Leading with purpose: strategies for creating meaningful change
BP Southern Africa’s Taelo Mojapelo is doing what it takes to accelerate change
Culture eats strategy for breakfast - what does this mean for an organisation?
EAP vs SECTORAL vs BEE TARGETS
Is it the same but different?
HUMAN CAPITAL & SKILLS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE AT SEIFSA IS ENGAGING WITH A BURST OF COLOUR
PUBLISHER:
The Institute of People Management (IPM)
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR:
Sabelo Myeni
EDITOR:
Sibongile Gura
DESIGNER:
Becky Williams
PRODUCTION MANAGER: Welile Mabaso welile@ipm.co.za
ADVERTISING: Lavern Meyers lavern@ipm.co.za
EVENTS BOOKING: Patricia Ramokgadi patricia@ipm.co.za
MEMBER
ACCOUNTS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS: Gideon Makgamatha administration@ipm.co.za
PHYSICAL ADDRESS:
191 Jan Smuts Avenue, Rosebank Corner, Ground Floor, G38, Parktown North, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2193
Telephone: +27 10 534 5592
Website: https://ipm.co.za
As the days get shorter and the nights get longer- no thanks to the rolling blackouts and heart-wrenching load-shedding schedule it starts to feel as though there are not enough hours in the day. It also just dawned on me that half of 2023 is gone - it makes one examine what the y have achieved so far. No pressure!
It also feels like ‘De ja vu,’ because the first issue of People Dynamics (PD) with the new look and feel was the June/July 2021 issue. The June/July 2023 issue is the last alternate monthly issue. PD is not closing, it’s going monthly. Like all the other issues before, we keep raising the bar and giving you relevant content, and shining the spotlight on the great work the HR community is doing. This issue is no different, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed putting it together.
We have come a long way with PD and internally as an organisation. We often hear that change is inevitable. However, the reality is that it can be uncomfortable and somewhat scary, but change is always good.
A few changes are happening Internally. We have had a change in leadership with Dr Gule stepping down and Sabelo Myeni stepping in as the interim CEO. I hate goodbyes, but this time I know it’s not really goodbye because a leader such as Dr Gule is one I can always call on and will call on for advice and industry leads. As hard as it is, I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
To Mr Myeni, I wish you all the best in your new role and hope you move IPM to new heights.
As the world winds down and gets cozy, things are picking up speed internally. Yes, the Annual IPM Convention and Exhibition (#IPMACE2023) is around the corner- SAVE THE DATE 19-22 November. All roads will be leading to Sun City. I hope you have booked your ticket, secured your exhibition stand, and are ready to explore the intersection of people, climate, and trends and how they will shape the future of HR under the theme “HR Fast Forward | People | Climate | Trends.”
For more information or to signup as a delegate please click here to exhibit click here or email Welile: 2023convention@ipm.co.za or welile@ipm.co.za
I’m very excited about all the changes we are going to implement over the next few months. With that said, ‘let’s raise our glasses to the highs, the lows, and everything in between.’
From us to you
Ms Gura
COVER STORY: ZIZILE
LUSHABA: ENGAGING WITH A BURST OF COLOUR
KEYS TO GETTING SHOPFLOOR EMPLOYEES ON BOARD
LEADING WITH PURPOSE: STRATEGIES FOR CREATING MEANINGFUL CHANGE
06 10 18 16
EACH ONE GROWS ONE ONLY THROUGH EFFECTIVE HR POLICIES
DIGITAL TWIN OF EMPLOYEE – THE FUTURE OF PEOPLE ANALYTICS
MEDSHIELD SUPPORTS WORKING MOMS WITH SPECIALISED MOMFRIENDLY BENEFIT OFFERING
FOODBEV MANUFACTURING SETA PREPARES SECTOR FOR TECHNOLOGICAL AND OTHER HEADWINDS
EAP vs SECTORAL vs BEE TARGETS: IS IT THE SAME BUT DIFFERENT?
DUTIES OF A DESIGNATED EMPLOYER
DOING WHAT IT TAKES TO ACCELERATE CHANGE
CULTURE EATS STRATEGY FOR BREAKFAST- WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR AN ORGANISATION?
ALL MANAGERS MUST UNDERSTAND
“Life is a series of decisions, actions, and steps. You just must keep going until the end. You can’t stop living because the situation is easy or hard”.
It has been a real joy to have done everything possible to serve the HR and People Management profession over the last six years as part of the IPM leadership. Thank you to the Chairperson and the Board for the opportunity to serve.
Truth be told getting into the operational side of the IPM business, I did not have the full view of what was in store, what being operationally involved meant, and how hard it was going to be getting things moving forward and keeping the wolves from the door. I am still grateful for the opportunity to serve and to learn in the process. I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent in the organisation working to advance the cause of the profession and to broaden awareness among leaders in HR as well as those not in the profession to be acquainted with what the oldest professional body on the continent and the world was all about. It has been particularly gratifying to have top HR leaders embrace the work and get involved in one way or the other in practical ways with the IPM. The cover of People Dynamics is but a small window into this, there is a lot more happening in IPM’s universe.
May this spirit of senior HR leaders and C-Suite leaders getting involved in IPM continue now more than ever.
I look back with pride at what was attempted and landed and the opportunities that were opened for many colleagues to connect and begin to find their voice and contribute to the profession. I am particularly pleased to know that their goodwill and support from across the spectrum was tangible and visible by what many of you within and outside the fold have done to support them over these many years. There is no doubt that “Brand IPM” is strong and will endure well into the future, I am humbled to have played a small part in amplifying it. I am honored to have spread the word and widened our partnership across the continent and the globe amidst the unprecedented time that has been the advent of COVID-19 and beyond. It is my hope that these robust partnerships that span the globe will flourish in years to come.
Yes, there are regrets because of mistakes and opportunities that were missed. However, nothing is lost as I have every faith that the new leadership, which I hold in high regard, will help Brand IPM to thrive and soar to newer heights despite the challenges posed by a stagnant local and global economy. Thank you for your support. Please make sure to invigorate your support for our new leader and the staff so the burden can be lightened a little.
Onwards and forward IPM.
Regards
Dr. Jerry Gule
Zizile Lushaba, Human Capital & Skills Development Executive at the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA), is a young, determined HR professional whose personality drew her to human resources.
Her Industrial/ Organisational Psychology qualification allowed her to have a career in HR, and she hasn’t looked back. She says, “No matter where I ended up, I knew my job would involve working with or interacting with people.
Lushaba’s work ethic is rooted in
positivity and the notion - ‘if you take care of the little things (do the little things right), the big things will take care of themselves.’
Her views of life, daily challenges, and tasks are influenced by a post from a skills coach where they highlighted 10 things that are within
one’s control and take zero talent but are likely to earn you respect and increase your chances of gaining work experience and career progression.
In essence:
• Be on time
• Be disciplined
• Make an effort
• Watch your body language
• Be aware of your energy
• Mind your attitude
• Have passion
• Be coachable
• Do extra
• Be prepared
These elements have shaped and influenced her work ethic.
Her inspiration comes from Philippians 4:13 - ‘I can do all things (which He has called me to do) through Him who strengthens and empowers me (to fulfill His purpose – I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency. I am ready for anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace).’
“This scripture gives me renewed belief in my limitless capabilities and changed my mindset completely. The mindset adapted from this scripture has propelled me and helped me grow in all spheres of my life, allowing me to confidently embrace stepping out of my comfort zones and into unknown territories. This has helped me grow tremendously,” she explains.
Her colleagues value her emotional intelligence, or ability to understand,
manage and control her emotions while comprehending the emotions of others. “I believe this ability allows me to be a good team player on numerous levels. To name a few, it allows me to be considerate, thoughtful, and respectful to my teammates,” she elaborates.
This has helped her become the person she is and given her the confidence to navigate the changing HR landscape. She says, “This strength has helped propel my career and allowed me to gain trust and confidence amongst many professionals I have the pleasure of working with. I think emotional intelligence is an important skill to have for any professional.”
The beauty of HR
HR is appealing because it allows you to influence the workplace holistically. As an HR professional, you have an overview of how all the puzzle pieces will fit and effectively work together. However, there are stumbling blocks and red tape along the way. For Lushaba doing work or occupying roles that interest and challenge her is fulfilling. She adds, “My peers in the HR fraternity know that when working with HR you engage with what I will call a “burst of all colours.” You face diversity head on and with people being complex by nature this makes working in HR challenging. Another upside of working in HR for me is that I get to practice Humane Resources while doing my job.”
She points out, “One global HR leader once stated that Human Resources should be changed to Humane Resources, which I could
not agree with more. This removes the element of “I am just doing my job or working” but helps to remind you how to do your job when dealing with people. The practice of Humane Resources helps me enjoy my work and makes me a better person.”
Fortunately, her past and current HR roles have allowed her to continue to prioritise stimulating and advocating for a good organisational culture that drives performance. She emphasises, “I believe that HR professionals should not only be stimulators of good organisational
People are still ill-informed about the HR Profession they still view it as a “hiring and firing” job.
culture but also stewards thereof. Studies have indicated a significant and strong positive correlation between organisational culture and employee performance.
This means that the outcome of a good organisational -culture is likely to be high employee performance.”
According to Lushaba people are still ill-informed about the HR profession and still view it as a “hiring and firing” job. The antidote is education. “More education is required on the strategic role HR professionals play in organisations.” She adds, “I like the way the adviser to the Minister of DTIC described expertise at the Steel Master Plan Conference hosted by SEIFSA in 2022. The adviser stated that one can acquire skills through training, however, expertise can only be acquired when you have done the training and worked on the job for some years with mentoring from people who have the expertise.”
Finding North in an ever-changing industry is tricky, nevertheless, Lushaba believes the HR fraternity is losing expertise and, unlike skills, expertise takes time to acquire. Despite that, being the change, you wish to see is critical. “I plan to use my role and expertise to improve the HR fraternity, through mentoring and coaching. I have to admit that I have not yet started working on this, but it is a goal of mine in contributing to the HR fraternity. We need to put the HR profession on the pedestal it has earned and deserves,” Lushaba says.
Furthermore, gender equality and a lack of effective transformation is still a challenge. “Being an African female who has close to 10 years’ experience
working in the steel manufacturing industry, which is predominately male-dominated, I can vouch for the fact that the issue of gender inequality alongside the very slow move towards transformation is still an obstacle for women,” notes Lushaba. To combat this Lushaba aims to tackle this not only at an organisational level but rather at a national level as well. She adds, “In 2022 I wrote an opinion piece on Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), highlighting the difficulties women face and concluding that a holistic approach is required to start addressing such issues. I will continue to pursue and facilitate such discussions.” Fortunately, she is part of a legislative discussion where issues of gender equality and transformation are discussed and prioritised to ensure women are heard.
The world is changing and the change is influencing the world of work. As an HR professional, it is important to constantly reinvent yourself, to position yourself as an asset, and by so doing, to also position yourself for success. “Currently, I think the following three traits are important to give yourself a competitive advantage as an HR professional - innovation, awareness, and agility.”
According to Lushaba, the two trends which will shape the HR space for the next 24 months are:
• Critical Skills Shortage.
It is no secret that South Africa is in dire need of critical skills for the economy to fulfill its potential.
The challenge of attracting and retaining critical skills into the
country and competing against stressors such as the current South African formal education system, presents a big challenge. This is a topic that will be a focus for the next two years. As the DHET and DHA try to rally all stakeholders to ensure the attraction and supply of critical skills into the economy.
• Diversity, Transformation, and Inclusion
Diversity, transformation, and inclusion are definitely “red flags” at the moment. Given the fact that South Africa is so diverse, the workplace (if it is a true representation of equity in South Africa) is also diverse. For the past three years, we have seen the South African Government also focus more on issues of transformation. This is seen also through the recent Employment Equity Amendment Bill 2020 assented to by the South African president. This is also one of the pillars of the Steel Master Plan led by the DTIC which aims to support and anchor the implementation of a re-imagined industry strategy around the reconstruction and recovery plan launched by the President in 2020. We often hear that the future lies in our youth. Lushaba has recently been nominated to chair the Transformation Workstream of the Steel Master Plan, which will allow her to contribute to important work that will make a difference in South Africa.
As promising as this is, trends come and go, and in order to take advantage of these trends, Lushaba says that HR professionals need to know and understand the business and industry in which they operate as well as the global space. It is not
HR fraternity is losing expertise and, unlike skills, that can be learnt, expertise requires time to acquire.
good enough to excel in operational HR functions. To grow in the HR profession, you need to be informed and position yourself as a contributor to organisational strategy.
Additionally, organisations need to prioritise diversity and inclusion and follow through. “The organisation I am currently employed by has adopted a culture that encourages diversity and inclusion. This is channeled through creating a culture of psychological safety which is a sense of security and trust.”
To achieve this there needs to be a shared belief that employees are working in an environment where ideas and opinions are valued, respected, and heard. This encourages employees to speak up and gives room for employees to exercise innovation. Diversity, integrity, and innovation are part of the core SEIFSA values that are put into practice to facilitate diversity and inclusion.
This should be echoed throughout the recruitment process. Attracting the right talent is key. “I believe that all generations from “Baby Boomers” to “Generation Z” desire and seek a purpose-driven organisation, but with Generation Z entering the workforce in their numbers it is important for organisations to have an inclusive environment. For Generation Z, building a “professional brand” and career is of utmost importance as they view themselves as a business. This is a new important factor this generation brings to the workplace.”
If organisations want to attract and retain talent from this generational pool, they need to adjust and adapt and provide a corporate culture that nurtures the needs of this generation.
At SEIFSA, the corporate culture is being adapted to foster the premise that employees see themselves as brands and are in charge of their careers; this positions the organisation to attract and retain talent from Generation Z.
For the next 24 months, HR professionals will be forced to prioritise total well-being. “The Covid-19 pandemic, the constant rise in the cost of living compounded by the electricity crisis has detrimentally affected many individuals’ mental, physical and financial sense of wellbeing.”
The onset of hybrid work as organisations update and revise their hybrid work strategies will redefine the world of work as we know it”
“The ability of organisations to offer hybrid work will increasingly become a good indicator of preferences as far as job seekers are concerned.”
“However the nature of an industry, organisation, and positions will ultimately determine which organisations will be able to transition meaningfully to a more flexible workplace that aids in worklife effectiveness,” concludes Lushaba.
Bulelwa Tom is an HR Professional and a dedicated woman of faith. With 15 years of HR experience across different industries including FMCG, she has a deep passion for leading, coaching, and mentoring future leaders.
Her biggest belief is - each one, grows one. She also advocates for women empowerment and the importance of youth development. We got the opportunity to understand what drives her and why HR.
Q: What drew you to HR?
My career journey is one of inadvertent events. After high school, I had planned to study cost management accounting and when that didn’t go according to plan, I defaulted to HR. This was indeed a life-changing experience and I have found it to be a fulfilling career path since taking the first step.
Q: What sets you apart as an HR professional?
Being a person of faith has enabled me to be deeply rooted in upholding authenticity and integrity as key values. As we continue to observe the everchanging landscape in the world of work, as an HR professional, you are led by the core values in how you show up and execute your role.
Q: What would you like to be remembered for, especially in the HR space?
I would like to be remembered for how I served others and the impact that I’ve had on their growth and development. It is my firm belief that as an HR professional, one should use
their ability to influence and create a positive impact in the career journey of employees.
Q: How are you using your role to positively influence and change the views around HR policies, skills development, and recruitment?
As an HR professional, I have a unique perspective when it comes to understanding the organisational environment which is largely influenced by the depth and level of understanding of the context of how choices affect employees as well as management. Therefore, having the ability to influence decisions for the greater good of the business and its employees is key.
Strategic foresight enables me to propel the business leaders to envision the organisation of the future. My role is to drive transformation by facilitating a positive influence on purpose and culture. I seek to promote a culture of trust, fairness, and inclusion.
HR policies assist in shaping the culture of the organisation, has an impact on employee morale, and aids in positioning the organisation as the employer of choice and the ability to attract and retain talent. Having outlined responsibilities for both employer and employee in the employment relationship helps to shape the narrative and strengthen the views on the importance of such HR policies.
Q: Why is organisational development important?
OD is important and simply put, is to drive organisation effectiveness
in a healthy way. The ever-changing business climate requires leaders to navigate through complexity and facilitate organisational success during these unprecedented times. Therefore, organisational development helps facilitate change in the organisation in a holistic and agile way, while adopting a people-centric approach. At the very core of organisational development is a deep connection between the different levels of systems, structure, processes, and people with the organisation’s ultimate objective to achieve effectiveness. In other words, achieving a highly engaged workforce while maintaining the balance of the social, physical, and mental well-being of its employees.
Q: What steps can HR professionals take to apply succession planning in organisations?
The world of work has significantly evolved, whether influenced by the digital revolution, millennials experiencing jobs as projects and wanting to move on to the next project quickly, or the growing gig economy, this has now become the new reality in the talent landscape. HR acts as a facilitator and architect and supports businesses to manage uncertainty through agile, fluid, and systematic integrated succession planning approaches. HR helps the organisation to set up the transfer of knowledge of leaders at all levels, set up high performers for success, and key talent for the readiness of critical roles.
Q: What is HRIS and what are its benefits?
Human Resources Information
System (HRIS) is a system that enables organisations to manage and automate core HR functions for the seamless administering of employee administration processes. The benefits of HRIS in my view is streamlined (ready-to-use) information in an advanced manner that allows colleagues to use AI for their needs and the needs of the business. The evolution of HRIS allows the HR function to play its role in sustainability e.g. traditional administrative tasks are facilitated manually to paperless and making the employee life cycle an enjoyable journey.
Q: Do you think that Covid has changed the HR landscape; and what changes have you seen and are they positive changes?
Completely. The pandemic brought disruptive evolution in the ways of working and HR is at the heart of that transformation. We experienced an accelerated cultural transformation in the workplace, from remote working to virtual engagements and connections. The role of HR has become significantly important, by playing an active and influential role in health and safety, as well as the introduction of remote working and its influence on shaping the culture and day-to-day operations. Furthermore, heightens the focus on employee engagement, well-being, and communication.
Q: Where do you see HR in the next 12-24 months and do you think that enough is being done to improve the HR fraternity?
Today’s workforce has significantly
As an HR professional, one should use their ability to influence and create a positive impact in the career journey of employees.
evolved and this has been largely influenced by employees wanting to experience the world of work differently. Employees’ expectations will challenge HR as they seek to be part of organisations that value employee well-being, growth, development, and engagement. More and more organisations continue to be on a journey of reinvention as part of the strategy to survive and remain competitive, therefore, this will enable HR to lead organisational development and design that will redefine organisational flexibility and agility. The role of HR will be to prepare and lead organisations by providing people with analytics-based insights to drive business impact.
Q: What have you implemented at Mondelēz International that will benefit staff as a whole in the long term?
Mondelēz International is indeed a Top Employer and certainly my employer of choice. Mondelēz has provided me with the opportunity to be part of the global network and connect and learn from colleagues across different continents as I continue to be on my learning journey.
Q: What is the company culture at Mondelēz International?
The culture at Mondelēz is truly people-centric and underpinned by core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Mondelēz not only leads but walks the talk. Employee well-being and demonstrating care, employee development, and employee engagement are at the very core of our business.
Q: How are you using your role to help create an inclusive environment?
Creating an inclusive environment is a key recipe for a business to
achieve its competitive advantage. As part of empowering employees to experience a sense of purpose and belonging, inclusion is vital. As an HR professional, I play an influential role in driving inclusive culture by ensuring that effective strategies are integrated into people practices. From hiring decisions to devising inventive ways of addressing workplace bias, I continuously act as a change catalyst in driving DEI efforts.
Q: What initiatives have you put in place to create and promote a healthy worklife balance for Mondelēz International employees?
Currently, we are exploring opportunities in our manufacturing environment on how we can best support working mothers, for example by providing a private room for nursing mothers to express during their shifts. This initiative will truly support all women in the workplace, especially, working mothers, who often work shift patterns. Watch this space.
Q: What do you think HR professionals need to unlearn in order to better the HR fraternity?
Unlearning in order to learn requires a paradigm shift for us as HR professionals in order to successfully drive agility in the organisation. The world of work is becoming increasingly volatile and organisations are gearing towards easily adapting business conditions to remain competitive. There’s a much-needed shift for standard structures and HR roles to be redesigned fit-for-purpose HR structures that are flexible to offer a more collaborative network that connects with the business.
Q: How are you giving back to the HR fraternity?
Considering my years of experience within the HR fraternity, I have a lot to offer and have made it my personal mission to get involved more. Currently, I continue to mentor undergraduate students that have reached out through my various networks.
The food and beverage manufacturing sector turned over R185 billion for the third quarter of 2022, and it is one of the highest contributors to GDP in the manufacturing industry. It primarily consists of small companies (87%) and some large and medium well-known employers according to our 2022 levy-paying database.
The sector employs almost 190 000 people, about 59% of them are males according to the 2022 Workplace Skills Plan. The FoodBev Manufacturing SETA promotes and incentivises skills development in this sector of the SA economy, and one of our priorities must be to make better progress with transformation.
However, the food and beverage manufacturing sector faces internal and external pressures which include global competitiveness, health and nutrition, technological advancements, climate change, and food safety. The most significant challenge is technological change. For example, a rising trend is digital twin technology which is used to create a virtual replication of a factory facilitating more effective production, system testing, and maintenance.
These factors, and others such as ongoing load-shedding, the increase in the fuel price, and skills shortages have forced businesses to change the way they operate. What is evident is that technological advancements mean that the SETA needs to reskill and upskill the workforce in the food and beverage manufacturing sector.
One of the ways we are preparing for the future world of work is through the partnership with the BRICS Business Council. The partnership supports two projects - the BRICS Future Skills Challenge and The Atlas of Emerging Jobs for the sector, that prepare BRICS youth of member countries for future jobs. Competing on international platforms like this benefits the South African industry, as it ensures exposure to global skills and processes which may not be available here. Last year the challenge was hosted by China.
The South African team in 2022 comprised 240 applicants across 17 skill areas who are aged between 16 and 35. Young people from BRICS countries with skills in robotic process automation, mobile app development, data science, digital factory, cyber security, and many other skills took part as individuals or teams in an online hackathon.
Participants are trained and exposed to real-world case studies where they solve problems in their specific skills area and design a solution with the support of experts. For example, the digital twin team had to design and optimise a virtual factory using digital twin software.
SETA sponsored this year’s BRICS Skills Challenge in a bid to get a better understanding of the future of our sector, as well as which challenges must be addressed and the necessary steps we need to take to build this future. The next step
is to prioritise skills development by clarifying what kind of changes are needed to prepare our existing professions for the future and crucially, what this means for education and training.
The gap between educational system supply and labour market demand leads to significant imbalances in the economy. We are preparing for the future of our sector via the Skills Technology Foresight workshop, which focuses on new professions that didn’t or don’t exist as well as those that face significant change.
This process allows us to identify future skill needs in the context of technological innovation and modernisation. This process has been successfully used in countries like Tunisia, Vietnam, Tanzania, Russia, Kazakhstan, and others.
Participants build a shared vision of the sector’s future, taking into account technological, political, and social changes. The first day of the workshop creates a future vision that helps us to understand what the future of the sector will look like and unpacks which challenges need to be addressed and what steps are needed to build this future. During the second day, participants focus on skills to predict how the future will change existing professions and what it means for education and training.
After these two days, a report is prepared containing key findings of the workshop and recommendations for education and training processes.
This will build on the FoodBev Manufacturing SETA Sector Skills Plan which has already shown that we must:
• Address skills shortages
• Transform the sector
• Increase innovation
• Plug skills gaps
• Offer career guidance and
• Support national priorities and plans.
The FoodBev SETA is determined to identify where South Africa is lagging in our industry and where we need to place resources and attention to address these issues. By undertaking these priorities, the SETA is working to ensure that those in the food and beverage manufacturing sector are able to grow and progress to flourish and meet the future with confidence.
The top 10 current hard-to-fill jobs in the FoodBev sector
• Food and beverage factory worker
• Millwright
• Finance manager
• Butcher
• Packaging manufacturing machine minder
• Food and beverage technician
• Manufacturing operations manager
• Commercial sales representative
• Production/operations supervisor (manufacturing)
• Winemaker
If we do not address future skills needs, the list of hard-to-fill jobs will continue to grow.
content to simply tick the boxes, but for those of us that truly believe that transformation is a strategy for the future, that can unlock value over the long term, a different approach is required.
As a country with such a difficult past, it’s incumbent on companies to create a culturally diverse and inclusive environment in which people can thrive. Moreover, it’s also critical to be in tune with the global movements for social change, especially those that heightened in 2020 – including civil rights, black lives, and feministliberation efforts. Using those to mirror our local efforts, I would implore my industry counterparts to be dedicated to meaningful change in our society, our businesses, and our places of employment, including through discussion and debates around inclusion and diversity.
For example, at bp Southern Africa (bpSA), we see transformation as a sound business approach that will underpin our growth strategy. We have been operational in South Africa since the 1920s, and so we see ourselves as South African to the core. That’s why we were one of the first oil companies to put together a deal that included black South Africans into the ownership structure—bpSA is today 25% black-owned in line with the BEE code applicable to our sector.
For many years now corporates have been speaking about transformation, particularly around diversity and inclusion, but it’s probably safe to say that we all still have a long way to go when it comes to implementation. According to the recent Sanlam Gauge Report,
independent research taking a holistic measurement of economic transformation in SA, South African businesses are not meeting their B-BBEE scorecard targets, collectively achieving only an average of 87.16% of their contribution targets.
Of course, there are those who are
As we transition from being an oil company to an integrated energy company, we continue to be presented with opportunities to fuel the shift in our business model to reflect our commitment to transformation. I can honestly say that we are committed to creating a company with a totally renewed
ethos, reflected in a greatly altered value chain.
The question we must always ask ourselves in assessing our progress is how our transformation work is felt and received by our stakeholders. It is not enough to say, “we are transforming”, or to limit our progress to the pillars of the B-BBEE scorecard targets, critical as that is as an accountability tool. At bpSA we look beyond compliance with the BEE Codes, aspiring to make ours a truly inclusive South African company.
At its heart, transformation –especially in South Africa – is about justice. This is what we are committed to – doing our part to ensure justice and equity. Everything we do, as an organisation, to transform ourselves, our communities, and our country, is tied back to advancing the ideals of the constitution.
If you look back, the Covid-19 pandemic brought into sharp focus the inequalities that remain in our society and business at large. Many businesses were without support, with a large number folding as they could not sustain themselves. We are acutely aware of the role of corporates, such as bpSA, to support SMMEs as we continue to take steps towards a more transformed society.
That being said, the socio-economic effects of the pandemic are likely to persist for some time to come and so our focus is on how we can contribute most effectively to the country’s economic recovery and future growth.
As early as 2005, we formed Masana Petroleum Solutions, which is 60.5%
black-owned, to be the interface between bpSA and its business customers. It has subsequently become a material player in the energy ecosystem.
In 2015, we took further action to introduce new players into the energy sector by selling off some of our critical infrastructure to new entities to make space for black-owned companies to play a bigger role in the energy sector. By the following year, our pipeline terminals at Langlaagte and Klerksdorp had been sold to Royale Energy, a black-owned petroleum company. These terminals are on the main Transnet pipeline and thus allow Royale to import petroleum on its own account and optimise it at the inland refineries.
A similar transaction saw the sale of our East London terminal in 2022 to WASAA Group, a black-female-owned company.
We have also facilitated the entry of black-owned companies elsewhere into the value chain; for example, by helping Kepu Trading obtain berthing access and capacity allocation.
We continue to access these facilities on a long-term basis, ensuring the viability of the new entrants.
There are pockets of opportunity to redress some of the imbalances of the past across the value chain –including upwards towards suppliers. At bpSA, we are constantly developing solutions to support the advancement of suppliers, so that they meet our corporate requirements and can compete on equal terms. Through our supplier development initiatives, we
have increased the pool of B-BBEE suppliers in our value chain by creating opportunities for new black small medium-sized enterprises to be part of the industry.
I could go on, but the point I want to make is that transformation, true transformation, requires you to look beyond your company to its value chain, and to consider helping to create what are in effect new partners—and even potential competitors. It’s a significant mindset change, but in the long run, we believe it will make our company and its supporting ecosystem stronger and more resilient.
Looking ahead, we must also always ask ourselves what more we can do. In truth, there is so much still to be done.
Looking at some of the challenges before us, like the growing worldwide demand for energy, as leaders, it is imperative that we prioritise building a diverse and inclusive energy value chain. This means taking intentional steps to create opportunities for underrepresented groups in the energy sector, including women and black people. We must work to develop a social compact that promotes equal access to opportunities in the energy industry. In doing so, we can build a more resilient and sustainable energy sector that reflects the diversity of the communities it serves. I also call upon leaders in other industries to fast-track their efforts to prioritise transformation. The benefits of a diverse workforce extend far beyond the workplace, creating a more equitable and just society for all. Let us work together to build a more inclusive future.
Transformation – genuine transformation –is a long-term project that needs both vision and courage. It also requires strong nerves.
ALINDA NORTJE, FOUNDER AND CEO OF FREE TO GROW
Every employee who is at work and fulfilling their job responsibilities is on board physically. But not every employee who is on board physically is on board mentally and emotionally.
Getting employees on board mentally and emotionally involves engaging them on a deeper level, beyond just putting in their time. This is what employee engagement is about.
The key to this concept lies in the root of the word ‘engagement’, which is the French word for ‘to pledge yourself.’ When employees
are engaged, they pledge themselves to their work and the organisation. They are emotionally invested and this inspires them to work with commitment and enthusiasm.
It is easy to be engaged when your job is in itself stimulating. But when it is monotonous and repetitive and when you have little autonomy and decision-making authority, you tend to put in your time, but not your full effort - just to put food on the table.
This is why engaging shopfloor employees is particularly challenging, and why employees at this level are almost always the lowest-scoring category of workers
in engagement surveys.
Through 29 years of working in more than 1,450 organisations and 36 countries, I have experienced that there are mainly three keys to engaging shopfloor employees. And that organisations that get this right, tap into a huge amount of hidden potential that others can just dream of. They get discretionary effort from their people.
Because of the lack of opportunities most shopfloor employees have encountered in their lives and the
harshness of their daily living conditions, their Psychological Capital (PsyCap) is often low. They tend to focus first on what is wrong, instead of what is right, what’s not possible, instead of what is, and on what’s lost, instead of what’s left. If we want to transform the culture in the organistion from a compliance one to a commitment one, we first need to transform the ‘inner culture’ in our people. We need to strengthen hope, optimism, efficacy, resilience, and ownership through focused learning experiences that deeply touch how they view themselves and the world.
When we help shopfloor employees see how the African proverb ‘If we want to cow to give us milk, we need to feed it grass” relates to their work, their attitude, and behaviour change almost instantly. We can achieve this by continuously communicating the 4 P’s:
1. PURPOSE: No one wants to do pointless work. If we spend more of our awake time at work than with our loved ones, we need to know what we are contributing to. Why does this organisation exist? What gap/ need are we filling?
2. PICTURE: If we are building a puzzle, we need to know what the picture on the box top looks like. What are we trying to achieve and why is it important? What does ‘good’ look like?
3. PLAN: How do we plan to achieve success? What are the reasons for changes that are implemented?
4. PART: What is the part we (our team) and I individually play? How can we best contribute?
Leaders shape culture. Frontline Managers and supervisors are critically important in creating a work environment where shopfloor employees feel valued, cared for, and inspired to do and bring their best. Without strong leadership at this level, trying to engage shopfloor employees will be like trying to fill a bucket with holes. Strong frontline leadership lights a
fire within people, so it is no longer needed to make a fire beneath them.
Employee Engagement is a twoperson dance. Leaders ‘lead the dance’. They need to have the desire, skills, and tools to invite their people to dance the dance, help them understand the music and make sure they know the steps, appreciate the effort, and recognise great performance.
Shopfloor employees need to move away from being passive dancing partners being dragged along the dance floor. They should ‘get’ the dance and take pride in getting their steps right, without shifting blame.
If we can dance like this, we can indeed create organisations that win in the marketplace and the workplace.
When employees are engaged, they pledge themselves to their work and the organisation.
as marketing, customer service, and product development. The digital twin is created by collecting data about the customer, such as their demographics, purchasing history, and online behavior.
This data is then used to create a detailed profile of the customer, which can be used to better understand their needs and preferences.
One of the main benefits of a digital twin is that it allows companies to personalise their interactions with customers. For example, a retailer can use a digital twin to recommend products that are likely to be of interest to a particular customer, or a bank can use a digital twin to identify customers who are at risk of defaulting on a loan. Another benefit of a digital twin is that it can be used to improve customer service.
For years, I have been jealous of how sales and marketing teams use data to understand their customer better.
By optimising the data they gather, they used their understanding of consumer behaviour to maximise business outputs (such as revenue) by tailoring products and/or
marketing campaigns through personalization.
Big data and the Internet of Things (IoT) are getting better and better at creating Digital Twins of Customers. A digital twin of a customer is a virtual representation of a real-life customer that can be used for a variety of purposes, such
For example, a digital twin can be used to predict when a customer is likely to need assistance and to route them to the appropriate customer service representative. In addition to these benefits, a digital twin can also be used to improve product development. For example, a car manufacturer can use a digital twin to simulate how a particular customer will interact with a new car model and to identify potential issues before the car is built.
Now let’s get back to the source of my envy. HR departments sit on so much employee data, but we were never able to optimise the use of this data. I felt jealous because, for many years, I was unable to do
what my colleagues in sales and marketing could do – create digital twins of people.
But with advanced People Analytics, this is about to change. There is no doubt that HR has more data about an individual (an employee) than sales and marketing teams have (customers). In HR, we have an employees CV and personality data (gathered via recruitment), full employment history with us (via payroll) which tells us where the employee lives, if they are married, how many dependants they have, and even how much leave they have taken and for what reasons.
Additionally, we have performance data, training data,
and employee listening data (engagement). In fact, we have so much data that sales and marketing teams should be jealous of the richness of individual data we have.
Through advanced People Analytics, we can create Digital Twins of Employees (DToE). By using individual data, we can create virtual representations of employees and use it to understand their needs and preferences. Through DToEs, we can personalize the employee experience throughout the employee life cycle. HR can predict future employee behaviour and adjust engagement around that. For example, we can predict which employees are at risk of leaving the company and engage
with them proactively.
We can develop or amend HR policies like rewards and benefits, training, and succession planning around actual individual needs and interests and move away from the one-size-fits-all approach we normally follow.
In the same way, Digital Twins of Customers can cultivate customer loyalty and spend, so can our Digital Twin of Employees be used to cultivate engagement, loyalty, and productivity. Overall, a DToE is a powerful tool that can be used to improve the employee experience, increase productivity, and reduce HR costs by focusing on interventions that will guarantee a higher ROI.
HR departments sit on so much employee data, but we were never able to optimise the use of this data.
of particular groups. In this scenario, in certain provinces at certain levels, the targets seem to indicate that there should be no representation of Coloureds and Indians. This is incorrect.
In a Media Statement on 16 May 2023, the Department of Employment and Labour indicated the following to correct the misconception: “…those employers that have surpassed the regulated minimum targets proposed per sector, are encouraged to still be proactive in setting EE targets towards achieving the demographics of the EAP.”
This is in line with the fact that the Amendments have simply added Sectoral Targets as objectives towards which companies need to work, but that the EAP Objectives remain intact as the ultimate benchmark. Section 42(1) (a) still reads (as it has since the Act’s inception in 1998):
Since President Ramaphosa signed the Employment Equity Amendment Bill into law on 12 April 2023, there has been significant commentaryfrom positive to strongly negative - on the impact the amendments may have. Much of it has referred to BEE changes when there have not been any amendments in terms of BEE. Treating Employment Equity and Black Economic Empowerment as the same thing has caused significant confusion in the market.
Likewise, with the Gazetting of the Draft Sectors and Draft Sectoral Targets by the Minister of Labour on 12 May 2023 to set some of the new provisions in motion, there has been a strong reaction from different corners of the
market with a variety of interpretations of how the Draft Sectoral Targets should be interpreted.
Kicking off with the burning platform of Sectoral Targets, it’s time to dispel the myths in terms of how these targets should be treated.
One of the first questions which arose very shortly after gazetting, is that the Sector Target percentages do not add to 100%. As an example, the Draft National Senior Management Targets for the ‘Human Health and Social Work Activities’ Sector add to 68% between Africans, Coloureds, Indians, and Whites. The question is then what we should do with the residual 32%?
One of the interpretations is that the Sectoral Targets should be viewed as the maximum allowable representation
“In determining whether a designated employer is implementing employment equity in compliance with this Act, the Director-General or any person or body applying this Act may … take the following into account: The extent to which suitably qualified people from and amongst the different designated groups are equitably represented within each occupational level in that employer’s workforce concerning the demographic profile of the National and Regional Economically Active Population.”
Therefore, once the Final Sectoral Targets have been gazetted, employers will need to develop Employment Equity Plans with targets that will meet those targets over 5 years. The Sectoral Targets should be treated as the minimum interim objectives on the
road to ultimately meeting the EAP Targets – the EE Plan Targets should aim for somewhere between the Sectoral Targets and the EAP Targets.
Continue to aim for the EAP demographics and you will meet the Sectoral Targets.
On to the second issue: Where does that leave us regarding the BEE Management Control Targets?
These remain intact. So for example, based on the latest EAP Targets (from the 22nd Commission for Employment Equity Report), to score full points for Senior Management, a Measured Entity needs to have a 60% alignment with EAP. The final result, after having calculated the Adjusted National EAP
(which excludes the White portion of EAP) would be a BEE target of 28,68% to score full points on the Senior Management line item. This methodology has been in place since the amendment of the BEE Codes in 2013. The gazetting of the Employment Equity Sectoral Targets has no bearing on this, considering that the 60% alignment target is still based on the full EAP Targets, and not on any Sectoral Target.
It is important to understand a particular distinction between Employment Equity and BEE legislation. The Employment Equity Act has had and will continue to have, a punitive measure in the form of fines should a company fail to comply, including complying with the Sectoral
Targets. BEE, on the other hand, is not a compliance issue. Points are awarded for meeting certain targets and the overall BEE level attained for Ownership, Management Control, Skills Development, Enterprise and Supplier Development and Socioeconomic Development has an impact on a company’s ability to attract and retain Clients. This pressure comes from clients, not from the government.
Once we have Final Sectoral Targets, these will be interim targets to move companies closer to EAP alignment, which is the ultimate benchmark. Therefore, should a company aim for alignment with EAP, it will also meet the lower Sectoral and BEE Management Control Targets. EAP is still, and will continue to be, victorious.
Continue to aim for the EAP demographics and you will meet the Sectoral Targets.
The famous quote by Peter Drucker - “Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” implies that the bestdesigned strategy will fall flat if the culture within an organisation is not defined. In other words, our people matter!
There is a reason why ‘doing it for the culture’ has become such a powerful rallying cry in the hip-hop community. It’s the same reason South Africa has intentionally designated 24 September as a celebration of culture. The power of culture is undeniable. Without it, we lose our sense of collective identity and the foundation from which we can affect positive change in our world, starting with our communities.
Culture encompasses a way of life for a group of people, derived from specific or encouraged attitudes, and a set of beliefs and values. Culture is a determinant factor in many aspects that define our human experience, such as our economy, theology, cuisine, and artistic expression. Our places of work are part of that experience, and we have seen in some of the biggest business scandals over the years, a bad workplace culture can have a detrimental effect on productivity, ethics, and profitability.
New York Times best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell, whose works include Outliers and The Tipping Point, caused quite a stir in the latter part of 2022 when he remarked in a podcast that remote work was
hurting society. He explained that people needed a sense of belonging and physical connection. As social beings, this is an intrinsic factor for the human race. In Gladwell’s reference to workplace culture, he felt it was hard to sustain workplace culture with remote work. But is culture only present when people are gathered in the office? This was one of the conundrums that the COVID-19 pandemic presented to human capital professionals such as myself.
I do not completely agree with the Gladwell statement because one could also argue that an organisation’s culture is laid bare once employees are removed from constant physical monitoring. It’s similar to raising a child and hoping that when that child leaves your parental supervision, the values you taught them are strong enough to hold water. The view to be adopted should be more on the deliberate connectedness required to cultivate an inclusive culture and at the same time create psychological safety for employees to thrive.
The pandemic and its aftermath provided an interesting opportunity to see organisational culture in action. Employees who truly believed in, and lived, the values of the organisation would continue upholding these even when working from home. If your organisation promotes a culture of fear or non-transparency, this won’t change because people work from home. The pandemic tested the culture of many organisations and gave human capital a front-row seat to see it in action.
Interestingly, one of the major trends emerging from the pandemic
was ‘The Great Resignation’; a term coined in 2021 when record numbers of employees voluntarily resigned from their jobs. It hit the United States the hardest with a record of 47 million resignations from the beginning of the pandemic. In a survey conducted by the US-based think tank, Pew Research Center, which examined reasons behind The Great Resignation, some of the top reasons were: low pay, a lack of opportunities for advancement, and feeling disrespected at work.
The Great Resignation directly challenged the key pillars of workplace culture: fair pay, career growth, and the way employees treated one another. Many companies were called out for having a toxic culture. It also revealed the importance of a healthy workplace culture plays in talent retention.
The pandemic was an opportunity for human capital to pay close attention to the needs of employees and embrace the “whole” employee inclusive of well-being; wellness and burnout, and to test whether the value system in place was working. As a result, it presented an opportunity to co-create a far more fitting and inclusive culture for the post-pandemic world of work. This includes physical wellness; psychosocial Wellness; organizational Wellness and work-life balance.
One of the longest-standing and most common cultural collisions occurs in the generational gap. Whether it is the old guard vs the new guard, the boomers vs
the millennials, or millennials vs Gen Z, people, and our culture are constantly evolving and organisations are expected to follow suit. A key point here is to remove the “vs” and take an approach of integrating the generational gaps through understanding what diversity and inclusion is all about for your organisation. A cookie-cutter approach is traditional and irrelevant in the new world of work.
There is an expectation that issues such as sexual harassment, sexism, racism, unconscious bias, and other sensitive issues are treated in a much more meaningful way than they were in the past. This is a progressive step for our society, however, it means human capital professionals have to ensure the cultures they are building are agile and inclusive and educate employees appropriately and adequately.
The higher expectations also apply to the heritage of a company and can set the tone for the culture inside the organisation as well. In 2021, PepsiCo retired its Aunt Jemima pancake mixing brand and renamed it Pearl Milling Company. The company had been criticised for years for using caricatures of black women and promoting racist stereotypes through its main character. The concerted effort to right a wrong probably made employees of PepsiCo prouder of their organisation and showed that the values it expected its employees to espouse had to be adopted within the leadership of the organisation itself.
I am very proud of where I work. I work at a company where our bank was started by black entrepreneurs who were excluded from the mainstream economy and decided to create their own solutions. They started a bank with just R70. That level of audacity to believe and creativity is something we try to embody every day in our organisation. Our employees, at every level, have taken our values
and our heritage to heart. That hasn’t happened by accident. It has taken years of continuous reinforcement of our company workplace culture through communications that espouse our values, and an employee value proposition, which is referred to as “our people promise”, that elevates their sense of belonging. We value transparent communication and honesty, even if it opens us up to criticism. The feedback from employees is something companies often try to shy away from, and yet it is virtually impossible to build an effective workplace culture without it. we say that a bank is a bank until you join the organisation which is a bank of movement makers. The unique African commitment of “I am because we are” and stewardship that focuses on others, the community, and our society at large.
We obviously cannot hope for another pandemic to test the effectiveness of culture.
One way to measure that you are on the right track is to open yourself up to judgment by external parties. A Top Employer certification requires the Top Employer Institute to engage
with your people practices and processes and provide you with an assessment. It is a rigorous process and we welcomed the opportunity to benchmark our existing processes and find solutions for the areas in which we were lacking. The result has been a Top Employer certification for the past two years. It is an achievement that fills us with immense pride.
Around the world, as companies set their sights on increased profitability and ever more challenging strategic targets, the war for talent has intensified. We believe that, with the fit-for-purpose workplace culture, we can not only retain our top talent but attract others from competitor institutions. The greatest ambassadors for your workplace culture are the very employees who help to bring it to life. For them to espouse the benefits of your culture to others, means that the values of your organisation resonate with them. That happens when employees feel they are a part of the evolution of your culture, that their voices are heard, and that their contribution matters. That happens when your workplace feels like home. And, that’s what organisational culture is supposed to give: a sense of belonging.
Reaching our 78th anniversary demonstrates our staying power and richness in experience and pedigree that can compete with the best.
It is no mean feat.
We are thankful that those who established the organisation laid a strong foundation and articulated a clear vision and mission for it. We have them to thank for our strong and well-known brand that is recognised and admired worldwide.
Over these 78 years, it has not been plain sailing. From the mid-80s to the early 2000s it was tough times. However, these times have not relented, especially in a COVID era. However, 78 years of IPM giving direction to HR and people management practice in the country and beyond is a milestone deserving of acknowledgment and celebration.
We celebrate it and are grateful to all those who have gone before us. We celebrate knowing that the landscape has changed and is vastly different from what it was when IPM started. We accept that work and the world work is changing at a far more rapid pace than it did over last half century. This milestone fills us with pride. It makes us realise that no matter how tough the times or era is, resilience is always possible.
With that said we would like to thank you for being one of the IPM members and supporters that have walked the journey with us. Together we are building a platform that seeks to empower, support, shape and grow the HR industry. This is a platform that encourages you to network, collaborate, learn, unlearn, grow and give of your experience to the profession.
As we celebrate this milestone, we encourage everyone who has ever done business with IPM, winners of Excellence Awards who are by right our ambassadors, IPM stalwarts, and retired and semi-retired members to contact us. We want to celebrate you and the role you played in getting us to where we are today. Without you we would not have travelled this far. We want you back in the fold.
Please continue to help us grow by sharing our blog pieces and our alternate monthly digital publication, People Dynamics with friends, family, and colleagues.
Here is to another 78 years of IPM and building a robust and effective HR and people management profession.
Cheers!!!!
add these leadership books to your reading list. Leadership entails much more, such as leading with intention. Aligning the team’s values and beliefs with the organisation’s aims and objectives means leading purposefully. It entails fostering change that is significant, growthoriented, and development-oriented. This post will discuss leading with a purpose and bringing about real change.
1. Recognise Your Goal
Understanding your leadership purpose is the first step in leading with purpose. Why do you want to be a leader? What are your own mission, values, and beliefs? You can better match your individual aims and aspirations with the organisation’s ones by being aware of your mission. Additionally, it will assist you in developing a future vision and motivate your staff to pursue it.
2. Make Your Goal Clear
Any organisation that wants to succeed must have strong leadership. For their teams to achieve their goals and objectives, leaders are
essential. But being a leader is more than assigning duties and monitoring performance.
If you’re looking to enhance your leadership skills, don’t forget to
It is crucial to let your team know your purpose as soon as you have determined it. Describe your vision and how it ties in with the aims and objectives of the company. Share your values and views and how they influence your choices. You’ll accomplish this by inspiring your team to strive for the organisation’s goals and objectives and fostering a shared purpose. If your goal is to achieve higher SERP rankings, you can hire a link-building services agency to achieve the goal. But don’t forget to discuss your plans with your team, and never hesitate to include their
feedback in your plans.
3. Set A Good Example
Setting a good example is part of effective leadership. You must establish the culture of the company as a leader. You must act and think in a way that is consistent with the organisation’s values and principles. For instance, if your company emphasises open communication with your team, you must do the same. If the company promotes teamwork, you must promote cooperation and allow employees to collaborate. Leading by example will encourage your team to do the same and generate a culture encouraging development, progress, and significant change.
4. Strengthen Your Team
You must empower your staff if you want to make real change. It allows people to decide for themselves, take calculated risks, and learn from their errors. Giving your staff more freedom will foster an innovative and creative work atmosphere. It will also promote a sense of accountability, responsibility, and ownership. If they feel empowered, your team will be more motivated, engaged, and committed to attaining the organisation’s goals and objectives.
5. Promote Inclusion And Diversity
A culture that promotes development, growth, and substantial change must include diversity and inclusiveness. You
must promote inclusiveness and diversity on your team as a leader. To do this, you must allow people with various backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints to collaborate. It also fosters a welcoming workplace where the leader treats everyone with respect and gratitude. When you appreciate and include them, your staff will be more engaged, driven, and dedicated to attaining the organisation’s objectives and goals.
6. Establish A Culture Of Education
Making significant change requires developing a culture of learning. You must motivate your team to develop as a leader. It entails giving them chances for education, growth, and mentoring. It also entails fostering an environment where everyone learns to grow from their errors and pursue excellence. Your team will be happier, more involved, and committed to accomplishing the organisation’s goals and objectives if they feel supported in their learning and development.
7. Encourage Innovation And Creativity
Another critical tactic for leading with purpose is fostering innovation and creativity. Leaders who inspire their team to think creatively, take calculated risks, and question the status quo will develop a culture that promotes innovation and growth. To foster creativity and
innovation, you must establish an environment where you encourage people to collaborate, try out novel ideas, and learn from mistakes.
8. Celebrate Achievement
A culture that encourages development, progress, and substantive change must recognise and celebrate success. You must acknowledge and value the accomplishments of your team as a leader. Celebrate significant occasions, honor individual and group accomplishments, and appreciate commitment and effort. Celebrating victory will boost motivation, pride, and feelings of accomplishment. It will also motivate your team to keep putting forth the effort to meet the organisation’s goals and objectives.
Leading with a purpose is crucial to bringing about real change. You must employ all of the tactics mentioned above to lead with intention. With these techniques, you can construct a culture that encourages advancement, progress, and substantial change. It is your duty as a leader to motivate your staff to contribute to attaining the aims and purposes of the company. Creating a culture of invention and creativity, a shared sense of purpose, and a team that is driven, engaged, and dedicated to success are all outcomes of leading with purpose. By putting these tactics into practice, you will be well on your way to building a successful business that has a tangible impact on the world.
Understanding your leadership purpose is the first step in leading with purpose.
Working mothers bring unique perspectives and skills to the workplace, which can help to improve productivity and innovation. Employers who provide flexible working arrangements and support for working moms are more likely to
attract and retain talented female employees, which not only improves overall workplace morale but also helps create a supportive workplace culture.
A working mom’s biggest challenge is balancing career and family responsibilities. Many have to juggle
their work responsibilities with caring for their children and managing their households. This can be daunting, especially for single mothers or people without access to help from their extended families. Policies and procedures at work also pose greater difficulties. Some employers don’t
offer enough help for breastfeeding mothers or maternity leave benefits, which makes it challenging for moms to combine their obligations to their families and their jobs, particularly in the first few months after giving birth.
At Medshield, we do our best to support not only our working moms but also our members. Medshield’s moms-to-be should review their chosen benefit option’s hospital network on www.medshield.co.za and their maternity benefits as per their benefit guides. Benefits are offered during pregnancy, at birth, and after birth and are subject to pre-authorisation with the relevant Managed Healthcare Programme before hospital admission.
PremiumPlus, MediBonus, MediSaver, MediPlus Prime, and MediPlus Compact all offer 12 antenatal consultations per pregnancy, eight visits to antenatal classes, two 2D scans per pregnancy, 1 Amniocentesis test per pregnancy, unlimited in-hospital confinement, and eight visits to a midwife with up to 200% private rates coverage for
registered midwives. The MediCore, MediValue Prime, MediValue Compact, MediPhila, MediSwift, and MediCurve options offer many of the same benefits but with fewer antenatal visits and a lower premium contribution. The complete benefit guides for each Medshield plan (benefit option) are also available on the Medshield website at https:// medshield.co.za/2023-benefitoptions/. Medshield continuously focuses on unlocking extra valueadded services to our members to provide Medshield’s expectant mommies with peace of mind. They know they will receive the best possible care and support throughout their pregnancy journey, from the first visit until after their beautiful bundle of joy is born! Medshield MOM is an additional, free-to-join programme available for all moms who simply need to register online to gain access to a host of educational information. Medshield MOM assists women on their journey to motherhood through all the various stages of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Medshield parents and parents-to-be are also reminded of the pregnancy-related
benefits they enjoy as Medshield members. The website, www. medshieldmom.co.za, is an easyto-use online resource to access a hub of important content related to health, fitness, nutrition, the body, motherhood, babies, toddlers, and more, all suited to the pre-and postpartum phases.
Working moms are often the primary caregivers for their families. If they are supported with medical benefits, they will be healthy and are less likely to take time off work to care for themselves or their dependents. This can lead to increased productivity and less disruption in the workplace. Medical schemes can help retain female talent in the workforce by providing medical benefits that support working moms. This is especially important as more women are entering the workforce and advancing. Overall, supporting working moms with tailored medical benefits is not only good for their health and well-being but also for their families, employers, and society.
Sections 16, 17, and 18 outline the duty to consult with employees. For this purpose, a Forum must be established with a membership that includes representatives of recognised trade unions and nominated staff representatives from all EE levels. The role of the Forum is to assist in the analysis of a Designated Employer’s current situation (section 19 that follows). It provides a platform for consultation on the Designated Employer’s EE Plan (section 20 that follows), and the EE Report (section 21 that follows).
• During an inspection, a Designated Employer must provide proof of the consultation which must incorporate the nomination process and the minutes of meetings occurring at least quarterly. Section 19 obligates a Designated Employer to:
• Identify any barriers in policies, procedures, or practices which may adversely impact Designated Groups, namely African, Coloured, and Indian People, as well as women and persons with disabilities, both of which include White People;
• Identify Affirmative Action measures to overcome any barriers identified;
According to the Employment Equity Act No. 55 of 1998, as Amended (EEA), if an organisation fits the definition of a ‘Designated Employer’, it is obligated to perform the duties outlined in sections 16 through to 26 of the Act. Failure to do this puts a Designated Employer at risk of having a fine imposed according to Schedule 1 of the EEA. Fines can range between
R1,5m and 10% of an organisation’s turnover, depending on the type and number of contraventions.
The EEA defines a Designated Employer as an organisation with 50 or more employees.
During an inspection, the DoEL will assess whether a Designated Employer complies with the following duties in line with the EEA requirements:
• Ascertain the degree of alignment of its employee profile across each EE level with the most recently published Economically Active Population (EAP) statistics and any Sectoral Targets gazetted by the Department of Employment and Labour. A Designated Employer must record the results of the analysis on the EEA12 template. (The EEA12 must be available if
• requested during an inspection.) Section 20 stipulates that a Designated Employer must develop an EE Plan to address any barriers and under-representation of specific groups identified during the analysis required in section 19. An EE Plan guides transformation and should follow the format of the EEA13 template as a minimum requirement, as follows:
requested during an inspection.) Section 20 stipulates that a Designated Employer must develop an EE Plan to address any barriers and under-representation of specific groups identified during the analysis required in section 19. An EE Plan guides transformation and should follow the format of the EEA13 template as a minimum requirement, as follows:
• The duration of the EE Plan must be between one and five years and include the barrier analysis and Affirmative Action measures. It must indicate the time frames and the positions of the employees responsible for implementing the measures.
• A Designated Employer must set numerical goals and targets to include the aspirational racial, gender, and disability profile per EE level for each year and must indicate strategies to achieve these goals and targets.
• An EE Plan must include the process to monitor achievements against the objectives as outlined in the plan.
• Furthermore, a transparent process is required to resolve disputes arising from the interpretation and implementation of the EE Plan. It must further highlight the senior manager appointed in terms of Section 24 that follows.
As with the EEA12, the EEA13 does not accompany the annual submission to the DoEL, but must be available upon request.
Section 21 requires a Designated Employer to report its EE progress to the DoEL annually. The deadline is 1st October if submitting the
report manually; or 15 January the following year for online submissions.
For reporting, a Designated Employer must complete and submit an EEA2 and an EEA4 form. The information necessary is as follows:
• A snapshot of the workforce profile on the last day of the Designated Employer’s chosen EE reporting period, categorised by EE level, race, gender, and disability status.
• Workforce movement for the reporting period, including recruitments, promotions, and terminations, per EE level, race, and gender.
• A breakdown of the Beneficiaries of Skills Development interventions.
• A summary of identified barriers, including an estimate of the dates when Affirmative Action measures are earmarked for implementation.
• An Income Differential Statement –EEA4. The aim is to identify unfair discrimination in employment terms and conditions.
Sections 22 through to 26 stipulate that a Designated Employer must:
• Publish a summary of its EE Report – in the EEA10 format – in its Annual Financial Report as section 22 indicates.
• Develop a successive EE Plan before the current plan expires, as per section 23.
• Officially assign and provide a formal mandate to at least one Senior EE Manager overseeing the implementation of the EE Plan as per section 24.
• Inform employees about the provisions in the EEA, as well as the content of the EE Plan and EE Report. Such communication
must include any legislative actions against the Designated Employer concerning the provisions of the EEA as per section 25.
• Keep accurate records of all EE related documents and data as per section 26.
There are various fines ranging from R1.5m to 10% of turnover for different contraventions of the above sections and it is important to note that fines imposed are per contravention. The following 12 steps guide Designated Employers in remaining compliant.
1. Appoint an EE Manager;
2. Establish an EE Forum;
3. Perform an analysis;
4. Develop an EE Plan;
5. Consult on the EE Plan with the EE Forum;
6. Finalise the EE Plan;
7. Prepare the EE Report;
8. Consult on the EE Report with the Forum;
9. Report the progress in implementing the EE Plan to the DoEL;
10. Publish a summary of the EE Report in the Annual Financial Statements. (This only applies to publicly listed Designated Employers);
11. Communicate Employment Equity-related information to employees throughout the process; and
12. Keep accurate records relating to every aspect of the implementation processes. Following these steps will provide peace of mind that a DoEL inspection will go smoothly, with limited findings and recommendations; thereby lessening the risk of penalties.
There are various fines ranging from R1.5m to 10% of turnover for different contraventions of the above sections and it is important to note that fines imposed are per contravention.
South Africa’s labour legislation changes periodically and case law decisions often have the effect of changing the law. As management at all levels make daily decisions affecting the myriad of employee rights, all managers need to be able to take the complex,
increasing and constantly changing labour laws into account when making their decisions. A case in point is the Constitutional Court’s decision to legalise the private use of dagga. This has had a profound and bedevilling effect on the control of the use of this mind-altering drug at the workplace.
Managers also need to get with the programme as regards legislated procedural requirements for disciplining employees. In the case of NUFAWSA obo Matiti vs Svencraft cc (2007, 3 BALR 220) the employee, a shop steward was dismissed for dishonest use of sick
leave. The arbitrator found that the shop steward’s dishonesty merited dismissal. However, despite this finding, the arbitrator found the dismissal to be unfair because the chairperson of the disciplinary hearing had been involved in the pre-hearing investigation. Had the chairperson been properly trained in labour law and disciplinary procedure this serious error is most unlikely to have occurred.
While this shows that labour law training for managers is an operational necessity employers find it difficult to decide what training to invest in and where to get the training. The answer to this problem lies in the principle that the training should be provided by someone who is both a labour law expert and a training expert. This will ensure both that the content of training is right and that the necessary learning is fully passed on to those that need it. In this way the employer gets maximum value for money.
For example, if an employer is about to invest in labour law/industrial relations training for management it shouldn’t automatically assign its HR Officer to do the training even if this will be the ‘cheapest’ option, unless the HR Officer is in fact the best expert in labour law and in training that the employer can find.
While HR/IR Officers are often well-versed in labour law they do not always have the technical training expertise to put this across to line management in such a way that it sticks.
It should be kept in mind that, firstly, should the in-house HR/IR practitioner conduct the training badly he/she will
get the blame for it. Secondly, where an expert external trainer is used then the internal HRIR practitioner will still get the credit for high-quality training provided that he/she ensures that the initial training is properly followed up. Train the trainer courses are also available.
Another problem lies with the fact that senior and line managers at whom the training is targeted often have the attitude of, “Let HR handle daily disciplinary problems, I’ll just mess it up”. It is therefore important that the training is offered in such a way that the line managers see it as a tool towards success, and that it is presented in a fresh and stimulating way geared towards facilitating the manager’s effectiveness and status. Employees who observe that their bosses know what they are doing when it comes to discipline and performance correction respect their bosses and seldom step out of line. Management is under “too much pressure to waste time on training”. The typical South African line manager and supervisor is much more a doer than a manager. But to say that a manager has no time to undergo training means that the manager is not delegating tasks sufficiently. Too many managers get caught in the vicious circle of being too busy “doing” and therefore having no time to manage and to develop management skills; and this itself is a problem which may have to be addressed via management training. When line managers do attend IR or labour law training, they sometimes forget what they learned after a week. The training programme therefore
needs to be designed professionally in order to ensure long term retention and effective carry over on to the job.
Some line managers believe that unless their employees receive the same training as they do the exercise will be a waste of time. These managers are perfectly correct because, where employees are not trained on the LRA (for example) or get their input from union meetings they will look at labour relations from a very different perspective to that of the manager.
Insufficient funds are budgeted for such training. lt is a never-ending source of wonderment to us that employers are not prepared to spend a few hundred rands on training a manager but do not mind taking the risk of having to spend tens of thousands of rands on going to the CCMA. We have represented countless employers taken to the CCMA and bargaining councils because a manager mishandled a shop floor grievance or disciplinary matter and the employee was unfairly dismissed. ln some cases, because the line manager mishandled the matter, the line manager gets fired for incurring unnecessary legal costs! The company then faces another unfair dismissal case! Employers often lose potentially good managers this way at great cost, whereas proper training could have avoided the whole mess.
It is crucially important to get the training right first time. A badly trained manager is worse than one who has no training at all. Therefore, the cost of not using the right trainer far outweighs the need to save pennies by taking second best.
South Africa’s labour legislation changes periodically and case law decisions often have the effect of changing the law.
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