Since those early days, Kelly has kept up-to-date regarding international best practice and set a benchmark for recruitment trends within the local staffing industry.

During the past 45 years Kelly has strived to unlock the power of people in the world of work, a truly South African organisation; Kelly takes a moment to celebrate a momentous birthday. “At Kelly, we’re exceptionally proud of all that we have achieved over the past four decades and more. By connecting employers with job seekers of diverse backgrounds, we have been a resource that has kept South Africa working” explains managing director, Graham Bentley.

Kelly’s core competency has always been the expert delivery of temporary, contract and permanent placements across a variety of positions. Within Kelly Group, Kelly now delivers across an even wider variety of industries and sectors focusing on Administration and Call Centre, with specialised focus on Executive Search, Finance, Engineering & Technical, HR & Procurement and ICT, under the Kelly Professional Assignments arm.

“A lot has changed since those early days when the Kelly brand was a beacon of green to hopeful job seekers. In 2013, we announced the next step in our brand evolution which saw us amalgamate a number of our sister staffing brands including Executive Secretary Appointments, PAG, Frontline Recruitment, Accountants on Call and Renwick Talent into Kelly Professional Assignments. Today Kelly is a unified brand of blue,” continues Bentley.

Kelly remains true to its core values and the fundamental principles where the focus on people continues to be the cornerstone of its business. Kelly continues to uphold an exceptional track record of placing high calibre Candidates within respective positions. “For the past four and a half decades, we have assisted Candidates to secure employment, partnered with our Clients and delivered on our promises. Our strong standing within the South African workplace is evidenced by our long standing Client base. Our consultants strive to supply only the best possible Candidate for each position,” adds Bentley.

Kelly also plays a vital role within South Africa’s greater communities, contributing to the upskilling of our local labour market and facilitating employment opportunities. “Kelly was the first staffing provider in South Africa to open a branch in a township. We first opened our doors in Alexandra in 1994, and in over 15 years, Kelly Alexandra placed more than 4 500 previously disadvantaged individuals in permanent and temporary jobs” says Bentley. While the operations are now more centralised, Kelly uses technology to reach even more individuals seeking employment.

Kelly was also the first staffing solutions organisation to secure Services SETA endorsed Recruitment Learnerships and partnered with the Department of Education and Editworks to implement Ikusasa Lami (My Future, My Tomorrow) to provide previously disadvantaged learners with career development opportunities. Bentley adds “We are a proudly South African, black-empowered AAA-rated Empowerdex, level two contributor organisation - and essentially, we built on a philosophy of empowering people in the world of work.”

“We’re excited for the next half century as we continue to play a leading role in the evolution of our country’s expanding workplace, Kelly and its people will continue Listen, Partner and Deliver on our Promises (LP2) and provide efficient service which truly benefits both our Candidates and Clients” concludes Bentley.