Businesses need skilled talent to meet market demands. But as market circumstances and technologies evolve, so do the skills required to benefit from them. Offering employees opportunities for upskilling and reskilling through structured, strategic, and comprehensive training programmes are one answer.
This year, our company recognised the need for an initiative to bring in professionals with valuable work experience to quickly fill more senior positions. To address this gap, we launched our first Experienced Hire Programme. The inspiration for this initiative stemmed from the success of our Graduate Programme, which has been running twice a year for eight years.
Over a one-month period, four hires with previous work experience were selected from 60 applicants to undergo intensive training. The course focused specifically on the Murex trading platform, highlighting the open roles within the company that we need to fill.
This approach aligns perfectly with our overall talent strategy, addressing urgent talent gaps that require more immediate solutions. Graduates, while essential, often need time to gain the necessary experience. In contrast, experienced hires can be accelerated into critical roles, filling gaps swiftly and efficiently. In this way, we balance our workforce with mid to senior-level professionals who bring a wealth of knowledge and can contribute immediately to strategic projects.
The stakes are high
In South Africa, the trend of Experienced Hire Programmes is only set to grow, especially in niche industries like financial consultancy. As work cultures shift and professionals seek varied roles and growth opportunities, such programs will become essential for attracting and retaining top talent.
Implementing the Experienced Hire Programme was not without its challenges. One of the primary hurdles was designing an exact and well-structured course that would give the hires the knowledge and confidence to work with our Murex clients, who have high expectations of the managers they work with.
As a reward, our experienced hires have quickly demonstrated their professionalism, adding value and confidently engaging with clients. Their ability to integrate effectively has validated our approach, and we plan to expand the programme based on a thorough evaluation of the first course. In the next few months, we will gather feedback from the participants to fine-tune the program further, ensuring it meets specific client needs and strategically enhances our talent pool.
For HR professionals considering a similar approach, our advice is to start small and refine the programme based on initial outcomes. Ensure a good cultural and personality fit for your organisation, as these aspects are critical, especially when hiring for senior roles. The ability to teach skills is important, but aligning values and work culture is paramount for long-term success.
To both retain employees and prepare for the future of work, organisations can and should offer employees opportunities for upskilling and reskilling through structured, strategic, and comprehensive training programs. Training programmes provide opportunities for employee learning and development, thereby increasing employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention, while also preparing an organisation for the fast-approaching future.
Kerisha Govender, Head of People at Elenjical Solutions.