February 2020 – Host an Employer table at our London event

As more and more machines find their way into the workplace, the demand for candidates possessing soft skills is expected to become more widespread. We examine why soft skills are the most important global workplace trend. Read more below.

Employers seeking top talent, see our February Talent Hotlist below. If you have specific skill requirements not specified below, get in touch to speak to one of our Executive Search specialists.

If you’re a candidate in the market for a new opportunity in key sectors across Sub-Saharan Africa, make sure we have your CV.

We hope you have a great month ahead.

Onwards & Upwards

The Homecoming Revolution Team

Soft skills like creativity, persuasion, and collaboration are all virtually impossible to automate, which means if you have these skills, you’ll be even more valuable to organizations in the future.

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), 42% percent of the core skills within roles on average are expected to change by 2022.

While many of these skills are technologically focused, there is also a growing need for people to develop specialized skills for how they interact with each other including creativity, collaboration and interpersonal dynamics, as well as skills related to specialized sales, human resources, care and education roles.

In LinkedIn’s latest Global Talent Trends Report, Human Resources professionals identify the demand for soft skills as the most important trend globally.

LinkedIn’s report found that 1. Creativity, 2. Persuasion, 3. Collaboration, 4. Adaptability and 5. Time Management are the most important Soft Skills companies need but have a hard time finding.

Deloitte echoes these findings, with a recent report estimating that by 2030, soft-skill intensive occupations will account for two-thirds of all jobs.

Faye Tessendorf, Managing Director at Homecoming Revolution, says in this age of automation, it is critical for employers to future-proof their organisations by investing in employees possessing more human-centric skills.

“What makes soft skills so valuable, is that they are transferable, and can be used in many different types of roles.  With over 19,000 global face-to-face candidate interactions, Homecoming Revolution places significant focus on getting to know each candidate, making sure we assess high level candidates not only on their on-paper abilities, but their soft skillsets.”

At Homecoming Revolution, we customize each of our searches, using an innovative and refreshing approach to sourcing high-level talent. Our depth of expertise and emphasis on strong global relationships, ensures we’re able to reach Scarce-Skill African Talent across the globe. Please get in touch to find out more about our various offerings.

South African EE Female – Sales Director – Technology
Nigerian Male – Chief Executive – FMCG
South African EE Male – Group Head of IT – Financial Services
South African EE Male – Head of New Partnerships – Banking
Kenyan Female – Head of Human Resources – Automotive
South African EE Male – Managing Director – Oil & Energy
Ghanaian Male – Executive Director – Private Equity
South African EE Female – Head of Marketing – Banking
South African Male – Business Unit Director – Advertising
Kenyan Male- Group HR Manager – FMCG
South African EE Female – HR Manager – Food & Beverage
South African EE Male – Procurement Specialist – Supply Chain
South African Male – Chief Financial Officer – Investment Management
Zimbabwean Male – Regional Director – Legal
South African EE Female – Managing Director – Management Consulting
South African EE Male – Senior Product Manager – Technology
Kenyan Female – Senior Consultant – Management Consulting
South African EE Female – Senior Client Executive – Insurance
South African EE Male – Associate Director – Management Consulting
Kenyan Male – Business Development Manager-  Information Technology
South African EE Female – VP Structuring, Research & Analytics – Banking
Ghanaian Male – Business Development Manager – Information Technology
South African EE Male- Head of Business Process Optimisation – Banking
South African Male – Corporate & Investment Banking Executive – Banking
Rwandan Female – HR Specialist – Human Resources
Ugandan Female – Chief Commercial Officer – FMCG
Zimbabwean Male – Commercial Lead – Financial Services
South African EE Male – Senior Support Engineer – Information Technology
South African EE Maile – HR Lead – Management Consulting
South African EE Male – Managing Executive Wealth, Investment Management & Insurance – Banking

Today, the world of work and talent is rapidly changing, ushered in by the increasing use of cloud computing, mobility, automation, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI). Human Resource professionals now have a critical role in rethinking their HR strategy, shifting mindset, operating models and lead their workforce through digital transformation. Mail & Guardian’s series of exclusive C-Suites breakfast events help leading executives deal with and succeed in the Business 4.0 climate.

Tswelo Kodisang (Chief People Officer Discovery), Dr Jerry Gule (CEO Institute of People Management), Vicky Tlhabanelo (Executive Human Resources Royal Bafokeng Platinum) & Brigitte da Gama (Chief People Officer at McDonald’s)

Angel Jones (CEO at Homecoming Revolution), Melody Xaba (Co-founder & Chief Creative Officer at My Future Work)

Michaela Voller (HR Executive MEA Dimension Data)

Jasmin Pillay (HR Director Microsoft South Africa)

The British Chamber of Business’s Brexit Panel Discussion unpacked the implications of Brexit on the South African economy. The key message among the various stakeholders, diplomats, captains of industries and multinational corporates was positive. From a talent perspective, the main insights were that Brexit will propel many expat executives to now start looking at opportunities back on the continent.

Faye Tessendorf (Managing Director at Homecoming Revolution), Cecilia Albertyn (Johannesburg Manager at British Chamber of Business in South Africa), Leon Ayo (Non-Executive Director & Advisor Sterling Bell), Lesley Schoemaker (Events Manager at British Chamber of Business in South Africa)	Robin Schofield (Import/Trade Finance & Working Capital Specialist at Investec), Leon Ayo (Non-Executive Director & Advisor Sterling Bell) & Lesley Schoemaker (Events Manager at British Chamber of Business in South Africa)	Faye Tessendorf (Managing Director at Homecoming Revolution) & Caroline Rheeder (Senior Customs Manager Cova Advisory & Associates)	Leon Ayo (Non-Executive Director & Advisor Sterling Bell), Bianca Botes (Treasury Partner at Peregrine Treasury Solutions), Nigel Dickerson (First Secretary Economic Diplomacy British High Commission) and Jamille Jinnah (Investment Professional and former diplomat)
Faye Tessendorf (Managing Director at Homecoming Revolution) & Bianca Botes (Treasury Partner at Peregrine Treasury Solutions)	Faye Tessendorf (Managing Director at Homecoming Revolution) & Cecilia Albertyn (Johannesburg Manager at British Chamber of Business in South Africa)	Caroline Rheeder (Senior Customs Manager Cova Advisory & Associates) & Fungai Makoni (Chartered Accountant at Cova Advisory & Associates)

‘There’s always the push & pull’

After a decade on the expat trail, which included stints in Beijing, Hong Kong and London, Zanine Wolf and her husband packed it all in and moved back to sunny South Africa with their two young boys in tow. She writes about her decision to return home, and how there is always a push and pull between wanting to stay and wanting to seek greener pastures…Read more.

Lauren Bradley and her family returned to South Africa after 20 years abroad. In her homecomer journey, she speaks about how a series of chance events led to her and her husband buying a farm in the Western Cape…Read more.

Essential insights into moving back to Nigeria

Blogger Temmillenial is a Nigerian citizen has lived in various locations across the globe including in the US, Nigeria and Dubai. She provides some essential advice to those considering a return home and answers some key questions. Including office culture, what was most shocking about the move and how her return impacted her personal…Read more.