My team and I attended the event for the first time and we were seriously amped to be involved  – with added excitement with Recruit Digital being one of the events category sponsors. It was great to see so many of our clients there on good form, and also to meet up with so many of the individuals within the digital scene that make it such a thriving community.

On the whole, I think the Bookmarks was a success, although it wasn’t problem free. The main purpose; to award achievement within digital was definitely achieved and for those within the industry that attended it was a good opportunity for knees up – the free bar allowing for plentiful overindulgence.

I thought Gareth Cliff was good, and when the AV failed to deliver he managed to hold everything together through his usual witty persona, but despite his efforts the lack of video to support the gold winners especially – was a big let down. Whilst I appreciate those who entered and judged have seen the work first hand, the rest of us had not. The lack of context or evidence to support those that won awards was a real shame – and with much of the emphasis being on the stringent judging of measurable results – having no behind the scenes insight was a big opportunity missed in my opinion.

The mash-lab stuff was fun, although again I’d have much rather that time and energy be focused on elaborating on the core focus, which is digital – perhaps an overview of the judging panel, or an example of the process maybe would have been nice. Sounds dull, but some creative thinking around how to deliver this, through video or even simple info-graphics would have been great. Hopefully the organising committee next time around can pull the tech together, offer some depth into the decisions and give the more neutral spectators in the room some real context to grip on to.

All in all we had a great time and are looking forward to next year. Meanwhile, we offer a huge congratulations to all those who won on the night and we encourage everyone involved, however big or small to continue to support the Bookmarks and compete for the top honours. The growth of the event in recent years is a great testament to the sector as a whole and the individuals who drive it forward.

In the Recruit Digital sponsored category there are 4 people up for the honor of Greatest individual contribution to SA digital – these being Fred Roed (WorldWideCreative), Yoav Tchelet (JWT), Jarred Cinman (Native) and Andre Rademan (Bizcommunity). Wishing you guys and all the other finalists the best of luck for the big night, and hope to connect with you and so many more at the party in November.

Thanks to the DMMA for starting the initiative – The Bookmarks is a fantastic platform for leaders in the digital field to showcase and gain recognition for delivering excellence in their respective arenas. It’s largely considered a benchmark for recognizable achievement, innovation and pioneering digital success not just locally but on an international scale.

Recruit Digital is proud to be a Category Sponsor this year, for the much coveted BEST INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION TO SA DM&M award. Previous winners include the likes of Nikki Cockcroft, Jason Xenopoulos and Adrian Hewlett.

We’re the first recruitment agency ever to get involved in the event which so many of our clients are a part of. We really feel its a great opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to working in tandem with the digital sector, supplying talent and giving our clients a competitive edge – and hopefully contributing to the award winning success that awaits them on the night.

Both my team and I will be at the event, so please look out for us and come say hello!

Its a big shout, and to be honest its probably quite accurate. Numerous industries have been affected by this scenario. It’s not a new concept for technology to replace human function, from robotics replacing automotive factory workers, to automated phone systems replacing call center agents, and online software literally eating into industries such as retail for example; with online stores requiring far fewer shop assistants than high street ones!

In respect of the recruitment sector, this argument is largely based on the reasoning that companies can hire themselves, directly, using online methods in order to track, source and recruit staff, essentially having access to the same tools that us recruiters use.

Personally I’ve never believed that the recruitment industry exists merely because we had tools that hiring companies didn’t. After all many years ago before the rise of the internet; newspapers had the lions share of recruitment advertising, and were available to both recruiters and hiring companies.. with the emergence of the web came job portals and again were open to both parties, and now LinkedIn – also available to both.. its always been a fairly level playing field when it comes to resources.

The point that people often miss, is that job advertising is actually largely ineffective and only reaches about 20% of the candidate pool – those who are ‘actively’ looking. Hence why we’re still here. Recruiters (the better one’s anyway) exist because we source in the 80% pool; the ‘non-active’ job seekers. This is where the real talent is found, and whilst we do advertise (to cover bases) the real value is found by using a blend of traditional and modern recruitment methods to search, select and acquire the talent that’s otherwise out of reach.

So whilst I believe there will be a profound impact on the recruitment sector, I think its come at the right time and believe its for the greater good of the sector as a whole. The recruitment industry is littered with non-pro-active generalist recruiters, those that have missed the very essence of what recruitment is all about: people & relationships. It’s through establishing, and building relationships that allows us to deliver where internal HR departments and online advertising simply can’t.. having the inside track on peoples’ movements, the relevant sources for industry information and the reputation to unlock key roles and candidates breeds a constant supply of otherwise inaccessible talent, those who prefer to work exclusivity, in a discreet manner, through a recruiter they trust. As much as technology can replace a lot of human function, it cannot build literal relationships and its this particular element that can never be replaced, not by a website, and not by any networking/crowd-sourcing tool or technology.

The niche, specialist, pro-active recruitment companies – those with the strongest of these relationships will prosper and can raise the bar as far service delivery and intrinsic market understanding are concerned – acting as tangible business partners, not just another outdated paper shuffling recruitment agency.

The digital industry in South Africa is a rapidly changing, evolving marketplace with so many spirited entrepreneurs and innovative business concepts. There is high investment, rapid business change and huge growth – and so the need for switched-on, intuitive recruiters to compliment them has never been greater.

I believe the future of recruitment is integrated. It involves getting to the very beating heart of an industry, understanding the people within it and building lasting partnerships through the strength of these relationships and our reputation. By combining these fundamental, human qualities with emerging technology and online innovation – we have ourselves a powerful combination.. and long may it continue.