Cape Town-based Head of Talent Acquisition Delivery, Doug Adams, explains why every day poses different challenges and opportunities, and the role he plays in shaping the future of Capita, bringing in the right talent, to the right place.
My role as Head of Talent Acquisition Delivery directly impacts the company’s growth and success. Talent acquisition isn’t just about filling positions, it’s about strategic workforce planning. I get to work closely with leadership to understand business needs and align longer-term recruitment strategies accordingly. By identifying and recruiting the right talent, my team provides individuals with opportunities to advance their careers, achieve their professional goals, and improve their quality of life. Matching candidates with roles that align with their skills, interests, and values leads to higher job satisfaction and fulfilment. And this can have a positive effect on their personal lives as well.
In my opinion, it’s really important to have that healthy work/life balance and take time for yourself to rest and recharge. I enjoy playing sports so that gives me an opportunity to focus on other areas and improve both my mental and physical health.
Making a difference
Knowing that your work has a positive impact on the company and Capita’s clients is very satisfying. When you see the results of your efforts, it reinforces your sense of purpose and value. Working in a team where everyone supports each other and collaborates effectively can create a sense of belonging and value. We’re especially supportive of a more inclusive and diverse workforce. As a South African I understand the value, and need, of this and many processes we’ve developed in Talent Acquisition are to drive these initiatives forward.
Stepping up – and up
I came into Capita to manage a newly formed team. The warm and friendly welcome from everyone here made me feel instantly at ease. All my colleagues were approachable and eager to help, which created a positive first impression. In my first role, I was managing a group of talent managers, tasked with recruiting niche, hard to fill roles, or roles that we consistently hired for and could utilise a talent pool of candidates to fill in a short space of time. From there I was promoted to Associate Head of Delivery, managing teams in South Africa and India with a focus on process development and streamlining our recruitment processes. Then, with the change in Talent Acquisition structure at the end of 2023, I took up my current position of Head of Talent Acquisition Delivery for our TSS and Function divisions.
An untapped market
Capita’s Public Service (CPS) division did not exist in South Africa when I joined. Instead, large parts of its work were based around UK government contracts. Along with a talent manager, I identified hard to fill roles in the UK and drove an initiative to consider Cape Town as being an untapped market. Together we put proposals to the business and ultimately identified town planner roles as ones that could be recruited in Cape Town. We now have a mix of senior, mid-level and graduate town planners supporting CPS from our local offices here in Cape Town.
Looking to the future
The field of talent acquisition is constantly evolving with new technologies and methodologies. From AI-driven recruitment tools to data analytics, there’s always something new to learn and implement. In talent acquisition, we’ve embraced the use of AI and strive to utilise it to enhance the recruitment experience, for all our candidates.
