By Archana Mehta
Kamal Aderibigbe, GPHR, recognizes how different cultures find common ground in the language of Human Resources Certification.
There are many paths to human resources, as Kamal Aderibigbe, 35, can attest. Holding a university degree in textile technology, Aderibigbe will be the first to tell you he had no idea he would end up in human resources. In fact, he considered a career as a university professor where he could teach students about the intricacies of making fabrics.
It wasn’t until after Aderibigbe won a best student award at his Nigerian university that his own pathway became clear. The award paved the way for an internship with KPMG Professional Services (formerly Andersen Consulting), a consulting firm that taught him about recruiting and training employees. Once there, he realized that he was doing human resources work and, what’s more, he realized he really loved it.
As Aderibigbe began advancing in his HR career, the nature of his work became more global. After a decade working with colleagues from North America, Asia, Europe, South America and Africa, he found that each nationality had its own unique culture and local laws, although human resources practices are common throughout the world. So Aderibigbe realized that it was paramount to learn about the science behind HR and supplement his knowledge through professional certifications.
“Culture is such a big piece of global HR,” Aderibigbe says. The Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR®) certification provided Aderibigbe with a greater understanding of how to engage and understand other cultures, he says.
Certification helps Aderibigbe speak more comfortably about other cultures so he can feel more confident and better challenge ideas that are globally relevant.
In Lagos, Nigeria, where Aderibigbe currently works, he has found that developing the next generation of leaders is becoming essential.
For the past five years, Aderibigbe has worked for British American Tobacco, a multi-national company. After receiving a promotion, he is now the head of talent management for the company’s West African region.
But finding the right talent remains the biggest challenge for HR professionals in Nigeria, he says.
“Companies are pinning Africa as their growth market,” he says. “They will need local talent to lead the business, and our biggest challenge is finding the right local talent for senior-level roles.”
Companies like British American Tobacco are beginning to address the talent challenge by creating leadership development programs, which recruit and train top university graduates so they can fill senior-level roles over the next 8 to10 years. So far the firm’s leadership development program has a talent retention rate of 80 percent.
“HRCI is pioneering standards,” he says. “We need a standardization of practices here that will provide all HR professionals with the same skill set and help achieve our strategic objectives.”