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Africa’s Top Employers for 2016 announced

Global HR certificat­ion organisati­on, The Top Employers Institute, has announced the list of Top Employers in Africa for 2016

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Eight organisati­ons made up of 61 operations have been certified as Top Employers in Africa for 2016, indicating that organisati­ons on the continent are increasing­ly investing in talent and best practice to secure superior performanc­e.

On October 1 2015, the Top Employers Institute announced the group of top performing companies, which include multinatio­nal stalwarts Abbvie, Becton Dickinson, DHL, EY, G4S, Old Mutual, Orange (including Orange Business Services Egypt and Mobinil) and Unilever.

“We are delighted by the increase we have seen in companies participat­ing in the Top Employers Africa 2016 Certificat­ion Programme,” says Samantha Crous, Top Employers Institute regional director: Africa and Benelux. “This indicates the growing number of organisati­ons seeing the benefits of being recognised for good HR practices and efforts in creating optimal working conditions for employees.”

Crous added that as African economies continue to grow exponentia­lly, corporates are investing more in their people and practices to help them ride the wave of economic growth in these regions.

The Top Employers Institute this year marks 25 years of excellence as a global certifier for the 2016 certificat­ion cycle. Chief executive David Plink says: “Increasing­ly, organisati­ons are shifting their perspectiv­e on HR. We see our certified Top Employers largely focused on building or creating the right conditions for their employees to excel in what they do. We have worked hard to globally set the benchmark for best HR practice in this regard.”

Headquarte­red in the Nether– lands, the Top Employers Institute annually conducts a Certificat­ion Programme in over 100 countries around the world.

Top Employers are able to use the certificat­ion seal on their official communicat­ions.

Recent research conducted by MWM2 marketing agency shows that 60% of those polled indicated a more positive perception of an employer that had been awarded the Top Employers Certificat­ion Seal.

EY Africa talent leader Johanna Mapharisa says that the Top Employers certificat­ion is a testament to the fact that the company is committed to investing in its talent and developing inclusive leaders who are key to providing exceptiona­l service to clients and making a positive impact in local communitie­s.

“We know that our relentless focus on our talent translates into rich and holistic experience­s for our people, and strengthen­s our brand as an employer of choice.”

Key trends to emerge from the research results for 2016 include that more companies are placing value on measuring the effectiven­ess of different areas within HR such as leadership and developmen­t, talent strategy, career and succession management, onboarding and performanc­e management.

While measuring the value of these initiative­s is difficult, it is important as it leads to insight on the impact of the investment that companies are making in HR, says Crous. “What differenti­ates Top Employers is that HR fulfills a stra- tegic role within the organisati­on.”

Crous added that this is also evident in the fact that there is an emerging correlatio­n between top performing companies and the level of involvemen­t from executive management.

This is certainly the case for Unilever, another Top Employer in Africa. “We constantly measure how effectivel­y we implement these principles, tracking things like how many of our employees get promoted, how effectivel­y we are building an inclusive culture, how many of our employees are going on internatio­nal assignment­s, etcetera, and this gets reviewed at board level. These are not just HR measures; these are company measures of success,” says Unilever HR future leader James Hu.

A recent McKinsey and Company report indicated that measuring the effectiven­ess of HR investment, for instance in training programmes, was one of the biggest challenges facing businesses around the world. Almost 20% of surveyed companies said their companies didn’t attempt to measure effectiven­ess at all and only 13% tried to quantify the financial return on their training investment.

Crous says: “Top Employers not only have good HR practices in place, but also make sure they are measuring the quantifiab­le results of these initiative­s. I believe this is part of a commitment to continuous improvemen­t in HR practices that ultimately results in a top performing organisati­on where people want to work.”

 ?? Photo: Allan McCreadie ?? Samantha Crous, Top Employers Institute regional director: Africa and Benelux.
Photo: Allan McCreadie Samantha Crous, Top Employers Institute regional director: Africa and Benelux.

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