Page 234 - SAMRC Annual Report 2024-2025

a commitment to values-based leadership and formal Internship Programmes, offering unemployed
organisational alignment. During the period under South African graduates practical work experience to
review, significant cultural shifts were observed – enhance employability and address future capacity
shaped by both evolving workplace dynamics and needs.
leadership transitions at senior levels, as mentioned
above. These ongoing shifts require a focused A strategic investment in HR technology as the third
approach to values and organisational alignment priority area aims to enhance data-driven decision-
while encouraging value-based behaviours and making and operational efficiency. This includes
continuous support. the transition from manual, paper-based processes
to digitised systems that promote accuracy,
Organisational culture is further shaped by the day- transparency, and real-time access to information.
to-day experiences of employees, underpinned A key milestone during the reporting period is the
by both tangible and intangible elements such sourcing of an integrated Human Resource System,
as policy, practice, and shared workplace ethos. designed to streamline core functions such as
In support of this transformation, leadership recruitment, payroll, leave management, learning
models were reviewed and adapted to reflect and development, performance management, and
SAMRC’s commitment to inclusive and values- employee records. The system also provides robust
driven leadership. A central focus was placed on HR analytics to support strategic workforce planning
reinforcing a philosophy of distributed leadership, and drive continuous improvement across the
which positions every employee as a potential employee lifecycle.
leader, regardless of formal job title. This approach
aims to cultivate initiative, accountability, and This digital transformation marks a significant leap
collaboration across all levels of the organisation, forward in the SAMRC’s ongoing commitment to
fostering a culture in which leadership is defined by innovation and operational excellence. In today’s
contribution and impact rather than hierarchy. evolving world of work, digital capability not only
supports employee engagement but also empowers
The priority to build human capacity for sustainable individuals to take charge of their development
research excellence as aligned to the long-term through enhanced self-service functionalities and
strategy to strengthen South Africa’s research access to learning tools.
ecosystem requires the development of a robust
talent pipeline. Customised leadership and Workforce planning and key
management programmes are implemented to build
depth in critical skills and promote transformative strategies to attract and retain a
leadership across all career streams. These initiatives skilled and capable workforce:
specifically support the development of emerging The first and critical component of the ITMF is
and independent researchers with an emphasis on intrinsically linked to effective workforce planning,
diversity and inclusivity.
i.e. adopting a structured and strategic approach to
Capacity development initiatives also sought to managing talent in alignment with the organisation’s
cultivate a culture of continuous learning. Initiatives overarching goals. Progress has been made in
such as the Lunch and Learn series, a voluntary addressing the longstanding challenge of achieving
one-hour knowledge-sharing session, remained a equity targets at the senior management level. This
popular platform for peer-led skill development and advancement is the result of a strategic approach
awareness. In parallel, an online educational platform that includes internal appointments to retain critical
was piloted, offering expert-led video courses on skills, ensure business continuity, and maintain
leadership, behavioural science, digital literacy, and performance. Additionally, efforts have been made
creativity. This platform encourages lifelong learning to acquire external talent to enhance and diversify
and enables employees to take ownership of their our capabilities.
professional development.
Employee performance
To further strengthen this pipeline, ETDP SETA
discretionary grants were successfully accessed management framework
following its WSP/ATR submission to support skills The SAMRC’s approach to performance
development initiatives during the 2024/2025 appreciates a philosophy of engagement that
financial year. Additionally, the SAMRC partnered requires continuous strategies to strengthen the
with the ETDP SETA to host interns as part of its performance engagement principles by supporting

232 SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2024-25