• CORPORATE PROFILE
  • overview
  • strategy
  • organisational structure
  • board of directors
  • executive management
  • operational presence
  • corporate services
  • history
  • bbbee
  • vision and values
• INVESTOR INFORMATION
  • financial performance
  • financial results
  • Share statistics
  • shareholder information
  • administrative information
  • investor Presentations
  • shareholder notices
  • sens
  • investor calendar
  • investor relations contact
• OPERATIONAL PROFILE
  • divisions, products and services
  • research and development
  • sasko
  • bokomo Foods
  • THE CERES BEVERAGE COMPANY
  • agri business
  • africa
  • international joint ventures
  • product basket
• GOVERNANCE & SUSTAINABILITY
• MEDIA CENTRE
  • press releases
  • sens
  • stakeholder communication
  • product basket
  • media contact
• CAREERS

Human capital

Pioneer Foods provides employment to more than 12 000 employees. The fundamental belief of the Group is that the main asset of Pioneer Foods is the competent and committed people who drive business value.

As part of the roadmap to sustainability, the human capital function has the following key focus areas:

People

The good performance results achieved by Pioneer Foods amidst challenges in the macro-business environment can largely be attributed to the drive, passion, commitment and dedication of our people. They are indeed the creators of value and the power behind our brands.

The affinity that our employees have for the Group and their appreciation of the continuous improvements in our people practices is illustrated in the 2010 Deloitte Best Company results, wherein Pioneer Foods was voted as the10th Best Company To Work For in the Large Company Category.

Employment

The Group is aware of the unemployment challenges in South Africa, which tends to be exacerbated by the vast pool of unskilled and semi-skilled people. The Group’s approach to this challenge is two- fold; provision of job opportunities wherever practically possible and skills development through various learning interventions which include inter alia; apprenticeships, learnerships, bursary schemes, in-service training, graduate internship programmes, adult basic education and training, functional training and leadership development programmes to enable employability of people.

The Pioneer Foods national geographic footprint enables the Group to provide employment opportunities in rural, peri-urban, urban and metropolitan areas.

Employment Equity

The Group is committed to employment equity and to ensuring that all occupational levels broadly reflect the demographics of the South African economically active population. The executive management and the human capital committee of the board carry the accountability of enabling and monitoring employment equity progress in the Group.

Employee Relations

The Group upholds the right to freedom of association, thus enabling employees to join a registered trade union or professional association of their choice. There are currently 18 registered trade unions in the Group’s various business operations with a collective membership of 5 389. Organised labour constitutes approximately 73% of the bargaining unit and approximately 53% of the permanent employees.

Human dignity, tolerance, mutual respect, open communication, organisational sustainability and Group values enshrined in the Pioneer Foods Way form the bedrock of our approach to employee relations.

Employee Development

People development is at the centre of our agenda in the Group as we seek to build capacity on the one hand, while creating skills pipeline and leadership bench-strength on the other hand.

Employee Wellness

The awareness programme continues to equip employees with life skills knowledge and healthy lifestyle choices. Although the focus during the past reporting period has been on conflict resolution and work ethics, the goal was to approach the wellness of employees holistically. The HIV/Aids programme is addressed under the physical well-being module of the wellness agenda, but given the high prevalence rate in South Africa, renewed focus is needed to ensure an innovative awareness campaign that removes the stigma of living with HIV/Aids.

Organisational Development

Several initiatives are implemented across the business to embed the Pioneer Foods Way in the Group. These measures include but are not limited to the “Value of the Month”; focus groups on values and associated desired behaviours; spot-recognition awards for people nominated by fellow employees or superiors who have been observed to be living the values and 360° values assessment for the leadership and managers.

The Pioneer Foods Way is an embodiment of the company values, desired effective behaviours that underpin each value and approved practices on how to relate to the Group’s multi-stakeholders.

Click here to view more information regarding the 2010 reporting period in the Annual Report.