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Interview with Mpho Nkeli – Chief HR Officer: Vodacom

In this interview with Michele van Eeden, Mpho Nkeli (Chief HR Officer: Vodacom ) gives us a glimpse into the HR strategies and successes that support Vodacom, including their biggest challenges, their retention strategies, and how they stay on the cutting edge of HR expertise.

by Michele van Eeden

The CRF Institute has ranked Vodacom as one of South Africa’s top 10 best employers to work for. What does this mean to your organisation?

• We are indeed proud to be recognised as a role model of excellence and an industry leader. The prestigious validation contributes towards reinforcing our status as an Employer of Choice. It does, however, also challenge us to ensure that we strive to sustain our superior positioning, in order to continue providing a world class service.

What are the three biggest challenges for your organisation?

• We are still faced with remnants of the recession which had an adverse effect on the economy of our country and the associated consumer behaviour trends. Retaining market position is therefore imperative. Meeting both organisational and employee needs, in conjunction with attracting and retaining talent, is always a consideration.

How will the HR department respond to those challenges?

• Review and enhancement of our Talent Management practices is a key focus on our agenda. As part of the Vodafone Group, we are privileged to have access to a global network. We leverage from this beneficial advantage, which affords us the opportunity of international assignments between markets, expanding the scope of our expertise and best practices.

What are you doing to position your HR department as a true business partner?

• As a purpose-based organisation, we adopt the approach of aligning with business strategy. To ensure that we thrive in a dynamic environment, we design and develop culture and diversity programmes to support this, while simultaneously building on existing skills via our Learning and Development value chain, which contribute towards driving change, innovation, and operational efficiencies.

How do you ensure your HR department is consistently functioning on the cutting edge of HR expertise?

• Our HR academy serves as a platform for growth, creating capacity and transformation within our own arena. We journey with business, so we have our finger on the pulse, with the intent of a future-orientated focus. »

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