DIV ERSE WO RKFORCE MA TTERS

What is your current role at Hyundai?

I’m the HR Director, which means I set the people strategy for the business based on what our strategic objectives are. I’m also responsible for the effective execution of the strategy to ensure we meet our goals through people practices.

When it comes to challenges, labour disputes, and violations, how do you handle them?

My superpower is my very calm nature and my resilient and ‘never say die’ attitude. It takes a lot to rattle me and this has stood me in great stead. I’m able to shut out the noise and focus on what matters, process it clearly, and then find the best solution. As a practical person, I can think quickly on my feet when faced with challenges or labour disputes.

In what ways do you promote diversity at work?

Khanya Magudulela is an HR professional with a wide range of experience in various industries. She has honed her expertise through years of working on Human Resources, Talent Management, and Performance Management to name a few areas - all backed by her BA Honours in Psychology from the University of South Africa. With such qualifications, it’s no surprise that she excels at ensuring effective growth and productivity among organisations around the globe.

Tell us about your background and career journey. What made you decide to follow this path?

I was born in a beautiful small rural town in the Eastern Cape called Matatiele. I went to school in Matatiele but soon moved to KwaZulu-Natal for my high school years and University where I studied for a Bachelor of social science degree in Psychology. My career began way back in 2003 when I went to Quest Flexible staff looking for a holiday job and they decided to hire me to work for them in a permanent role. My mother was a social worker by profession, and I was fascinated by how she was able to impact and change people’s lives daily. Whenever I saw her, she always seemed fulfilled and happy, and I admired this as a child.

I am fortunate to work for a company that constantly drives this through all business and people practices. We have annual targets that we drive to ensure we have a transformed organisation. Diversity is also a top priority for us as a company, whether we are promoting, recruiting, or looking for future talent.

How should South Africa approach transformation in light of its racial past?

Transformation as I always explain it for me means being reflective of the society in which we live. This means if someone walks into any of our dealerships, they should comfortably see that this is a company that proudly operates in South Africa by the diversity of the people you would encounter and the manner in which one would encounter them.