Applying through Workday, SuccessFactors, PNet and Careers24

Most applications in South Africa now go through software rather than an inbox. Large employers use an applicant tracking system on their own careers site, often Workday or SAP SuccessFactors. Many other jobs are advertised on job boards such as PNet and Careers24. Each works a little differently, but the same rule runs through all of them: the system reads your CV into a profile, and recruiters search and filter that profile. If it reads your CV badly, you are harder to find.

Workday

Workday careers sites usually sit at an address with myworkdayjobs.com in it, under the employer's name. What you'll see:

• An account for each employer. The account, which Workday calls Candidate Home, belongs to that employer's site, so you create a new one, with a new password, for each company. Some employers require it before you apply; others let you create it afterwards.
• A choice of how to start. Many employers offer to fill the form from your CV, to apply manually, or to reuse your last application with them.
• Several pages of form: contact details, work history, education, skills, then the employer's own questions and declarations, and a review page.
• Status tracking. Signed in, you can see your active and past applications with that employer and their status.

Problems signing in or questions about an application go to the employer, not Workday. Workday has announced a reusable Candidate Profile that signs in with a one-time code and prefills applications across employers that use Workday Recruiting, expected from early 2027. Until it reaches the employer you're applying to, expect one account per company.

SAP SuccessFactors

• An account and a candidate profile. The first time you apply to a company, you create an account and complete a candidate profile. Some jobs use "Quick Apply", which asks for a shorter profile.
• CV parsing. Where the employer has turned it on, uploading your CV fills in the profile's background fields (work history, education) for you to check.
• Keyword search. Recruiters can search the text of CVs and cover letters, so the words you use matter.

PNet

• A profile and an uploaded CV. PNet says to create a profile, upload your CV and complete the profile in full; incomplete profiles cause problems when you apply. It recommends Word or a PDF created from Word, not a scan, because a scanned CV can't be searched for keywords.
• Visibility. Recruiters search PNet's database, so PNet suggests making your profile visible and marking yourself open to work.
• Job alerts by location, industry, role and type of work, set up from your account.
• PNet isn't a recruitment agency: it passes your application to the advertiser and can't act on a CV sent to it directly.

Careers24

• A mostly complete profile. Careers24's FAQ says your profile must be at least 80% filled in, and your email address verified, before you can apply.
• Your CV goes to the advertiser whenever you apply, whatever your profile's visibility settings.
• Application history in your profile shows what you've applied for. Careers24 acts only as a facilitator, so follow up with the employer.
• Keep one current CV on your profile and remove old versions, so the right one is sent.

How to prepare your CV for all four

1. One column, no tables, text boxes, photos or graphics. These are what parsing gets wrong. Our ATS-friendly CV guide has the full checklist.
2. A text file, not a scan. Word (.docx) or a PDF saved from a word processor.
3. Consistent dates for every job (for example, March 2022 to June 2025), so years of experience are worked out correctly.
4. The advert's words for skills you really have, since recruiters search by keyword.
5. Check every field after the upload. Fix job titles, dates and qualifications the parser misread before you submit.
6. Keep your answers to hand: ID or passport details where asked, notice period, expected salary, driver's licence code and references. Employer questions often ask for them.

Some adverts also want a covering letter; see how to write a cover letter. And whatever the system, a real employer never asks you to pay: spot a fake job.

Let Honde fill in the forms

Honde finds jobs that fit your CV and fills in each employer's application form from your CV and the answers you save once; you check it and press submit. Browse open vacancies or critical skills jobs, or create a free account.