Archives des Employment in Africa

10Sep

The 5 essential qualities of a high-performing employee

It is no longer a debate … All HR specialists now agree that the company is just as interested in know-how as it is in people skills. Moreover, the individual personality of each person within the company is a valuable source of diversity. However, whatever the personality of an employee, he or she must possess certain indispensable qualities that we will focus on in this article.

1-Being honest

Honesty is a human quality appreciated in everyone, but it is even more so in a worker. In fact, honest and reliable employees have the respect of their superiors and colleagues because they promise realistic goals. In fact, no one likes rough estimates. Those who are honest and accurate in estimating the time they need to complete their tasks and who report regularly on their progress project an image of efficiency and reliability.

2-Solution-oriented mindset

As an employee, you must be involved in solving the problems that the company encounters. You must not be a mere bystander who will simply observe problems and report them to your manager. Indeed, managers do not appreciate employees who pass on problems without suggesting any solutions. Alone or in a team, it is therefore necessary to spend time looking for long-term solutions. After all, problems are there to be solved and you are there to make the company work .

3-The sense of organization

The sense of organization also remains a quality highly appreciated in a worker. As an employee, you have to learn how to organize your work efficiently. Whether you choose to work at home, in the office or at the corner café, make sure you have a method of working and organizing. For example, when the workload builds up, you need to be able to set priorities without discussing every detail with your manager. In short, keep in mind that no manager wants to work with a messy worker.

4-Team spirit

There is a saying that goes: “There is strength in numbers…” This adage also applies to the world of work. Indeed, knowing how to work in a team is a very great quality in a worker. The manager will always be happy to see that there is a real one within the company. He will be pleased to see that the workers take the initiative to share tasks, solve problems and carry out missions that are entrusted to them in a collegial and creative manner. A close-knit team is a guarantee of satisfaction for a company boss and a positive atmosphere in the workplace.

5- Proactivity

Finally, one of the essential qualities of a worker is proactivity. This presupposes that the employee has the ability to put his or her own expectations and needs to one side, in order to reflect on the functioning of the company and its future evolution. In other words, for the worker, it is a question of being able to project himself into the future. This state of mind is highly appreciated by managers because it shows the worker’s willingness to collaborate with the company in the long term.

30Jul

Africa: Industrialization is essential for job creation

In Africa, job creation is essential for sustainable development and inclusive growth in the continent. Vulnerable groups such as women and youth are disproportionately affected by the scarcity of decent work opportunities in Africa. Yet they are important links in the African population without whom development is not possible. Almost all observers maintain, and rightly so, that only industrialisation will make it possible to create the skilled jobs needed by young Africans. Thus, according to United Nations projections, Africa will experience unprecedented population growth and should account for nearly 40% of the world’s population by 2100 (i.e. as much as China and India combined) as against nearly 17% today.

Industrialization is becoming a response to the urgent need to create ten to twelve million jobs a year just to absorb new entrants to the labour market. It must, however, be an industrialization thought out and adapted to the African context.

Indeed, each country having its own characteristics, it is essential that each government envisage industrialization by taking into account in particular the natural resources at its disposal and the potentialities with which the country is endowed. Industrialization must be based on the creation of a favourable economic and social environment. According to Jonathan Le Henry, a consultant with PWC, African countries would benefit from “a common and integrated approach to industrial policy.

And the latter to specify that several levers must be activated to win the challenge of industrialization in Africa. It will be a question of capitalizing on natural resources to create new activities with higher added value, to rely on strategic partnerships to promote value sharing and technology transfer, to rely on the technologies of the industrial revolution 4.0 to achieve productivity gains, improve the level of competitiveness and better integrate into the value chain. Finally, the aim will be to create the necessary conditions for improving the business climate by offering an attractive environment for foreign investors and minimizing the burden of bureaucracy.

Such an approach could enable African populations to benefit from massive job creation. In the long term, the development of the African continent could be sustainable and beneficial to every African citizen.

At present, African industry generates only US$700 of GDP per capita on average, three times less than in Latin America (US$2,500) and five times less than in East Asia (US$3,400). And its exports consist of low-technology manufactured goods and unprocessed natural resources – which account for more than 80 per cent of the exports of Algeria, Angola and Nigeria, for example.

Africa, like Europe in the nineteenth century and Asia in the twentieth century, must therefore embark resolutely on the path of industrialization in the twenty-first century. To this end, the President of the African Development Bank Group, the Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) have agreed to work together to help Africa design its industrialization agenda. Other initiatives are also emerging to bring the dark continent out of the shadows.

05Apr

Problématique de l'inadéquation formation- emploi en Afrique: Enjeux et solutions…

Dealing with the issue of unfit training-employment in Africa

Hiring qualified human resources is quite the big challenge considering the undergoing changes happening in the job market. It is mostly due to the fact that the type of qualifications individuals have is not up to standard with the qualifications that the businesses need. This significant unbalance has always been an obstacle when hiring young people in Africa whose unemployment rate is on the rise.