Summit highlights role of HR in business growth

The HR Summit and Expo Africa 2015, presented by Informa in partnership with Oracle and the Gordon Institute of Business Science, will run from 28 September to 1 October at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Johannesburg.

Featuring insights from key international and regional thought leaders, it will examine the global environment, business trends affecting HR and winning practices to attract, engage and retain talent in Africa.

An important theme this year is the strategic role of HR in supporting business growth in an uncertain environment. This focus is in line with the findings of research conducted by Informa and The HR Observer, which found that HR experts in Africa feel that the labour market is largely reactive, with an HR function that is mainly focused on administrative issues but that human capital management is becoming strategic. When asked about some of the top priorities in the field, 47% of survey respondents voted for making HR strategic to the overall business, 42% of respondents cited developing future leaders and succession planning strategies for the sustainable growth and development of the business and 44% highlighted talent retention strategies.

Speakers

With a focus on both South Africa and pan-Africa, experts speaking at the event will address the continent's unique business and HR challenges. International experts include:

Bill Hutchinson - Head of Customer Experience at eBay UK
Ajit Nambiar - Head of International Compensation at Google Singapore
Adedeji Ogunnubi - HR Studies Specialist at Total France
Charles Gbandi - GM HR at Shell Nigeria
David Ssegawa - Chief HR Officer at Airtel Kenya
Patience Akyianu - MD of Barclays Bank Ghana

Local experts presenting at the event include:

Tebogo Maenetja - HR Director at BP Southern Africa
Elanie Kruger - Regional HR Director at G4S Africa
Malcolm Pannell - MD of Hay Group
Marius Mayer - CEO of the South African Board of People Practices
Lebo Tseladimitlwa - VP for HR sub-Saharan Africa at DHL
Samantha Crous - Regional Director, Africa at the Top Employers Institute.

Topics

A glimpse into the future: The role of HR in managing and thriving amidst uncertainty
Aligning HR with organizational strategy to drive business growth
Leveraging and selecting metrics to justify HR value to the C-suite
Unleashing the power of talent analytics
Becoming a talent magnet: developing and implementing a compelling employee value proposition
Retaining critical top talent in Africa

A number of case studies will be presented, illustrating key topics such as diversity and inclusion, building a pipeline of female leaders and blended learning.

Day one and four of the event will also feature in-depth workshops including:

HR evolution - from administrator to business partner
Designing an effective performance management framework
HR Metrics and analytics: a roadmap to transformation
The compensation and benefits mastery bootcamp

Running alongside the summit, a free expo will display the latest products and solutions available to support HR, as well as providing an opportunity for face-to-face consultations with industry experts and extensive networking with over 600 industry players.

For more information, go to www.hrsummitexpoafrica.com.