Verification types Comments
Southern African The Southern African Fraud Prevention Service’s
Fraud Prevention database is a register detailing fraudulent behavior
Service on the part of persons attempting to obtain goods
or services or who were involved in fraudulent activity
Verification in the workplace.
of academic Education verifications have become essential
qualifications elements of the screening process. By verifying
(degrees, diplomas an applicant’s matric, tertiary and professional
and certificates) qualifications, the bank ensures that only the most
qualified competent candidates are considered.
Verification of This further assists in rooting out any dishonest
relevant work visas candidates who may have provided fictitious
as required by the certificates.
Immigration Act, 13 Nedbank as an employer is responsible for verifying
of 2002 an applicant’s eligibility to work in South Africa.
Professional
association Professional association memberships are confirmed
membership through information that has been obtained directly
Verification of from the associations concerned.
driving licence when Driving licence credentials are checked against the
required Department of Transportation’s records to ensure
Validation and comprehensive driving licence verification.
verification of An applicant’s particulars are reviewed against the
identification Department of Home Affairs’ records to perform
documents a current and accurate identity verification and to
Sanction verify their identity details.
screening Screening of personal information against known
sanction and other published lists.
Previous
employment Confirmation of previous employment.
Nedbank internal
databases Any other internal databases relevant to determine
the integrity profile of an employee or applicant.
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IMPORTANT
Obtaining permission from the applicant
• The human resources consultant or line manager must obtain written
permission from an applicant to carry out a record clearance and explain to
the applicant the reason for the record clearance. This is done by ensuring
that the applicant completes the Personal Integrity Management Indemnity
forms and provides copies of the required documentation.
Submitting a request for a record clearance
• A request for a record clearance can be submitted through the Nedbank
Personnel Integrity Management System. Applications from Nedbank
subsidiaries must be done by using the offline application form.
Processing record clearances
• On receipt of the required supporting documentation, the Personnel Integrity
Management team will:
• Contact the relevant human resources consultant for any additional
information needed to verify information or validate documents,
if required.
• Assign the application for further processing.
• Update all the verification fields as soon as feedback is received from
information service providers.
Taking of fingerprints of applicants
• It is the responsibility of the human resources consultant to ensure that all
fingerprints are scanned and uploaded using the Nedbank AFISwitch
application for the purpose of verifying criminal records.
Communicating clearance results
• The status of all internal record applications can be viewed at any given time
by the person requesting the record clearance by using the unique reference
number allocated. Applicants can obtain the results from the relevant human
resources consultant.
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Section 13
An offer of employment
If you are successful as a candidate, an employer will issue you with a contract of
employment that will regulate the terms and conditions of your employment as well
as benefits, which you will be expected to accept in writing. The Basic Conditions of
Employment Act guides the rights of employees in terms of working hours, leave, job
information and remuneration as well as the termination of employment.
On receiving an offer of employment, you should respond gratefully, even if the
offer is below expectations, and ask for some time to review the details of the
offer. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification of any aspects of the offer and the
companies’ policies regarding career advancement opportunities, among others.
Before accepting the offer, do extensive research on the market value of salaries
for comparable positions in the industry and same geographic region. Also consider
and prioritise your own needs and wants based on what is more important to you.
If you want to negotiate the offer, you will have to develop a realistic course of
action and initiate negotiations in good time. After negotiations you must review
the outcome, decide and provide a response as soon as possible.
Not all aspects of an offer can be negotiated. See below what can be negotiated:
Usually non-negotiable Sometimes negotiable Usually negotiable
Medical aid Flexible work practice/ Offer deadline
Telecommuting Start date
Retirement/Pension Position title Salary
funds Relocation expenses
Non-disclosure Location
agreements
Leave days and other Non-compete
benefits that apply to agreements timeframe
all staff
If you choose to decline the offer, do so in writing starting with a positive
statement expressing your thanks to the organisation for the offer. Provide an
appropriate reason for the decline (for example you have another offer you are
going to pursue, the location, benefits, etc). In closing, thank them again and
wish them well.
If you choose to accept the offer, do so in writing by accepting the letter of
employment before the agreed due date and thank them for the offer.
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Section 14
Making a good impression
When starting a new job make a good impression
Many companies will support you to complete your initial onboarding prior to
your first day.
Use the below as a checklist for your first day:
✓ Dress professionally.
✓ Introduce yourself and develop relationships and make associations to
try remembering the names of your colleagues.
✓ Take notes about important information and ask questions.
HELPFUL TIPS
In the first three months make sure you focus on the following:
• Getting to know and understand the culture.
• Observe how things are done and how people work together.
• Align your own expectations with the expectations of your manager.
• Understand the business results expected and how it will be measured.
• Focus on projects that you can deliver in the short to medium term with
high impact.
• Build your relationships and establish your credibility and value to the
organisation as soon as possible.
NOTES
52
Section 15
Alternatives to formal employment
Starting your own business
According to Wikipedia, entrepreneurship is a process of designing, launching
and running a new business, which is often initially a small business. The people
who create these businesses are called entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship is quite
a broad term, as you can be an entrepreneur in just about any field or industry of
your choice. However, you need to find a field to work in and start the business. It
is important for young people to know that being employed by someone else is not
the only way to earn income.
IMPORTANT
Nedbank has developed a guide to introduce you to some of the basic decisions
that every business owner has to make. This will better prepare you for your
engagements with the bank and help you avoid common mistakes so that you
are set up for success from the start.
Visit nedbank.co.za/business/small business services to access a copy or access
the document on the following link:
https://www.nedbank.co.za/content/dam/nedbank/site-assets/Business/
Brochure/Essential%20guide%20for%20Small%20Business%20Owners_
Nov%202017.pdf
In this resource you will find information about dealing the business basics like
choosing a business entity, registering your business and tax considerations
as well as keeping financial information (business plans, financial tools and
understanding financial ratios) and managing your banking relationship.
Frequently asked questions
What does it take to become an entrepreneur?
It is important to not only find a business that will be successful, but it must be
something you are passionate about and that other people will find useful to
them, that is, there has to be a market.
53
Why would many people prefer to rather look for a job to starting their
own business?
There are several reasons. Some people are scared the business might fail. Some
don’t know what sort of business they should venture into. Others prefer to
climb the corporate ladder and there are many other reasons.
Starting and running a business can be risky as it is influenced by many factors.
It is important to do research about your personal strengths and weaknesses,
as well as opportunities you can tap into in terms of the knowledge you already
have about something that is of great interest to you. Finally, you need to also
be aware of the unforeseen in the job market, should you choose to not start
your own business.
You can also analyse the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of
the business you want to venture into – a SWOT analysis, in short.
When is it the right time to start my own business?
It is important to prepare, do research and find out if your business has a market
at a specific time.
It is important that you take a calculated risk. For example, you can start by
finding a job first and the business you want to start, a side hustle. This way, you
not only able to sustain yourself financially if your business fails, but you can also
see your side hustle become the most successful business.
Can I start a business if I don’t have any money?
It sounds far-fetched, but starting a business with little or no money is not
impossible. The trick is to have the ability to overcome the temptation of what
we call ‘instant gratification’.
There are organisations such as the National Youth Development
Agency (NYDA) from where you can get a financial grant if you meet all
the requirements. There are a variety of other similar organisations that
offer grants.
Starting a business requires patience. For instance sometimes it requires that
you work for someone in order to build your own savings that you will use to
inject into your business.
Getting a loan from the bank may not be necessarily easy for a brand-new small
business, as banks do not only look for your ability to pay your small-business
loan. The banks also want to know your willingness to repay the loan and this
relates to how good is your financial history is. If there is no financial history, the
risk becomes massive for the bank to lend you money.
54
You can also opt to pitch your idea to an investor who will become a shareholder
in your business.
Somebody told me I will also need to ’register’ my business. What does that
mean and how do I go about doing that?
To register your business is to make it a legal entity. There are many forms of
legal entities and for more information on this, please visit nedbank.co.za and
search for The Essential Guide for Small-business Owners.
At Nedbank we can also help you register your business and we won’t charge
you for it.
IMPORTANT
How do I keep my personal needs and business needs separate?
Have a personal bank account that you will use to address your personal
financial needs. This means to pay yourself a salary. To pay yourself a salary
means to draw a budget of the items you need to sustain you personally. It is
important also be conservative when meeting your personal financial needs.
What are the biggest mistakes made by startup entrepreneurs?
While preparation might not guarantee that your business will become
successful, if you start your business without doing thorough research about the
business and most importantly about the industry, the chances of the business
failing become great.
Getting money is challenging; keeping it can be even more difficult. Where can
I get assistance in managing my business?
Different banks offer different value propositions. At Nedbank, should a
small-business client choose to bank with us, they get assigned a dedicated
relationship banker, who will not only look after the banking needs of the
business, but also look after the financial needs of the entire household of the
business owner. These small-business clients have a go-to person who will look
after their personal, family and business needs.
Many people say that banks are expensive – is this true?
It really depends on how you use your personal or business bank account. If you
familiarise yourself as early as possible with digital banking, you will save a lot on
bank fees and other costs.
55
DID YOU KNOW?
Where else can I get more information to guide me in starting and running my
own business? Does Nedbank have a website that I can visit?
Yes, you can visit SimplyBiz.co.za. This is a platform powered by Nedbank to help
small businesses access relevant information and to network with other small
businesses, among many other benefits.
SimplyBiz is a free resource for business owners by business owners. Whether
you are starting your journey as an entrepreneur and looking for guidance or are
operating as a small-business owner and want to share your learnings for the
benefit of others, SimplyBiz is the place to go.
https://www.simplybiz.co.za/
In addition to the traditional banking solutions, Nedbank also offers practical
tools that will save you valuable time and money in running your business. These
include business registration services, money manager and accounting solutions,
our small-business index and enterprise development.
https://www.nedbank.co.za/content/dam/nedbank/site-assets/Business/
Brochure/18835%20Small%20Business%20Banking%20Brochure%20Online.pdf
NOTES
56
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57
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58
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Nedbank Group Human Resources: Talent Management.
If you have any questions or comments, please send an email to
[email protected].
Nedbank has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the content of the booklet.
Nedbank hereby disclaims any liability whatsoever emanating directly or indirectly from the
use, reliance or processing, sharing and/or translation of the information contained in the
booklet. Anyone who uses the information in this booklet does so at their own risk and hereby
absolves Nedbank from any liability, damages, action, costs or application emanating directly
or indirectly as a result of use, processing, reliance, sharing, translation of the information
contained thereof.
60