Continental Tyre South Africa will become the employer of choice for many of this year’s matriculants and graduates after being named one of SA’s leading companies to work for by an international research institute.
Last month, the Netherlands-based Top Employers Institute certified Continental as a Top Employer in South Africa for 2018, marking it as one which creates an optimal working environment for its employees.
The annual review recognises companies on every continent that provide excellent employee conditions, nurture and develop talent throughout all levels of the organisation, and strive to continuously optimise employment practices.
For Continental, which celebrated its 70th year in South Africa this year, the kudos is a fitting acknowledgement of its role in the country’s development.
“Since 1947, we have shared in our nation’s rich history and our employees are representative of the vibrant and colourful community in which we operate,” said CTSA managing director Shaun Uys.
“Receiving the Top Employer certification simply reconfirms our commitment to our employees and to creating opportunities for them to develop, grow and prosper within our organisation.”
The Port Elizabeth-based manufacturing facility is the only Continental tyre plant in Africa, and employs around 1500 people in South Africa and the Sub-Saharan Africa region.
According to the company’s general manager for human relations, Attie Higgs, continuous learning and development have become a sustainable advantage when driving a high-performance manufacturer like Continental.
“Our culture of commitment and accountability extends from top leadership to the factory floor, and is nurtured through development programmes that are linked to our business strategy,” said Higgs, adding that career paths could include leadership development or the pursuit of a specialist career.
He said the company’s talent management process gave employees and managers the opportunity to explore the employee’s career path, find any development gaps and identify opportunities that would enrich the employee’s personal development, while making a valuable contribution to the business.
“Development programmes are promoted via a variety of communication platforms, and employees are able to access information offered both locally and through the corporate head office,” said Higgs.
“High-performing employees are often nominated for various corporate development programmes, which give these individuals access to a global network of colleagues and create visibility for their talents to senior executives who can accelerate promotional opportunities, not limited to South Africa.”
