Black managers are available, says consultant

According to Sipho Nqhona of Mindcor, there is hard evidence that there is an abundance of black management talent available just waiting to be placed. “Since the beginning of the year we have recorded and verified 5022 resumes of which 68% (3414) are equity candidates which we believe shows that the talent is readily available. These candidates meet all the skills criteria for senior management and are ready for immediate placement,” he said.

The ninth annual report of the Employment Equity Commission released recently showed that whites continued to hold most of the top and senior management positions in the private sector. Blacks, making up 74.1% of the economically active population, held 13.6% of top management positions and 17.3% of senior management posts.

Business being economical with the truth?

Gaba Tabane, managing director of the Black Management Forum (BMF) said business was not always being truthful when complaining about the lack of skilled black candidates being available. “The skills shortage is being used as a smokescreen to undercut black management talent. The BMF is pleased to see that Mindcor has the numbers to back up our belief (that the talent is readily available). We encourage the company to make these facts known.”

Nqhona said if business was serious about transformation and partnered with companies like Mindcor, which had the talent readily at hand, future numbers could look very different very soon. He conceded that there are still shortages in some critically needed skills such as engineers and chartered accountants among others, but even in these technical areas, universities were beginning to turn out more black graduates every year to correct the imbalances of the past. The consultancy is one of South Africa's largest executive recruitment companies.

Manyi, former head of the Commission for Employment Equity and outgoing chair of the BMF, is a forthright critic of the private sector's resistance to transformation and employment equity. He called for a review of legislation to strengthen compliance. His recent comments provide further evidence of the increasingly hard-line stance the government plans to take regarding private sector compliance with labour laws.

For more information go to www.mindcor.com.