Ethics Hotline Information Agents: Graduate training and employment opportunities for multilingual criminology or similar graduates

Introduction

Based in Durban, South Africa, Whistle Blowers (Pty) Ltd is an independent, specialist ethics hotline provider, contracted by private and public sector clients, to deliver them a world-class whistleblowing management service. You are invited to visit our website and learn more about our service, including viewing an introductory video, at  https://www.whistleblowing.co.za/.

Established in 2000, Whistle Blowers now provides a service to clients and their stakeholders in over 65 countries on six of the world’s seven continents, and are specialists in delivering this service to whistleblowers throughout the African continent.

We take calls from whistleblowers in upwards of 20 languages which include:

• each of the 11 official South African languages, and other African languages including Swahili, Shona and Arabic;

• in French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, German and Dutch;

• and subject to availability, in Amharic, Hausa and Nigerian Pidgin.

About The Position and Its Requirements

Our intake for 2026 will prioritise applicants who are fluent in one more of the following languages in addition to English: Afrikaans, Xitsonga ,  siSwati,   Tshiven ḓa ,  isiNdebele.

Whistleblowers report their information to our state-of-the-art Information Centre us via a number of methods (including by telephone). Our team of multilingual Information Agents answer every call we receive live, 24 hours / seven days a week.

The role of an Information Agent is to take calls from and debrief whistleblowers, helping them to feel comfortable and confident while sharing their information without fear that their identity will be revealed. In the process, Information Agents conduct telephonic interviews with callers, seeking all the relevant information needed for a sound understanding of the matter of concern.

This information is then written in a report, which once it has been through a strict quality control process, is sent to the client representative of the organisation affected by or involved in the wrongdoing. Through your support to this process, you play a key role in enabling the detection and combatting of unethical activity and other forms or wrongdoing.

About our languages requirement

Applicants must be  fluent in English and at least one of the following languages:

Afrikaans , isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sesotho, Sesotho sa Leboa, Setswana, Xitsonga , siSwati,   Tshivenḓa,   isiNdebele , Swahili, Shona, French . (Preference is currently given to candidates fluent in the languages in bold font but all multilingual candidates who meet the criteria set out in the advertisement may be considered).

' Fluent ' means that you can confidently undertake a telephonic interview with a mother tongue speaker of a language, easily establishing rapport and credibility with the whistleblower, understanding all nuances in the language and expressions used by the caller.

Other requirements

• You will ideally have, or have made significant progress towards, a tertiary level qualification that includes subjects that equip you to be a successful Information Agent. These subjects may include criminology, psychology, languages or communication amongst others.

• You will need strong writing and typing skills, with an ability to work in a focused way within a busy team environment. You will also be a person who is curious about the world around them and who loves growing their general knowledge.

• In terms of other attributes, you will be the kind of person who is good at listening and encouraging people to talk to you through your excellent questioning and analytical skills. You will be able to capture people’s stories in a coherent and factual manner that gives the report reader a clear understanding of the matter that is of concern to the whistleblower.

Special requirements

You will be required to work shifts, including night shifts, (see details below) and our premises are centrally located in Durban on an excellent public transport route.

Above all, our work requires that we hold ourselves and each other to the highest levels of confidentiality, which means that applicants will need to have impeccable levels of integrity. Dealing with highly confidential information, the successful applicants will have blemish-free integrity records (credit and criminal).

Our Trainee to Permanent Employment Pathway

Successful candidates will undergo a period of training. On completion of the training period, those with demonstrated aptitude for the role will receive an offer of permanent employment (probation period applicable).

At each stage of this process there is a step up in basic pay and benefits. For example, participation in the pension fund and medical scheme commences with the permanent employment contract.

Your working hours will be on a three-shift basis that ensures that the Information Centre is staffed 24 hours a day, and you will work six shifts over six 24-hour periods before having three days off.

Interested? Essential Guidance for a Successful Application

Here are essential guidelines for making a successful application for our position:

• Please only apply via Pnet - do not try to short-cut the process by contacting our offices directly (we prize fair processes and do not approve of corner cutting!).

• Please do not reapply if you have already been through a recruitment round, unless your circumstances and CV have changed materially.

• No recruitment agents please - we are undertaking our own recruitment processes.

• Ensure your existing PNet profile is up to date - it would be a pity for you to miss out due to or for us to devote time to a profile that is not an accurate reflection of your current situation and preferences.

• Write a decent covering letter. Tell us why you want to work for us specifically, and why we should consider you for employment.

• It is essential that you attach your Matric results statement AND your latest tertiary level student record / statement of results, detailing your courses and results, to your application .

• Ensure your CV is up to date and labelled correctly with your name (''CV2022'' doesn't qualify as it means we have to relabel it if we are interested in referring back to your application)

• Make sure that all information you offer is truthful - we will check out the integrity of all that we shortlist as this is critical for our business success.

MAKE SURE TO COMPLETE THE QUESTIONNAIRE:   Applicants who do not complete the questionnaire may not be considered. Take care with your answers and be as comprehensive as possible. We will place a lot of store on how you approach the questionnaire.