HR Indaba 2025: Why “post and pray” is no longer enough for strategic recruitment

Paul Byrne, Pnet’s Head of Insights and CX.

The 2025 HR Indaba, held at Sandton Convention Centre on 14 October, attracted more than 3,000 HR professionals to explore the future of work. Paul Byrne, head of insights and CX at Pnet, South Africa’s leading online recruitment platform, says that the panel talk focused on how recruiters are moving beyond traditional job postings to data-driven talent sourcing, and how traditional job boards have transformed into powerful recruitment partners to support this

Says Byrne: “While South Africa’s talent pool is growing, employers face growing competition for scarce specialised skills. Many recruiters are struggling to meet candidates’ rising expectations from the recruitment journey and to move fast enough to secure the best talent – especially with HR budgets under pressure.

“A post-and-pray approach to listing job ads no longer cuts it. Recruiters with outdated processes risk losing out to employers that use analytics to identify, attract and engage the right candidates faster. It is about taking a more proactive stance and earning attention from high-calibre candidates who expect flexibility, growth and purpose from the start.”

Byrne says that data and analytics are powerful tools, enabling HR teams to see where the talent is, what they value, and how their organisation’s employer value proposition compares to the market. “These insights transform recruitment from guesswork into a strategic advantage,” he adds.

Platforms like Pnet enable businesses to move from being reactive recruiters to proactive talent strategists, delivering smart-matching algorithms, advanced filters for skills and equity targets, and benchmarking data on listing performance. This helps companies to zero in on the talent they need and find the best candidates faster.

“Today’s online recruitment platforms go beyond giving recruiters access to candidates. They provide the data and insights to help companies make better matches and improve hiring outcomes,” Byrne adds. “Platforms also help to ensure that job ads get in front of engaged, quality candidates.”

As skills shortages persist and budgets tighten, HR teams must do more with less. Data-driven tools, supported by AI and automation, are now central to improving speed, quality, and fairness in hiring. “We have seen job platforms evolve into recruitment partners,” Byrne says.

“Technology and data are reshaping recruitment, but the human touch still matters. The recruiter’s skill is to know whether an AI match is truly a perfect match in terms of skills, personality and long-term success. Our goal is to provide insights and streamline processes, so that HR teams can focus on talent strategy and candidate engagement.”