Dali Mpofu submitted that one of the reasons Mr X’s evidence at the Farlam inquiry into the Marikana massacre should be disregarded by the commission is because he is in a bad mental and emotional state.
For the second consecutive year, Old Mutual was rated ranked number one in Deloitte’s Best Company To Work for in SA in the Large Company category. Also, for the fourth consecutive year, Old Mutual has been ranked number one by the Top Employer Institute in the South African Financial Services and Insurance categories.
Competitive reward packages and well-benchmarked human resource practices obviously continue to count, but what really sets a top employer apart is a compelling employee value proposition (EVP).
Clearly communicating the employee value proposition — and ensuring it resonates — is critical. For ease of recall, ours is linked to our aspiration — to do great things — and has been summarised as five great elements: great culture, great career, great global brand, great leadership, and great rewards and recognition.
The power of culture
Deeply embedded in our culture is a whole-hearted commitment to community development and transformation. This commitment manifests itself not only in the responsible investments we make, but also in the countrywide work done by the Old Mutual Foundation and our popular, well-supported staff volunteerism programmes.
Actively contributing to improving South Africa is a powerful unifying force within our diverse organisation, engendering a strong sense of belonging, purpose and contribution. Encouraging and tapping into this spirit of shared responsibility and collaboration is a top focus.
A culture like ours is shaped by shared values — particularly integrity and accountability — and the best employers take active steps to ensure their values and their employees’ values are fully aligned. When recruiting, for instance, it’s very important for employers to consider candidates’ compatibility with the company culture. This is the starting point for aligning the people and culture to our purpose and promise to customers and communities.
Unlocking talent
It’s no coincidence that companies that take their role as employers seriously tend to be high performing companies that create real value for their customers, shareholders — and employees. Excellence breeds excellence.
Old Mutual’s philosophy is about driving excellence in all we do. In the services industry, if you succeed in unlocking the talent and positive power of your people, you are in a strong position to deliver great customer experiences and great results.
Our expansion plans in the emerging markets such as West and East Africa require a strong talent pipeline. We have built a comprehensive talent development strategy geared to help us achieve the great potential of the specific opportunities we’re pursuing and harness the local talent as much as possible.
Our accounting and actuarial scholarships, as well as our various learnership programmes, have been set up to identify and help educate the brilliant young minds our business needs for sustained success.
Continuous personal development
From the moment new employees are welcomed and onboarded, they are encouraged to play a proactive role in their own continuous personal development and empowerment. Opportunities for learning include a wide range of management and leadership development courses, as well as international travel. A global business is a great place to work for, because career opportunities include secondments and assignments in other countries, job rotations and swaps.
Adding to its appeal is the fact that Old Mutual goes to great lengths to deliver work-life integration through a broad range of facilities that include, at its Cape Town location, a shopping mall, gym, restaurants, medical suite, hairdresser, post office, crèche and sporting facilities.
What a company like ours is also able to offer employees are the benefits of a long heritage combined with direct access to wellbeing programmes and financial peace-of-mind. We actively encourage them to invest in their financial future through the excellent personal financial advice and planning that our own advisers are able and ready to provide.
The role of leaders
Great senior leaders and great managers help build excellence by demonstrating the company’s values and motivating teams to execute strategy with commitment and discipline. In our experience, authentic, influential leaders are a strong driver of employee satisfaction as well as trust and belief in the brand. In essence, our people strategy is directed at delivering on our brand promise to employees to be ‘a great place to work with people who do great things’ — and this, in turn, inspires loyal brand ambassadors.
Key to building a winning future-fit business is equipping leaders to manage large-scale strategic change and organisational renewal with confidence. Change — whether it is customers’ needs, or market shifts — can happen quickly. It is vital for leaders to understand and avoid the risks and identify the opportunities it presents with vision, agility and speed.
Volatile times call for clear-sighted, adaptable, resourceful leaders who thrive on the excitement that goes with growth and expansion. Top employers attract, develop and inspire these people.
Anisha Archery is human resources director at Old Mutual