Having made the strategic decision to reduce its dependence on European expatriates, an international company with 8 operating businesses around Africa now recruits over 15 African graduates each year from Europe and North America.

The company typically recruits Africans from leading universities and graduate schools, offering employment contracts after conducting a range of interviews and assessment centres.  While the company is successful in attracting high calibre candidates, it has been less successful in retaining them once they have been assigned to specific roles back in Africa.  Of the 16 graduates recruited in 2002, only 7 are still with the company.

Interviews carried out with a number of those that left indicated a lack of preparedness on the part of the new recruits for working back home and inadequate preparation by the company to deal with highly motivated and well-educated African talent.

Even though the majority of African recruits had been to school in Africa, many of those recruited had very little, if any, experience of working in Africa.  Interims for Development developed and facilitated a Workshop to support the company’s induction process and tailored it to address the company’s specific business requirements. 

The one-day Workshop provided an opportunity for externally recruited graduates returning to their home country to consider some of the issues they will face on taking up employment after a period of absence. 

Taking a practical approach and offering an open and informal opportunity for questions and discussion, the Workshop enabled the graduates to focus on the practical aspects of their return home as well as the cultural and emotional implications of change. 

By managing expectations and confronting the positive and negative aspects of returning home, the company was able to demonstrate its commitment to not only attract African talent but to retain and develop it.

The Workshop also addressed the company’s corporate vision and values and offered a clear vision of the career development on offer to the new recruits.

By managing expectations and confronting the positive and negative aspects of returning home, the company was able to demonstrate its commitment to not only attract African talent but to retain and develop it.

With support from Interims for Development, the company was able to strengthen the induction procedures within its African operations, ensuring that new recruits were given a comprehensive induction into the company, assigned a mentor and provided with greater support than had previously been the case.

Are your employees ready to do business in Africa?  For further details, click on the link below. www.interimsfd.com/html/returning_to_work_in_africa.html