Aba die,
That is ‘Hello’ in Ibibio
language of the Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria. Hope you had a nice weekend? Mine was
hectic but fun because I was engaged in activities that I enjoy. I pray that we
would have a great week ahead.
Have you even seen companies that
look really great in terms of branding, advertising, public relations and the
carriage of the management staff but when you strike a conversation with a low-cadre
staff; you will be blow off but the inability of the company to live up to
external expectation.
External perception is the
overall packaging done by a company for both the stakeholders and
non-stakeholders to see and this usually forms the bedrock of people’s opinion
about the company. There are some companies that have award-winning handbills,
websites, social media handles and buildings. All of these attract potential
clients and even make students dream of working in such places after their academic
pursuit.
Insider’s reality is the ‘web’
that people get into after they have been employed by these companies. There
are major realities in the Nigerian job space which include unpaid salaries;
unfulfilled promises made in the employment contract and ultimately payment of
pensions (which is statutory) but never remitted.
For people seeking employment, it
is advisable to find an insider to tell you of their experience(s) in the
particular organization because you might find it difficult to opt out after
running into this ‘web’. Also, for those who intent to take up new roles in
another company; it is equally important to ask questions from people within
the same industry. Someone would know someone who knows something about the
company and her history.
Lastly, for every entrepreneur,
the loyalty of your staff and the recommendation of your company to others is
based solely on their experience, as much as you can, ensure that you make a
delicate balance between the external perception and insider’s reality.
May it be a blessed week for everyone.
Cheers!
Olu