City launches online recruitment system

Ethekwini Municipality’s online recruitment system e-Careers goes live on Friday, 23 August.

Speaking at a media briefing at the Docklands Hotel, Speaker of eThekwini Councillor Logie Naidoo said the staff complement at eThekwini is what sets the municipality apart from other metros. He said the new recruitment system, e-Careers was part of a succession plan to attract new and skilled people. “This system is web-based which means that people from all over the world can access it. It brings applicants with talent and skills to us and ensures we get the best people for the job.”

Naidoo said the city had signed Memorandum Of Understandings with certain tertiary institutions to ensure that students were given practical experience at local government level. “We need the engineers, town planners and technical skills. We need sufficient skills to provide services to the community.”

E-Careers has been modified to suit the municipality’s needs on the system called Resource Link, purchased a few years ago. Head of Human Resources, Dave Cloete said the city had, with the help of its IT team as well as the experise of its Human Resources division, configured the system to develop e-Careers.

Cloete explained the manual process. “We would get inundated with applications and candidates wouldn’t know if their applications reached us because we cannot send an acknowledgment to every applicant. With this system, every applicant who successfully submits an application receives an email to acknowledge receipt. The system will then produce a summarised version of the applications, which we will shortlist and thereafter the interview process occurs. We are very excited to launch this system.”

Deputy City Manager of Corporate and Human Resources cluster, Ms Dumisile Nene, shared Cloete’s sentiments. “We have made this fundamental shift to online recruitment. A great city deserves great talent.”

Advantages of the system include reduction of travel and printing costs, paperless applications, applying for multiple vacancies as well as peace of mind that the job application has been received. Job seekers can access the system via www.durban.gov.za, at their nearest Sizakala Centre or Municipal Library, and need only register once, obtain a username and password and start applying.

For more informationvisit the Municipal website, Facebook Page or connect via Twitter.