how to recruit candidates, not only with the right skills and experience for the role, but with the best fit for their organization, resulting in happier, productive, retained and valuable employees,” said Kevin Laithwaite, Managing Director of JobCrystal. "Today, top candidates consider not only the role and salary on offer, but also the organisation's culture, ethos and values when selecting their next position."

JobCrystal compiles the Happiness Indicator from the data it collects when candidates enter their details on the talent management portal. One of the ways in which JobCrystal improves the recruitment process and success rate for companies is by using this and other data to make the best matches between candidates and vacancies.

JobCrystal focusses on candidates looking to earn R150,000 per year and more. It charges a flat fee per successful placement, with no upfront charges. Companies including Allan Gray, Protea Hotels, Santam and Foschini are using JobCrystal to source candidates.

About JobCrystal:

JobCrystal turns traditional hiring on its head by placing employers directly in touch with a pool of 75,000 passive jobseekers. The online service is highly automated and cleverly matches candidates with employers, making using the interactive talent management portal faster, cheaper and more effective than any other way of recruiting. Founded by Kevin Laithwaite and Karl Westvig and launched in August 2009, JobCrystal is already being used by companies including Allan Gray, Santam, Foschini. Mr Price, Protea Hotels and Standard Bank.

For more information please visit: www.jobcrystal.co.za (for jobseekers) or www.jobcrystal.co.za/talent (for employers)

Released on behalf of JobCrystal by: Vanessa Clark Twokats Communications Ph: +27 82 335 1117 Email: Vanessa.clark@twokats.com Web: www.twokats.com