A sense of value and belonging among employees

P LACED sixth in the top 10 Giants listings, African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) was rated highly for an exceptional ability to attract and retain top talent, encourage a healthy work/life balance and its promotion of a sense of value and belonging among employees.

The JSE listed company has 28 704 employees and reported a R15 357 million revenue for its South African operations last year. It is a Level 3 B-BBEE contributor and actively promotes diversity and gender inclusivity.

HR Executive Busisiwe Mashiane says, “We have recognised the company’s need for a female voice and have implemented a number of gender interventions accordingly. By reviewing some of our business policies, we have achieved considerable success in assisting women to progress through the organisation.

‘The improvement of the living conditions of persons living in the communities neighbouring our mines is crucial for our long-term success. In the last five years we have invested approximately R316 million in the development of our communities and over the last year an additional R10.2 million* was distributed to the ARM Broad-Based Economic Empowerment Trust to provide funding for community upliftment projects throughout South Africa,”

Central to the company’s culture, she adds, are the values of caring, diversity and entrepreneurship. Trust is another key driver of our success. And Mashiane points to ARM’s slogan, We do it better, as a summary of the corporate philosophy. “It’s a commitment to excellence which has become a driving force within the organisation,” says she.

ARM receives vast amounts of new work applications on a continual basis. “This speaks volumes about the company’s image as an employer of choice,” she notes and reveals that the organisation first seeks to recruit from within. Failing this, it attracts new talent by advertising vacant positions through both electronic and print media at a national level. Applicants are then screened, short-listed for interviews and undergo a psychometric evaluation.

The company has also embarked on an ‘ARM Workforce Planning’ model in order to plan for current and future growth. It stipulates that employees drive their own development. In return, the organisation pledges to support them during this process through study assistance, job-shadowing and mentoring.

A unique structured performance framework called Managing ARM People Potential (MAPP) outlines the company’s business processes, repositioning and re- alignment. It also ensures that competency profiles adequately meet ARM’s business demands. This project contributes to a sustainable retention strategy as well as a comprehensive succession plan. A graduate development programme identifies young talent and acts as an investment in future leadership. Remuneration packages are benchmarked against industry standards to ensure that offerings are competitive.

Mashiane assures, “Our remuneration policy is completely transparent and well respected,