Attracting and retaining top talent.

Strategies and insights from a firm that understands how important talented people are to the culture and growth of the organisation.

Attracting and retaining good people is essential to the organisation’s sustainable success. When people sit at the heart of the business and embrace its culture, ethos, and goals, that business can easily navigate disruption and complexity. It is, says Pienaar Zietsman, Chief Financial Officer at Amplifin, the most important thing to consider when focusing on talent retention and growth.

“Align the whole workforce to a shared purpose and goal,” continues Zietsman. “People want to work for a company they feel they belong to, where their opinions are valued, and they share the company’s values. This needs to be the foundation of how a company engages with its talent.”

The second critical success factor is the work environment. People want to work in nice offices, have access to coffee and spend time in a well-designed space. When approximately 90,000 hours of a person’s life is spent at work, an enticing office environment is a significant drawcard. As is a company that focuses on adding value to their employee’s lives.

“Leave, year-end functions, team building events, and community service – these are some of the non-monetary forms of remuneration that a company must consider if they want to build a connected and engaged workforce,” says Zietsman. “People don’t want to work for a company that’s all about profit, they want to see it is responsible across key touchpoints such as the environment, communities and volunteering.”

Amplifin believes this level of commitment to community and people is key to retaining its talent. The company has invested in The Lunchbox Fund, an organisation focused on providing children with nourishing meals so they can focus on their education and growth, and focused on creating an environment where people feel they can have their say.

“We’ve embraced a bottom-up approach to management, and one of our core values is that none of us is as smart as all of us,” says Steven Maier, Chief Brand Officer at Amplifin. “People are heard; opinions count. When people join the company, they see absolute cohesiveness across all departments and everyone being helpful – there are no silos and isolation, and everyone is working towards a common goal.”

At Amplifin, people work well together with shared respect, a sense of community and a commitment to social responsibility. It is a culture that reflects the ethics of the organisation.?

“We don’t have one set of rules for junior people and another for senior people; we all play by the same rules,” says Maier.?

Amplifying the Amplifin way

“When we recorded our core values, it was an inclusive process where every staff member was involved in selecting the wording best describing our values and culture in existence,” says Zietsman. “We want to meet talent on shared terms, not just our terms. For example, the younger generation wants to spend more time with family and friends and explore the world. We reflected this need by increasing leave from the mandatory 15 days to 25 days throughout the year. It’s important that people take leave and recharge as they feel energised, and we benefit from this.”

Amplifin wants happy employees who are willing to put in the effort which means the company has to put in its own effort. Leave, helping people to achieve a work/life balance, providing support – these are all important parts of the Amplifin employee experience.?

“We understand people need time away from the office and that there has to be a healthy balance between working late and having downtime,” says Maier. “We have a cycling and padel initiative, for example, to encourage our employees to have fun exercising and connect with the outdoors. We also have an open policy for suggestions – we welcome any ideas where exercise is encouraged as health is the new wealth”.

Of course, within the well-balanced culture and initiatives, Amplifin has also prioritised building market-leading benefits for its employees.

“The right remuneration is a motivator, especially if it has benefits built into it,” says Maier. “A free carwash for employees makes a massive difference, so does a free lunch on a Friday. Yes, these do add up as expenses for the business, but how much more expensive than losing staff on a continual basis? What we realised is that people don’t necessarily want big rewards, they like the rewards that make them feel part of a community and that their contribution to the business is recognised.”

“When we saw an increase in our employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS), we saw an increase in our Net Promoter Score (NPS),” says Maier. “What people feel at work, they deliver to clients is typically in the same ratio.”

It is a sentiment echoed by Zietsman who adds: “If an employee wants to further their studies, as long as it’s relevant to the company, we pay for their studies. We believe in further studies and development and want people to feel they can expand their personal and professional horizons while working with us. This year, we’ve already assisted six employees with further study, last year it was four.”

Authenticity is essential

“You have to be authentic in everything you do,” says Maier. “Don’t have a tag line promising the customer comes first when they’re right near the end of the queue. We believe in being authentic in everything we say and do. This is why we are always looking for ways in which we can connect with our people.”

Amplifin has recently launched its Townhall meetings, which ensures employees have a voice in an open setting, where all senior managements attendance is mandatory and prioritises ongoing communication, so everyone knows if there is an issue, a success story, or anything of importance.?

“It’s very impactful, this level of honesty and transparency from all the department heads and managers,” says Tatiana Rall, Marketing and Communications Coordinator at Amplifin. “It’s refreshing not sitting in the dark and having surprises spring out at you from nowhere. There is such inclusivity and I feel my stress and anxiety are taken into consideration. Working here feels as if we are all on the same page, and we can trust in leadership to have our backs.”

Amplifin recognises that the movement of talent within the business has an incredibly positive impact. Instead of people leaving the company because they feel they’ve reached a limit or have nowhere else to go, at Amplifin, they are given the chance to explore their talents, build their skills and grow with and within the business.

“We promote from within because we believe in our people,” concludes Zietsman. “And this is why we retain and attract talent.”

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Ends.

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About AMPLIFIN

Pioneering payment and collection solutions for the South African economy.

Amplifin delivers state-of-the-art, customer-focussed technology that processes electronic payments and collections solutions in an efficient, effective, and secure manner. This limits risk for your business and your clients by reducing the need to carry cash.

Our suite of payment solutions includes:

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Amplifin recognises the power payment and collection solutions have in creating an equitable and inclusive society – ultimately leading to higher levels of independence and financial security for all.