/ 18 September 2012

Best Employer: CSIR

Raynold Zondo
Raynold Zondo

Number of employees
2 400.

Last financial year’s turnover
R35.5-million (net profit for

2010-2011).

Name of chief HR officer
Raynold Zondo, group executive: shared services.

Split of staff|
Functional support: 678
Leadership: 24
Research and innovation support: 57
Science engineering and technology base: 1 564
Science engineering and technology management: 77

Main line of business:
The CSIR is a scientific and technology research, development and implementation organisation. It undertakes research and development for socioeconomic growth.

What is the company’s HR strategy?
Human capital is at the core of CSIR’s success. The HR strategy revolves around creating an environment that supports the attraction to and development and retention of top talent in the organisation. Its core values are based on people, reputation, ingenuity, diversity and energy (Pride). This ensures the organisation maintains an environment that supports research and innovation and creates a space for researchers to explore new areas of science.

What is the company’s BEE strategy?
The CSIR’s strategy seeks to contribut e to the achievement of South Africa’s social and economic transformation through several elements, including creating an environment in the organisation that supports the broader goals of BBBEE, increasing the demographic transformation of its staff at all levels to reflect the demographics of the country, facilitating the continuous learning and development of its staff with greater investments in skills development, and enhancing greater participation by empowered enterprises in the use of CSIR developed technologies.