How to check a labour consultant has actually appeared at the CCMA

You've just found a labour consultant online who promises they'll handle your CCMA case and says they have years of experience in the arena. They sound confident, their website looks polished, and their rates seem fair. Before you hand over money or sensitive documents, you need to know whether they've actually set foot in a CCMA hearing room, or whether they're relying on theory and talk.

The CCMA — Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration — keeps records open to the public. That's your first and strongest verification tool. Rather than taking someone's word for their track record, you can check it yourself in under an hour.

Search the CCMA public database

Every case that goes through the CCMA is recorded. The organisation publishes a searchable database of awards and case outcomes on its website. You can filter by representative name, employer name, case type and date range. This is genuine proof of appearance — not a credential on a LinkedIn profile, but an actual arbitration or conciliation they participated in.

Start by asking the consultant for the names of three to five past clients (or at least the company names) where they acted as a representative. Do not accept vagueness here. Then visit the CCMA database and search for those case names or the consultant's name. You'll see arbitration awards that list both the applicant, respondent, and the representatives involved. If your consultant's name appears in the award or the case file, they were there. If it doesn't, ask them directly why.

Some cases settle before arbitration, which means they may not appear in the public awards database. That's legitimate — but the consultant should be able to name at least a couple of cases that do appear publicly, or provide you with a settlement agreement (redacted for confidentiality) as proof they took the case to conciliation.

Request documentation and references

Once you've confirmed they have actual CCMA cases on their record, ask for three references from clients they've worked with in the past twelve months. People who've hired them for CCMA representation — not just general HR advice. This is crucial because the CCMA is adversarial; a consultant might be excellent at writing HR policies but weak under cross-examination in front of an arbitrator.

When you phone those references, ask specific questions. Did the consultant prepare them properly for the hearing? Did they understand the legal issues in dispute? Were they present and engaged on the day? Did the outcome feel like the consultant had genuinely fought for them, or did things feel rushed? Ask too whether the consultant explained what happened — many people walk out of a CCMA hearing confused about why they lost or won, and that often signals poor representation.

Before you hire anyone, request their professional indemnity insurance certificate and proof of membership in any labour relations or HR professional body they claim to belong to. If they say they're accredited by FASSET or another body, verify that directly with the organisation. It takes one phone call and removes guesswork.

Check their approach to your specific case

During your first consultation, describe your dispute in detail. Then listen to how they respond. Do they ask sharp questions about the evidence you have, the procedural steps already taken, and the strength of the other side's case? Or do they gloss over the complexity and promise you'll "probably" win? A consultant who's genuinely appeared at the CCMA multiple times will know that outcomes depend heavily on the facts, the law applied, and how well the hearing is prepared.

Ask them to walk you through what they'd do before a conciliation or arbitration. Would they prepare you for questioning? Would they review all the documents? Would they advise you on risk? A real track record in the arena shows in their process, not just their portfolio.

Once you're confident they've appeared before the CCMA and you've spoken to people they've genuinely helped, verify your choice on Strove by looking for reviews from other clients. You'll find vetted labour consultants listed there who are transparent about their CCMA experience and can prove it.