Annual Report - JD Group

Responsible for training and
development, employee relations,
remuneration administration and
employee benefits. The department
enhances business performance
by enabling, providing and
implementing best practice people
management solutions.
Review
The focus this year shifted from integrating the Profurn business
into JD towards enhancing and fine tuning the efficiencies and
effectiveness of the human resources business process value chain.
Final consolidation of all retirement funds and medical schemes for
employees has been completed. Employees can now look forward
to more professional services and timeous communication.
Since inception in April 2003, the JD Group Learning Academy has
hosted over 11 000 delegates. This bears testimony to the Group’s
drive towards and commitment to the ongoing training and
development of its people. Two additional leadership
development programmes were introduced at general
management and executive levels. These programmes have the
added credibility and prestige of being accredited and partnered
with the University of South Africa from 2005.
The Group was selected as the pioneer company to partner with
the Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority,
in a R1 million learnership project for people with disabilities. The
success of the project culminated in a graduation and certification
ceremony at JD House on 19 November 2004.
44
Lindsay Mentor (44)
IPM Dip CPIR
Group executive – Human
resources – 16*
Executive management
Christine Grobler (37)
BA (Hons) M(Phil) Labour Law
and Employment Relations
Employee relations – 19*
Rénier Krige (37)
BCom SMP
Training and development – 15*
* years experience in human
resources
Annual negotiations for 2004 were concluded after just one
sitting, a clear indication of management’s transparency in sharing
relevant information for the negotiations and organised labour’s
(SACCAWU) appreciation of the information.
An industrial relations training programme for managers and shop
stewards, facilitated jointly by HR managers and full time shop
stewards, was successfully launched in 2004 and has significantly
contributed to fostering sound relationships between labour and
management at chain level.
Outlook
Human resources
The launch of the new HR technology platform in the coming year will
provide the chains and service departments, through their respective
HR practitioners, with a real time analytical capability to more
effectively and efficiently manage the Group’s human resources.
Meeting and exceeding the Group’s employment equity policy and
plan, through the focused continuation of training and development
of our people, remains top of mind for the department.