Recruitment supplement

Recruiting in Africa
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Africa emerges as a leading career destination

With the global competitive landscape changing dramatically, Africa is now emerging as a leading employment location. Many firms operating across Africa are recruiting aggressively and the African job market in 2011 is looking robust with a significant increase in the number of jobs compared with the same time last year, writes Rupert Adcock (pictured) from the international recruitment consultancy, Global Career Company.

he London-based Global Career Company, best known for the Careers in Africa event, has reported a 20% increase in the number of roles and companies recruiting for Africa in the first quarter of 2011 alone, compared to similar data from the beginning of 2010. Demand for highly skilled professionals with a background in engineering, pharmaceuticals, mining, technology and manufacturing continues to be strong. The African diaspora has taken note of this trend and is voting with their feet. A recent survey conducted by the Careers in Africa team reveals that 35% of respondents were looking to move back home in 2011 and a further 29% were looking to move within one to two years. When asked about the key drivers for looking to work in Africa, opportunities to fast track my career was the leading response. Africas growing economy was ranked second whilst returning home to family and the ability to apply international knowledge to local markets came joint third. Incidentally, financial incentives and giving back were ranked last. The global war for the best talent is increasingly apparent, as talent is geographically mobile and happy to move for the best job. Price Waterhouse & Coopers Saratogas latest report contends that emerging markets are coming to the fore as they compete in the talent marketplace to develop their own and to attract others from across the globe. The best candidates are more demanding, not only for compensation, but also for career progression, training, and development. Employee loyalty is dwindling, as candidates are happy to switch companies on average every two years. It is therefore no surprise that Africa, which is booming, is now gaining more attention as its perception on the global platform changes. Companies that are recruiting have specific priorities. Some are looking to source individuals with extensive industry experience who can quickly adapt in different geographies, particularly in banking and ICT. Others seek specific technical

skills; notably the energy and extraction industries. The ability to meet labour diversity requirements in countries like South Africa and Angola continues to be a priority for companies operating in these markets. Many multinationals are looking for skilled nationals to reduce reliance on expatriates as they expand into new markets. Regional integration means new markets for companies and many are recruiting in a bid to prepare a talent pipeline for future growth. Opportunities abound for graduates and professionals who are able to assist organisations meet these goals. Furthermore, when these career opportunities are contrasted with high unemployment rates across Africa, they reveal a mismatch between education policy and the actual demands of the labour market. As for our own experience, our flagship programme Careers in Africa continues to grow exponentially. We now have over 180,000 graduates and professionals on our global database, our website statistics are at an all-time high with over 1,000,000 page views per month, which firmly affirms the growing interest. And all this from an event which started in the post-apartheid era in South Africa which sought to hire exiled South Africans into career opportunities back home. Back in 1995 multiple companies, including SAB and Anglo-American, congregated in Oxford with the singular aim of recruiting from the South African diaspora. The passion in the room was infectious; everyone wanted to be a part of the new South Africa. And this fervent energy now abounds throughout the whole continent. Our current clients are a good mix of multinationals and African businesses, including Barclays, Coca Cola Sabco, Diageo, GE, GlaxoSmithKline, Heineken, Henkel, Lafarge, Safal, Standard Chartered, Total, Unilever and Vale. The landscape is certainly changing across Africa; it is not only an emerging market, it is also the place for those who seek challenging and rewarding career opportunities in an exciting growth environment.

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AfRicA cAlling Bringing skills back home

As Africa continues to show positive economic growth, both small-scale and big multinational companies operating on the continent need to recruit high-quality staff to drive their businesses forward. However, all enterprises are looking to the diaspora for new talent, as evidenced at the Careers in Africa Recruitment Summit one of the largest African recruitment events in the world which was recently held in London. Stephen Williams was there and spoke with a number of business leaders and human resources managers on the important issue of recruiting for Africa.

he huge recruitment drive to secure talented individuals for corporate enterprises across Africa could be termed a new kind of scramble for Africa. And, in a fascinating reversal of the classic brain drain syndrome that in the past plucked many of the continents brightest and relocated them overseas, it is now Africa

that is calling. The continent is presenting a compelling case to its huge diaspora in the West, targeting them to return home and prepare for a bright future of productivity and growth. One particular survey suggests that more than one in three Africans living in the Diaspora are seriously considering returning home to Africa to work there. Some are even prepared to accept a lower

salary in return for a better quality of life, greater promotion opportunities and to be closer to friends and family members. A similar number of respondents said they could envisage returning to Africa in a matter of just a few years, believing such a move would significantly progress their careers. For both those ready to repatriate immediately, and those that need just a

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little more time to relocate, the 2011 Careers in Africa Recruitment Summit in London provided an ideal one-stop careers fair with a large number of blue-chip multinational companies such as Barclays, Coca Cola Sabco, Diageo, GE, GlaxoSmithKline, Heineken, Henkel, Lafarge, Safal, Standard Chartered, Total, Tullow, Unilever and Vale on hand to meet potential future employees. In fact, 29 companies were at the summit. They met 821 candidates, representing a 20% increase in numbers from last year. These candidates were shortlisted from the total of 10,783 applications received this year. Africas top companies have a clear need to employ top-notch young professionals and it was striking how just many of the company representatives told New African that the human resources market in Africa is becoming very competitive. That is not to say that they were prepared to compromise on the quality of their workforce, simply that the best candidates were in short supply. However, in Africa, qualified candidates are in even shorter supply. Ricardo Saar, Project Director of the giant Simandou iron ore project in Guinea (operated by the Brazilian multinational Vale SA one of the worlds biggest mining companies) told New African, the Simandou project, which not only involves the mine itself but also the building of a railway line and a port in Liberia to export millions of tons of ore, requires many hundreds of technicians, maintenance personnel and engineers. Vale believes that while the local market for unskilled and semi-skilled labour is strong in West Africa, recruiting technicians, maintenance personnel, engineers and the like is far more challenging, and Saar had come specifically from Sierra Leone to London to meet some shortlisted candidates. We have to have local human resources because we believe that its the only way to work in any region where we have operations. We search for the means to improve the capacity of the local workforce that can then work for us, he said. So the companys strategy has been to invest in building the capacity at a local technical college, but that will take time

and as the mine is scheduled to open next year, the company has made use of some Brazilian employees. However Saar was also looking to recruit suitably qualified African candidates to take up these roles. Does that issue of other nationals taking up positions in the project create any problems? Not at all, according to Saar: For us, as Brazilians, we feel very easy in this relationship because the majority of our population are of African descent. In terms of culture, we are very close to many countries in Africa. We believe that the engagement [with Africa] is going to be through our values. It was quite surprising to learn from Saar and other human resources managers the weight that is given by candidates not just to the remuneration and benefits packages but also factors such as ethics, environmental concerns and corporate social responsibility. In describing what it is that attracts candidates, Saar said: Of course, the salary package is an important aspect, but I dont feel this is the most important. We try to show how and why exactly we are coming to Africa, implementing huge projects. We have this clear view that Vale projects can contribute significantly to social and sustainable development. This kind of perception is easy for a candidate to identify with. They like this as they are looking for something challenging and at the same time something that respects their continent, their culture and the environment. These are also our values. Saars colleague, Renato Mazoco, who among a raft of titles is Vales Manager of Human Resources and Governance, added: I think this identification is the main attraction because in every place we go, not only in Africa, in every country, every location, we go with the intention of providing a positive transformation economic, social and environmental. Of course the salaries we offer are important, but we also offer a very aggressive total rewards package, which includes career progression opportunities, training and development. All this is very important because candidates want to see their career growing. Vale is a global company; its a Brazilian-

Ricardo Saar

We have to have local human resources because we believe that its the only way to work in any region where we have operations. We search for the means to improve the capacity of the local workforce that can then work for us.
based company but a global company. And those who join us also see the opportunity of developing a global career as well. But I totally agree that it is important our candidates align with the values of the company, the respect for diversity, care for the environment and the community. Vale is representative of the worlds largest resource companies, except that it is, like Africa, part of the global south. The global boom in commodity prices has treated Africas economies well and that, in turn, has boosted Africas consumer markets. Two large multinational players who have been in Africa for many decades, are the Anglo-Dutch company Unilever a leader in fast moving consumer goods that markets everything from detergent soap to margarine, toothpaste to tea bags and Coca Cola Sabco (South Africa Bottling Company), the worlds largest beverage corporations Africa and Asia division which incorporated in Africa in 1940.

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Interestingly, Coca Cola Sabcos representative at this years event was Duncan Kimani, who was himself employed through a previous Careers in Africa Recruitment Summit. They had forgotten that I came into the company through the same project, he quipped but was quick to explain how he overcame some challenges after moving back to Kenya. Having lived in the US for 10 years and then moved back to Kenya, it was definitely a challenge, for example security was a big challenge in the first three years but now, looking back, I feel it was worth coming back. I have two sons, both born in Kenya, and its great to have my young family and to be around my parents. Kimani emphasized how Kenya has changed into the hub of the whole East Africa since his return in 2005, with a healthy mushrooming of multinational companies, including international banks, in the country. But do remuneration packages being offered by corporations such as Coca-Cola Sabco compare well with what Kimani might be earning in the US? Actually, the remuneration terms are quite competitive. If you look at the banking industry in Kenya, whether it is the local or international banks, the pay scale is more in line with South Africa that is a more developed market. If you look at engineering skills, pay scales are probably slightly lower than Europe and North America, but still quite competitive in terms of local compensation; as a technical engineer you can get a good salary that will enable you to live very, very well in Kenya. So I would say as the country develops, as the economy develops, companies have to pay more and more to keep talent, he explains. On the question of the importance of academic qualifications, Kimani is emphatic. Academic qualifications are critical because thats the basic foundation. It means this individual can be moulded, can be developed. So we definitely need some minimum requirements in terms of academic qualifications. Steven Gross, Unilevers vice-president of human resources for North and Central Africa, as well as the Middle East, agreed:

Duncan Kimani

Academic qualifications are critical because thats the basic foundation. They mean an individual can be moulded, can be developed. So we definitely need some minimum requirements in terms of academic qualifications.
We recruit people at various levels, but I would guess theres a focus on universities and graduates but there are also people that would come into the company with various other levels of qualifications. But once people join the company people compete for the opportunities based on what they can deliver. So were very much about creating a performance culture. Unilever, which has operated in Africa since 1900, is currently present in 20 African countries. My area of coverage is Africa and the Middle East and these are high-growth regions and have been for the last couple of years. With that growth, obviously, comes expansion plans and opportunities. And I believe that were probably, of the fast moving consumer goods companies, the largest employer in Africa. We have 33,000 employees across Africa and that creates opportunities. Asked whether there was any substantial difference in working for Unilever in Africa,

to working for the company in, say, London or Paris, Gross explained: What we do is we obviously benchmark to the industry standards in the markets that we are in. So we have a process of doing salary surveys. I think its a process that is common to a number of multinationals, and then, of course, there are opportunities to pay people on their performance. He added: The line that we like to use is Africans for Africa, and that extends into crucial areas such as management, marketing, and research and development. The three main business units in Africa are African-led; a business unit based out of Kenya where theres a Ghanaian running the business; the business unit in Nigeria where there is a South African running that business; and a business unit in Ghana run by a Kenyan, he further explained, adding: There are also markets like Tanzania, which has a Kenyan that we have just appointed running it, and in Zimbabwe we have a local lady appointed to the business there. These are all African talents that we have appointed in the last six months; some of them from within Unilever but a number of them coming from outside. And those people have been recruited in local markets, so thats basically the senior layer of our business. In terms of building African talent for the future, in 2010 we recruited 43 management trainees who are university graduates. The majority of those were from those markets but there were also two or three that were recruited from the UK and the US, and that is part of the reason for attending this event. Today were looking to increase those numbers and bring people back from some of these overseas markets to work in Africa. However, when New African spoke with Barclays Africa Head of Resourcing, Shaun Limwatana, he explained that there were often limitations as to how his bank could move people around the continent. There are various regulations around how we are able to recruit more nationals. The idea would be to try to encourage a countrys nationals to return to their own country for example, countries like Ghana are very keen to see if they can attract Ghanaians back,

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Recruitment supplement

2011, Produced by the communications division, ic Publications, 7 CoLdbAtH SquARe, London eC1R 4Lq. www.AfRiCASiA.Com

Kenyans are keen to attract Kenyans back. Thats not to say you cant get, say, Ghanaians working in Tanzania. The challenge is in making sure that we can build new talents and we can bring them back because in other countries, there are quite a lot of expatriates. When asked how well or otherwise people adjust to a new work environment or a new culture, Limwatana explained that it all depends on different circumstances: I think if you have got the right attitude and the right mentality, you can adjust to a lot of things. Africa is historically seen in the more developed world as a very developing market, but actually I think a lot of the people that we have moved into roles there, from other parts of Africa or from various UK or European operations, have found it easy to settle and others think it is difficult. But I think that if you are the sort of person interested in working in Africa and interested in lots of opportunity, your mentality should be to view Africa in a more positive light. He adds: People need to recognise that talent is not just at the senior level. Its not just the guy in the office who is directing the strategy. Its the people in the businessI believe a lot of companies are doing some good things in terms of bringing Africans back to Africa and the problem we have had with the brain drain will be reversed. I know people actually want to come back to Africa.

Shaun Limwatana

There are various regulations around how we are able to recruit more nationals. The idea would be to try to encourage a countrys nationals to return to their own country.
With Etisalat Nigeria about to deploy its 3G network, the hunt is on for more top-class employees to join the firm. So what we have done now is, together, from the bottom up and then top down, we have looked at certain values that we would like to drive and thats what we are working on. We want the kind of people that share this vision. The quality of service is our unique selling point. Another big name to put its views on recruitment in Africa was the giant construction materials company Lafarge, where Joe Hudson is the companys human resources regional vice-president for subSaharan Africa. We obviously have a number of challenges, he stated. We are a manufacturing company but there is a dearth of manufacturing talent yet a lot of industrial activity in Africa. However, there is also a huge pool of talent in Africa and the way its going, I am very excited when I think about the generation that is coming up now. He added: Look at Africa globally, take

A question of excellence
As a relatively newcomer to Nigeria, Etisalat, the telecoms provider, which began operations in March 2000, is already well on its way to covering 80% of Nigerias population, according to industry figures. Attending the event to look for potential candidates in engineering, IT skills, strategy and customer care, Etisalats chief human resources officer Abigail Isokpon told New African how every full- time employee of Etisalat in Nigeria has a university degree. It is a question of excellence, she explained, adding: We have met people that I never believed would leave home. But then they found opportunities with us and we have got in some very good people.

the UN figures, the whole continent has a billion people and by 2100, it will be 3.6 billion. In 40 years it is going to double in size and it is very exciting for us because we are a construction materials company producing cement and concrete, and 60% of that huge population will be living in large urban centres. Hudson optimistically went further: I believe there is a huge amount of great potential across the continent, but you have to mould it and shape it. And to accelerate that process, what I have tried to do is to come back to places like London and go to the US and find people who are working in the diaspora who have different mindsets, who have got more exposure to Western ways, who are sometimes in more modern companies and work cultures and a lot of these people want to come back, they really do. While Hudson and others believe in the importance of bringing highly skilled people back to Africa, they also know that the importance is greater than that: You have to build from within. You have to have more capability to train and develop people in Africa because you cannot just go to the diaspora and bring people back. But it is a good way to accelerate and augment from within. What we are looking to do is get an industrial recruitment campaign working as we have got some best in class plants in different parts of the world. We thought, Why not send candidates to those plants to learn even more finely-tuned skills and then bring them back to Africa where the bar gets raised even more, says Hudson. And he has good reason for his optimism: When I first joined Lafarge, we had a plant that we bought and it was owned by an Indian investor in Africa and had 50 Indian engineers and different people working in this plant in Uganda. By the time we left it, there were only four of those 50 left and everyone said You cant leave because those guys cant do it. But we did and they could do it! We trained them and we sent them on overseas assignments, learning expeditions and we have a much lower reliance on expatriates now. There is a lot of talent in Africa and there is more to come.

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