HR LEADERS GET A SEAT AT THE TABLE

CHRO South Africa dinners are fast becoming renowned for great company, contemporary conversation, frequent laughter and luscious food. It is proving to be a unique platform for leading HR professionals to get together and discuss challenges and solutions facing the fraternity in the fast-changing world of work. Former managing editor Nomahlubi Sonjica (and current CIO South Africa community manager) attended two dinners and shares some of the memorable moments.

Some of the country’s top HR executives gathered for dinner at the spectacular Saxon Hotel in Sandhurst, Johannesburg, and shared how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the way people work and how the role of HR has evolved over the past two years.

The dinner took place in September 2022 and was hosted by CHRO South Africa in partnership with Workday.

The mood in the private dining room where the dinner was held was upbeat as guests had the opportunity to mingle with their counterparts over drinks before they were seated.

CHRO South Africa’s managing editor, Joël Roerig, asked each guest to introduce themselves and tell others one thing people do not know about them. This was a moment of oohs and aahs as guests made their revelations.

From then, the conversation flowed and it was interesting to hear how HR executives shared similar and different views about how things have changed in the workplace and how they should be post-Covid-19.

Sharing the lessons they learnt over the past two and a half years, CHROs agreed that they had become agile and that since the pandemic, things had changed and continued to change everyday.

“The burnout kicked in and people started losing their loved ones. We had to support them, as we were dealing with real pain and loss,” one CHRO shared.

Bringing in ‘that softness’

They said everyone in the workplace looked to HR for solutions.

“It [Covid-19] taught me a lot about agility. I now make decisions on the fly,” the CHRO said. “The sense of agility was a big lesson.”

Another CHRO told of how the pandemic took their company through a digital journey as they developed an application to connect with and reach staff.

Collaboration has also become part of the development brought about by the pandemic. One HR leader said during the period, hierarchy became irrelevant. “Not one person could solve things alone,” they said.

The past two years, one HR executive said, had tested the concept of being a people-centric company. “Sending people home with laptops was not an issue, but people started asking for data at home. The value of diversity and inclusion was tested for us,” shared another CHRO.

According to one executive, Covid-19 has helped a great deal in terms of how staff have become engaged and how they speak openly and honestly about issues that affect them, including their wellbeing. “We are seeing a lot of willingness to discuss it. We are seeing engagement and Covid has brought in that softness in terms of how we handle people.”

The executives agreed Covid-19 brought the best and worst of times. When it came to the hybrid work model, there were very different views, with some arguing that working from the office brings a sense of “collaboration”. Others felt it was not necessary to ask people to go back to the office because they still conduct virtual meetings at the office.

“If people are at the office, it has to be purposeful,” one CHRO said.

“It is great, once in a while. We need to have a digital-first mentality,” another said.

Another CHRO said there was no need for companies to run an “adult daycare centre” by expecting people at the office, because employees can self manage. “It looks like everyone has nostalgia for the old because they want people back at the office,” said one executive.

“Discussions with my colleagues don’t happen on

Zoom. They happen at the office. We have to ask ourselves what impact working from home has had on the business,” said one CHRO, who added that he and his team have been able to make better decisions at the office than at home.

The evening ended with CHROs being thankful for the platform CHRO South Africa offers HR leaders. “This platform has been phenomenal. It’s always great to be able to share ideas,” said one leader. 

Those in attendance were:

• Beverley Bennett, HR Executive at Curro Holdings

• Latisha Govinder, HR Executive Kia South Africa

• Tswelo Kodisang, Chief People Officer, First Rand Group

• Dewan Hamman, People Executive: Systems & Solutions, Smollan

• S’ne Magagula, CHRO, Tiger Brands

• Nametsegang Maruping, HR director, Webber Wentzel

• Tumi Matseka, Chief of People Management and Learning, Transnet

• Thembi Mazibuko, Chief People Officer, Pick n Pay

• Siya Mnyanda, Senior Enterprise Account Executive, Workday

• Masenyane Molefe, Group Executive: Human Resources, PPS

• Kiveshen Moodley, Country Managing Director, Workday

• Michele Seroke, CHRO, Motus

Some of the top HR leaders gathered around a dinner table at the magnificent Saxon Hotel in Sandhurst, Johannesburg on 22 September to share insights into how they are looking after themselves and other executives at their respective workplaces.

The dinner, hosted by CHRO South Africa in partnership with HealthImpact, was an intimate affair that started off with welcome drinks and was followed by a selection of delectable dishes.

CHRO South Africa’s community manager Sungula Nkabinde welcomed the guests, and to make them feel comfortable around one another, asked each of them to share a bit of interesting information about themselves.

Themed “Putting your own oxygen mask on first”, the event gave rise to a conversation around how the HR executives were taking care of themselves in high-pressure situations.

One HR leader shared that they neglected their own wellbeing to the point where they had to be told by their CEO that they needed to take time off. “I’m probably the worst to put on my oxygen mask first. I was reminded by my CEO to take time off,” the executive said.

Another shared that a lot of corporates do not prioritise the wellbeing of executives. “Nobody wants to be seen to be weak, which is a wrong idea to have.” He emphasised the important role HR leaders need to play to take care of the executive, including themselves.

The guests agreed that while it is easy for them to tell everybody else at work to take a break, they themselves do not practice what they preach.

Executive support

“As leaders we talk the talk, but how many of us live what they say? We say the right things but when it comes to modelling, we don’t do anything,” said one CHRO.

“There could be more we could do to not allow executives to slip into [depression]. It’s not an easy space to navigate, but we need to be agile and adjust as we go along,” another added.

Another executive shared how Covid-19 had changed the game in that leaders have discovered that it is okay to be human too.

For another executive, the past two years have presented an opportunity for executives to form alliances and offer support to each other. The period, he said, also allowed people to be open about their mental health issues.

One CHRO said he has a routine to keep their wellbeing in check. “I’ve got a routine and I refuse to change it. I’d rather not take a role if it will not allow me to stick to my routine.” The HR leader said he makes sure he gets enough hours of sleep every day. “When I wake up I do a 45-minute workout. I try very hard to eat healthy.”

He said when he feels he is fatigued, he takes time off. “You are useful when you are well. I have seen instances where high-performing executives burn out because they don’t look after themselves.”

The evening ended with the guests making connections and promising to reach out to each other to take the conversation forward. 

Those in attendance were:

Tamara Bell: Executive: Sales and Marketing, HealthImpact

Edwin Hlatshwayo: HR Director, Glencore

Juba Mashaba: Chief Human Resources Officer, Cell C

Sphiwe Mayinga: Chief People Officer, Empact Group

Julia Modise: HR Director, BMW SA

Jedd Myers, Chief Executive Officer HealthImpact

Athol Swanepoel: HR Director, Nestlé East & Southern Africa

Sharon Taylor: Chief People and Culture Officer, Standard Bank