Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages, Heineken South Africa, Microsoft, Nestle and Unilever South Africa are among the organisations recognised on the Top Employers 2019 for South Africa list, compiled by independent HR certification organisation the Top Employers Institute.
The list celebrates and recognises businesses that provide the best working environments for their employees, using progressive, people-first HR practices.
Billy Elliott, country manager, Africa at the Top Employers Institute, said: “The Top Employers Institute is not just about certifying Africa’s top employers. We have seen a progression of HR in Africa over the last few years, and it is our role to empower and advance people strategies across the world. We are driven not just to certify but to benchmark and connect outstanding employers around the world.”
To gain certification, organisations must attain a required minimum standard to the Top Employers Institute’s global HR best practices survey; this features more than 100 questions across 10 key people development topics. These topics include compensation and benefits, culture, talent strategy, workforce planning, talent acquisition, onboarding, learning and development, performance management, leadership development and career and succession management. The Top Employers Institute then evaluates the implementation of HR practices in these areas and reviews how they are supported through strategy, ownership, practices, measurement and technology.
For 2019, 195 organisations across 31 African countries and 23 industry sectors have achieved Top Employers 2019 certification. This includes 99 employers based in South Africa and 96 organisations from other African countries outside of South Africa.
Among the businesses certified within South Africa is professional services firm EY South Africa, telecommunications company Samsung Electronics South Africa and car manufacturer Volkswagen Group South Africa.
Organisations that have been certified across four or more African countries include British American Tobacco, logistics organisation DHL and telecommunications business Vodacom, while Roche Tunisia SA, Sanofi Egypt and Tanzania Breweries have been certified as Top Employers in other African countries.
David Plink, chief executive officer at the Top Employers Institute, added: “We believe that the 2019 certified organisations demonstrate exceptional employee conditions and encourage the development of these practices by putting [its] people first. These [organisations] help enrich the world of work with outstanding dedication to HR excellence, and because of this, [these organisations] are recognised as an employer of choice.”