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Recruitment expert says knowledge sharing will plug skills gap in Africa

07 Feb 2017, 12:50 pm
Financial Nigeria
Recruitment expert says knowledge sharing will plug skills gap in Africa

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- Robert Walters says the key to addressing the skills shortage on the continent – as companies seek experienced local talent – is transfer of skills by expatriate professionals.

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A new research from Robert Walters, one of the world's leading specialist professional recruitment consultancies, has shown that local professionals will be in high demand across Africa in 2017 owing to the renewed focus by governments on diversification from the commodities sector. Nic Sephton-Poultney, Robert Walters Country Manager for Africa, said on Monday that the diversification agenda will drive recruitment throughout 2017.

The research by Robert Walters also found that the key to addressing the skills shortage on the continent – as companies seek experienced local talent – is transfer of skills by expatriate professionals. The recruitment company refers to this strategy as "succession planning."

“Over the short to medium term, we expect that hiring managers will continue to recruit expatriates who are keen to share their experience and expertise with local professionals," said Nic Sephton-Poultney. "Employers recognise that they need to focus on succession planning for African talent, and knowledge sharing from expatriates will be part of this strategy.”

As a number of African countries implemented nationalisation programmes in 2016, the local skills gap became apparent, making the environment more challenging. Many organisations found it harder to hire the people they needed, Robert Walters said.

A large number of skilled nationals have moved abroad over the last few years. This situation has alarmed some African governments and they are deploying strategies to attract them back. Western-educated nationals with international experience are also a group that will be highly sought after in 2017.

The London-headquartered recruitment company said there is increased demand for senior management level professionals as companies grow their finance functions to attract foreign investment. Robert Walters said such in-demand professionals will be in a strong position to negotiate significantly higher salaries.

As a result, salaries across Africa are expected to increase by 12-16% on average in 2017 despite the difficult economic climate on the continent.

As expatriates transfer skills and begin to hand over to their local successors, Robert Walters advises hiring managers to also consider hiring less experienced candidates who will upskill.  

“When recruiting local senior professionals, we advise hiring managers to be flexible and to consider hiring less experienced but high potential individuals whose skills can be developed ‘on the job’.”


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