Maintaining a concerted effort to lift the bottom line is high on the list of priorities for most businesses today. However revenue, return on investment and total cost of ownership are only elements of the broader financial challenge in commerce.
There are significant internal considerations for decision makers, and the direct and indirect impact that a shortage in skills continues to have on human resource management, as well as payroll administration, has to be taken into consideration.
This is the view of Teryl Schroenn, CEO at Accsys, a national supplier of payroll, HR, Time & Attendance and Access Control solutions.
From an HR perspective, whilst there does not appear to be a substantial shortage of graduates, there is a lack of people entering the field that have practiced skill sets to contribute to the functionality and strategic intent of the business says Schroenn.
“Added to the pressure of this scenario is the severe shortage of payroll administration skills, employees that are able to take full responsibility for the payroll function – a critical and often underrated business discipline. We are effectively talking about what is arguably the most sensitive area of financial management within a company,” she adds.
Accsys contests that payroll education and training is often seen as a non-core expense – whilst there is an understanding that every business requires a payroll administrator, on many occasions the monies set aside to train this person is targeted at other areas, such as direct production for example.
Aside from its established reputation in the market of business management software solution development, application and support, Accsys is also recognised for its ongoing contribution towards education, skills development and effective recruitment.
The company has earned this as a result of several milestones including the formulation and introduction of the first online payroll qualification available in Africa, as well as a firmly entrenched industry-focused recruitment, eLearning and learnership/
There is much to be done to address imbalances that exist in the processes that drive skills development, availability, accurate assessment and recruitment, and effect placement says Schroenn.
Accsys’ position is that the market now demands that people be trained and gain early experience to reinforce and support their education. In effect the best recipe for truly meaningful recruitment and placement is the application of theoretic knowledge within a practical/ workplace environment.
At the same time the process of skills development is not viewed entirely in the same way by all stakeholders adds Schroenn. “To illustrate, some companies do pay the skills development levy but do not use the opportunity to train staff. In current market conditions there has to be more emphasis on effective training and the strategic use of resources. Cost is of enormous consequence and significance today.”
One of the unquestionable trends influencing the skills shortage issue is that of the role of the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs).
Schroenn believes that some of these industry bodies prove their worth on a daily basis. However, this is not true in all cases. A valid point is that engagement with a SETA is done on a volunteer basis and not many companies have the manpower (at the appropriate level) with the time and expertise the process requires, as there is little immediate visible return on investment.
“These authorities need to take heed of what their customers are saying. They need to identify the common problems being experienced and then take steps to address the areas of development. To be successful in the long term, and to make a difference to South Africa, they should work more closely with industry. Of concern to the SETA should be how they can make access to training easier for companies, rather than more complex in terms of the application process, for the levy paying company, the learner and the training provider.
Essentially, says Schroenn, the more companies within an industry focus on training, on upskilling and offer practical workplace experience, the better for the marketplace and the sooner skills availability will balance out with market requirements.
