EDITORIAL
Panama’ s Talent
Alejandro Escobar Editor
Panama, a country that is constantly recognized as one of the top economies in the region and the world, is growing at an amazing rate. Although Panama is doing very good, it is facing a severe problem--the local talent is not receiving the correct attention.
Every time I talk to managers of large multinational corporations and professors about the talent and human resources in Panama, I always seem to find a consensus: most of the local talent is not well trained. According to them, key positions inside mid and largesized companies are rarely occupied by local talent. Corporations fill the hole with foreign talent which is more expensive and difficult to find. This could be Panama’ s Achilles’ heel.
A couple of months ago, I started looking for an internship with a large multinational company in Panama. To my surprise, only a handful of the companies had well established internship programs. Others did not have a program and were not looking to start one. I was not the only one experiencing this situation, other students were and are currently having a tough time finding good internships in large companies.
I personally understand that developing human resources takes time and money, and that in some cases, that money will be wasted, but it amuses me how some companies complain about the local talent and they don’ t take the time to develop it. They rely on employees from other companies to fill the empty spots.
Why don’ t companies in Panama take the time to invest in their own talent? Employing recent graduates is an excellent opportunity for multinational companies; they can transform a blank canvas into a masterpiece. This is the best opportunity to instill values and corporate culture in new employees, a culture of growth from within the company where employees are rewarded for their performance and loyalty. Good employees are the base of every profitable and successful business.
Internship programs are not the ultimate solution, but I believe it would help in a great manner to develop talent, reduce turnover, and overall have better employees. Until Panama realizes the importance of local talent development, I think the country will not be able to grow effectively. Companies in Panama need to start working proactively and not reactively. Kudos to companies that are already implementing internship programs and training sessions; to other companies, I would like to say, it is time to start!
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President / Editor Alejandro Escobar Founder Librado E. Gonzalez Design Keisha De Sedas P.
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