The birth of Invincible People

Georgina Barrick: “A 50% pass mark just isn’t good enough in modern business. How can you trust someone who has a 50/50 chance of not knowing what they’re doing?"

Transformation in line with new BEE policies and a shortage of appropriate skills are two of the major challenges facing many South African businesses. Specialist search firm Humanity Search and Select has partnered with a trust that is the brainchild of social entrepreneur Taddy Blecher to create an ingenious solution that addresses both at once.

Humanity is partnering with the Community and Individual Development Trust (CIDT) in a joint venture called Invincible People, to place a better class of business graduate. Students [who attend a "free" inner-city university] are provided with financial bursaries and other support by the Maharishi Institute, locally founded by Taddy Blecher, which aims to produce about 100 graduates a year through partner accredited academic institutions internationally and locally, despite the pass mark in all subjects being 60% for academic subjects and 80% for skills subjects.

"A 50% pass mark just isn't good enough, in modern business," says Georgina Barrick*, CEO of Humanity. "How can you trust someone who has a 50/50 chance of not knowing what they're doing? We're producing and placing students who believe that mediocrity is not acceptable - their education is free, but they have to put in the work to earn it."

Holistic learning combined with on-the-job experience

The Maharishi Institute makes use of the approach of consciousness-based education, a holistic programme that helps students unlock their own potential, and includes transcendental meditation twice daily. Several hundred studies of the technique have shown that its calm, stress-free environment produces better academic results and reduces anti-social behaviour.

"The attitude of our Invincible People is incredible," says Barrick. "You should see them in distance education lectures at their computers with their professors in America; sitting forward in their seats, eager to learn - nobody's slumped in the back with a hangover. The place is spotless and there is no graffiti anywhere - no wonder they out-perform a lot of 'advantaged' students academically. Consciousness-based education produces graduates with high levels of confidence, intuition, openness and honesty - the 'high-consciousness' skills that research has shown are just as important in 21st century businesses as operational efficiency."

In addition, the programme is structured to provide practical experience, so by the time students graduate with their distance education qualifications they have three-and-a-half years of work experience already under their belts. "Through another project of the organisation is Invincible Outsourcing, students get six months' practical work experience for every six months they spend learning business theory," says Barrick. "So at the end of a three-year course, our graduates will not only have a superior work ethic and a first-class internationally recognised business degree that is studied via distance education through Maharishi University of Management, USA (a $96,000 globally recognised business degree) which requires far more discipline on behalf of the learners to be successful, they will also have three-and-a-half years of solid business experience on their CVs. We're using proven, modern techniques to provide excellent quality entry level candidates for both the public and the private sector."

Watering green shoots

Barrick believes Humanity has chosen the best solution, all round. "Of course our BEE rating is important to us," she says. "Not simply because it's the right thing to do in terms of equality and fairness, but also because, as a search company, we are involved in many high-level BEE placements for some major companies and government institutions. We could not retain those clients if we didn't practise what we preach. But by linking our BEE ownership, SED and ED ratings to an educationally focussed broad-based BEE Trust, rather than benefitting narrow elite, we are helping to transform the whole business environment as well. As a result, Humanity has achieved a Level 2 BEE rating, placing it at the forefront of the search industry in terms of transformation. Think of Invincible People as a wellspring in the desert - soon a whole oasis will spring up around them."

She's optimistic that she'll have no trouble finding positions perfect for her Invincible People.

"Come on," she laughs. "If you needed business graduates, and you had a choice between someone who may have scraped through a more traditional approach, and an A-graduate with an internationally recognised qualification earned through 'hard work, sweat, and commitment', proven work ethic and 42 months' on-the-job experience, whom would you expect to contribute more to your business's success?"

*Georgina Barrick is the co-founder and CEO of Humanity Search and Select and previously Managing Director of a leading executive search firm. She has a Bachelors Degree in English and Psychology with post qualification studies in the areas of business, leadership and innovation.

She sits on the board of the Product Development and Management Association and is a sought after speaker on leadership, innovation and human consciousness management.

Her extensive sales and marketing experience across human capital, education and telecom companies positioned her well for the challenging role of establishing and running Humanity Search and Select as an innovative, quality focused, partner of choice within the talent sourcing area.

She currently sits on the APSO (Federation of African Professional Staffing Organisations) Council and holds the Executive Search portfolio. She is also a member of the APSO ethics committee.

Believing that talent acquisition in the 21st century required significantly different methodologies and business practices, Barrick uncovered a new and relevant way to assist companies seeking competitive advantage in the 21st century of ensuring, that their new talent is perfectly matched to their roles in the context of the company. With use of the groundbreaking CQ™, Archetype and EQ tools clients can be assured of leadership talent who will love their jobs and whose jobs will love them back. Its executive search 2.0.