{"id":70078,"date":"2022-07-03T08:00:37","date_gmt":"2022-07-03T06:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/?p=70078"},"modified":"2026-01-30T12:05:50","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T10:05:50","slug":"2022-the-year-of-the-quality-hire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/2022-the-year-of-the-quality-hire\/","title":{"rendered":"2022: The year of the quality hire"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPeople & Leadership<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t2022: The year of the quality hire\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\tZia Taylor<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Research recently conducted by Sage \u2013 Small Business, Big Opportunity<\/em><\/a> \u2013 looked into how small to medium-sized enterprises the world over survive \u2013 and thrive \u2013 despite challenges such as the rising costs of living and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the study found that difficult times increased the need for government support and better financing options for small businesses, it also showed that 81% of South African SMEs expect at least a partial return to pre-pandemic profitability in the next 12 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the main findings was that 42% of respondents attributed confidence in their business success to the quality of their people, and 56% plan to hire more people in 2022, with 70% confident that they will meet their staffing requirements within a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This means that talent is a clear pillar of optimism for SMEs, which is good news for job creation and unemployment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what is the best way to attract top talent to ensure your business’s long-term success? Read on for our top advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fountain of youth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While the pandemic affected everyone, the most long-term effects are likely to be felt by the youth. Many businesses faced with cash flow issues and uncertain futures had to halt hiring, graduate schemes, and apprenticeship programmes as they believed they lacked the capacity or resources to hire and train new employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The youth do, however, have reason to be optimistic about the future. Governments worldwide are announcing incentives such as the Employment Tax Incentive (ETI)<\/a> to companies that recruit young people into their workforce<\/a> as their businesses stabilise and adjust. With Sage research finding that a lack of government support was one of the critical challenges to business growth, now is the time to take advantage of the ETI and give the youth the opportunities they deserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n