‘Talent availability, retention threaten growth, expansion in Africa’
While many global companies are expanding, or seeking to expand in Africa, the availability and retention of talent is proving to be one of the main challenges facing growth and expansion on the continent.
According to Lebo Tseladimitlwa, vice president of Human Resources at DHL Express Sub Saharan Africa, talent is perceived to be one of the major challenges facing business leaders in the region, with 83 percent of African CEOs admitting that they are especially worried about availability of key skills on the continent
Tseladimitlwa says that in addition to this statistic, the PWC Africa Business Agenda1 report also reveals that most CEOs expect to increase and maintain staff headcount in the next year. “In Africa’s competitive labour environment, these statistics highlight that attracting and developing the right skills is crucial.”
She noted that it is therefore important to adopt leadership styles which will support and nurture the skills and talent needed for growth. “Essentially, talent will no longer be the main concern when it comes to employees’ skill-sets, but rather the leader’s ability and responsibility to teach and develop these skills.”
She adds that a recent EY survey reported that while managers in Africa are perceived to be performing well at day-to-day operational activities, they are considered to be less capable when it comes to people management, especially in relation to retention, productivity and engagement.
“Globally, it is reported that only one in five companies are providing additional training and development to existing staff, proving that employers are not doing enough to address talent shortages.
In Africa, these efforts are likely to be significantly less when compared to the rest of the world, and therefore intensifies the need for programmes to be implemented.”
“‘Motivated People’ forms part of our global focus strategy pillars, ensuring that we provide great service quality which results in loyal customers and ultimately a profitable network. We consider our Employee Engagement programmes to be critical to our business success.
Tseladimitlwa says that employers in Africa need to foster a continuous learning and development culture and encourage employees to be masters of their own destiny. “As competition on the continent for human talent increases, companies need to work even harder on their talent strategies.”
Excerpt from a report by African press organisation on behalf of Deutsche Post DHL