Local provider of human capital management and business solutions, HR-Focus, has signed a deal with Lumesse, one of the world’s leading talent management companies. The deal allows HR-Focus to introduce Lumesse to South Africa in a bid to address poor talent management issues in the local market place.
The results of the Labour Market Survey 2009 conducted by Statistics South Africa exposed the dire state of talent management in South Africa. During the global recession the retrenchment of talented employees led to organisations losing their competitive advantage. Consequently, a growing number of organisations – not only in South Africa but internationally – are embracing the concept of talent management as a large contributor to their competitive advantage.
Bringing in international assistance
Lumesse (originally known as StepStone Solutions) was formed in 2003 and has grown rapidly with over 1 700 customers in over 70 countries worldwide, including major brands such as Bank of China International, Deutsche Telekom, Heineken, PSA Peugeot Citroen and Virgin Atlantic.
“We are proud to be partnering with Lumesse to provide SA with local Talent Management Solutions,” says Salim Ahmed, strategic business and development officer at HR-Focus. “Lumesse will enable organisations to nurture the talent of their employees and help heighten their competitive edge for greater profitability. Overall, the goal is to contribute to the well-being of the South African economy,” he concludes.
In April 2011, Lumesse revealed the findings of ‘Inspiring Talent’ – a detailed, independent survey of employee attitudes with regards to their jobs and employers. The survey shows that age is a major factor in workplace happiness, with mid-career workers being the least happy. Other findings include: gender differences in pay rises; training and work satisfaction are still common in some countries; and training, performance reviews, recognition and workplace trust remain major employee issues.
The Lumesse ‘Inspiring Talent’ survey shows that challenges remain in the way many employers use the talents of their staff. Training, performance reviews and workplace trust remain an issue with only half of employees reporting that they have an effective appraisal process, and only one third saying that good training is regularly available. Less than one in five employees said they would always be rewarded for taking extra responsibility or working harder.