The executive head of human capital for Santam, Norah Sehunoe, believes in a holistic and strategic approach to the employee experience. CHRO South Africa spoke to Norah about being an employer of choice, nurturing staff, and focus points for the year ahead.
Q: If you had any advice on how to nurture people within a company, what would that be?
A: My advice is: listen to your people, without dismissing their feedback as complaints.
You need to listen beyond the emotions because we tend to let the emotions cloud the essence of what people are asking for. Once you understand what your people are asking for, partner with them on finding solutions to some of the issues and be honest on what you are unable to deliver on.
Be intentional about creating an environment where people feel valued, supported and empowered to grow. If you embed these principles into everyday leadership and HR strategies, you will not only start to retain your top talent, but this will also strengthen your employer brand.
Q: What are your focus points for the year?
A: Firstly, we need to close some of the gaps identified from the most recent employer survey, while amplifying what we do well.
We will also be focusing on strengthening our leadership competencies and on ensuring that every single Santam leader is equipped with the tools needed to lead the Santam Way.
We acknowledge the critical role played by leaders as culture carriers and we are committed to partnering with every single leader in ensuring that they embody the behaviours that make up the Santam Way.
We are also starting to prepare our business for the future world of work – that means focusing on how technology and AI can be integrated into our processes while starting to upskill and reskill our people in line with the skills that will be needed in the future.
Q: What does it take to consistently be an employer of choice?
A: This requires true commitment to continuous improvement of our people practices, policies and processes. This certification is a reminder to our people of our ongoing efforts to create an environment where they can bring their true self and thrive.
Being an employer of choice requires a holistic and strategic approach to the employee experience, culture and all HR practices.
Once you achieve the status, you need to consistently interrogate your strategy against best practice, but most importantly, you need to listen to your people because they are key to understanding what works and what needs improvement.
