The #PleaseCallMe ruling should cause us to reconfigure our business ethos as a society, says Victor Kgomoeswana.
Johannesburg – This is a shout-out to Nkosana Makate to please call me urgently to discuss pressing family business – I have always known he and I are cousin brothers.
We have simply not had a chance to get to know each other properly. Blame it on the hustle and bustle of living in the big city – you know, trying to make ends meet.
Things have just been, as they say, hectic, but I plan to fix that.
Sensation aside, the #PleaseCallMe ruling in favour of the young man who helped Vodacom launch its industry-changing reverse-call service should cause us to reconfigure our business ethos as a society.
It would be tragic to reduce it to a Vodacom story, because it personifies a paradigm shift that is long overdue. We all have our little Makate skeleton somewhere in our business cupboards, just that it may not be as big or as sensational.
First, we assume employees do not have any ambitions beyond earning a salary. Wrong. Employees understand their value to the business they work for, and would treasure sincere appreciation for their efforts, as well as genuine respect.
Entrepreneurs and business bosses miss this point all the time, somehow believing that workers have to be so grateful they are employed and stop whingeing for extras.
If they were so insignificant, entrepreneurs would not need them to bring their vision to life, now, would they?
The second myth is that money does not buy happiness. Trouble is, this is hard for someone who is broke to figure out. Well-paid bosses peddle this deliberate falsehood, just like the proverbial someone who likes to say: “May the best man win, because he inherited a shop.”
Money is not everything and professionals look for fulfilment in things other than material wealth; no, make that over and above material wealth. It’s easier to be loyal to the company’s vision or to appreciate literature and art when your bank balance is not too shabby.
Employees, particularly those who are young and skilled like Makate, know how much money they generate for their employers. They do not find it funny to watch the elite splurging on holidays on some exotic island or in Disneyland while they toil for 45 years to earn a token retirement watch, like our grandparents used to.
They want a share of the upside – and they want it now, or they will start their own businesses. The days of long service awards are gone and buried.
Pay your people what they deserve while they can put it to good use.
Bosses can be hypocritical. When they want to underpay hard-working employees, they will say: “Money is not everything”.
They will whip out all manner of research to justify exploiting their loyal servants, while they pocket huge salaries, share options and bonuses. On the other hand, they will recite that meaningless platitude of the corporate world: “Our people are our most valued asset.”
This brings me to the third lesson out of this landmark case. If people are the most valued asset of every business, why do we consider human resources (HR) or human capital management a support service?
I am willing to bet Vodacom did not involve its HR department in negotiating with Makate before promising him whatever it did when he pitched his idea to management.
Often, discussions about business strategy and expansion are hatched in discussions by chief executives, chief financial officers or marketers, with consultants in tow.
Plans are finalised, leaving only the need for HR to be briefed to find suitable candidates. Similarly, when the chief executive officer or the chairman wants to fire someone they do not like, they will invite HR only to structure the exit package and do the paperwork.
That is hardly a way to treat one’s most valued asset.
Human resources professionals ought to be involved from the beginning. Anything less and we are guaranteed to have more cases like Makate’s, probably bigger ones, too.
Now, who has Nkosana’s numbers? I really feel it is time for that Kgomoeswana-Makate reunion. Family ties are worth fighting for and restoring, you know!
* Kgomoeswana is author of Africa is Open for Business and anchor of Power Hour, which airs from Monday to Thursday on Power FM.
@VictorAfrica
* The views expressed here are not necessarily those of TDN Media.
Courtesy: IOL
The Guardian 