Kathy Gibson reports from Bryanston – Dell has launched the South African chapter of the organisation’s Black Networking Alliance (BNA) – the first outside of the US.
The BNA aims to make the organisation a top company for black professionals, through four pillars: recruitment, retaining, development and engagement
Executive sponsor Doug Woolley point out that Dell understands the challenges of the past, and the need to attract and grow black talent.
In fact, Dell is a diverse organisation that practices inclusive talent development, he says. The company is one of a few Level One BBBEE companies in South Africa, and the BNA is the next step in this journey, Woolley says.
“We have a lot of young black talent at Dell, and it’s key that we develop these people. We have been working on a plan to identify where our next leaders will come from, and develop our people accordingly.
“the next step is to attract new talent, and make Dell the employer of choice.”
Community outreach is also an important element in transformation, he adds. “We have challenges in South Africa. But we have the talent and the willpower to makes real changes in the communities. This gives us an opportunity to pay back.”
Patrick Felder, vice-president: human resources at Dell Technologies, explains that being inclusive helps to make the company a better place.
“In HR, I spend a lot of my time thinking about talent, understanding perspectives and bringing people together,” he says.
The point of groups like the BNA is to create innovative ideas that turn into programmes and activities that help support and grow Dell’s inclusivity efforts.