Certification event proves some employers care

I was at the Top Employers Institute’s certification evening in Sandton last week and came away quite uplifted at the realisation that there are business organisations that do, after all, place their employees at the centre of what they do.

As the event’s MC, Carte Blanche presenter Derek Watts, pointed out, it was great to focus on something so positive in these difficult economic times with so many social and political upheavals at the same time.

The Top Employers Institute recognises leading employers around the world for providing excellent employee conditions.

It certifies organisations as top employers via a rigorous certification process in which they are evaluated in nine key areas: talent strategy, workforce planning, on-boarding, learning and development, performance management, leadership development, career and succession management, compensation and benefits, and culture.

Last Thursday, 164 African organisations in 32 countries and across 23 industry sectors were awarded the certification.

The top employers in 13 sectors were also named, as were the top 10 employers in South Africa and the top three in Africa.

The big winners on the evening were Microsoft SA - named the top employer in South Africa - and Unilever, which received the accolade of top employer in Africa for the third time in a row.

Unilever’s top employer status was solidified when the company was certified in Zimbabwe for the first time and achieved number one status in Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya.

“At Unilever, we work hard to combine our global experience with our deep African roots to develop local talent so we are delighted to see our efforts recognised by the internationally renowned Top Employers as a truly independent and verifiable measure of industry best practice in HR,” says Mechell Chetty, Unilever’s vice-president of human resources.

According to Chetty, Unilever’s secret to success is the fact that the company consistently aims to empower its employees to be able to make a direct impact in the business.

“This award provides external verification to those looking to join Unilever that we put our people at the heart of our business and their development and contribution will be second to none on the continent of Africa,” she said.

“Our employees are given significant scope for creativity in their role and we aim to create a culture where they have the freedom to act with speed and deliver on their objectives.

“We also encourage innovation across the workforce, with different attitudes towards authority by developing strong line managers who are equipped to deal with the challenges of a multi-generational and multi-cultural workforce,” she said.

“This achievement reinforces that we are on the right track.

“We are proud this independent research has verified our outstanding employee conditions and earned Unilever Africa a coveted spot among a choice group of certified top employers,” she concluded.

The top 10 employers in South Africa according to Top Employers Institute research are:

1. Microsoft SA

2. EY

3. SAP

4. Old Mutual

5. Unilever SA

6. Nestle

7. Orange Business Service

8. Tata Consulting Services

9. Vodacom

10. Coca-Cola

A ranking of the top three employers in Africa was also compiled. The minimum requirement was that an organisation had to be a certified top employer in at least four African countries.

There were enough of those this year to make a top three ranking possible.

The top three employers in Africa are:

1. Unilever

2. EY

3. Orange

Unilever was named the top employer in the fast-moving consumer goods and manufacturing sectors; Orange in the technology sector; Old Mutual in the financial services and EY in the professional services sector.

The other sector top employers were: OneLogix in transport and logistics; Anglo Platinum in mining; BASF in chemicals; Volkswagen in the automotive industry; Group 5 in construction; Checkers in retail; Legal Aid in the public sector; and Sanofi in the pharmaceutical sector.

THE STAR WORKPLACE