Accounts of South African youngsters in IT being headhunted for overseas positions are commonplace. However, it is interesting to note how many of these people return to SA after a few months.
Dr Madelise Grobler, MD of CS Education Solutions, a division of JSE-listed CS Holdings, says that while headhunting is a worldwide reality, South African businesses have an alternative to being resigned to the "brain drain".
Companies that wish to retain their valued human resources need to urgently commit to developing people by providing appropriate training and guiding the individual`s career development pathway. Notably, development plans for employees, a lifelong learning philosophy and personal growth strategies are critical parts of a "new age" business culture.
These strategies are also contained in the recommendations and obligations that new government legislation, such as the Skills Development Act and the Labour Relations Act, places on local employees and employers. Grobler feels South African companies can counteract the lure of headhunters through a better understanding of people`s needs and aspirations. In particular, by taking the growth of people and their need for career paths seriously and by entering into the spirit of the new legislation by creating a workplace culture of learning.
"Development plans for people and their careers are a basic component of a business strategy. Instilling a lifelong learning culture into an organisation is not a luxury nor is it a waste of time. In the fast-moving and dynamic world of IT, people need to constantly update their knowledge in order to remain competitive. While people in our sector thrive on change, the rate with which change occurs can also be very challenging."
Grobler observes that, for instance, the true motivation behind an employee leaving for an overseas position is often not the lure of foreign currency - as presumed by their former employers and colleagues. Indeed, and especially in the case of a young IT employee, a strong motivation for leaving is that the person feels their position has become too `hot` (ie too much new technology to learn with no clear company commitment to focused training - and massive workloads).
The pressure of such a situation builds the overseas job into an attractive escape route. Comments Grobler: " It is so unfortunate when, though unintentional, the lack of development planning and direction creates an environment where people feel ill-equipped to cope with their responsibilities. They are set for failure or emigration, rather than set on the path to success. From my point of view, it is most often the young IT people who find themselves in this situation and tend to be most open to international offers. Youngsters often have few commitments such as property and can literally leave the country in a week. Very often they also feel that -- in the absence of a development plan - they are going nowhere and cannot see a future.
The reality is that people need to be asked `where do you want to go?` People outgrow positions and need to feel that they have the opportunity to grow and develop.
In IT, it is crucial that people are properly equipped for the work they do -- this requires ongoing guidance, mentorship programmes and focused, specific training. By committing to this, South African companies will stem the brain drain and increase their effectiveness in the marketplace."
Grobler, who worked for a year in the Netherland`s IT sector, says CS Holdings has found that the glamorous lure of "international experience" can be addressed in a number of constructive ways. "Often the desire for international experience is the primary reason for leaving. The reality of our industry is that with internationally certified qualifications, people have the choice of international employment. In our group we offer our trainers the chance to work abroad as part of our business -- this allows individuals to meet their personal goal of working abroad. People soon come to realise that `work is work` wherever one is and that having experienced the international market for themselves, the magic of working abroad fades and they are less keen to jump at any offer put to them."
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