There are people who fall into HR, and then there are people who were always heading there. Kenji Garnatt is the latter. Born and raised in a small town in the Western Cape, he has spent over a decade working across industries, quietly building a career defined by one consistent thread: the belief that people and their potential are worth investing in.
Today, as Boxfusion’s Senior HR Generalist, Kenji holds the engine room of the people function together from payroll and contracts to graduate onboarding and recruitment. We sat down with him to find out what drives him, what he looks for in the next generation of talent, and what it really means to show up as yourself at work.
THE PERSON BEHIND THE TITLE
Kenji’s introduction to the world of work came with a clear sense of direction. “I had always been fascinated by the idea of helping people discover and unlock their true potential,” he says. “So, when I entered the workforce, I knew I wanted to be in a position where I could make a meaningful impact on people’s lives.”
That conviction led him through roles across various industries, where he found himself drawn deeper into talent management, training and development, and organisational culture. What he discovered along the way was that success rarely happens in isolation. “Achieving success isn’t just about individual achievement it’s about working together towards a common goal.”
“I enjoy understanding the person behind the title, the prestige. My natural inquisitiveness of behaviour has always drawn me to people and organisational culture.”
Outside of work, that same energy finds different outlets from karaoke sessions, hiking, a good book, and time with friends and family. He laughs easily when he talks about it. The warmth is not performative. It’s just Kenji.
WHY BOXFUSION
When Kenji joined Boxfusion, one word drove the decision: impact.
“Boxfusion is at the forefront of innovation and digital transformation in the technology space,” he explains. “I want to be part of that journey from a people and organisational aspect.”
The Boxfusion principal that resonates most with him is “Always Curious” and he lives it out daily. “I’m someone who wants to stay updated with technology and legislation relevant to my industry,” he says. He points to the company’s adoption of AI tools as proof that the culture matches the principle. “We do not shy away from a tool that can enhance how we work.”
Asked to describe Boxfusion’s culture to someone who has never worked here, he doesn’t reach for corporate language. Instead, he grins: “Wear your seatbelt, please. Strap in and enjoy the journey with us. We are disrupters, innovators, and we love learning new things.”
THE WORK: WHY HR OPERATIONS MATTER
Kenji’s role touches every employee at Boxfusion whether they know it or not. From ensuring payroll runs accurately to managing contracts, overseeing graduate onboarding, and keeping systems tight, he is the operational backbone of the HR function.
“HR operations are the foundation of a business. When HR operations are done well, business goals and people goals are aligned. They are not separate from each other.”
That alignment, he believes, is what unlocks a healthy organisation. And it starts with how HR approaches people not as resources to be managed, but as individuals with stories worth understanding.
“Empathy,” he says simply, when asked how he balances compassion with accountability. “That is what I keep reminding myself of. Everyone has a story. Try to read it and understand it. This way you can enforce structure and accountability so the individual can grow personally and professionally.”
BUILDING THE NEXT GENERATION OF TALENT
One of Kenji’s most significant responsibilities at Boxfusion is overseeing the graduate recruitment programme identifying, selecting, and onboarding the young professionals who will shape the company’s future.
So what does he look for? Not what most graduates expect to hear.
“Behavioural attitude. When a graduate has the willingness to learn and does not shy away from it, that is what I look for. You cannot teach anyone to learn. It is an innate spark. Be inquisitive. Think outside the box.”
His advice to graduates entering a recruitment process is equally direct: do your homework. “Understanding what the company does and who the relevant stakeholders are shows that you are trying to build a career and it is not just another job.”
The distinction matters to him. He is not looking for candidates who want a job. He is looking for people who want a future.
SHOWING UP AS YOURSELF
When we asked Kenji what showing up as his full self looks like at Boxfusion, he did not hesitate.
“I am quirky. I am eccentric in how I approach life in general. Being myself has always been what I look for. I do not want to minimise myself again.”
That word again carries weight. It speaks to a journey of self-acceptance that many professionals will recognise the quiet pressure to shrink yourself to fit a room. Kenji has decided he is done with that.
The mantra he carries with him sums it up perfectly: Let’s take passion to purpose and pursue it.
“Let’s take passion to purpose and pursue it.”
It is a line that could easily be a slogan. But coming from Kenji, it reads like a lived conviction the kind that quietly shapes everything he does, from how he hires graduates to how he shows up for the people around him every day.