Managing / -Valuing transformation /transformation
2.8 Successful Implementation of Employment Equity
employer or union, and (2) to cure a manifest imbalance in the employer's work force.
Thus, affirmative action programs are intended to hire the most qualified individuals, while achieving equal opportunity for all.
Among Black South African commentators, there is also suspicion the concept of merit that has been used so far. There is therefore a call for the use of a more objective and fair definition of what constitutes merit. Qunta (1995: 42) quotes the Former Director of the Black Management Forum saying that people feel comfortable with those who are like themselves. A person who fits the typical South African corporate executive profile (white male) is therefore more likely to pass the merit test than an African person (Qunta 1995: 23).
Cooke (1998: 52) believes that advancing the designated groups is not necessarily dropping standards because it advocates for the appointment of a designated group person who meets the minimum requirements of the job. This person "can do the job well enough to keep it going, though not as well as is required to make a really adequate contribution". According to Cooke (1998: 61), this would come later as the person is trained and grown into the job. Cooke (1998: 73) also argues that the assertion of the lowering of standards undermines the capabilities of the designated groups.
• Blacks successfully doing jobs that were formerly referred to and even reserved for whites.
• Lower turnover/higher retention rates for Blacks.
• Positive, visible, active support and commitment given to strategy by top management.
• Workplace and social acceptance by all.
• Positive trade union involvement.
Experts make a number of recommendations about what should be done so as to attain a state of successful Employment Equity process. For instance, Cooke (1998: 92) makes a point for "highly skilled and wise leaders to handle the complexity of human attitudes and emotions that flow from a prospect and the fact of the changes involved.
Such leadership will ensure that Employment Equity is not implemented on an ad hoc basis but forms part of the of the overall strategic business plans. This point is also made by Israelstam (1999: 51) who believes that one of the reasons for failure in Employment Equity implementation has been a lack of "rational and systematic planning".
Thomas (1998: 66) argues for an Employment Equity process that focuses on internal promotion rather than external recruitment. A focus on external recruitment, he adds, has the propensity to demoralize both black and white within the organization.
Training and development therefore becomes essential as a component of Employment Equity program. Training initiatives should not be formulated with the belief that all black people need all kinds of training.
Cooke (1998: 72) raises the element of recognition of prior learning in saying that companies have to devise and/or obtain methods to take into account the value of life and job experiences attained by previously disadvantaged people available to them, inside or outside the organization.
It also has to be considered that Blacks are also very wary of being perpetual development candidates. According to Cooke (1998: 45), personal mentors and subject gurus have to be appointed to guide and support affirmative action appointees in their training and their jobs but also in their lives when they are called upon.
Thomas (1998: 96) defines a mentor as relatively senior and experienced employee, who provides guidance and support in a variety of ways, to the developing candidate.
Wingrove (1998: 71) on the other hand cautions about a situation where mentors are not chosen by the proteges and personal dynamics between the two become negative.
Another drawback is that mentors who are often selected as a result of level of position they hold and not because of necessary mentorship skills. According to Thomas (1998: 112), the following list encapsulates some of the qualities that should be taken into account in the selection of mentors:
• Empathy
• Flexibility
• Ability to Trust
• Having a focus both on process and task
• Possessing Good communication skills
• Listening abilities
• Creativity
• Having a moderate propensity for risk
• Ability to cope with ambiguity and conflict
• A personal willingness to be a mentor
• An achievement based track record.
Broad consultation is important for the success of any employment equity program.
All stakeholders have to be made to understand the importance of employment equity.
According to Israelstam (1999: 19) the failure of many organizations to win the support of the white employees for their employment equity initiatives tends to lead to the whites covertly resisting the implementation of employment equity.
Authors on the subject of Affirmative Action implementation sight some of the reasons for limited successes in employment equity programs as:
> Shortage of well qualified, experienced blacks in all fields and at all levels (Wingrove 1995: 68).
> A problem of setting targets and dead lines that are not specific, measurable, realistic, and achievable and time bound (Israelstam 1999: 16).
> Wingrove (1995: 12) also adds that lack of genuine commitment from the top as well as a lack of understanding of magnitude of the process and its impact on organization leads to failure of Employment Equity programs.
The following factors will be important in the successful transformation for the betterment of the organisation:
> Diversity Management
> Organisational Culture and Values
> Sound recruitment practices and effective human resources systems
> Career development and succession planning
> Flexible remuneration and benefits
> Retention strategy.
Unless these factors are correctly addressed, there will be a difference between employees' expectations I respect of factors that will advance transformation and current practice within the organisation.