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Agile Workforce: Why HR Must Take Strategic Lead

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Anja van Beek, Vice President for People, Sage International (Africa, Australia, Middle East and Asia)
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Most organisations are under pressure to evolve their businesses at a faster pace as they try to get in step with rapid changes in the business landscape, technology and customer behaviour.

That means HR departments, too, need to become better equipped to lead the organisation’s people through constant and rapid change.

They need to build a more agile workforce that is ready to adjust to the evolving needs of the market.

This goes beyond offering people flexible working arrangements such as flexible hours or the ability to work from home.

It is about helping to shift the organisational culture to one that embraces learning, change and innovation.

It is also about recruiting, developing and retaining people who thrive in a changing world – chameleon workers who can adapt to change, learn new skills in a short space of time and seamlessly move from assignment to assignment.

The HR department of the future must thus shift its focus from reducing risk and managing red-tape towards a highly strategic role of guiding change, improving agility, and ultimately driving higher performance.

Here are a few ideas about how HR must evolve in the years to come:

Accommodate A More Fluid Workforce
The way that businesses structure their workforces is changing as they begin to source more of their talent through freelancers, crowdsourcing, and other approaches that give employees and companies more flexibility. What’s more, we can also expect to see a further churn in the workforce as more young professionals join an organisation to take part in a project or achieve a specific career goal – and then leave after two to three years.

Even within the walls of the business, we can expect to see teams become more fluid as people are brought together for specific projects and initiatives, and then disbanded so they can move to other parts of the business. In a sense, many parts of the business will follow the same sort of ‘gig economy’ model as movie studios and agencies, building bespoke and sometimes virtual teams of in-house and external skills for each project.

HR teams will need to facilitate this shift, making it easier for managers to source and develop the talent when they need it and where they need it.

For example, they might build databases of skills that they share with managers and facilitate talent exchange programmes between different business units and departments.

Create Flexible Career Options
In an agile workforce, HR will need to rethink how it develops career paths, salary bands and job descriptions.

It will need to support managers and their teams as they organically develop their own roles and tasks, often on a project-by-project basis. This will also mean new ways of measuring performance and rewarding employees that meet the needs of a changing workplace.

For example, tech companies like Google allow engineers to spend some of their workday working on passion projects and innovative ideas rather than making them spend all their time on a narrowly defined scope. This has the benefit of creating new ideas for the business and keeping employees engaged – in turn, helping with talent retention.

Facilitate a Culture of Innovation
HR departments play an important role in shaping organisational culture – from helping to source talent to supporting change management and designing rewards and incentive programmes. To support a more agile business, they need to look at how and where they source talent; how they reward and incentivise the right behaviour; how they support managers and employees through their tools and processes; and how they measure performance.

Develop a learning organisation rather than a ‘training strategy’
One of the major challenges HR face is helping the business and the workforce keep up with the rapid pace of change in today’s digital world. With mobile technology, the cloud, analytics, blockchain and the Internet of Things changing the world so rapidly, companies and their workforces need to learn fast.

This means that HR departments need to look beyond rigid learning programmes towards creating a culture where continuous learning is valued. This is all about creating opportunities for mentorship, providing on-the-job learning opportunities, and responding quickly when new skills are needed.

Closing Words
Integrated HR management systems play an important role in helping HR departments become more agile and to provide their businesses with strategic support.

They automate red-tape so that HR professionals can focus on where they can add value, and they provide data and analytics tools to support agile decision-making.

In a time of seismic technological change, Sage is focused on using the smartest technology to reinvent and simplify HR processes and this has made us an indispensable business partner to our customers.

Anja van Beek, Vice President for People, Sage International (Africa, Australia, Middle East and Asia)

 

 

 


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E-Business

NDPC Commits to Balancing Data Privacy, Protection Information

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Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC), has expressed its commitment to balance information around data privacy and protection.

NDPC Commits to Balancing Data Privacy, Protection Information

Dr. Vincent Olatunji, national commissioner, NDPC, stated this in Abuja, at the National Data Privacy Summit with the theme, “Privacy in the Era of Emerging Technologies,” organised by the commission.

Olatunji said the NDPC, at the moment, was looking at balancing information around data privacy and protection.

“What we are doing is just to look at how to balance information around privacy and protection, which is really important, because as we are innovating, at the same time, we have to consider issues around privacy and protection,” he stated.

He added that the commission has been very bold in taking risks that would bring about growth.

“Our starting point is growing at a very alarming rate, and we are not afraid of anything. We can take risks. And that is why a lot is happening in Nigeria, and this is the level of clarity,” he explained.

In his address, Dr. Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC),  stated that Internet of Things holds promise for Nigeria’s economy.

The EVC, who was represented by Abraham Oshadami, executive commissioner, Technical Services (ECTS), noted that, “in an era in which digital assets, Internet of Things, future digital computing and other transformative technologies are key, and both a cornerstone of building trust for the adoption and a prerequisite for sustainable progress.

“Emerging technologies hold immense promise for Nigeria’s grand economy, but they also introduce complex risks to personal and individual rights.

“So, balancing innovation through post-ethical safeguards and public trust is the first step to ensuring that global digital advancement benefits all Nigerians without compromising their privacy or their security,” he added.

“As we just heard from the Nigeria Police, telecom operators have a vast amount of sensitive historical information daily, including connectivity apps and collaboration on privacy, security, and number protection, both to their and their inheritors,” he said.

Dr. Bako Shurkuk, commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Plateau State, who represented Caleb Mutfwang, Governor of Plateau State, said, emerging technologies can be harnessed to attain sustainable growth.

 


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OADC Lagos Reinforces Commitment to Local Data Hosting and Digital Transformation @ NDPC’s National Privacy Week Summit

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Open Access Data Centres (OADC) Lagos has reaffirmed its commitment to Nigeria’s data protection and digital transformation agenda through its sponsorship and active participation in the Nigeria Data Protection Commission’s (NDPC) National Privacy Week Summit.

The National Privacy Week Summit, organised by the NDPC, convened policymakers, regulators, technology providers, and industry stakeholders to promote data privacy awareness, strengthen compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), and advance conversations around data security, sovereignty, and responsible data governance.

As a sponsor of the event, OADC Lagos demonstrated its continued support for the Federal Government’s drive toward local data hosting and data domiciliation, which are increasingly critical to safeguarding sensitive information, enhancing regulatory compliance, and building trust in Nigeria’s digital economy.

Through its carrier-neutral, Tier III Design certified data centre in Lekki, Lagos, OADC provides secure, resilient, and compliant infrastructure that enables government institutions and private sector organisations to host and manage data locally while meeting international best practices.

Commenting on the engagement, Adesola Adesugba, Country Marketing Manager, Open Access Data Centres Nigeria, said: “We are proud to have supported the Nigeria Data Protection Commission through the National Privacy Week Summit and to stand alongside the government in advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation objectives.

“Strengthening local data hosting and domiciliation is fundamental to national data sovereignty, improved security, and sustainable digital growth, and OADC Lagos remains committed to enabling this future.”

OADC’s participation at National Privacy Week Summit underscores its role as a trusted digital infrastructure partner to government and enterprise, supporting secure cloud connectivity, regulatory compliance, and the long-term development of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

Open Access Data Centres is part of the WIOCC Group and operates open-access, world-class data centres across Africa, serving cloud providers, network operators, enterprises, and public sector institutions.


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Kaspersky Launches OT Calculator to Align Cybersecurity Investments with Business Goals

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Kaspersky’s new online tool has been specially developed for industrial organisations to assess the potential costs associated with insufficient operational technology (OT) security.

By offering detailed financial forecasts, the calculator empowers senior management to make well-informed decisions regarding security investments.

Industrial organisations increasingly depend on interconnected systems, elevating cybersecurity to a critical factor in business resilience and profitability.

According to VDC Research, over 60% of industrial companies last year reported that cybersecurity breaches had led to significant costs. Despite this, a persistent disconnect remains between security teams and executive leadership as security professionals focus on minimising risk, while executives must balance cybersecurity concerns with broader business objectives. This misalignment often results in competing priorities and underfunded security initiatives.

To bridge this gap, Kaspersky has launched the OT Cybersecurity Savings Calculator, an innovative online tool designed specifically for industrial organisations to assess the potential costs of inadequate operational technology (OT) security¹.

The primary aim of this tool is to translate cyber risks into tangible financial metrics and support strategic discussions around priorities and budget allocation. By entering details such as their sector, sub-sector, region, company size, breach history, and existing cybersecurity measures, organisations can estimate their potential cost savings and receive customised, actionable recommendations.

The calculator benchmarks performance against industry peers and highlights the company’s position within the current threat landscape.

“We believe this calculator is a powerful resource for transforming complex cyber risk data into straightforward financial insights. It enables OT leaders, security professionals, and executive teams to develop clear, data-driven business cases and recognise the value of cybersecurity investments. With actionable guidance, it promotes a comprehensive approach to resource management and strengthens overall organisational resilience,” comments Andrey Strelkov, Head of Industrial Cybersecurity Product line at Kaspersky.


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