Show notes

In this debut episode of HR on the Brain, Sheree Comninellis, Director of Brain eBox, speaks with Jo Blake, Group Talent Acquisition Lead at Absa Group Limited about her career journey from her very first HR role to where she finds herself today, as an HR Executive.

With almost two decades of experience in the HR field, Jo has also earned her Honours Degree in Psychology at Stellenbosch University and achieved a Masters Degree in Psychology at UKZN, all while juggling a successful modelling career! Being a seasoned head hunter, negotiator, and talent match maker, Jo’s dedication, drive and experience has pushed her beyond imagination.

Originally Jo pursued her dream of becoming a therapist, but things quickly changed once Jo became exposed to the Marketing & PR field. She was encouraged to pursue a role in recruitment – this marked a turning point for her career. One of her first placements happened to be a graduate who found a home in corporate. Seeing the positive impact she had on him and his family, had a profound impact on Jo, and her love for HR was born.

Since then she has enjoyed a full career with experience both in working in recruitment agencies,  and working internally as a Talent Acquisition consultant. At present, Jo is the Group Talent Acquisition Lead at Absa Group Limited – a role that is “made for her” – as it blends her expertise in Talent Acquisition, Employer & Personal Branding and Senior Leadership.

In this episode, Jo shares with us about her career journey starting from her first role in HR, right through to her first senior role and beyond. She shares her insights into how to partner with a sponsor to guide your career and how to showcase your contribution so that you can move to the next level. She also tells us about her role at Absa and the next-level strategies that she is exploring and implementing, with her team, to build Absa’s Employer Brand.