Leading HR executives got together to discuss some red hot topics currently dominating the people agenda within their organisations.
Top CHROs gathered in Sandton to share their views on pressing issues currently dominating the HR landscape - more than 200 HR executives answered a range of burning questions. These were the results:
What is the most pressing HR challenge within your organisation currently?
The majority of respondents identified culture, leadership, succession planning and mental wellness as top pressing challenges within their organisations.
Avanthi Maharaj, Google’s HR cluster head for SSA, emphasised the crucial role of HR and managers in fostering an environment that allows for flexibility and growth. She highlighted the importance of HR avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy and red tape that can hinder employees’ potential. “This agility and forward-thinking mindset should be at the forefront as we consider the needs of our organisations, regardless of their size, whether it be a small team of five or a large corporation of 50,000.”
What organisational change is putting the most strain on your team?
The majority of respondents noted that leadership, restructuring, change management and operating models were the key factors placing strain on the HR team.
“I am privileged to work with a CIO and CFO who are both deep experts in their own fields and show a deep understanding of HR needs. It makes alignment so much easier, because at the end of the day, we are all working towards the same goal,” said Shelagh Goodwin, general manager for human resources at Media24.
What aspect of employee wellbeing do you believe is the most critical within your organisations?
Mental and financial wellness took the top spot in terms of employee wellbeing, with physical wellness ranking much lower.
Kutlwano Rawana, group HR & transformation executive at Mustek Group, added to this by saying that a healthy workforce begins at the top, along with reframing how EAP tools are used. “Sure, we can pay for an EAP solution, but it needs to be targeted at personal finance management, because financial stress cascades into other issues, even suicide. It all starts with leaders acknowledging the person over the employee and creating a culture, so employees know it’s safe.”
Which sentence best captures your thoughts around EAPs and other wellness support measures?
Results revealed that HR retains EAP programmes despite the low return on investment - and EAPs are a priority for HR execs..
“We need to break generational curses; you can have the best EAP, but if an employee can’t pay school fees it’s no use. As HR professionals, we must be conscious that we have people’s lives in our hands and focus on teaching employees skills like personal mastery,” said Dolores Mashishi, seasoned human capital executive and business advisor.
