Top Employers announced for 2023

Anyone in the job market will want to work for a company that treats its employees well, but how does one know whether or not that’s the case? Certification by the Top Employers Institute is a good starting point. So, which companies in the South African transport industry have been certified as Top Employers?

For 2023, the Top Employers Institute certified 2 053 organisations in 121 countries and regions. These certified Top Employers positively impact the lives of nine million employees globally. The Top Employers Institute programme certifies organisations based on their participation in the HR Best Practices Survey. The survey covers six HR domains comprising 20 topics including, among others: people strategy, work environment, talent acquisition, learning, well-being, diversity, and inclusion. Within South Africa’s transport industry, there are about a dozen companies that have achieved this certification.

Within the oil industry, for instance, companies such as Engen, BP, and Sasol have been ranked Top Employers, as have transport operators such as Unitrans and OneLogix. Bridgestone is the only local tyre company to be certified, while logistics company DHL and vehicle financer and insurer Wesbank have also achieved Top Employer certification. When it comes to vehicle manufacturers, Top Employers include Daimler, Isuzu, Toyota, and Volkswagen. Other companies allied to the transport industry that received certification this year included Santam, ABSA, and CHEP.

Isuzu Motors South Africa is particularly proud of this achievement, as Mongezi Hermans, senior vice president for human capital and corporate affairs, notes: “This is the first time that Isuzu Motors South Africa has been acknowledged as a Top Employer and we are absolutely elated with this internationally recognised accolade. We are a people-centric business, with our employees being the heart and soul of our organisation. Our business ethos and strategy are centred around our people.  We genuinely care about the wellbeing and development of our employees and are dedicated to ensuring a safe and happy work environment for all.”

Purpose-driven development is one of Isuzu’s key ingredients to enriching employees’ work experience. “Aligning individuals’ work life to that of their personal purpose (the Japanese concept of ‘ikigai’, or ‘a reason for being’) is how we amplify passion, enthusiasm, and excellence in the workplace,” adds Hermans.

For the second year running, Bridgestone Southern Africa has been certified as a Top Employer in 2023. “We are delighted to be recognised by the Top Employers Institute again this year – the ability to attract and retain the best employees is a key success lever for us,” says Reabetswe Motshegare, people partner lead, Bridgestone Southern Africa.

“As a Top Employer, we are measured against global benchmarks, and I am proud to say that we continue to outperform in all the modules measured by the Top Employers Institute. Our ongoing success against these tough measures is testimony to the quality of our people strategy, well-being initiatives, our efforts in ensuring we live by our DEI philosophy, and, most importantly, the quality of leaders we have in our organisation.”

Becoming a Top Employer is critical for Bridgestone’s overall strategy to position itself as more than just a tyre manufacturer and supplier, but as a provider of end-to-end mobility solutions. Bridgestone’s clients in the automotive, transport, mining, and industrial sectors are all making major changes to their operating philosophies as the transition to a green economy gathers momentum.

“We are working hard to deliver intelligent, co-created solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. To do this, we need a special kind of employee who is committed to adding value, and understands how to use sophisticated technologies to develop and deliver innovative services, as well as make our processes more sustainable. This is particularly important in this era, as we work towards Bridgestone 3.0,” Motshegare explains. “Such individuals are naturally predisposed to work with companies that resonate with them, and being a Top Employer enables us to attract the right talent.”

Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) has joined the list of Top Employers for the 12^th consecutive year. “To be named a Top Employer is an honour; to receive this stamp of approval for 12 years in a row means we are making continuous progress in providing an enabling work environment,” says Russell Coleman, HR Director at VWSA. “We have actively used the insights gained from Top Employer to continuously improve our offering to employees, in our efforts to help them grow and develop.”

For WesBank, it’s a case of six years and counting. Ghana Msibi, WesBank CEO, is elated with the achievement. “The 2023 Top Employer certification is wonderful news and a real affirmation of our commitment to building a workplace that our employees can be proud of,” he says. “We will continue to build a company driven by integrity and ethics, while focusing on providing an environment where our employees can perform at their best, with opportunities for learning and career advancement. Thank you to the WesBank leadership team and the WesBank employees for fostering a WesBank we can all be proud of.”

DHL Global Forwarding – the air, ocean, and road freight specialist of Deutsche Post DHL Group – has been certified as Top Employer across seven African countries: Cameroon, Egypt, Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa. The company has been recognised as Top Employer several times in some of the countries, with Cameroon, Nigeria, and South Africa leading the way with four consecutive certifications.

“We don’t take our employees for granted because they are the backbone of our success. Without their expertise, skills, dedication, and commitment, we would be unable to provide our customers with world-class logistics and transport solutions,” says Clement Blanc, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Sub-Saharan Africa. “Outstanding performance is only possible in an excellent environment that leaves room for growth and personal development and fosters wellbeing. Being recognised as a Top Employer across seven African countries proves that we are deeply committed to providing such a working environment for our colleagues.”

Well done to all these companies and the employees who make what they do possible!