Kenyan companies challenged to prioritise employees’ welfare to retain key talent

Kenyan companies have been urged to prioritise employees welfare to attract and retain key talent at a time when firms are losing billions annually due to workforce turnover.

Speaking ahead of the 2022 Employee of the Year Awards (ETYA), WorkPay chief executive officer Paul Kimani, said it is essential for employers to nurture and grow a vibrant workforce as more people are becoming aware of their choices about where and how they work.

According to Mr Kimani, more people are leaving their jobs voluntarily as it becomes clear that the value of a job extends beyond monetary compensation, especially as the younger generation enters the labour force.

“It is critical to understand how to keep employees happy. Employees are the people who get things done. They come first. They will take care of your business if you take care of them," said Mr Kimani.

He added that most companies have been hit by the "Great Resignation" phenomenon that has swept across the globe since the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

ETYA Award

ETYA is an initiative of WorkPay, a tech firm offering an end-to-end human resource management solution-based software for paperless payroll system of accounting.

The ETYA Award, launched in 2021 to celebrate employees across businesses and organisations in Kenya, is an annual event that brings together industry players from across different sectors to celebrate the efforts and contributions of employees to their organisations.

This year, ETYA returns with the theme “Navigating the Great Resignation: Retaining and Attracting Talent with a view of shining a spotlight on this phenomenon, dissecting this topic alongside HR experts and key industry stakeholders.

Mr Kimani said the 2022 Award is the second of many award ceremonies geared towards recognising and celebrating the people who are the foundation and backbone of companies.

“We endeavour to look beyond the honours and accolades that people have accumulated over time and try to identify truly remarkable employees who have gone above and beyond their work in the year 2022,” he said.

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