A force to be reckoned with

Evany van Wyk





Eleven years ago Charmaine Davids decided to create a one-stop shop for all human resources (HR) services and today she is thriving as the owner and managing director of Easy HR consulting.

A strong work ethic had been instilled in Davids from a young age, as both her parents were hard workers.

“My mom is past the age of retirement, but she still works from 09:00 to 21:00, six days a week,” says Davids.

Coming from a family of achievers and strong women, the need to succeed and persevere is inherent.

Davids holds a bachelor degree in economics, an honours in industrial psychology and a master’s in business leadership. She has a very interesting view on studying and says it wasn’t really hard for her, because it was something she knew she had to do in order to succeed.

“Failure was not an option,” said Davids. Describing herself as a nerd and having felt very self-unaware, fitting in with crowds was not her strong point. This was a blessing in disguise, as it definitely kept her away from a lot of bad things, and she managed not to cave in to peer pressure.

Her ability to keep calm and focused when things become fuzzy or chaotic, as well as not taking things personally, are some of her corporate superpowers. She did not come this far by being lenient.

“I’m very firm and a critical thinker, and I keep executives accountable for that which they have to deliver,” said Davids.

She emphasised the importance of executives understanding that the service provided has impacts, thus excellence is expected.

Davids’ passion for people has been her greatest drive as she progressed in her career.

She says the idea of seeing an effective organisation, populated by people with the right skills, attitude and purpose, is something attainable and rare at the same time.

“My responsibilities as MD cover a wide spectrum; from ensuring the profitability and sustainability of the organisation, engaging stakeholders and satisfying my clients’ needs,” said Davids.

This ensures that the business fulfils and achieves its objectives, which is her main focus.

When it comes to challenges, Davids does not shy away from overcoming them.

“Dealing with people is a very dynamic and almost intimate process, so I would say the most challenging is always crafting a responsive strategy and plan for a client and seeing it reap the benefits for them,” explained Davids.

She also mentioned that sustaining a business in today’s business climate is also a challenge, but after 11 years she has adapted well to change.

Over the years there have been countless memorable moments of celebration and success in her life.

The latest being her award as the most influential women in business and government in southern African countries in August 2019.

“The award is awarded in South Africa and has a holistic view of participants, not just focusing on business success, but how an individual contributes to other industries and specifically other spheres of one’s life,” explained Davids.

Her Christian faith has been her anchor throughout her life and continues to be.

“No matter how far the winds and seas would carry me, God would bring me back with grace.”

Davids also believes that everyone has a social responsibility and shouldn’t just leave it to corporates to perform that function.

Davids is currently the board chairperson of the Penduka Development Trust. Penduka empowers vulnerable women through employment and training and development initiatives, so they become self-sustainable.

Laughing is one of the things that Davids loves to do and it also happens to be a great stress reliever. Those who face the most unimaginable trials and adversities but eventually rise up, work on themselves and become an inspiration to others is what she deems inspiring.