According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s latest Labour Market Outlook Sur..., SMEs are five times more likely to be recruiting than larger companies. If you’re running an SME in Africa, there are many challenges involved in finding and retaining the right people. Not only are African SME’s more likely to face skills shortages and labour law requirements that aren’t necessarily applicable to our overseas counterparts, but skilled and experienced talent are easily poached by competitors (or prone to job hop). Minimise risks and unnecessary expenses by hiring and the retaining the right people with these tips:
Culture and values are just as important as technical skills
When drawing up a job specification for your HR department or recruiters, it’s easy to list technical skills as non-negotiables and disregarding seemingly ‘softer’ traits such as values and culture.
As an African SME, you need to be sure your new employee fits not only your corporate culture but also the local culture/s in which you operate. Your company values also need to fit with the person’s personal values in order to ensure they fit in with their colleagues and your day-to-day practices. Remember certain skills can be taught, but the right attitude and values need to be there from the beginning.
Consistent, intelligent recruiting
In the early days of the business, many company owners would do the new hirings themselves. This job would typically get passed onto managers and eventually the HR department.
When it comes to hiring and retaining the right people, a system needs to be in place to ensure a consistent approach to recruiting. This is where SAP’s workforce planning and analytics software comes in. Not only do we help you hire, retain and develop the best talent, but it also gives you the tools you need to plan for future skills requirements.
African SME’s are renowned for quick expansion and cross-border projects. Make sure you’re making the best hiring decisions by partnering with SAP.
Want to find out if the SAP Human Capital Management solution would work for your African business? Contact me directly or call +27 11 235 6045 / 0800 981 334.
