Organizations Urged To Prioritize Value Creation For A Boundless Workforce In Africa

Organizations have been challenged to rethink their approaches towards talent management amidst the changing dynamics of the workforce.

Speaking during the Regional HR Summit, Raymond Muthama, Chief People and Culture Officer, Zamara challenged employers to focus more on providing value to their talent as a means of retaining talent.

“If you provide a platform for meaningful work in your organization, your talent pool will remain. But if you do not give them the opportunity to grow within the organization and to express themselves and be themselves, they will leave you,” Mr Muthama said. He further noted that Africa must be at the forefront of curating solutions for talent and workspaces in Africa, as 60% of the available global labor force is in the African Continent.

This perspective comes at a critical time when businesses across Africa are grappling with high turnover rates and a workforce increasingly seeking purpose and growth in their careers unlike in previous generations, where individuals stayed with one organization throughout their career.

This shift in mindset is particularly crucial in the modern workforce where the average age of employees is between 30-35 for most organisations, depending on industry with an employee tenure that averages only three years.

Emily Mburu Ndoria, Director for Trade in Services, Investment, Intellectual Property Rights, and Digital Trade at the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), expanded on HR’s critical role in driving organizational innovation and efficiency, highlighting the importance of AfCFTA in providing the regulatory framework necessary to facilitate talent migration across the region. “AfCFTA is spearheading the development of mutual recognition across the continent and helping in developing regulatory frameworks and agreements to enable the boundless movement of talent from one country to another,” she noted.

Themed, Afrocentricity, curating solutions for Talent and workspaces in Africa, the conference highlighted several challenges, including skills mismatches, a lack of inclusive workplaces, and technological disruptions that can hinder effective talent management whilst also emphasizing on addressing these challenges to aid in unlocking the immense opportunities for innovation and growth across the continent.

Sundeep Raichura, Zamara Group CEO, reiterated the significance of the summit’s theme, describing it as both timely and crucial. “As we navigate the complexities of an ever-changing global landscape, the role of HR in shaping the future of work has never been more critical. We are at a pivotal moment where the decisions we make today will determine the success of our organizations—and our continent—in the years to come,” he stated.

He further highlighted, “Our continent’s abundant resources and human capital uniquely position us on the global stage. It’s time to harness these strengths and turn them into tangible economic and social progress.

The Regional HR Summit brings together HR leaders, industry experts, and policymakers from across the region to discuss strategies and solutions that will shape the future of work in Africa. This year’s theme aims to inspire HR professionals to take proactive steps in building resilient, innovative, and efficient organizations.

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