Celebrating Our Ghanaian Heroes

His hobbies are soccer and farming; he reads a lot and does a lot of research. He is married with 3 daughters and two sons. He developed his competitive nature from childhood: He was in the same class with his cousin and always wanted to beat his cousin in class, so when his cousin was asleep, he was up studying. He did not have too much of formal education. 

His subordinates describe him as a simple man of wisdom, creativity, a risk taker, full of confidence and energy, a straight forward and strict person, passionate about his job, hardworking and a people’s person. However, Dr. Kwabena Adjei, CEO of Kasapreko Company Limited, describes himself simply as humble.

Guinness Ghana Appoints New HR Director, Commercial Director

Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited (GGBL) has appointed Mr. Eric Sewornu Adadevoh and Mr. Nick Cook, as Human Resource Director and Commercial Director respectively.

The two new members of the GGBL team would be reporting to Mr. Peter Ndegwa, Managing Director of the drinks maker.

  

Having worked with the business for over 20 years, Eric has enormous experience across the Supply and Human Resources functions.

Most recently as Supply HR Business Partner, he developed strong working relationships with the GGBL leadership of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union, and successfully led on the business’s engagement agenda prior to this. 

His previous other key roles include HR Director, Serengeti Breweries in Tanzania, HR Business Partner – Demand, and Talent & OE Manager.  Whilst in the Supply function, Mr. Adadevoh worked across the Brewery Leadership Teams. 

Eric brings a wealth of experience, knowledge of the business and a passion for people to the role. 

Nick Cook joined Diageo from Nestle UK where he held several positions in sales and customer marketing after starting as a sales rep on their graduate scheme. 

After over 7 years at Nestle he joined Diageo to head up the Commercial Planning and Activation team for the grocery channel where he delivered a winning Christmas strategy as well as the first ever holistic promotional evaluation project which provided record savings for the business.

As the Commercial Director – Spirits and Customer Marketing, Nick will focus on the GGBL’s spirits agenda which is a critical enabler in delivering the F17 growth ambition.

At his most recent role as the Customer Marketing Director for Africa, Nick step-changed the function into a strong commercial planning organization while developing and executing new proven growth drivers for the Africa business. 

Commenting on the appointments, Mr. Peter Ndegwa, Managing Director Guinness Ghana said, "I am delighted to have Eric and Nick join the executive management team."

“Eric’s appointment is a testimony to our commitment to grow and develop talent within the business, and bringing in an individual of Nick’s experience will galvanize the key accounts and reserve teams to deliver breakthrough results”, said Mr. Peter Ndegwa. 

Source: Ghana | Myjoyonline.com

Questions Hitting HR

I have risen through the ranks in the company I work for to become manager of my department. I find it very difficult to get my former colleagues to do what I want and they are supposed to do. What can I do to salvage the situation? 

ANS: If you have been promoted to a managing position, it is because you have worked hard and you have the required skills for it. Believe in yourself; self-confidence inspires confidence, and this is the first step toward success. Some people change when they start to handle responsibilities and it can bring tension to the team. You have to keep in mind that the employees you now manage are your former colleagues. Do not denigrate them or act like you do not know them anymore. Nevertheless, being a manager implies a certain distance vis-à-vis your ex-colleagues. Gossiping, criticizing the management or other employees and taking sides in altercations must be forgotten. You now have to be irreproachable and an example. Do not be partial. Be professional and make yourself indispensable; a good manager is someone who is admired for his human qualities and his expertise. Show them why and what they can learn from you. Communicating how you plan to support and gain insight from them is also a positive way to show you are not coming in with the intent on changing everything right away. 

I hold an MBA in finance and been working with this company since 2005 till date. I have been to so many interviews to help change my job but I fail in answering the question “why do you want to change your job?” What could be the best answer to give my interviewers? 

ANS: It is best to be positive and reassure the employer that you are not leaving your job to escape being fired or because you are hard to work with. Then, say something nice about this opportunity and/or employer. Finally, add a closing statement that answers the question in a way that reflects well on you. 

For example, “Growth is limited in my current employer’s organization because it is relatively small, so I need to look elsewhere, outside of the current organization, and this opportunity looks very interesting to me because…”  

Be very careful not to bad-mouth your current employer in answering this question. The best things to think about is the good things about your current company and spill them out. 

I have been working in an institution for the past 4 years. When I commenced work, I was given an appointment letter stating a 6 months’ probation period. The period passed without me receiving any confirmation letter.  I have made constant follow up on my confirmation status as a staff. Can I sue my employers for not confirming my appointment all these years? 

ANS:

   1.  Always explore peaceful or win-win methodologies to solve issues 

   

  2. No employer wishes  to employ a litigant – so “suing” should always be avoided  and nowadays, workplace conflict, arbitration or alternative dispute resolution  (ADR) is the preferred option to going to court 

  3. In some organisations where an HR practitioner is not in place or an unstructured environment, or even in structured organisations,   confirmation letters are inadvertently overlooked.  A gentle reminder to the appropriate supervisor should resolve that.  If this takes longer, you are either speaking to the wrong person in the organisation or that the drivers of the organisation do not place much value on that particular type of paperwork.  The employment relationship is forged and continued based on several things including the employee accepting to work for an agreed upon remuneration package.  Your continued decision to work means you accept the conditions that go with the employment relationship.  Have a genuine discussion with your employer that you are uncomfortable with not having a confirmation letter and ask what you can do to facilitate a quick solution. 

Job Interviews: Dealing With Rejection

Being turned down for that job that you really wanted can be quite a disheartening experience and can leave a dent in your confidence. When handled the right way however, rejection can be treated as a learning experience and ultimately turned into something positive. Rejected candidates can use the opportunity to learn more about themselves, especially with regards to their strengths and weaknesses and build on that to perform better in subsequent interviews.

“It is probably not you”

With lots of people on the lookout for jobs, there are a lot of talented candidates that would most likely get rejected. The rejection may not necessarily be because of your perceived inability to do the job, but with regards to whether or not you are the right fit for the role. The situation therefore may not be that the recruiter was rejecting you, but saw another candidate that he/she saw to be a better fit. One must also take into consideration the fact that hiring is usually subjective so another recruiter may have chosen you.

“Perhaps the hiring manager was right”

It is possible that the hiring manager was right by not picking you because the job would not have been the right fit for you. You may not have performed as well as you and the company would have liked and ultimately been unhappy in the company. Assuming this was the situation, the hiring manager would have been right not to hire you.

“Be Polite”

Sending a note saying “Your loss” to the hiring manager is definitely not a smart move. As mentioned earlier, the rejection could be with regards to your fit, rather than your competence. You could therefore be considered suitable for another position that would come up. When hiring managers interview someone for a position, they usually have an idea of other positions they are looking to fill so even though you could have been rejected for one position, you could be considered for another. It is therefore always a good idea to be polite and if possible, maintain the relationship with the hiring manager even in the event of rejection.

“Take a moment to reflect”

Job interviews are a great way to learn about your strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps you did not read enough on the company, or the problem may be with your appearance. Whatever the issue, it is imperative to get feedback from the interviewer on your performance so you can use that information to improve your performance in subsequent interviews.

Being told that you were not selected for a job is not a pleasant experience, but it is also a great opportunity to improve and better oneself. If you take the good with the bad and learn from your mistakes, you can easily turn what was meant to be a stumbling block into a stepping stone to success. Good luck!

By-Mimi Koranteng

Redundancy; Doing It The Right Way

Times are hard! The current economic situation has been so difficult that for some businesses, redundancy is one of the prime options to cut down costs and stay afloat. However, if this is not done the right way, it may create bigger problems for businesses because of the possibility of costly and time wasting litigations.

In summary, redundancy occurs when an employer closes down its business (or intends to do so); or closes down a particular workplace (or intends to do so); or has a reduced requirement for employees to carry out the particular work for which they have been employed such that the employer has to lay off some workers.

Although the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) does not define the term redundancy, it gives an indication to its precipitators which include, but are not limited to, where an employer contemplates the introduction of major changes in production, programme, organization, structure or technology of an undertaking that are likely to entail terminations of employment of workers.

Redundancy is one of the grounds upon which termination of employment is deemed as lawful. Nonetheless, failure to comply with the requisite procedure under the Labour Act renders it unfair termination which opens the employer to more liability than it would have incurred.

Under the Act, whenever an employer intends to embark on a major change, which is likely to result in the termination of employment, the employer shall provide notice, in writing, to the Chief Labour Officer and the trade union concerned, and give the proper notice and the required information according to law. The employer is also required to provide a roadmap to justify the redundancy and measures to mitigate the effects. Although the Act makes reference to consultation with the trade unions, it is usually advisable for employers to consult with employees when the proposal to make redundancies is in its formative stage before any decisions are made at management or board level. Consultation should take place before the employer takes the final decision to dismiss, otherwise, the process can be perceived as a sham and the dismissal as unfair.

When employees are laid off as a result of redundancy, some compensation must be paid by the employer. Redundancy pay is purely a matter of negotiation between the employer and the employee. Parties may usually provide for the basis of the calculation of the redundancy pay in the contract of employment in the absence of which the parties may negotiate the sum payable. In most cases, parties are unable to reach an amicable settlement on redundancy packages. The simple reason being that whereas the employee usually feels he or she is entitled to more, the employer’s aim is to minimize its exposure to the barest minimum. However, in the case where dispute arises, either party may refer it to the National Labour Commission for settlement, and the decision of the Commission shall, subject to any other law, be final. Advisedly, it is always prudent to include a redundancy clause in the employment contract. It is equally pertinent that the redundancy clause be properly worded so as to avoid controversies.

It is important to mention however, that all that has been said so far above does not apply to workers engaged under a contract of employment for a specified period of time or specified work; or a worker serving a period of probation; or workers engaged on casual basis.

 By-Nana Akwasi Awuah