The critical skills gap across various industries is a pressing issue in South Africa. In the communication technology sector, evolving digital tools and standards fuel an industry in flux. With over 230 million jobs in sub-Saharan Africa projected to be digitally dependent by 2030, according to the International Finance Corporation, Kate Shead, Human Resources Executive at Telviva—a cloud-based communications company—believes that internal skills development is one way to tackle the looming skills shortage.
Just over one month into 2025, most of the new year's business “trends” articles have come and gone. Knowing what topical and where businesses need to evolve is good. However, one constant is that communication is evolving at an unprecedented pace, putting pressure on businesses to deliver on the standout customer experience modern consumers demand. At the helm of the customer satisfaction business, the telecommunications industry needs to stay agile and innovative to keep providing the seamless link to customers that businesses demand. And while technology governs most of what we do, people remain any customer-centric organisation's secret weapon.
To keep pace with such a kinetic environment, leadership must commit to talent and career development through a culture of growth, continuous learning and skill-building. And while readers of this publication may consider this topic a "soft skill" slightly out of place here, there is always a powerful case to be made for promoting organic synergy between technology and people.
Machines are managed; people need nurturing
Leadership style sets the tone for the entire organisation and plays a crucial role in recognising and nurturing the potential in each individual. People are not machines, so there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Some employees may not see their potential initially; while others might be ready to step up. Effective leaders must be able to identify and unlock potential, adapting their approach to the needs of each team member. That's where the hard work truly begins.
Adopting a “personal best” performance approach encourages team members to aim for their personal best, rather than compete for top spot in a competition against their colleagues. This boosts self-worth, persistence and (for the organisation's greater good) is always outcomes-based. This way, a leader supports individuals in setting personal improvement challenges and aligns company values with personal recognition. This approach is particularly effective for team members battling confidence or fear of failure.
Balance builds better business
As the old adage goes, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few"—but what if we tried a different approach? Balancing the needs of the business with the needs of employees shouldn't involve a cookie-cutter approach (or anymore old adages for that matter). Hiring focus can be shifted singularly to finding the right skills or potential and a workable culture fit. When onboarding, getting the person to a point of job efficacy as efficiently as possible then takes precedence. Once these fundamentals are achieved, we can comfortably shift back to prioritising the employee’s personal growth.
Balance allows businesses to meet their strategic objectives while empowering employees to grow, which makes talent more likely to be accountable. Recognising employees for their contributions, not only on big occasions like annual awards or reviews, but daily, builds on the culture of confidence, mutual accountability and collaboration.
The infinite learning curve
There may be a place for the traditional approach to skills development, but change is inevitable, and lagging behind affects the bottom line. Agilty and flexibility are paramount, and organisations grow from bottom to top—never the other way around. As part of a core strategy, learnerships and internships build grassroots skills for the organisation and the greater communication technology sector. As part of an organisation that has run over 60 such programmes since 2018 with a graduation rate of over 90% and a 70% graduate employment rate, I can attest to the strategic value talent development offers an organisation.
Building company-specific product and skills training works for the company and the talent it employs. For leaders, seeing people rise above where they started can also be incredibly fulfilling. When new employees join, they might not know their full potential. By creating a supportive environment, an organisation can go beyond meeting their team’s basic needs, like job security and a sense of belonging. Motivating and challenging your team encourages beter work. Ultimately, this is where a key competitive advantage lies—in a team performing at its best.
