15262 ADvTECH instruction manual-How Great it is to work at ADvTECH_SHD1

HOW GREAT IT
IS TO WORK AT
ADvTECH
2 ADvTECH | INDUCTION TOOLKIT | 2016

HOW GREAT IT
IS TO WORK AT
ADvTECH
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How great it is to work at ADvTECH
ADvTALENT: SUPPORTING
OUR PEOPLE - THE
BACKBONE OF OUR
OPERATIONAL SUCCESS
Talent is one thing the ADvTECH Group possesses in
abundance. Harnessing that talent in a way that
ensures the best outcome for our people and the
business is an ongoing focus for us. Our entire business
is centered on the continual improvement and
development of human capital – whether it be the
pre-schoolers learning their ABC’s or the financial
director looking for a new career challenge.
Our management development programme is designed
to help us find the right people to move into the right
positions at the right time. The programme has four
components:
Management Toolkit
Of the many talented people at ADvTECH, those who have been
identified as potential future leaders are introduced to the management
role through the Management Toolkit. This introduction provides insight
and guidance on how to successfully manage the performance of
others, as well as some elective fundamental management skills. These
include elements like time management, presentation skills, managing
change and compliance training.
elements like advanced strategic thinking, ADvTECH thinking and
leadership coaching. We make sure that leaders are exposed to every
aspect of our business so that they in turn can develop and support the
people in their teams to understand how their individual contributions
work to the benefit of the Group as a whole. All our leaders must have
training in important aspects, such as integrated strategic
decision-making and managing managers for results.
Mentorship Programme
Our structured Mentorship Programme supports our entire
management and leadership development philosophy and helps us
ensure that our people are equipped and supported in achieving their
career goals.
So what makes a great Mentor? We’ve summarised this as someone
who is:
Supportive;
Nurturing;
Protective;
Gives honest feedback;
Understands boundaries; and
Has a balanced perspective.
Although the minimum requirement for mentor/mentee pairs is that
they meet for at least an hour each month, we are proud of the fact that
our people spend more than the required amount of time together,
working on ways to best support our Mentees’ career goals.
Do take the time to read and find out more about the development
programmes available to you, and know that wherever your ADvTECH
journey takes you, you will be supported from day one.
Management Development Programme
The ADvTALENT programme aims to systematically close the gap
between the talent we have and the talent we need to implement our
strategic goals. In order to know, develop and support our people, the
MDP delivers specially selected aspects of management functions by
allowing staff to experience an ADvTECH day, a business simulation
workshop and Leading Inclusively through Diversity Management.
Candidates are then required to embark on a Continuous Professional
Development programme in consultation with their HR Manager and
Line Manger.
Leadership Development Programme
The candidates who successfully navigate the MDP programme may
have the opportunity into the Leadership Development Programme to
further develop and grow their abilities in leading both our people and
the business into the future. In this programme candidates are taught
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OUR PEOPLE, OUR PRIDE
Every employer worth working for knows that your company is only as
good as the people it employs. At ADvTECH we are acutely aware of the
importance of taking care of our people on a holistic level. Of course we
can’t expect to know exactly what we’re doing right or wrong based
only what we think of our efforts. This is why it’s important to us to have
meaningful conversations with our people, but also to participate in
local and global surveys that give us insight into the ways in which we
can improve our people’s work experience.
THE DELOITTE BEST COMPANY
TO WORK FOR SURVEY
The main difference between the Top Employers Institute certification
and the Deloitte survey is that the survey focuses on HR practices from
the employee’s perspective, while the certification process requires the
employer to prove that it implements HR practices that benefit its
employees. We value the results from both processes though, because
they both help us understand our people’s needs better, which means
that we can in turn do better at making our people feel valued and
fulfilled in their careers. The survey has evolved, from a traditional
benchmark measurement of employer of choice status, to a more
focused measurement of how employees feel about their company’s
performance in the following areas:
Values & Culture
Leadership
Working Relationship with the Manager/Supervisor
Inclusion
Operational Effectiveness
Job Satisfaction
Performance & Recognition
Remuneration
Learning & Development
Fairness & Equity
THE TOP EMPLOYERS
INSTITUTE
The Top Employers Institute is a global institute with headquarters in the
Netherlands. It assesses the working conditions employers create for
their people and only those employers that meet their stringent criteria
are certified as top employers. Once certified, an employer can proudly
call themselves one of the world’s leading employers. We were thrilled to
be certified on our first application.
To be considered for certification, we needed to complete a survey
consisting of 100 questions that dealt with nine topics covering 600 HR
practices. One of the advantages of completing the in-depth application
to become certified as a Top Employer is that we had the opportunity to
really examine our HR processes. Instead of just listing these, we needed
to really analyse their appropriateness, their effectiveness and how
relevant they were to our organisation’s needs. Our detailed explanation
of these processes was reviewed in detail by an independent auditor,
and during an onsite visit we needed to provide proof that we actually
do implement the practices that we described in our submission.
Through this application process and the resultant scores we achieved
we were able to pinpoint areas that we’d like to improve and create
specific interventions to achieve better scores with the next
accreditation round.
During the 2015 survey we were awarded the Silver Service Excellence
Seal award – an achievement that we are proud of, but that reminds us
of our ongoing responsibility towards our people.
We are completely invested in making ADvTECH a great company to
work for. This is more than a flight of fancy for us, or mere words on a
page. We hold our people to a high standard and therefore we hold
ourselves accountable to one even higher – that of truly inspiring each
one of our people to become the best version of who they were born
to be.
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE:
What does it mean and
why does it matter?
Corporate governance is a term describing the system
used to direct and control a company. At ADvTECH our
Board of directors oversees the management and
control structure that controls the Group’s overall
direction.
The King Code of Corporate Governance
Corporate governance is a dynamic field, with constantly evolving
requirements based on the best practice principles controlling the
sector the company operates in. Former High Court judge Mervyn King
S.C. is widely regarded as an expert in the field of corporate governance.
King published a report called the King Code of Corporate Governance
in 2009, called KING III. The report contains 75 reporting principles that
guide organisations toward responsible, transparent reporting that
aligns with local and international standards. We have always supported
the values contained in the King Report (King III) and we constantly aim
for greater compliance to the Code of Corporate Practices section of the
report. We look forward to examining the next iteration of this report,
called King IV, due for official release on 01 November 2016.
More about the Board
The ADvTECH Board consists (as at 31 December 2015) of two Executive
and 6 Non-Executive Directors. The Board encourages greater integration
of corporate governance principles across all areas of operation to help
the Group to run its business in an efficient, ethical and sustainable way.
This in turn creates value and sustainable returns, which means that
more investments will be made into the private education sector.
The directors have a wide range of experience in strategic, financial,
legal, Information Technology and educational activities. This means that
there is enough intellectual capital to guide the business towards
long-term success. You can find the directors’ details and a short
description of their CVs on the ADvTECH website at www.advtech.co.za
The Board has seven committees, established as part of regulatory and
business requirements. Members of the Board are appointed to
Committees based on their areas of expertise and experience.
Risk Committee
Every business faces several actual and potential risks in the day-to-day
execution of their tasks. While the Risk Committee has assumed
responsibility for monitoring and overseeing the management of risk
within the Group, the Board, Exco and the internal audit department
continue to review and assess the integrity and the quality of our risk
control systems and ensure that risk policies and strategies are effectively
managed.
Litigation Committee
The Litigation Committee provides guidance to the Board in respect of
all major litigation that happens outside the ordinary course of business.
The Committee only meets when necessary.
Transformation, Social and Ethics Committee (TSEC)
TSEC monitors and oversees the Group’s progress on aspects relating to
transformation at every level. It considers social and ethical aspects, and,
where appropriate, provides management with guidance in this regard.
The divisional CEOs must attend the majority of TSEC meetings held
during the year. This ensures that social and ethical matters, as well as
matters pertaining to transformation remain high on management’s
agenda.
Nominations Committee
The Committee meets when necessary, to nominate, evaluate and
recommend possible new appointments to the Board.
Why corporate governance matters
While the Board and Group Management team are ultimately held
accountable for the Group’s ethical corporate governance, every one of
us plays an important role in making our business one that is operated
with integrity. When we are ill-informed about regulatory issues that
could negatively affect our particular business unit, it places the entire
Group at risk for reputational or even financial damage. It’s worth
understanding which laws and regulations govern your particular area of
work and understanding exactly what you can do to ensure that we act
with complete integrity and transparency in everything we do.
Remuneration Committee
This Committee determines and approves how much employees are
paid. The Group CEO and Group HR executive only attend these
meetings by invitation, but don’t have any say regarding decisions about
their own remuneration.
Audit Committee
The Committee is responsible for appointing the Group’s auditors,
agreeing the fees that must be paid to them and settling on the terms
of their engagement. They also provide recommendations to the Board
about a number of operational issues. A full list of these is available
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WHY IS ADvTECH LISTED
ON THE STOCK EXCHANGE?
When ADvTECH’s founder, Brian Buckham, started a
small IT training business in Anderson Street in the
Joburg CBD, he could not have known just how
successful the ADvTECH Group would become. In case
you’re still in the dark about how ADvTECH came to be,
here’s a short recap:
1978
Brian Buckham starts an IT training business in Anderson
Street, Johannesburg
1987
Advanced Technical Systems Limited lists on the Johannesburg
Stock Exchange (JSE) with a share price of 55 cents.
1990
The end of apartheid is declared, Nelson Mandela is released
from prison and a new political dawn breaks in South Africa.
Brian Buckham realises that education would be the key to
South Africa’s success.
1995 & 1996
ADvTECH makes its first acquisition in the education sector,
including Rosebank College and Varsity College in 1996.
1998 – 2015
ADvTECH grows exponentially during this period, to 124
education, training and recruitment sites across South Africa
and the African continent.
From baby steps to giant leaps
The ADvTECH story is a great example of a small business successfully
making the transition from a privately held company to a publically
listed one. Taking this step allows a company to raise funds through
selling shares to the broader public and specialist investment groups.
ADvTECH’s listing on the JSE in 1987 signaled the first step towards
growing the business towards what it is today. It enabled Brian to raise
the kind of capital needed to acquire the schools, universities and
resourcing businesses that the Group now owns.
The benefits of listing on the stock
exchange
Listing a company means that instead of one or more (up to a maximum
of 50) people holding all the company’s shares, the shares are made
available on a stock exchange where they are traded not only as a way
to raise funds, but to make ordinary people a part of the success of our
business.
There are quite a few steps to follow before you can list on a stock
exchange, read more about them. In 1987 Brian and his management
team would have needed to follow the applicable steps to get the
company listed.
Some of the benefits of listing include:
Companies can trade their shares securely and efficiently through a
fully automated trading system.
Raising funds through selling shares is better than entering into a debt
agreement with a bank. In the event that companies need to make
use of debt facilities from a bank, they have the added benefit of banks
being more inclined to lend them money. This is because the banks
know that the listed company is now likely to be fiscally responsible as
it is expected to comply with listing and other regulatory requirements.
The company therefore has both options available in terms of raising
capital to either pay off existing debt or to fund expansion plans.
A listing attracts local analyst coverage and media interest, which helps
boost the company’s reputation and profile.
A listing facilitates broad-based economic empowerment deals.
How working for a listed company
benefits you
Listing not only holds advantages for the company, but also for its
people. Here are a couple of ways that you benefit from ADvTECH being
a listed company:
The company’s brand value increased after its listing, making ADvTECH
an attractive employer to talented people. You are one of those people,
and you benefit from working with and learning from some of South
Africa’s best and brightest individuals. Not to mention that working at
ADvTECH looks really good on your CV!
ADvTECH has better access to services and facilities offered by banks
and other service providers, which means that you can be assured of
timely salary payments and access to additional perks and benefits not
ordinarily available at smaller businesses.
As part of the JSE’s listing requirements, the company needs to publish
an integrated annual report every year. This report gives shareholders
and other stakeholders (like you, the employee) valuable insight into
how the company works and how it has managed its financial and
other resources during the applicable reporting year. You have the
benefit of knowing exactly which challenges ADvTECH faces and
how they are dealt with, and also see the important role you and your
division plays in making the company a success. You can read the
Integrated Annual Report here.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this bit of insight into the benefits of listing, but
feel free to look at our FAQs if you’d like to know more.
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HOW DOES BEING PART OF
THE ADvTECH GROUP
BENEFIT ME?
The ADvTECH Group has grown from 3 984 employees
in 2011 to 5 441 at the end of December 2015. This
phenomenal growth in numbers came about because
of organic growth as the business expanded, as well as
a number of acquisitions during a targeted expansion
drive. Regardless of how you came to join the Group,
you now find yourself part of a big company, but why
should you be excited to be part of this group?
One of the reasons why people initially feel apprehensive about joining
a large group is the feeling that becoming a nameless, faceless part of a
big organisation is inevitable. People often feel that the way they’ve
been doing things works well for them and so any notion of change or
surrender of their individuality becomes an understandably daunting
prospect. Take a look at the diversity found in the various ADvTECH
brands though, and you’ll see that we respect the time each brand took
to decide on their individual identity and which aspects of their unique
character they want to hold on to. We are not in the business of
indiscriminately replicating the same school, university or resourcing
business because we know that one of the main reasons why people
choose to associate with a brand is because its particular ethos aligns
with their personally held values. We take immense pride in not only the
physiological diversity, but also the diversity of views that is represented
by the people who are part of the ADvTECH Group. We’ve summarized
just a few of the most important reasons why being part of the
ADvTECH Group is a good thing. Here goes:
A strong focus on academic excellence
Academic excellence is the axis upon which the ADvTECH Group rotates.
In our Schools brands our students are assured of the best quality
education in preparation for their futures, because we use local and
international benchmarking exercises to gauge the effectiveness of the
education that they receive. We offer three academic systems, so
students can complete either a National Senior Certificate, Independent
Examinations Board or a Cambridge certification in their Matric year. In
our Tertiary environment, the Independent Institute of Education (IIE) is
responsible for the academic governance of all our brands. The IIE holds
local and international accreditation through the British Accreditation
Council, confirming that the institute meets international standards for
excellence.
Infrastructure
Buildings
Aside from the offices that house the people who work at the ADvTECH
Head Office, every brand has its own set of buildings and facilities –
many developed at great cost and effort. Staff and students benefit from
the significant resources invested to maintain, expand and modernise
these structures. Being part of the ADvTECH Group gives every brand a
significantly improved opportunity to grow in a much shorter period of
time than if they had tried to accomplish this on their own. Not only
can being part of the Group make expansion happen faster, it means
that businesses have access to expertise in ergonomic design that
makes the most efficient use of available space. This means that you can
focus on doing your best while you’re at work.
Information Technology
Technology is advancing at a staggering rate and the education system
has to adapt and evolve to consider the needs of both our people and
students in a more digitally connected world. ADvTECH has a dedicated
team of individuals who continually assess technological developments
to see how best to apply the appropriate technology in the field of
education. Here are some of the interesting IT developments over the
past year:
The introduction of IIE Marque – a unique electronic tool that allows
prospective employers and tertiary institutions to search for and verify
a graduate’s qualifications.
Rosebank College opened the first technologically enabled campus
in Polokwane. It uses a combination of traditional and digital teaching
methods to bring quality education to students in and around
Polokwane. Read more about the Polokwane Connected Campus here.
An electronic Learning Management System called IIELearn went live
across Varsity College, Vega and Rosebank College during February
2015. Approximately 11 000 students use this Blackboard-based digital
platform to enhance their learning experience. Read more about how
blended learning works on page 42 of the Integrated Annual Report.
Centralised Administration system
While no-one doubts the abilities of the office admin lady, we know that
automating administrative tasks means that we are able to collect, store
and find important information much faster than if we continued to use
a paper filing system. Being able to accurately report on important
figures like enrolments in real-time means that we can adequately plan
for the year ahead. Our digital Human Resources programme helps us to
access employee records at the touch of a button. You also have the
convenience of booking your leave online and our Intranet has a wealth
of information to help you navigate life at ADvTECH.
Training and development
When you form part of the ADvTECH Group, you have access to the best
training and development programmes on offer. It’s important for us
that our people all have access to ongoing opportunities for personal
and professional development. Click here to read more about the
development interventions offered as part of our ADvTALENT
programme.
We hope that you will love being part of the ADvTECH Group as much
as we love having you with us!
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