By NAOMI MBOGUA
Posted Wednesday, November 4 2009 at 00:00
The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word crisis.
One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity.
In a crisis, be aware of the danger but recognize the opportunity” John F Kennedy.
The financial crisis that started out as a financial problem in the West has affected millions of people from Wall Street to African villages.
Statistics show that about 20 million people lost their jobs globally as many organisations downsized in the wake of the economic downturn.
There is no conclusive evidence on the full impact of the global financial crisis on migration but the effects are being observed.
Some countries such as Italy and UK have recently changed their immigration policies to protect their labour markets.
The Spanish Government has introduced financial incentives aimed at encouraging unemployed migrants to go home.
Policy changes, retrenchment and fewer job opportunities have forced thousands of migrants worldwide to return to their home countries.
But although the economic downturn appears to have spelled doom around the world, it can be argued that developing countries have benefited from the return of their skilled manpower from the diaspora.
Kenyans who are, or were living abroad have not been spared the effects of the downturn and those who have returned home have given reasons that are directly or indirectly linked to the global crisis.
Some have, for example, openly admitted to have lost their jobs, saying they returned home hoping that Kenya has a wider range of opportunities and that the job market within their fields would be more favourable and less competitive.
Some have opted to take a more proactive approach and have accepted the ‘golden handshake’ offers from their previous employers— having realised that the crisis was likely to present increasingly difficult conditions and fewer job opportunities— making it wise to take whatever was on offer and go home.
Another group of returnees indicated that they had planned to return and that the economic downturn had only given them the urgency to head home.
For others, the return was coincidentally driven by personal circumstances and the realisation that they were better off at home than in a foreign land.
Others reckoned that this would be a good time to return and contribute to the development of their home country.
But the real question remains: Have the return of Kenyans from the Diaspora had any effect on the labour market and economy?
Do the returnees have anything unique or superior to offer the Kenyan economy and labour market?
Are their aspirations and expectations different from Kenyans who have not had the opportunity to live and work abroad?
Do they have a more disciplined individual work culture?
And do Kenyan employers understand what appeals to potential employees who have returned after many years abroad?
Potential benefits
It is often argued that recruiting from the diaspora has a number of potential benefits.
For example, a global approach to hiring is said to boost an organisation’s reputation and image with external stakeholders.
This is because the organisation is seen as having a global approach to its operations and is deemed to recognise the importance of a diverse workforce.
It has also been argued that employees with international experience may offer skills and knowledge that is not available locally.
These may include technical knowledge and experience in unique disciplines and fluency in foreign languages—skills which are likely to improve an organisation’s ability to deliver goods and services, add value and provide sustainable competitive advantage.
Employees with global experience are often regarded as more creative in their approach to work and life in general.
Working and living in a different and diverse environment helps one develop social skills, flexibility and adaptability to new and challenging situations.
On the other hand, it may be argued that an employee with local education and experience has a better understanding of the regional and local business environment and the resulting issues.
They have more reasonable expectations about employers and life in general, which ensures that they settle down faster in their work environment, resulting in more loyal and motivated employees.
According to the 2009 PricewaterhouseCoopers Human Resource Survey, whose findings will be released on Friday, the main reason why employers have been keen on recruiting returning professionals is because of their qualifications, experience and international exposure.
On average, 110 employers seeking to fill vacancies have indicated that they have received about 72 applications from returning professionals.
The respondents were also specific as to the skills that they were gaining from the diaspora—indicating that 91 per cent of the returning professionals had finance/accounting skills, 77 per cent were proficient in information technology and 55 per cent good in sales and marketing.
The survey also found that organisations that have recruited from the diaspora, have on average hired three people since January 2008, who have at least two years working experience abroad.
Some 50 per cent of the returning professionals have been recruited into middle management and 24 per cent into senior management.
In most cases, organisations have negotiated to fit the new employees in existing salary structures.
A profile sample of the returnees indicates that the majority have lived abroad for more than 10 years and that many travelled abroad initially but ended up being employed in the host countries upon completion of their studies.
A majority have bachelors or masters degrees and three to 10 years work experience that varies from financial management, to education, to aviation.
A large number are employed in small to medium sized organisations in Nairobi, while others have set up consulting firms or are supporting family businesses.
Others are looking for employment.
Irrespective of whether a potential employee has local or foreign education and work experience, what remains clear is that employers are looking to recruit those who have an edge and hence the potential to offer the highest return to the organisation.
The 2009 PricewaterhouseCoopers Human Resource Survey explores if the increase in the number of Kenyans who have returned from the Diaspora has had an impact on the Kenyan labour market and employers’ recruitment strategies and practices.
The author works for PricewaterhouseCoopers.Email: the2009humanresource.survey@ke.pwc.com
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