Employees are rethinking their attitude to work. Many take a different path from their employers with a much greater focus on their personal and professional aspirations. Unless leaders swiftly acknowledge these changes, there is a real danger that dissatisfaction will grow and negatively impact productivity and profit.
The hybrid home-and-office-work paradigm presents new challenges and opportunities. Keeping employees happy, healthy, and motivated should be among senior executives’ biggest priorities. There is no magic or one size fits all formula to getting this right, but revisiting some basic principles is a valuable starting point. At Accenture, we actively promote work/life integration and a focus on self-care via healthy living and mental well-being. While some organisations might regard this approach as less important than profitability, conventional wisdom suggests that a happier and healthier staff will inevitably be more focussed and efficient.
Creating an environment that is flexible and sustainability-focused, community-centric, and transparent ensures that we attract, develop, and retain the best talent, and provide the best employee experience.
As corporates, we share the responsibility of also tackling the skills deficit currently facing our nation through skills development programmes. The ultimate goal is the employment of these upskilled candidates, to contribute to the South African economy. For this reason, Accenture is an avid advocate for equality and diversity in the workplace, and we actively sponsor awards that advocate for gender equality in the workplace.
What the pandemic amplified
The pandemic has allowed many employees to think beyond their job scope and develop broader interests and passions. This new found focus needs to be encouraged and harnessed by enabling more continuous learning. Well-informed employees inevitably add greater value to the strategic development and problem-solving capabilities of a business.
The pandemic has also increased the need for excellent mentorship at all levels within organisations, especially with the limited face-to-face interactions in the new world of work. It is an aspect of business that at times is ignored or neglected. Companies have employees who can add immense value but do not have the opportunity to be guided or mentored by more experienced hands. Implementing a well-structured mentorship programme with measurable targets will have massive benefits to the employee and organisation.
Many employees are struggling with mental health issues and a key priority is to ensure that staff do not feel like they are alone, but are made aware of the help and support that is available. It is also important to have various avenues where employees can access these resources. All leaders should be trained to identify behaviours associated with mental health problems, realising that they are not trained counsellors but can still add value by listening; referring the employee to get the necessary support and checking in with the employee.
Our continued success
We delivered on our objective for 2021 to support more of our people to reach their full potential as we faced the challenges of the pandemic. Acknowledging and adapting to our revised reality drove a greater understanding and empathy towards transforming our workplace. At Accenture, we enhance our employees’ sense of belonging and inclusion and their quest for finding purpose in their work.
Attaining the number one Top Employer ranking in Professional Services and second position overall in South Africa’s Top Employer Awards 2022 is a huge accolade for our people. We have consistently maintained this top ranking for 12 years. It is a testament to the significant effort we put daily into growing our company and our people’s careers while delivering 360o value for our clients. We are extremely proud to be part of an exclusive global “employer of choice” community.
By Keshnie Martin, Human Resources Director at Accenture Africa
ABOUT ACCENTURE
Accenture is a global professional services company with leading digital, cloud, and security capabilities. Combining unmatched experience and specialised skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services — all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centres. Our 674,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at accenture.com
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