Industry steals SITA staff

Johannesburg, 25 Sep 2007

The State IT Agency (SITA) is battling to hold on to its employees as industry players target the organisation's workforce.

However, its 9.11% staff turnover rate is still well below the industry average of 12%, says SITA acting CEO Peter Pedlar.

"We're doing everything we possibly can to attract and retain staff, but it's not always easy. The nature of our organisation means that we often cannot compete with the private sector when they come knocking," he explains.

Restrictive processes

Pedlar notes SITA is ready to make some senior appointments, but is required to wait for a new CEO to be named before it can go ahead.

Jonas Bogoshi, who was recruited by GijimaAst in June, is a case in point, he says.

"I have a shortlist of candidates for this position. The people on that list have the appropriate mix of private and public sector experience to deal with the requirements of an organisation such as SITA. However, the final appointment needs to be approved by the CEO."

The three vacant board positions - following the exit of ex-CEO Mavuso Msimang and non-executive directors Romi Barjaktarevic and Nokhana Moerane - should also be filled shortly, says Pedlar.

"Public service and administration minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi has assured us that these vacancies will be filled within the next four weeks."

Difficult times

Pedlar acknowledges the departure of some key figures over the past year is likely to negatively impact its workforce culture survey scheduled for year-end.

"It would not be realistic to expect otherwise. All we can do is try our level best to stabilise our environment for our workforce. The rest, as they say, is just life."

However, Pedlar remains upbeat about the organisation's employees and working environment.

"We have some really great people who are doing great work. Our general managers and heads of department are highly skilled and passionate about the job at hand. We are working closely with these people to ensure the implementation of our HR model which looks to identify core skills and treat them appropriately."