Graduate Talent Acquisition Associate, Johannesburg

About the job Graduate Talent Acquisition Associate Graduate Talent Acquisition Associate

Early-career

Johannesburg (in office)

Full-time

The Opportunity GCO Partners is a people-first, high-performance Talent-as-a-Service business. We connect exceptional professionals from Africa and beyond with meaningful global opportunities, while helping our clients build high-quality teams that deliver real impact. At GCO, we do more than fill roles. We invest in careers, long‑term growth, and the kind of support that helps people thrive.

Talent acquisition is one of the most people-driven roles in any business. It calls for curiosity, strong communication, good judgment, commercial awareness, and the resilience to keep moving when things do not go to plan.

It's for someone who wants to build a real career in talent acquisition, and who is ready to learn fast, take ownership, and grow in an environment that will genuinely invest in their development. This is an early‑career opportunity for someone who wants to build a real career in talent acquisition, learn quickly, and grow in an environment that will challenge and support them in equal measure.

What You'll Do You will learn the craft by doing it.

As part of the Talent Acquisition team, you will build hands‑on experience across the recruitment process and gradually take on more responsibility as your confidence and capability grow.

Your role will include:

sourcing and identifying talent for live opportunities

reaching out to candidates and creating strong first impressions

screening candidates and assessing alignment to role requirements

managing candidate communication and follow‑ups

supporting interview scheduling and process coordination

maintaining accurate candidate records and recruitment administration

learning how to write candidate summaries and present talent effectively

working closely with the team to understand hiring needs and talent priorities

developing your skills in communication, questioning, relationship management, and talent assessment

This is a role with pace, variety, and clear expectations, in a team that is serious about helping you find your footing and build your career well.

Who We're Looking For We welcome graduates from Industrial Psychology, Organisational Psychology, Human Resources, and related fields. Beyond your academic background, we’re looking for strong people instinct, commercial awareness, and the potential to grow into a high‑performing talent acquisition professional.

We are looking for someone who shows:

strong people instinct and the ability to adapt their communication

curiosity and the confidence to ask thoughtful questions

practical problem‑solving skills and the initiative to keep things moving

resilience and the ability to handle setbacks without losing momentum

drive, accountability, and a high standard of work

strong organisation and follow‑through

confidence in starting conversations and building rapport

a genuine interest in people, performance, and career‑building work

Experience that will set you apart We are not looking for years of experience. We are looking for evidence that you have engaged with people, worked toward outcomes, and built confidence in fast‑moving environments.

That experience may come from:

cold calling or lead generation

customer‑facing roles

negotiation or persuasion

student leadership or volunteering

service‑based environments

recruitment coordination or talent support exposure

What GCO offers At GCO, we care about building careers with purpose. We are proud to be a people‑first business with high standards, where growth, support, and meaningful work go hand in hand.

When you join our team, you can expect:

an opportunity to build a long‑term career in talent acquisition

hands‑on learning in a growing, high‑performance environment

close coaching, real mentorship, and structured development

exposure to meaningful work and real responsibility

a team that values People, Performance, and Progress

If you are excited by the idea of building a career in talent acquisition and want to grow in a team that takes both people and performance seriously, we would love to hear from you.

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