BEST Employers™ South Africa is a project that delves into the heart of employer intelligence through the HR Benchmark™ research process, identifying the very best employers (companies) in the country and publishing case studies on their success to build and entrench the leading employer brands.
No other South African advertising agency or marketing communication company made it onto the Top 25 list.
Commenting on the accolade, FCB South Africa Group CEO, Neil van der Weele said it that the group had been putting on an enormous focus on the retention of its staff and the human resources field in general, over the past years, and that this recognition was therefore gratifying.
“It's vital that we protect our employees, treat them with respect and nurture an environment that stimulates their creativity. This is the task facing the leadership at our agency.
“Our culture is critical in terms of retention. The agency has created an atmosphere where creativity can thrive and the principles of business are respected. We have also put a big emphasis on upskilling all levels of staff through ongoing training and skills development. Last year, over 70% of our staff went through some form of training programme.
“This year, 1 100 companies participated in the
BEST Employers™ South Africa annual so our achievement is really rewarding,” he said.
FCB South Africa's BEE facts and figures as reported on
www.bestcompaniestoworkfor.co.za also impressed the researchers – out of 650 staff, 43% are black, 55% are women and 63% of executive senior staff are black.
It was a participant in the first major broad-based empowerment transaction to be concluded within the advertising industry; a 2005 deal which saw Bourasque Advertising Investments acquire a 26% stake in the agency. A subsequent transaction, announced in January 2007, has resulted in the creation of an employee trust, which holds a 23,9% share in the company. Through this trust, over 40 black staff, as well as 40 white staff, own shares in the company.
FCB South Africa Group Human Resources Director, Lerato Ndoro, who attended the awards ceremony said recognition in the annual was a great achievement for the group.
“Passing an audit as stringent as the one conducted by CRF International and Accenture is a big feather in our cap,” she said. “It confirms that our existing human resources policies exceed global standards, and that our plans and strategies for developing our human capital are working well.”
