The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Busara Africa, Taaka Awori, has encouraged business owners to exhibit foresight in the recruitment of human resources as part of plans to become digitally ready to take advantage of the emerging digital economy.
As part of bringing in new talent to implement a strategy to become digitally ready, she stressed that businesses must be cognizant of the skills that will be relevant in the future.
Mrs. Awori noted that this is particularly important amid the coronavirus pandemic as workplaces are becoming more digitally dependent.
“Your strategy is for a couple of years going forward. I see too many people recruiting for what they need now and not thinking about recruiting for what they will need in two or three years based on strategy.”
In addition to getting people with future-proof skills, Mrs. Awori reminded business owners not to lose sight of attitude.
“Increasingly we say, don’t recruit just for skills, recruit for attitude,” she said.
On the kinds of attitudes and mindsets that will help digitally-ready businesses, she noted “people who have digital curiosity” as an example.
“You can see that they are interested and constantly thinking about new tech in the industry… so that becomes an attitude that you look for in potential applicants.”
She also highlighted other soft skills such as openness and collaboration in this regard.
Mrs. Awori was speaking on the topic ‘Making your business digital ready: Re-orienting and reskilling the workforce’ on the on-air series of the Citi Business Festival on the Citi Breakfast Show.
She outlined four steps on the path to making a business digitally ready.
She said one needs to develop a strategy for digital transformation for the business, embed a proper process for proper change management, create a strategic workplace plan, and then re-skill and reorient the human resources in the organization.
Itinerary for 2021 Citi Business Festival
Week 1: Digital Economy – Building a cashless society and the opportunities for business and job creation.
Week 2: Doing business in Ghana.
Week 3: AgriBusiness – Feeding Ghana with a sound import substitution strategy.
Week 4: Trade – AfCFTA: Opportunities for investment & Job creation in Ghana.
Week 5: Oil and Gas – The opportunities for indigenous businesses.
There will also be virtual business fora live on Citi TV every Tuesday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm The radio on-air series is themed to correspond with the various virtual forums at 9:00am every weekday.
The first week of the virtual forum today, Tuesday, June 1, on Citi TV, is on the theme, ‘Digital Economy – Building a cashless society and the opportunities for business and job creation.’
Citi TV’s Dziffa Akua Ametam will host this conversation with four panelists from Absa Bank, IT Consortium, the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems, and the Bank of Ghana among others who will join in via zoom.
The Citi Business Festival is sponsored by Absa Bank with support from IT Consortium.
It is also powered by Citi FM, Citi TV, and Ghana’s most comprehensive business news website, www.citibusinessnews.com.