Gareth Cliff interviews top HR executives at the Top Employers Certification Dinner '16 event. Gareth gets to the heart of what makes these brands stand above the rest and gains some insights into how they operate. Listen for interviews with the likes of Unilever, Vodacom, Nestle, Coca Cola, EY, Accenture, Group 5 and more.

Gareth Cliff and the team speak to Sandy Mohonathan from Accenture about their onboarding programme. Onboarding is a multi-faceted process which needs to be done correctly from the start. Sandy explains how they use technology in the form of an app to make people feel comfortable and involved from the first step. They use various other tools and features to continue their journey as they progress into their career.

Gareth Cliff chats to Siyabonga (Siya) Radebe, the Human Capital Manager for Total South Africa. Siya explains how the various types of remuneration are all important in different ways. What role do these benefits play in a company? 'Market-related' is a commonly used term, but what does it really mean and how does it work?

Gareth Cliff chats to Elanie Kruger, the Regional Human Resource Director at G4S, which is the world’s leading international security solutions group. Find out what Succession Planning is and how best to implement it. How does such a large company make sure they have the right people doing the job? What are the factors that make a good senior candidate and how big a role does mentoring play?

Country Manager for the Top Employers Institute South Africa, Billy Elliott, chats to Gareth Cliff about what the company is all about. Get insight into what HR policies and practices really are, and the process that Top Employers uses to find the top companies to certify.

Jennifer Algie is the People Director at Merchants, another organisation being recognised for excellence. She explains how they try to create an environment in which people can thrive and develop their career paths. Gareth Cliff asks about some of the confusing jargon used. How do they define culture in the workplace, and deal with the stresses that come with working in the call centre business?

Gareth Cliff chats to Siyabonga Nkosi who is the Executive Lead: Organisational Effectiveness (Design and Development) at Old Mutual. How does he ensure that the company is investing in great leaders and helping their employees to grow a portfolio of skills? Why do people take sabbaticals? And how important are employee wellness frameworks?

Antoinette Irvine, Vice President of Human Resources at Unilever South & Southern Africa is the first woman to have undertaken this role in 25 years. She also won the KZN Business Woman of the Year award in 2013. Unilever South Africa is more than 100 years old, with brands that are household names. They have been certified the Top Employers Africa & South Africa for 2015.

Fikile Ntuli, Head of HR at DHL and Samantha Crouse, Regional Director of Top Employers, give useful advice about business and growing talent. They answer some questions that CliffCentral staff have been burning to ask, and tell Gareth Cliff and the team all about Top Employers.