INDUSTRY WATCH
///////////////////////////////////////////
Mariam Abdullahi , Telco Industry Lead at SAP Africa
and who crave feedback , purpose and opportunities to effect positive change
• Generation Z , who are only now entering the workplace and who have grown up using the Internet , social media and technology
Due to Africa ’ s overwhelmingly youthful population , the greatest percentage of workers are from Generations X , Y and Z . However , since each is distinct and requires slightly ( or vastly ) different talent management strategies , telcos need to prioritise a process of workplace culture reengineering to ensure they can continue to access top talent .
TELCOS NEED TO PRIORITISE A PROCESS OF WORKPLACE CULTURE REENGINEERING TO ENSURE THEY CAN CONTINUE TO ACCESS TOP TALENT .
Six workforce priorities for digital organisations
In any organisation , the biggest factor determining whether change is either an opportunity or a threat is its people .
The greater the changes facing the organisation , the more important it becomes to have the right people with the right skills and the right mindset . Successful organisations profit from change , instead of being overwhelmed by it . In a highly-competitive environment where digital skills are often a scarce resource , telcos need to ensure they offer the type of work environment that can inspire , attract and positively inspire top talent . By focusing on six key priorities , telcos will be better positioned to engage and retain a motivated , productive and inspired workforce :
1 . Ensuring you are building the right type of organisation – for now and the future . The template for the organisation of the future remains unclear . Thanks to technology , entire industries and the concept of work itself are being reshaped in fundamental ways . The growing focus on the so-called contingent workforce , job automation and virtual employment is pointing to the end of the full-time , on-site job . Telcos need to start asking some probing questions of themselves to get on the path toward building the right organisational structure for the future , including how to create a highly attractive employer brand , how to position the workforce to quickly scale up or down in response to changing business needs and how to take advantage of intelligent technologies
that reshape work processes and organisational models .
2 . Creating a productive , compelling work environment . In most organisations , people are the most expensive resource . Salary costs are impossible to generate positive ROI for the business unless employees have the resources needed to perform their jobs effectively . Telcos need to ensure they provide their workforce with access to tools , knowledge and technology that increases productivity and efficiency . Highly skilled workers in particular want positive work experiences with access to the latest technology tools . Mobile access , intuitive and engaging user design , social technology platforms and AI interfaces are the current preferred tools for high-skill workers , but this will change over time . Telcos need to keep abreast with the latest tools to ensure they can attract and retain top talent .
3 . Engaging people around a clear purpose for the organisation . Companies that exist solely for profit will fail to attract and engage the next generation of high-skilled digital workers . Telcos need to prioritise the building of a purpose-driven company culture that engages employees around shared goals that constantly add new levels of value to the organisation . Doing this is no easy task , especially in a market as culturally and geographically diverse as the Africa continent . The latest talent management tools can effectively engage , motivate and support employees on a continuous basis , and give management a direct avenue to mobilising employees around changes in organisational strategy . Great care should also be taken to recognising employees for their contribution and acknowledging the value they bring to the organisation .
4 . Making good talent management decisions . Employee salaries , benefits and associated costs account for as much as 70 % of a company ’ s total operating budget . It is critical that telcos have an accurate view of whether that money is being spent wisely and that staffing levels across departments and lines-of-business are at optimal levels . Here , telcos
82 INTELLIGENTCIO www . intelligentcio . com