“Transforming HR from Cost to Benefit” was the theme of the recent training programme held in Lagos to address the importance of the Human Resources professional in business development.  The course marked the first joint project between Interims for Development and Regal Exchange and Associates and brought together 20 senior managers and HR Directors from major corporations and organisations across West Africa.

Privatisation of public services, corporate mergers and trade liberalisation across the continent are presenting new and demanding challenges to the traditional role of the HR Manager.  These changes require the HR professional to become a strategic partner involved in the transformation of the enterprise and contributing to company wide issues.  Africa’s private and public sectors need HR professionals today who are able to initiate policy, manage change and ultimately add value.

The two-day training programme entitled ‘Strategic Human Resources Management’ was developed and delivered by Interims for Development to focus on the key issues relating to the perception, image and actuality of HR in today’s businesses.

Designed to enable participants to review the business and interpersonal competencies that the HR role now requires, the course examined how to build and negotiate new relationships with staff, line and top management and how to communicate the strategic vision of HR to internal and external stakeholders.

The programme also linked business strategy with the compensation, recruitment and performance policies of an organisation.

Delegates were provided with an opportunity to review the key areas of HR activity and learn to develop strategic approaches to managing change, thereby making the HR function an essential partner for organisational success.  

“Africa’s private and public sectors need HR professionals today who are able to initiate policy, manage change and ultimately add value”

For Regal Exchange, specialists in financial services training in Africa, the programme responded to training needs articulated by many of their African clients and offered a longer-term opportunity. 

“By asking Interims for Development to join us to host ‘Strategic Human Resources Management’, we sought to give a more complete solution to the issue of training business professionals; offering delegates and their organisations not just the direct benefits of the course itself, but also the continuing benefits available through the services offered by Interims”, says Bayo Jide, Regal Exchange’s Head of Business Development for Africa. “Delegate response to this more holistic approach has been positive and we hope to be able to continue to offer the expertise of Interims in this field as an additional benefit to our portfolio.”

Vincent Owen, the Course Director and Senior Consultant for Interims for Development, led participants through an intense 2-day programme that challenged the administrative bias traditionally directed at the Human Resources department in Africa. 

“I was delighted to see so many participants from different kinds of businesses attending the programme, not only from Nigeria but also from Ghana and Sierra Leone”, says Owen, who has developed and delivered programmes for Interims across Western and Central Africa. “I think this demonstrates clearly the importance that forward looking African companies are now giving to the Human Resources agenda. It is frequently stated in Annual Reports that people are the greatest asset any company has; it is very encouraging to see that the ability of Human Resources to make a strategic contribution to the future success of companies is now being recognised”.

For further information about Human Resources Management training and services:
http://www.interimsfd.com/html/human_resources.html

contact Interims for Development :
+ 44 (0) 20 8200 2373

Managing employees that work in a different country or culture can be a challenge in its own right, but when the country or region is in a state of conflict, the challenge is all the more daunting.
Ensuring that your employees have the skills to sensitively manage employment and community relations is critical as hasty or uninformed decision-making can have a negative and high-risk impact on both the employee’s and the company’s reputation.Farnham Castle,
one of the leading providers of intercultural training, has launched a 2-day workshop to assist companies in delivering their duty of care to employees working in high risk areas.  The course, which was developed in partnership with Kroll, an independent risk consulting company, is designed to help companies reduce their exposure to global threats and protect their employees and assets.

Client Services Director, Jeff Toms, is responsible for the management and development of Farnham Castle’s Intercultural Training business.  In this role, he has been primarily responsible for the creation of the broadest portfolio of intercultural support programmes on offer anywhere.  With his prior experience as a Board Director with a number of leading UK and International Marketing agencies and his experience of living overseas, Jeff Toms is an acknowledged expert in his field.  ReConnect Africa spoke to Toms about his company’s new initiative.

RCA:  Jeff, Farnham Castle is well known for its intercultural training.  What was the prime factor behind developing the Doing Business in Conflict Risk Countries programme?

JT: Our regular briefings on “more challenging” destinations include information and discussion on the basic practical aspects of keeping the individuals involved, safe and well. In discussion with a number of clients, many of whom are in the extractive industries, we identified a need to provide a more in-depth briefing and discussion for destinations where there was a clearly identifiable higher level of risk. We therefore got together with one of the world’s leading independent risk consulting companies specialising in helping clients reduce their exposure to global threats, to develop a unique combination of country briefing supported by specific target country conflict risk advice.  

RCA:    So what can a programme like this cover in 2 days?

JT: The objective of this programme is to equip individuals with the necessary cultural awareness and understanding of the area of operation. It also provides the tools to assist individuals to define and operate a safe and practical personal security environment. Day one of the programme provides an overview of the underlying attitudes of the people of the particular region or country, a thorough understanding of the social and business culture and an in-depth introduction to conducting business in the target region and country. Day two of the programme focuses on the avoidance and sound management of conflict situations. These can cover a broad range of issues such as bribery, compensation, human rights, security and travel health. 

RCA:    What is the nature of risks that some of your clients are experiencing when it comes to Africa?

JT: In the extreme, the issues faced by companies operating in high risk areas range from kidnapping, bribery to theft of confidential and sensitive information. The other key area revolves around socio-political issues; situations where the conduct of the client’s business has an impact (positive and negative) on the political and social structure of the district and country of operation. 

“In an increasingly unstable world, companies need to invest in briefing and cross-cultural training for all international employees.”

RCA:    Jeff, you are a leading figure in the cross-cultural sector and you contribute regularly to presentations and discussions on many aspects of this industry. In your experience, how well do companies address cultural training for employees and business people working in high risk areas?

JT: Our experience shows that the support provided by companies is varied. It is a difficult balance between providing sufficient information and advice to ensure the safety of the individuals involved and the efficient and profitable conduct of business. Of course, many of the organisations have corporate policies in place and provide security briefings. However not all provide those briefings in the context of cultural understanding, which provides a foundation on which much of the policy can be implemented and many unnecessary and difficult situations can be avoided in the first place. 

RCA:  Farnham Castle holds the view that in an increasingly competitive global marketplace, the ability to manage cultural differences to competitive advantage has to be a corporate imperative, 'not a nice' to have option.  How well is this message getting across to multinational companies?

JT: Although cultural understanding is currently high on the agenda and will remain so for the foreseeable future, too few companies still do not afford it the priority and investment it requires. Whilst heavily sponsored in HR and Training departments, more often than not the budgets lie with line Directors and Managers, who see the provision of briefing and training as an avoidable cost rather than an investment inincreased security for employees, improved probability of long-term success and diminished impact on the bottom line!

RCA:    Providing a duty of care is implicit in the employment relationship.  What benefits do you see the kind of training offered by Farnham Castle in upholding this duty?

JT: In an increasingly unstable world, companies need to invest in briefing and cross-cultural training for all international employees. The benefits to the company are numerous and the moral argument to provide duty of care to individuals being sent abroad and their families is indisputable. There are an increasing number of reasons why employees no longer readily accept an overseas posting, a major factor being the safety and security of the family members. Providing an in-depth briefing provides confidence and assurance to all participants and allows them to settle quickly and effectively in their new roles. This allows the assigned individual to get on with the task without unnecessary distraction. Importantly it lessens the possibility of an assignment failure with all the associated human and monetary costs. 

For further details about Farnham Castle and the Doing Business in Conflict Risk Countries Programme, contact Jeff Toms at jtoms@farnhamcastle.com