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Skills Crisis

Skills shortage crippling middle management

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:14

The skills shortage in South Africa has been well documented, and the marketing departments of various companies are no exception. The current trend shows there are a number of qualified staff at the executive level, with an abundance of fresh talent at the junior level. The skills gap becomes prominent at middle management level, where there appears to be a considerable lack of experience.

"We have been approached by a number of marketing departments of some of South Africa’s premier corporations for strategy input,” says Philip Hendrickse, MD of Strats Inc. "And the biggest skills gap we see is at this middle management level.

"As a result, executive level marketing staff are often left overburdened, because they oversee the implementation of strategy, co-ordinate suppliers as well as report to EXCO."

Strats Inc. has served as a skills bank for knowledge, thought and leadership for over 10 years, helping to bridge the middle management gap for a number of South Africa’s blue chip companies, such as financial services giant Absa and insurance stalwarts, Mutual and Federal.

In addition to formulating strategy, Strats Inc. has the ability to implement and drive strategy at all levels, including coordinating suppliers, and making sure that they remain in line with strategy at all stages.

Strats Inc. is also able to lend its expertise in the process of checking briefs and proposals, selecting suitable suppliers and then ensuring that the entire process is strategy driven.

Strats Inc’s ability to provide an innovative perspective to market strategy, while seamlessly complimenting the existing marketing team, has greatly helped in compensating for the middle management shortfalls of a number of marketing departments.

"Our focus is to better enable you to take your business to the next level by acting as independent and impartial extension of your marketing team," says Hendrickse. Strats Inc., which has become known for their lateral thinking approach to strategy, can provide a strong foundation on which you can strategically grow your business.

"The ‘global recession’, and the effects it has had on the market, has made it more important than it has ever been to effectively and strategically position one’s brand in a way that will ensure future success,” says Hendrickse.

"Executive staff should have the freedom to facilitate the marketing process, without being burdened with implementation related issues that should be handled by middle management level staff," says Hendrickse.