Monique Verduyn

Johannesburg

Freelance writer. Book reviews and recommendations. Dachshund fan. Italophile. Yoga lover. Reasonable cook. Eager wine taster. #readingaddict 🇿🇦 🇮🇹 🇳🇱

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Articles

[Free Template] What Are HR FAST Goals? How To Combine with HR SMART Goals

1 week ago | aihr.com | Monique Verduyn

FAST goals provide a simple and flexible way to set objectives for fast-changing environments. Unlike traditional methods, FAST goals emphasize regular updates, clear and ambitious targets, and open communication. This helps teams stay aligned and ensures goals remain relevant. Employees whose goals match organizational priorities can even see their performance improve by up to 22%. As priorities change, FAST goals help teams stay focused and adapt quickly.
Why The Great Gatsby still matters 100 years on

1 week ago | businesslive.co.za | Monique Verduyn

Mention The Great Gatsby, and people think Leonardo DiCaprio in a tuxedo, glass raised, framed by a blur of fireworks and exquisite Art Deco excess. Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 film adaptation brought F Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel back into the mainstream, complete with a Jay-Z soundtrack and visuals designed for the digital age. The movie inspired a wave of Gatsby-themed parties, with people in rented tuxedos and synthetic flapper dresses sipping champagne from coupes for Instagram.
Hurtling towards disaster

2 weeks ago | businesslive.co.za | Monique Verduyn

On October 22 1895, the number 56 train left Granville at 8.45am and reached Paris’ Gare Montparnasse just before 4pm. But the brakes weren’t working properly. Trying to make up for lost time, the crew couldn’t stop the train. It overshot the buffers, smashed through the station wall, and plunged nose-first into the street below. Crowds rushed to see the wreck. The story made headlines around the world as engineers struggled for days to remove the 50-tonne locomotive.
MONIQUE VERDUYN | Why dogs break your heart (and fix it too)

2 weeks ago | timeslive.co.za | Monique Verduyn

MONIQUE VERDUYN | Why dogs break your heart (and fix it too) They don’t judge, they’re always happy to see us and all they really ask in return is a bit of love 06 April 2025 - 00:00 By Monique Verduyn The call from the vet came on a Friday afternoon. Piccina, our 13-year-old dachshund, would never be coming home...
[Free] 360 Feedback Template & How-To Guide For Customizing and Implementing Yours

3 weeks ago | aihr.com | Monique Verduyn

“Great teams don’t succeed with blind spots—360 feedback transforms hidden insights into actionable growth,” Michelle Fields, AIHR Subject Matter Expert, explains. A well-designed 360 feedback template can help HR equip managers with the right tool to help their employees grow in their roles. This article discusses how a 360 degree feedback template can enhance the feedback process and how to design one.
Five books to read in April

3 weeks ago | businesslive.co.za | Monique Verduyn

Before We Hit the Ground by Selali Fiamanya Set across Ghana, Scotland and England, Before We Hit the Ground is a tender, multigenerational novel about identity, homosexuality, faith and the many forms of love. It follows the life of Elom, a sensitive young man who struggles to understand love and find his place in the world.
[Free] Employee Goal Setting Template: Plus How To Set Effective Goals

3 weeks ago | aihr.com | Monique Verduyn

An employee goal setting template helps align individual aspirations with company objectives, leading to a more focused and motivated workforce. Those who set specific and challenging goals perform up to 90% better than those with easy or vague goals, because well-defined goals provide clarity and direction. This article discusses employee goal setting, HR’s role in it, how to use an employee goal setting template, and how HR can help employees set clear goals.
The aching search for meaning amid the digital noise

4 weeks ago | businesslive.co.za | Monique Verduyn

In our wireless world, we may think the instant communication we take for granted depends on the satellites we look up at on nights when the skies are cloudless. In fact, our hyperconnected existence is bound together by thousands on thousands of miles of inconspicuous subsea fibreoptic cables snaking across the ocean floor. Four of those critical undersea cables — lifelines for Africa’s internet connectivity — snapped off the coast of the Congo in 2023.
[Free] Employment Verification Letter Template and Samples To Write a Professional Letter

1 month ago | aihr.com | Monique Verduyn

An employment verification letter is a simple but important document that confirms an employee’s job status, role, and tenure with a company. It is often required as proof of employment and income for bank loans, property rentals, visas, or job applications. HR professionals must ensure these letters are accurate and compliant.
Thrilling escapade keeps readers guessing

1 month ago | businesslive.co.za | Monique Verduyn

Ted Botha, author of the thrilling Daisy de Melker: Hiding Among Killers in the City of Gold (2023), is back with a novel this time. The Animal Lover is a wild, hilarious, utterly engaging adventure that traverses continents and timelines, transporting readers from modern to colonial Africa and back again, with stops in London, Mexico City and Manila.