Business Analyst - June 23

BUSINESS MARKET RATES
US$ 1 – GH¢7.80
GHANA STOCK WED, 22 JUNE. 2022
Indices and Market Cap Level Previous Level Change % Change
GSE Composite Index 2,810.01 2,798.27 +11.74 +0.42%
GSE Financial Index 2,073.63 2,073.63 0.00 0.00%
GSE Market Cap (GHS 'mn) 63,883.61 63,760.71 +122.90 +0.19%
COCOA: US$2,473.00 per tonne
CRUDE OIL: US$104.6 per barrel
GOLD: US$1,851.99 per ounce
Thursday, June 23, 2022. Vol. No. 167
GH¢2.50
• Professor Samuel Kobina
Anim, Government Statistician
GovErnMEnt
spent GH¢3.72
billion less on
CovID-19 related
expenditure in
2020 and 2021, Finance
Minister, Ken ofori-Atta
yesterday told Parliament.
For the years 2020 and
2021, the programmed
expenditure amounted to
¢15.76 billion for the CovID-19
related expenditures, out of
which the actual utilisation
was GH¢12.036 billion.

Thursday, June 23, 2022
Afghan earthquake: At least 1,000
people killed and 1,500 injured
Apowerful earthquake has killed
at least 1,000 people and injured
1,500 in eastern Afghanistan, an
official of the ruling taliban told
the BBC.
the taliban appealed for international
help for the rescue effort as pictures showed
landslides and ruined mud-built homes in
the province of Paktika.
the quake struck shortly after 01:30
(21:00 GMt tuesday) as people slept.
Hundreds of houses were destroyed by
the magnitude 6.1 event, which occurred at a
depth of 51km (32 miles).
It is the deadliest earthquake to strike
Afghanistan in two decades and a major
challenge for the taliban, the Islamist
movement which regained power last year
after the Western-backed government
collapsed.
the earthquake struck about 44km from
the city of Khost and tremors were felt as far
away as Pakistan and India. Witnesses
reported feeling the quake in both
Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, and Pakistan's
capital, Islamabad.
taliban officials asked the Un to
"support them in terms of assessing the
needs and responding to those affected", Sam
Mort from Unicef's Kabul unit told the BBC.
the UK's special representative to
Afghanistan, nigel Casey, said the UK was in
touch with the Un and was "ready to
contribute to the international response".
Earthquakes tend to cause significant
damage in Afghanistan, where dwellings in
many rural areas are unstable or poorly built.
Speaking to reuters news agency, locals
described horrific scenes of death and
destruction in the aftermath of the latenight
earthquake.
"the kids and I screamed," said Fatima.
"one of our rooms was destroyed. our
neighbours screamed and we saw everyone's
rooms."
"It destroyed the houses of our
neighbours," Faisal said. "When we arrived
there were many dead and wounded. they
sent us to the hospital. I also saw many dead
bodies."
"Every street you go, you hear people
mourning the deaths of their beloved ones,"
a journalist in Paktika province told the BBC.
Local farmer Alem Wafa cried as he told
the BBC that official rescue teams had yet to
reach the remote village of Gyan - one of the
worst hit.
"there are no official aid workers, but
people from neighbouring cities and villages
came here to rescue people," he said. "I
arrived this morning, and I
- myself - found 40 dead
bodies."
Most of the dead, he
said, were "very young
children". the local
hospital just did not have
the capacity to deal with
such a disaster, the farmer
added.
'Every street you go
you hear mourning'
In remote areas,
helicopters have been
ferrying victims to
hospitals.
Even before the taliban
takeover, Afghanistan's
emergency services were
stretched to deal with
natural disasters - with few
aircraft and helicopters
available to rescuers.
Speaking to the BBC, a
doctor in Paktika said
medical workers were among the victims.
"We didn't have enough people and
facilities before the earthquake, and now the
earthquake has ruined the little we had,"
they said. "I don't know how many of our
colleagues are still alive."
Communication following the quake is
difficult because of damage to mobile phone
towers and the death toll could rise further
still, another local journalist in the area told
the BBC.
"Many people are not aware of the wellbeing
of their relatives because their phones
are not working," he said. "My brother and
his family died, and I just learned it after
many hours. Many villages have been
destroyed."
Most of the casualties so far have been in
the Gayan and Barmal districts in Paktika, a
local doctor told the BBC. Local media site
Etilaat-e roz reported a whole village in
Gayan had been destroyed.
there were no immediate reports of
casualties or significant damage in Pakistan,
according to BBC Urdu.
Decades of conflict have made it difficult
for the impoverished country to improve its
protections against earthquakes and other
natural disasters - despite efforts by aid
agencies to reinforce some buildings over the
years.
Afghanistan is prone to quakes, as it's
located in a tectonically active region, over a
number of fault lines including the Chaman
fault, the Hari rud fault, the Central
Badakhshan fault and the Darvaz fault.
over the past decade more than 7,000
people have been killed in earthquakes in the
country, the Un's office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs reports.
there are an average of 560 deaths a year
from earthquakes.
Most recently, back-to-back earthquakes
in the country's west in January killed more
than 20 people and destroyed hundreds of
houses.
AU suspends participation in UN-led Sudan talks
tHE African Union has
suspended its
participation in the Unfacilitated
talks to end the
Sudan political crisis.
Its representative in
the talks cited lack of
transparency and
exclusion of important
political actors from the
process.
Mohamed Belaish, the
AU representative in
Khartoum was quoted by
the state-run Sudan news
agency as saying that "the
African Union cannot
participate in a process
that is not based on
transparency, honesty and
non-exclusion".
He said the AU would
“not participate in a
process that does not
respect all the actors and
treat them with full
respect and on an equal
footing".
the AU and the
regional bloc
Intergovernmental
Authority on Development
(Igad) had previously
backed the Un-led intra-
Sudanese dialogue process,
which began on 8 June.
the dialogue was
however postponed
indefinitely a few days
later, after the former
ruling Forces of Freedom
and Change (FFC) coalition
refused to join its sessions.
the FFC is demanding
the military to leave power
and return power to a
civilian transitional
government.

Thursday, June 23, 2022
Covid-19 expenditure
Govt spent GH¢3.72 billion less
• Continued from front
According to a statement by Mr.
ofori-Atta, a total amount of GH¢11.162
billion (this includes the CAP) in 2020
was programmed for CovID-19 related
expenditure.
out of this amount, a total of
GH¢8,122 million was utilised. the
amount was utilised to provide support
to households; Supply equipment and
provide relief to health workers (Health
response); Health Infrastructure;
Security operations, Evacuations,
• In 2020 and 2021
Quarantine and Coordination;
Economic relief; Stabilization and
revitalization; and Covid-19
Complementary releases.
A total amount of GH¢4.601 billion
was programmed in the 2021 budget for
CovID-19 related expenses.
At the end of December 2021, total
utilisation was GH¢3.914.40 million
representing 85% utilisation.
“I wish to dispel the notion that
there have been inconsistencies in
government data on CovID-19. His
Excellency the President intimated
during that State of the nation Address
on 30th March, 2022, that we had
mobilised about GH¢17.7 billion since
2020 to fight the pandemic. We have
subsequently reconciled the data and I
can report that as of end-May, 2022, we
have mobilised GH¢18.19 billion to
mitigate the effect of the pandemic”,
Mr. ofori-Atta pointed out.
“Again, when His Excellency the
vice President indicated on 7th April,
2022 at the national tESCon
Conference that government had spent
GH¢8.1 billion on Covid-19, it was
within the context of expenditures for
2020 as I have already indicated”, he
added.
During the CovID-19 pandemic, the
government received $1 billion from
the International Monetary Fund,
GH¢10 billion from the Bank of Ghana,
US$69.3 million from African
Development Bank and US$99.7 million
from the European Union (EU).
No imminent fuel shortage
• CBOD boss assures
tHE Chief Executive officer (CEo) of the
Ghana Chamber of Bulk oil Distributors
(CBoD), Senyo Hosi, has assuaged the
fears of Ghanaians of a possible fuel
shortage.
According to him, the country has
enough fuel stock to last a month amid
fuel shortage concerns, hence there was
no need to panic.
Mr. Hosi made the statement while
speaking on Citi Breakfast Show, which
was monitored by Business AnALYSt.
“We have enough stock to keep us
stable and actually buy us enough time
to fix the problem,” he said.
He added that some stakeholders
have been “engaging all the international
traders since yesterday when the
story broke to give them assurances that
things are being done.”
Aside from the above, Mr. Hosi said
there will be more supplies beyond the
one-month fuel stock in Ghana.
“It is a very resolvable situation. It is
not something that panics me at all. It
is something that we have been dealing
with, and we have clarity on how to resolve
it,” he said.
Mr. Hosi was responding to a report
from Bloomberg which claimed that
Ghana faces a looming fuel
shortage because the Bank
of Ghana is rationing dollars.
this follows a surge in
oil prices in the wake of
the russian invasion of
Ukraine.
Ghana’s monthly fuel
import bill stood at $450
million in May, up from
$250 million in January.
the cedi has also weakened
22 percent against the
dollar this year, making it
the worst performance
among African currencies
tracked by Bloomberg.
Ghana’s inflation rate
also jumped to 27.6 percent
in May, continuing the
record highs in the last 18
years.
the Bank of Ghana is
yet to respond to the report.
GJA Elections
Dwumfour to set up
insurance package
for journalists
Mr. Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, a Ghana
Journalist Association’s (GJA) Presidential
hopeful, says he will set up an insurance
scheme for journalists to protect them
against any misfortune if given the mandate
as the President of the Association.
He said the insurance scheme would
cover health, funerals, accidents and all
the basic things that confront journalists
as they must be protected and secured to
plan for a better future.
“We got three proposals from life insurance
companies and vehicle insurance
companies for consideration,” he said in
an interview with the Ghana news
Agency in tema.
Mr Dwumfour noted that the safety of
members could not be left in the hands of
media owners because there was no law
binding them and, therefore, the association
would facilitate the acquisition of vehicles
for individuals and media houses to
and from programmes to avoid rush with
its attendant consequences.
Speaking on the campaign to annex
the leadership of the GJA, he noted that,
”the Association must be able to capitalize
on its social network to draw revenue and
under his leadership, there would be appealing
programmes rolled out to woo
support from donor agencies and corporate
partners to generate revenue for the
Association”.
Mr Dwumfour promised that a one
million retiree Fund would be established
to cater for the welfare of retired journalists.
“So we are going to form a Committee
to compile a database for retirees or meet
the retirees and regularize the membership
of those who were not even members
of the Association,” he said.
Mr Dwumfour assured journalists of
his unwavering commitment to bring a
total transformation to the GJA and make
it more attractive and beneficial to all
journalists devoid of discrimination.
He said there would be professional
development programmes for journalists,
including a deliberate monthly or quarterly
training in specific areas to build
their capacities and specialization.
Credit: gbcghanaonline.com
“So we are going to form a
Committee to compile a
database for retirees or meet
the retirees and regularize
the membership of those who
were not even members of
the Association,” he said.

Thursday, June 23, 2022
TACKLING PLASTIC
WASTE: LET’S MAKE
GAEC DREAM REALITY
TACKlinG plastic waste: let’s make GAEC dream
reality
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We find ourselves in a quagmire when it comes
to the use of plastics. This is because although
plastics serve very useful purposes, managing the
waste that comes from their use has become a
huge challenge for the country.
Attempts at recycling plastics to turn them into
other useful products have been very ineffective
due to the high cost involved, while the lack of an
effective collection system for plastic waste has
not helped matters.
Currently, waste is lumped together at
generation points, and households and
organisations that try to separate their waste find
that their efforts are in vain because waste
management companies are not well-resourced
enough to send different trucks to pick up the
different categories of waste.
Once the waste gets to their final destination
or even the treatment plants, sorting becomes a
challenge and comes with great cost, as manual
sorting is the only choice available.
There have been several calls by individuals
and organisations for Ghana to ban the use of
plastics for packaging, as has been done in other
jurisdictions, because of the nuisance waste
generated from them is causing the country.
The recurrent floods experienced in Accra and
other cities have been blamed on plastic waste,
which clogs our drains and ends in the sea and our
beaches because of the improper way in which it
is disposed of.
These and many issues surrounding plastics
usage have sent the country on a wild goose chase
for the right way to handle plastic waste, which is
getting worse by the day.
As citizens and experts in plastics continue to
debate the issue, sometimes ferociously, of plastic
packaging, especially in the food and beverages
industry, and whether we have to ban outright
plastics or not, because of the employment the
plastic industry offers many Ghanaians, perhaps
we have to turn to nuclear technology for that
lasting solution we seek.
The Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC)
recently said it was ready to partner operators in
the waste management industry with the
requisite expertise to venture into the nuclear
Technology for Plastic Pollution Control (nUTEC
Plastics) to help the country to effectively deal
with the plastic waste menace.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting on the
nUTEC Plastics programme in Accra, the Director-
General of GAEC, Professor Samuel B. Dampare,
said nuclear technology for plastic recycling was
a new area which the country could explore to
protect the environment and create employment
for the youth.
Should I Be Scared of
Artificial Intelligence?
IMAGInE you are the boss
of a new company in a
time which has seen the
immense maturity of AI.
You plan to employ a fully
automated service architecture
and model for your business that
not a single human labor will be
employed. You chose this model
because:
1) It is possible to automate
everything you need to run your
business;
2) You do not trust humans
because humans are prone to
emotion, fatigue and sickness:
3) It is cost effective;
4) Highly productive.
now imagine if this line of
thought and belief in automation
becomes the trend then we will be
seeing an entire automated job
industry which is owned by only
investors, owners and managers
i.e. the top brass of any business.
How will it affect human
employment? How will there be
widespread money circulation in
a vast unemployed human
existence? Possibly this
circulation will be even more
entrenched and limited among
the rich even more than it is
currently now. this is a very likely
reality because “ultra-intensive
computational power and lower
dimensions and affordable cost,
have enabled researchers to
implement artificial intelligence
algorithms on various
applications”.
What is Artificial
Intelligence? AI is a machine
intelligence whose perfection
largely depends on its ability and
capacity to detect, identify,
process and remember increasing
number of relevant variables from
an environment. this is part of
the statistical and machine
learning that AI uses to mimic
human intelligence. Examples of
their usages are in voice
recognition, language processing,
computer vision and neural
networks for example. these are
the building blocks of the robotic
mind.
A machine can be taught
exactly how to behave, or it can be
taught to decide its own behavior
depending on the objective given.
How Does AI Function? the
general functionalities of an AI
system can be summarized in the
following ways:
1. Probabilistic learning: AI is
designed on a model of
computation and then data is fed
into it. the efficacy and
rationalizability of AI depend on
its quality and logic of data.
Collective data-based decision is
always probabilistic.
2. Model based learning: AI is
designed with a model which
takes data as input and processes
it to make decisions. these
models implement algorithms
based on mathematics and
statistics or state computations
such as automata, trees etc.
3. Critical response to small
changes: An AI system may
behave completely randomly even
if there is a very slight variation is
mathematical and statistical
approximation. For example,
image or speech recognition AI
systems can be fooled by small
alteration in the images or
speeches.
AI makes people’s lives easier
because AI can automate work by
its massive data crunching power
which even surpasses human
mental capacity. AI does not have
fatigue, boredom or human
emotions to deal with when
thinking so this makes them very
efficient and effective. AI can
analyze massive data which is
impossible by humans and
“machines can be immensely
more effective in this task [than
humans] due to their fast
response, multi-dimensional data
structures, parallel processing,
huge data storage and lack of
fatigue”.
AI use in medical industry is
in automated diagnostics, clinical
decision making, automated
surgery and prognostication. AI
can be also used in power grids
and electrical industries to
predict various power related
issues such as power outage
depending on past hurricane data,
fault detection and wind power
forecast for power generation
depending on wind speed, among
other things. AI can be used in
waste industry to predict models
and techniques of the most
efficient waste reduction. AI
robots can replace waste disposal
construction workers who often
in many countries work in
hazardous conditions with low
pay and low perks.

Thursday, June 23, 2022
Economy grows by
3.3% in quarter 1, 2022
GHAnA’S economy
slowdown in
growth in the first
quarter of this
year, compared to
the same period last year, provisional
data from the Ghana
Statistical Service has revealed.
the economy recorded 3.3%
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
growth rate, which was aided
by some marginal expansion in
the Services and Agriculture
sectors.
In actual fact, this is the
lowest growth rate recorded,
post CovID-19. In the same period
of 2021, the growth was
3.6%.
GDP growth rate without
oil and gas (non-oil GDP) for
first quarter of 2022 was 3.7%
which compares to the same
period in 2021 with a growth
rate of 5.3%.
According to Government
Statistician, Professor Samuel
Kobina Anim, the Agriculture
sector led the growth rate, expanding
by 5.6%, followed by
Services with a growth rate of
3.7% and industry with a GDP
of 1.3%.
the Fishing sector recorded
the highest growth rate of
26.1% in the Agriculture sector,
followed by Livestock with 5.5%
and Crops, 5.2%.
Forestry and Logging contracted
by 0.5%
Within the Services sector,
Information & Communication
led the expansion, growing
by 26.6%. transport and
Storage (6.4%), Hotel and
restaurants (5.3%), Finance &
Insurance (4.2%), other Personal
Service Activities (3.1%)
and trade, repair of vehicle,
Household Goods (2.3%) followed
suit.
the sub-sectors that contracted
were Professional, Administrative
& Support (-12.8),
Public Administration & Defence,
Social Security (-9.8%),
real Estate (-2.6%), Education (-
2.0%) and Health & Social Work
(-1.0%).
For industry, Water Supply,
Sewerage, Waste Management
& remediation Activities
(25.4%) and Electricity (15.9%)
were the sectors that expanded
significantly. Manufacturing
grew by 2.1%.
Construction was the only
sector that contracted by 2.0%.
the GDP estimate at current
prices in purchaser’s value
for the 1st quarter of 2022 was
estimated at ¢139.39 billion,
compared to GH¢115.69 billion
in the 1st quarter of 2021.
GDP sectoral shares
According to the GSS, the
Services sector continue to remain
the largest sector of the
Ghanaian economy in the first
quarter of 2022 with a share of
45% of GDP at basic prices.
the GDP share of Industry
and Agriculture were 32% percent
and 23% respectively.
“Let's leverage
on TVET to abate
Unemployment
menace”
An advocate of the technical
vocational Education
and training (tvEt)
who doubles as the Proprietor
of Star of Africa
Montessori Academy,Mr.
Afful Manu Benjamin,
has hinted that focusing
on the technical and vocational
Education training(tvEt)
will be the
panacea for reducing unemployment
in the country.
According to the Proprietor,
the Ghanaian
dream of transforming
the economy through job
creation though good,
should not focus only on
reading and writing form
of education.
He acknowledged that
much as the reading and
writing was good, not
every student would be
hence the need for an alternative
to cater for the
remaining once at the
same time.
He, however, indicated
that though most Ghanaians
may be used to the
theoretical but lack the
basic job skills, hence the
increasing unemployment
challenges in the
country.
Shedding light on the
overall benefits on the
subject matter in an interview
with Daily Analyst,
he stressed the
urgent need for tvEt initiative
to be incorporated
into the transformational
agenda of the country as a
measure to deal with the
youth unemployment
gaps within the labour
force.
the businessman
could not understand
why leaders and stakeholders
have not thought
of placing tvEt education
in the centre job creation
yet but was hopeful that
if finally done, would create
the needed skills.
NSS acquires 20,000 acres
for commercial farming
tHE national Service Scheme
(nSS) has acquired 20,000
acres of farmland in the Kumawu
area of the Ashanti region
for a commercial farming
estate.
Known as Kumawu Youth
Farm, the project will start
with the cultivation of maize,
rice and soya this year.
the Executive Director of
the nSS, osei Assibey Antwi,
who made this known in an
interview with the Daily
Graphic in Accra last Monday,
said: “this is going to be our
biggest farming enclave, one
of an end-to-end nature,
which starts from production
to processing in the long
term.”
the nSS is said to have
moved directions from “Mobilisation
for Deployment” to
“Deployment for Employment”,
and Mr Antwi said the
new strategic direction, his
own initiative, sought to provide
the enabling environment
for all personnel to
acquire the relevant skills that
could meet industrial demand.
Under it, young graduates
are expected to embrace entrepreneurship
by identifying
viable areas of the economy
where they could explore
their potentials.
Some of the initiatives
under the new strategic direction
are the Job Platform, SME
Accounting Aid Programme,
teaching Programme, It Solution
Programme, Communication
Project, and the Youth in
Housing Project.
the nSS had engaged former
Member of Parliament for
twifo-Atti-Morkwa and Policy
Advisor, Abraham Dwuma
odoom, as a consultant for the
Kumawu project.
the nSS already has 14
farms across the country
where it cultivates mainly
maize.
Mixed commercial farming
However, this time, the Kumawu
Youth Farm will engage
in mixed cropping and animal
husbandry.
Mr Antwi said currently
the nSS was in discussions
with agencies, including the
German Agency for International
Cooperation (GIZ) and
the MasterCard Foundation,
which had expressed interest
in making funds available for
the cultivation of the land.
Part of the land secured for
the farming project
“the object of this farm
project is to create a vibrant
agricultural enclave for the
many youths in and around
Kumawu township for sustainable
employment,” he
said.
“We intend to create about
20,000 direct and five thousand
indirect jobs under the
project,” Mr Antwi added.
SMEs Accounting
on the programme for
Small and Medium Enterprise
(SME) Accounting Aid programme,
Mr Antwi said personnel
would provide
professional accounting services
to SMEs to enhance their
financial management practices.
“We want the SMEs to engage
in proper bookkeeping to
facilitate credit accessibility,
tracking of business performance,
management of cash
flow and related activities,” he
said.
touching on It Solution,
he said the initiative sought to
equip service personnel with
relevant skills to create mobile
application softwares and become
self-employed.
Already, training programmes
are being undertaken
through an incubation
programme dubbed: Graduate
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
track, to produce highly
skilled personnel for corporate
brands.

Thursday, June 23, 2022
How Digital Marketing can
help your local Business grow
DIGItAL marketing has
been a key strategy for
businesses of all sizes to
gain more exposure and
generate additional leads.
It has a variety of strategies that can be
used by all types of businesses and it has
allowed some companies to have a global
reach.
Although that is true, digital
marketing can also help local businesses
reach their audience more meaningfully.
the strategies under digital marketing
also help businesses by revolutionizing
customer experience for the better. How
can digital marketing be of service to
local businesses?
Here is how digital marketing can
help your local business grow.
Digital marketing saves funds
Local businesses can save a lot of
funds by using digital marketing because
they won’t have to depend on print
media primarily.
the marketing budget of small local
businesses is undoubtedly limited and it
can’t accomplish what needs to be done
efficiently. the costs of advertising favor
mostly big businesses and smaller ones
often do not have a chance when trying
to go against them.
Digital marketing has alternative
solutions that are very affordable in
comparison to other advertising
channels. For example, there is a variety
of social media channels that can be
used to market product offers for a very
limited budget.
running a website and optimizing it
for search engine visibility also can fit in
a limited budget. You do not have to
spend lots of hundreds and even
thousands of dollars to get a solid
marketing strategy up and running.
Better targeting of
customers
Some have argued that digital
marketing is not that suitable for local
businesses because irrelevant people
might engage with the content you post.
the truth is, digital marketing can be
optimized to focus on a certain location
and market to people in that vicinity.
Although there might be some in the
audience that does not live in the area of
the business, there are better chances to
reach more people with this strategy.
For example, the geo-marketing on
Facebook. Before posting a paid ad on
Facebook, there is a section you need to
fill out that pertains to the geographical
location. You can use this section to
target the area your business trades in
and relevant people will get to see it.
there are also groups of people living
in a certain area that you can join and
market the product or service offers you
have.
It can help you expand from
the current locality
Although you may prefer operating
in the vicinity of the address of the
business, it may be in your prospects to
expand. Digital marketing can help local
businesses grow further and break the
borders they have created for
themselves.
It may not be advisable to jump into
an international approach without
proper planning first but digital
marketing can help local businesses
start off small and slowly take them to
the next level.
Michelle Dias worked as a market
research specialist for an nYC based
consultancy before starting to work as an
international business and finance essay
writer for the best essay writing service.
In her opinion, small local businesses
can gradually geographically expand by
moving from a citywide marketing
campaign to a statewide approach. You
can do this by widening the zone being
targeted on social media ads and
including other cities in the content
created for the blog.
Include keywords suitable for local
SEo for nearby cities that you will serve
to increase the chances of getting orders
from them. traditional marketing can
hinder the growth you can make in this
regard and will cost much more to
execute.
Easier accessibility of
local businesses
Digital marketing is much more
easily accessible to potential clients and
can leverage the number of people that
see your content. traditional marketing
like billboards and pamphlets being
handed out can limit the reach.
only people who use the streets the
billboard is found in or where those
pamphlets are being handed out will
know about the business. Digital
marketing can reach a lot more people
because the statistics of people using
these channels continually grow each
day.
People who make up those statistics
include people from the place the
business is in and you can reach almost
all of them using digital means. think
about the many businesses you do not
know that are in the same vicinity as
your home.
Also, consider the number of
businesses you discovered using digital
platforms. these considerations will
make you realize how effective digital
marketing is for local businesses.
Digital marketing has advanced
analytics tools
With the different traditional
marketing methods, it can be hard to
know how effective your strategy is.
For example, it is impossible to find
out the final conversions because of the
impact of a billboard in a certain
location. It is also impossible to find out
how many conversions were created by
handing out pamphlets but tracking
these KPIs is possible using digital
marketing.
You can determine how many
conversions social media created by
using analytics tools such as Buffer,
Keyhole and many others. they pinpoint
where the user first interacted with the
business and all the steps customers
took to make a purchase. therefore, you
will know just what platforms to use
more often and invest more effort in.
there are also different social media
marketing analytical tools available with
each different platform. Identifying how
effective is the current marketing
method is very easy with digital means
for local businesses.
the bottom line
Business owners need to continue
growing their knowledge about different
systems that can help grow their
businesses. Different digital tools can be
used to create more leads, conversions
and leverage revenue.
It is understandable when results are
not instant but as time goes on, they will
be well worth the patience. With digital
marketing, you can drive your business
to grow and reach the goal
predetermined. Continue learning more
about digital marketing to do it the right
way and drive more traffic to the content
you create.
Author’s Bio: David Collins
David is a professional writer and
blogger from virginia. He is currently
working as an academic writer and
editor for UK assignment help, a thesis
and dissertation service for college and
university students. He is a versatile
writer and has a great understanding of
the subjects he writes in which makes
him very popular among students.

Thursday, June 23, 2022
E-COMMERCE
5 tips for smart and safe
online shopping in Ghana
E-CoMMErCE around the
world has experienced
exponential growth,
especially during the
Covid-19 lockdowns. In
Ghana, e-commerce is still in its
fledgling stages, with most people
hesitating to shop online for fear of
being conned. Internet fraud is a
common occurrence in Ghana, and
a Cybersecurity Act was passed in
2020 to deal with this menace.
Between 2016 and 2018,
Ghanaians lost more than $200
million to cybercriminal activities,
with most of the recorded cases
being cyber fraud, and in 2018 alone,
the country lost $97 million. Since
we are heading into an era where e-
commerce might replace physical
shopping, here are some tips to
protect yourself online, and to
ensure safe online shopping.
1. Buy from reputable Sites
the lure of low prices and huge
discounts from little known
shopping sites has been the
downfall of many. Most of these
sites are not safe and are often
operated by cyber-criminals, which
puts you in danger of being hacked.
If you do any transactions on these
reputable sites, you need to make
payments over an encrypted network. the
best way to do this is to secure your
payment with a virtual Private
network (vPn). A vPn encrypts your sent
and received data using the AES-256
standard, which is military-grade
encryption. this ensures your credit card
details are secure and cannot be stolen by
hackers.
Cybercriminals target unsecured
networks such as free Wi-Fi hotspots, so
avoid logging into your shopping account
via public hotspots without your vPn.
2. Use comparison tools to find
discounts
Since we all love discounts, you can use
comparison tools to find the best
discounts from legit companies. During
the Christmas holidays, there are
discounts all over and it is hard to
differentiate between the real and the fake
ones.
Using apps and sites that do price
comparisons is a good way of finding
genuine discounts. Go for those that offer
discount codes, you might be able to save
quite an amount this way. Some discount
codes include percentage discounts, free
shipping, or fixed rate discounts.
3. Buy in bulk
If possible, avoid buying and shipping
different items from the same vendor
separately. If you need ten items from the
same vendor, shop once, and have them
package everything at once. this saves you
shipping charges, and if shipping is
free, you minimize packaging waste.
remember we are striving to reduce
waste and our carbon footprint for a
cleaner environment.
4. Use your PC or laptop
Most people in Ghana own their
laptops or PCs, and it is advisable to use
your machine or smartphone to access
shopping sites. Using someone else’s
device puts you at risk of being hacked. If
this device is not encrypted, chances are
your banking and shopping details will be
exposed, and hackers will eventually
access the information. If using a cyber
cafe, you should not enter your card
details, or log in to your shopping account.
5. Ignore messages or emails
from unknown sources
Phishing is a type of cybercrime used
by fraudsters to send emails with links and
attachments while pretending to be a
trusted source such as one of your trusted
shopping sites. When you click on the
link and download the attachment, you
unleash malware or viruses into your
computer. Do not download any
attachments or click on any links that
seem to be legit, but you cannot be sure. Go
to your browser and directly go to the
shopping site.
Conclusion
E-commerce is popular for its
convenience. You can shop from the
comfort of your home and have the
products delivered to your door. Ghana is
fast catching up to the rest of the world in
terms of technology. Malicious actors have
also found a ripe hunting ground where
they target naïve shoppers and defraud
them of their hard-earned cash.
You can use a vPn, shop from
reputable sites, use comparison tools, use
your device, and do not download any
attachments or click on links. these tips
will help you avoid hackers and loss of
money, and ensure safe online shopping
for you.
Writer’s bio
Matthew Stern is a technology content
strategist at TechFools, a tech blog aiming at
informing readers about the potential dangers of
technology and introducing them to the best
ways to protect themselves online.
As a tech enthusiast and an advocate for
digital freedom, Matthew is dedicated to
introducing his readers to the latest technology
trends and teaching them how to gain control
over their digital lives.
Here are 5 Simple Steps to Stay Secure whilst Shopping Online
E-CoMMErCE is booming and is
fast becoming the preferred means
for most shoppers across the globe
due to the convenience it offers and
the unlimited access it provides to
millions of products for shoppers.
But with this boom has come a
somehow intractable problem that
threatens to roll back the gains
being chalked in deploying
technology for trade – insecurity.
though e-commerce is in a
burgeoning stage in Ghana, we have
had occasional incidents of online
fraud and theft. People are
sometimes hesitant of shopping
online because of the fear of being
defrauded or having their
credit/debit card details stolen.
Jumia, a leader in e-commerce in
Ghana, proposes these five smart
steps to help you stay safe whilst
shopping online:
Do not Shop on Public
networks
If you want to shop and not
worry about the possibility of
having your credit card or debit card
details stolen, StAY oFF free public
Wi-Fi. Whilst the opportunity to
surf the internet for free presents a
good enough attraction to do
everything online including
shopping, do not get carried away
by the two or three hours of free
time you get to use the internet.
Fact is, you and your cyber
criminals all have the same access
to the same network, and they are
better at phishing or hacking into
your system to steal your
information.
Use Your own
Laptop/Computer
Good thing is – most people in
Ghana, these days, have their own
laptops and computers and thus
internet cafés are gradually fading
out from the system. But if you do
not have the fortune of owning your
own laptop/computer and you have
to shop online, try doing it on your
phone. You cannot trust a computer
that does not belong to you. You will
be leaving a trail of all your
transactions on that system and
cyber criminals can have a field day
with your information.
Choose trusted Places to
Shop
this might seem simplistic but
the truth is, most online shoppers
are carried away by the promise of
good prices and huge discounts.
there are millions of online
platforms promising good
discounts and quality products. But
do not let such mouthwatering
offers fool you; a good number of
these platforms are not operated by
trusted people, thus jeopardizing
your own security if you do business
with them. Shop on recognized and
trusted platforms. Platforms such as
Jumia has in place mechanisms to
vet their vendors and ensure that
you are buying from genuine and
trusted sources.
Change Your Passwords
regularly
David B. Lartey, Head of It at
Jumia Ghana suggests changing
your password every 3 to 6 months
whilst also ensuring that you use
different passwords for all your
online accounts. A good password
includes numbers, symbols,
uppercase and lowercase letters,
and should be at least twelve
characters long. this way, you are
always a step ahead of those who
will be on your tracks trying to steal
your information, be it credit/debit
card details or even passwords.
Ignore Unsolicited
Messages
these days, one of the ways of
online fraudsters involve calling or
sending mails or messages to
unsuspecting people to make
payment to certain accounts or
mobile money numbers in order to
redeem prizes or even purchases
(purchases they might not have
made anyway). For instance, an
unknown number can call
purportedly from Jumia asking you
to send money via mobile money in
order to receive an item.

Thursday, June 23, 2022
ENTERPRENEUR
Working Capital Management –
Achieving Higher Profitability
WHAt comes to
your mind
when you
think about
the financial
performance of a business? Is it the
profit/loss given at the last line of
an income statement? Although
that’s one of the strong measures to
analyze the financial performance
of the business, it does not offer a
comprehensive perspective to base
all of your decisions on that single
metric. this is due to an inherent
limitation of the profit/loss that
comes with subjective
assumptions, accounting
estimates, and adequacy of the
transaction-related controls.
(wikiaccounting, 2021)
Hence, there is a need to
consider cash flow operations
which are more objective and lead
to enhanced accuracy of the
decision making and financial
analysis. But, the question arises of
how to perform cash flow analysis
with perspective to working capital
management and how
startups/businesses can control
their cash flows to achieve higher
profitability.
How to perform cash flow
analysis with perspective to
working capital management
Generally, cash flow is divided
into three main categories:
operating, financing, and investing
activities.
operating activities are about how
businesses manage their day-to-day
operations. these operations consume
working capital/financial resources. As
we understand, interest/dividend is
payable on raising debt/equity (financial
resources). So, there is a cost associated
with raising finance and using it as
working capital.
Hence, businesses tend to optimize
their operations and streamline their
processes so that the length of the
working capital cycle decreases.
Working capital cycle refers to a
complete process of trade. It involves the
length of time required to purchase, hold,
and collect receivables from the
customers. So, if the business has a
shorter working capital cycle, it can
complete the trade process in a shorter
time to earn higher profit within the
business’ working capital cycle and vice
versa.
So, a shorter working capital cycle is
desirable from the perspective of
financial analysis, achieved with the
shorter production time, shorter
inventory days, shorter receivable days,
and higher payable days. It’s important
to note that higher payable days is more
desirable as it brings financing within
the business without any cost (in most
cases).
It means there is a direct
connection between the performance
of operational business activities and
the achievement of business
profitability. If activities like sales,
production, and collection are performed
with higher efficiency, there are higher
chances of profitability, and vice versa,
generally speaking. So, if the working
capital cycle is shorter, it leads to a lower
cost of financing and higher business
profitability. the next question arises
how business can control cash
operations/working capital to achieve
higher profitability.
How businesses can control cash
operations/working capital cycle to
achieve higher business profitability
Control of cash operations require a
disciplinary approach to plan, measure,
monitor, and take corrective actions for
the cash-related operations. the
following actions can be helpful in the
effective management of the cash-related
functions/working capital.
Measure your current
cash runway
Cash runway refers to the time your
business is expected to sustain without a
need to raise finance from external
financing sources. It considers opening
cash position, expected cash inflow and
outflow of cash during a period under
consideration (SrJ Chartered
Accountants, n.d.).
For instance, let’s say your opening
cash amounts to $10,000, the expected
inflow is $5,000 a month, and the
expected outflow amounts to $6,000 a
month. the given cash outline suggests
more outflow of cash than inflow. Hence,
opening cash needs to be able to support
the shortage. However, opening cash is
limited and expected to support the
business to a specific period called cash
runway.
Cash runway in the given case can be
calculated as follows.
Cash shortage during a month =cash
outflow – cash inflow
Cash shortage during a month =
$6,000– $5,000
Cash shortage during a month =
$1,000
Cash runway = opening cash/cash
shortage during a month
Cash run ways = $10,000/$1,000
Cash run ways = 10 months
the current cash runway is 10
months. this means, in the
circumstances specified,
the business can sustain
itself for exactly ten
months without raising
finance from external
sources (for working
capital purposes). So, the
strategic decisionmaking
persons of the
company must consider
the length of the cash
runway to adequately
plan the cash needs of
the business.
Setting cash runway
as a benchmark can be a
helpful measure to
control cash-related
performance.
A comprehensive
evaluation of cash flow
in terms of revenue and
expenses
If your business has
more expenses than
revenue, it can be taken
as an alarming sign; the
situation is termed as
”burning cash”. So, there
is a need to reduce the cash-burning rate
that can be achieved with implementable
smart moves to enhance revenue.
For instance, finding a new market to
“Operating activities
are about how
businesses manage
their day-to-day
operations. These
operations consume
working
capital/financial
resources. As we
understand,
interest/dividend is
payable on raising
debt/equity (financial
resources). So, there is
a cost associated with
raising finance and
using it as working
capital.

Thursday, Tuesday, June March 23, 2022 1, 2022
ENTERPRENEUR
sell an existing product,
implementing smart
marketing tools, and
intelligent changes in the
product design can lead to
higher sales and increased
revenue.
Speed up recovery
function for the
accounts receivables
Making profitable sales is
not enough for the successful
running of a business. the
cash needs to be ultimately
realized for successful
operations. otherwise, there
may be actual losses behind
the profit.
For instance, if the
business profit amounts to
$2,000 and the expected bad
debt to be recorded in future
for the current period sales is
$2,200. It means there is a net
loss of $200. Hence, there is a
need to ensure the efficiency
of the collection; otherwise,
an apparent profit might be a
loss in reality. to increase the
efficiency of the collection,
the business needs to
optimize the process of credit
approval, formation of credit
policy, invoicing, following up,
and collecting the cash.
Work to enhance gross
profit (more relevant for
manufacturing business)
one of the ways to achieve
higher gross profit is by
increasing the price of the
product. However, that might
not be feasible in a
competitive economic
environment. So an alternate
approach can be to control
direct costs.
the biggest secret of
controlling direct cost lies in
the fact that if there is a
higher gross profit, the
business has space to offer
early payment discounts
while maintaining net
profitability. Hence, working
to enhance gross profitability
can be an excellent approach,
especially in manufacturing
businesses. Likewise, steps to
decrease direct costs involve
optimizing a production
facility that leads to
shortening of inventory days
and effective management of
working capital.
Product sorting for profits
(ranking for the products,
applicable in case of multiple
product portfolios)
Product sorting in terms
of higher profit is one of the
most important strategic
tools. It helps identify the
products/processes that add
maximum value in dollars.
once higher-margin products
are identified, business
resources need to be allocated
accordingly. this helps to
ensure the maximization of
business profitability.
Improve
marketing function
Some people think
marketing expense is just a
negative number in the
financial statement. However,
that’s not true in all cases,
dare I say in most cases. there
is a strong need to connect
marketing expense with sales
growth/additional revenue.
For instance, your
marketing expense for the
month amounts to $1,000,
and you’ve generated sales of
$3,000 directly as a result of
the allocated marketing
expense; that $1,000 is now
the cost of sales. It means a
return on the ad spent is
positive as you have achieved
additional sales amounting to
$3,000 and profit $2,000
($3,000-1,000) against
marketing expenses of $1,000.
the net margin is positive
and improves the business
margin.
So, why not double
marketing expenses from
$1,000 to $2,000 to achieve
even higher profitability.
However, you need to consider
other aspects of business
management like production
threshold, demand, supplies,
economies of scale (volume
discount), etc.
Additional steps to
improve working capital
management
Cash flow
forecasting
the purpose of cash flow
forecasting is to identify gaps
or surplus generated by the
business operations. If there
“The purpose of
cash flow
forecasting is to
identify gaps or
surplus generated
by the business
operations. if
there is a gap, it
helps to timely
control cash flow
or look for
external financing.
On the other
hand, if there is a
surplus, planning
can be done to
invest for
additional income.
is a gap, it helps to timely
control cash flow or look for
external financing. on the
other hand, if there is a
surplus, planning can be done
to invest for additional
income.
Send electronic
invoices to the
customers.
Electronic invoices speed
up the process of sales,
receivables, and receipts. the
delay in sending invoices
adversely impacts the
collection as there can be
extensive procedural
formalities at the customer’s
end. Hence, an electronic
invoice can lead to enhanced
collection processes.
Dynamic
discounting for the
customers
Cash discounts on the
payment of invoices can lead
to an early collection of the
funds. Although there may be
compromise on the net
profitability, you need to
balance between liquidity and
profitability. (taulia, n.d.)
Conclusion
Liquidity or cash flow
management is one of the
important aspects of
analyzing business
performance. Generally,
financial performance is
assessed with profit/loss.
However, that’s not a
comprehensive metric on
which to justify all of the
decisions of a business. there
is a need to analyze working
capital management and
ensure the working capital
cycle is completed in as short
a time as possible.
Your working capital cycle
can be shortened with certain
steps. these steps include but
are not limited to analyzing
product profitability,
optimization of the
production processes,
enhancement of the gross
profits, and improving
marketing efficiency.
Likewise, additional steps
include cash flow forecasting,
sending digital invoices,
dynamic discounting, etc.
I hope you enjoyed the
read. Hit me up and let’s keep
the conversation going! I read
all the feedback you send me.
Also, feel free to throw at me
topics you’d like to read or
hear my thoughts on.
You can always head to
my Calendly to schedule a
quick chat by going to
calendly.com
/maxwellampong. Or connect
with me your way through my
Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/themax.

Thursday, June 23, 2022
TECHNOLOGY
Mobile phones and
social interaction
In 2018, a young man attended a
job interview in Accra. As he sat
at the designated room with
others waiting to be called, he
took out his phone to browse.
For close to 45 minutes of dead
silence in the room, he lifted his head
out of curiosity to look around and then
something struck him. He realized a
similar pattern- everyone was busily
fidgeting with his or her phone.
they spent all that time in the room
but never exchanged greetings or any
form of pleasantries. that was when the
thought occurred to him as to the extent
of damage mobile phones had done to
the once vibrant Ghanaian social life.
Defining social interaction, John
Lewis Gillin and John Philip Gillin
wrote: “By social interaction we mean
the mutual or reciprocal influence,
resulting in the modification of
behaviour, exerted through social
contact and communication which, in
turn, are established by interstimulation
and response.”
Pitirim Sorokim also describes social
interaction as “any event by which one
party tangibly influences the overt
actions or the state of mind of the other.”
(Sorokin, 1928). thus, social interaction is
a reciprocal and interdependent activity.
Benefits of mobile phones
By inventing the cell phone, Martin
Cooper, widely regarded as the “Father” of
the cellular phone, gave humans the
ability to carry a device with them that
allowed for instant communication.
the major advantages to having a
mobile phone is that it is easier to express
oneself through communication and
creativity, to access entertainment, to be
safe, and to connect to the internet.
Communicating with loved ones,
colleagues, friends, and more has never
been simpler.
techspirited, a tech-savvy platform
said, “By allowing instant access to any
desired destination across the globe,
mobile phones have changed the
landscape of communication.
not only globally, cell phones are
important in day-to-day life.”
Besides the ease of communication,
expressing oneself creatively has also
never been so straightforward.
Albeit the immense benefits derived
from mobile phones, its negative impact
on social interactions cannot be
downplayed.
Cell phone technologies can create
addictive tendencies in people
Highlighting the global addictive
nature of mobile phones, thrive Global, an
American Company that provides
behavior change technology and media, to
support individuals struggling with stress
and burnout, in its article published in
“This is backed up by
a study where the UK
Post Office
commissioned
YouGov to research
whether we are
developing anxieties
related to our mobile
phone. it turns out
nearly 53 per cent of
young mobile phone
users in Britain
develop anxiety when
they cannot find their
mobile, lose signal or
break their phone!” it
added.
2018 stated that the increasing
dependence on mobile phones had
developed a fear of being away from it.
this is called “nomophobia”, which is
an abbreviation of ‘no-mobile-phone
phobia.’
“Some college students keep their
mobiles with them in their shower rooms
as per their need to be able to stay close to
connectivity,” the article said.
“this is backed up by a study where
the UK Post office commissioned YouGov
to research whether we are developing
anxieties related to our mobile phone. It
turns out nearly 53 per cent of young
mobile phone users in Britain develop
anxiety when they cannot find their
mobile, lose signal or break their phone!”
it added.
In Ghana, the situation is no different!
People can become emotionally tied to
their phones in such a way that they feel
grief, anxiety, or despair if they forget it at
home.
In public transports, the addictive
repercussions are so evident that when
one greets a passenger, instead of him or
her looking at the fellow in the face,
smiling and giving a response, the
unexpected rather happens— he or she
only nods in response while bending
towards the phone.
Some passengers even end up missing
their bus stops or leaving their valuables
behind in vehicles due to over
concentration on their mobile phones.
Excessive use of mobile phones drains
confidence and dwindles public speaking
abilities, experts say.
Mobile phones have gradually created
a generation of people who are very vocal
and highly opinionated on social media
platforms but in real life, these same
people struggle to even start a
conversation.
on university campuses, one will
notice something interesting, that some
students who were very expressive and
visible on social media, seemingly shrunk
in fear during group presentations at
lectures.
Mobile phones create constant
distractions and promote isolation
Mobile phone interruptions happen at
weddings, family gatherings, movie
theatres or offices and even at religious
gatherings. this poses a detrimental effect
on work or class productivity and slows
up the rate at which work is done. It is
true mobile phones make people
connected and the world a small village,
but if not used carefully, it can physically
isolate you from family and people
around you. one of the typical negative
impacts is where you meet a group of
young people seated around a coffee table
but not talking among themselves and
glued to their phones.
Additionally, if a teenager or partner
is too much into their mobile phone, this
can hurt the relationship with the family
or partner.
Final thoughts
the advantages and disadvantages of
cell phones show us that having more
ways to communicate with others can be
an excellent resource. Below are a few
suggestions to help you work on your
mobile phone addiction and improve
social interaction.
1. tracking your cell phone use
such as adding up how many times per
hour you check your phone can increase
your awareness about your problem. You
can download an application that tracks
your cell phone use like Checky, App off
timer, or Qualitytime. You can use this
information to set a specific goal of how
many times per hour or day you allow
yourself to check your phone.
2. Create a plan for your phone use.
Limit your cell phone use to certain times
of the day. You can set an alarm on your
phone to alert you when you have reached
your maximum time. For example, you
can allow yourself to use your phone only
from 1800 hours to 1900 hours. You can
also set up specific times not to use your
phone, such as while you are at work or
school. Write your plan and goals down to
make them more concrete. Keep a log of
which goals you’ve met and ones you are
still working on.
3. Change your phone settings.
there are settings on your phone that
may alert you every time you get an email
or Facebook notification. Make sure you
turn these off! this will reduce the
number of times your phone goes off or
vibrates. this way you are not being
notified every time something occurs.
4. remind yourself that whatever
you are wanting to check on your phone is
not that important and can wait. next
time you feel the need to use it step back
and think, “Do I really need to call/text
this person right now or can it wait until
later?”
With all that said and done, the way
you utilize your mobile phone matters. If
used wisely, a mobile phone can be one of
the best gadgets you will ever hold. You
can use it to benefit your life profitably.
Don’t let the disadvantages of mobile
phones discourage you, it’s a matter of
choosing how best it benefits you.
By Eric Appah Marfo
SOURCE: GNA

WORKPLACE
Thursday, June 23, 2022 PAGE 11
The coded words of job adverts
that reveal important clues
It may be a candidate’s market,
but today’s job seekers still face
nuanced challenges in the quest
to find their perfect role. Jobsearch
websites make it easier
than ever to discover open positions at
desirable companies – but not all job
postings are created equal. Some may
contain language that has a revealing
subtext, with certain terms potentially
masking a more toxic truth.
Ever stumble upon a job posting for a
“jack of all trades” or “independent selfstarter”?
Some people see such terms as
codes: the former perhaps a hint that
you’ll actually be doing five people’s jobs,
the latter a sign that you won’t have much
team support.
Although it’s impossible to know
exactly what’s at play behind these words
based simply on an advert – indeed,
experts advise not to read too much into
them for fear of missing a great
opportunity – discerning job seekers are
still wise to take note of such verbiage, as
it could reveal meaningful information
about an employer and role.
“Language like this in job postings
has always been a challenge,” says Carol
Cochran, vice-president of people and
culture at FlexJobs, a website dedicated to
flexible and remote-work jobs based in
Boulder, Colorado, US. “Fortunately, there
has been a lot more attention on it in the
last few years, so we’re seeing more
companies being thoughtful about how
they describe the role, culture and benefits.
As with any shift, some companies will be
proactive in making adjustments, and
others will be slower to evolve.”
Although awareness of this issue is
growing among some employers, most job
hunters will likely still spot some coded
language while perusing job adverts. the
challenge lies in sussing out the true
meaning of a vague or dubious description:
does it signify a company’s unspoken
ethos, or is it simply worded in a less-thanthoughtful
way?
recruiting experts advise candidates to
use early interviews to ask targeted
questions and gain clarity about any
concerning phrases, allowing you to dodge
any ill-fitting positions well before you take
an offer.
Decoding subtext
Although coded language in job adverts
can crop up anywhere, these words tend to
arise more often in postings for smaller
companies and start-ups, say experts.
“these types of companies have evolving
priorities, making it difficult to write job
descriptions for different careers,” says
renata Dionello, chief people officer for
Ziprecruiter, a Los Angeles-based digital
job marketplace. “this is when we see
broad terms, clichés and catch-all
language.”
Such language can include phrases like
“decisive leader”, “fast-paced environment”,
or “close, family-like team” – raising
“language like this in job
postings has always been a
challenge,” says Carol
Cochran, vice-president of
people and culture at
FlexJobs, a website
dedicated to flexible and
remote-work jobs based in
Boulder, Colorado, US.
“Fortunately, there has
been a lot more attention
on it in the last few years,
so we’re seeing more
companies being
thoughtful about how they
describe the role, culture
and benefits. As with any
shift, some companies will
be proactive in making
adjustments, and others
will be slower to evolve.”
questions for some about what kind of
work culture is truly implied: intense
competition? Excessive hours and burnout?
Blind loyalty? “I would suggest job seekers
ask for clarity on these vague phrases
before committing to a new role,” says
Dionello. “this language can be interpreted
in different ways, and employers don’t
want to miss out on qualified candidates
because they don’t feel they’re ‘determined’
or ‘loyal’ enough.”
Beyond murky phrases that may or may
not hint at a toxic work culture, some
terms can also indicate a lack of gender,
racial or socioeconomic inclusivity. “Words
or pronouns that lean toward one gender
should ring alarm bells,” says Cochran.
“research shows that words like
‘aggressive,’ ‘competitive’, ‘independent’
and ‘self-sufficient’ in job postings appeal
more to men and can subconsciously deter
women from applying.” Meanwhile, terms
like “native English speaker” or “topdegree
required” can communicate other
types of biases. “Coded language includes
terms that don’t appear explicitly
discriminatory, but associate certain
groups of people with certain behaviours or
traits,” adds Dionello.
While such language can act as a
warning sign, and shouldn’t be overlooked
by job seekers, it’s also helpful to remember
that not every questionable term conceals
sinister intentions. Employers may not
necessarily be using calculated coded
language to try to dupe or filter certain
candidates, but their postings can certainly
communicate unwritten values, culture
and blind spots.
Use the adverts as an opportunity to
break the ice and demonstrate your
inquisitive nature – Jenna Alexander
Proceed with caution, while seeking
clarification. “Be mindful that what you
determine as a ‘red flag’ may be based on
your previous bad experiences,” says Jenna
Alexander, talent acquisition director at
randstad, a global Hr services company
based in Diemen, netherlands.
“overanalysing a job description is almost
as damaging as not applying for the role at
all, so don’t fall into that trap.”
Looking beyond language
If you’re interested in a job but
unsettled by the description, try reframing
your concerns as questions that can open
a dialogue. “You can leverage these
overused and somewhat old-fashioned
terms during your initial conversations
with the company,” says Alexander. “Use
the adverts as an opportunity to break the
ice and demonstrate your inquisitive
nature. Be open-minded – you’ll learn
more that way.”
When broaching the subject in an
interview, experts advise starting with
general questions about company culture
to appear engaged and prepared, not
paranoid. “If the posting talks about
unlimited vacation, ask what the average
number of days taken is, or if there are any
suggestions on how much time is
appropriate and encouraged,” says
Cochran. “try to connect with employees
to get a sense of whether ‘fast-paced’
means ‘we get a lot done’, or does it mean
‘you’ll be stressed out all the time’?”
Dionello suggests asking for specific
examples in the context of the position.
“try something like, ‘the job description
mentions a close team that goes above and
beyond. Can you share a few examples of
how I might see that play out in the role?’”
she says. “Another option is to share your
understanding of the term, then ask if the
interviewer agrees with your assessment.”
Job hunters can also make a point of
seeking out job postings with verbiage that
may indicate a positive, healthy work
culture. “Progressive organisations tend to
be very mindful of their language and the
terminology they use to avoid disengaging
a wider talent pool,” says Alexander. “An
educated organisation will often use
human and inclusive words, like ‘connect’,
‘build’, ‘intuitive’, ‘commitment’,
‘enthusiastic’, ‘responsible’ and
‘empathetic’.”
Moving toward
transparency
Ultimately, the words used in job
adverts are just that: words. And best
practices in recruiting will continue to
adapt to evolving culture, says Cochran. “A
lot of the common words and phrases that
were encouraged in job postings a few
years ago are not regarded as highly now,
and will keep shifting in the future.”
today’s job seekers are also in many
ways savvier than ever when applying for
jobs. It’s now standard to consult widely
available anonymous online reviews and
social media reports on employer cultures –
intel that used to be opaque and hard-tofind.
If a job advertisement does ring alarm
bells for a candidate, they can opt out of
applying. “What workers want has
changed,” says Alexander. “there is greater
emphasis on joining a company with an
inclusive, trusting and balanced culture.
Workers know what they want now more
than ever before.”

Thursday, June 23, 2022
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