DAKAR – Courier firm, DHL Express, on Tuesday said that the availability and retention of talent was proving to be one of the main challenges facing growth and expansion in Africa.
In a statement issued in Dakar, the company said while many global companies were expanding or seeking to expand in Africa, the availability and retention of talent had become a challenge for them.
“’Talent is perceived to be one of the major challenges facing business leaders in the region.
“Eighty three 83 per cent of African Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) admit that they are especially worried about availability of key skills on the continent,” remarked Lebo Tseladimitlwa, VP, Human Resources DHL Express, Sub Saharan Africa.
Tseladimitlwa said in addition to this the PWC Africa Business Agenda report reveals that most CEOs expect to increase and maintain staff headcount in 2016.
“In Africa’s competitive labour environment, these statistics highlight that attracting and developing the right skills is crucial,” she said.
She said it was important to adopt leadership styles which would 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.
“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,” she said.
She said that motivating people formed part of DHL’s global focus strategy by ensuring that it provided quality service quality which would result in loyal customers and ultimately a profitable network.
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.
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“As competition on the continent for human talent increases, companies need to work even harder on their talent strategies,” she said. (PANA/NAN)
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