SOUTH Africans are loathe to make career changes during the economic downturn.

SOUTH Africans are loathe to make career changes during the economic downturn.

And, says Madge Gibson of Executive Headhunters, caution is at an all-time high in the recruitment sector as a whole.

"Similarly, companies are delaying their selection processes and are displaying tremendous caution in their hiring procedures and decisions."

She said both "candidate caution" and "employer procrastination" were at an all-time high.

She said this was bad for business since "people are the most important factors in successful businesses".

Gibson said companies seemed to be taking an inordinate length of time to finalise selections, despite the need to fill vacancies.

"The consequences of these are that companies will find their growth hampered through lack of skill, human resources and facilities when market conditions steady."

Gibson said even with the correct procedures in place it sometimes took weeks for companies to arrange interviews due to conflicting calendar availability and not enough priority being placed on hiring external skills.

She said disorganised, laborious and outdated recruitment processes had a negative effect on a corporate brand, leading to "frustration and demotivation of staff". - Sapa