New survey to help boost human resources quality |29 November 2012

It will involve 15% of employees in 50 private and public organisations filling in anonymous questionnaires which the NHRDC will analyse by May next year and offer recommendations based on the findings, the council’s chief executive Margaret Pillay told reporters yesterday, adding a number of workers will also be interviewed.

She was speaking after the Minister for Labour and Human Resource Development Idith Alexander launched a half-day workshop for personnel who will be involved in the survey, which is being called the Audit and employee engagement and satisfaction survey.

“The audit survey is being done to collect feedback from human resources practitioners and employees on the state of human resources development practices in the country and will play an important role in developing and enhancing human resource (HR) capacity with regard to training and HR services in the country,” she said.

Ms Alexander told them the launch marked an important day in the progress of HR development in Seychelles.

She said creating a socio-economic environment in which all Seychellois can create their own wealth is central to the government’s vision.

“Given that human resources and their knowledge, skills and attitudes is one of the most decisive factors for economic growth, empowering HRD at national level will have multiplying effects on the overall economic sectors. Globally the socio-economic drive hinges on learning organisations, knowledge management and information and communication technology with people at the forefront,” she said.

“Having a people-centred approach to development with the requisite competencies will enable Seychelles to achieve its goals, which will in turn boost the nation’s wealth,” said Ms Alexander.

She said her ministry – through the NHRDC – remains committed to address the human resources challenges to ensure that the country has the required level of appropriately qualified and well adapted labour to supply the needs of the market.

“Today is a critical moment in the development of HR in the country, where the picture is one of a tight labour market with demand for labour outnumbering supply, resulting in labour shortage.

There is a heavy dependence on expatriate labour and mismatch of human resources demand and supply. “Seychelles also has an ageing population resulting in an ageing workforce which further exacerbates the problem of labour shortage.

“Coupled with the shortage in supply, our labour market is in constant flux, thus we need to invest in our workforce and empower employees with learning and development programmes to achieve organisation goals with greater efficiency and effectiveness; and also to equip them with the right skills to meet the new challenges that arise from the ever-changing business environment and labour markets,” she said.

Noting that the core of the labour market is the human resource, she said an audit is therefore the first step in ensuring that we value and enhance human resource development in Seychelles.

The survey will help identify the shortages and the various factors that are affecting and are likely to affect human resource mobilisation, use and development and an analysis of HRD challenges for the future.

“Following that, recommendations on relevant career development strategies to be put in place in organisations to empower workers will surface,” she said.
The workshop was held in the Seychelles Trading Company’s conference room along Latanier road.