The many years I spent as the head of a sub-regional recruitment firm in Senegal, and then as a headhunter covering Africa in Paris, have led me to acquire a dual perspective that few headhunters focusing on Africa have.
I was able to observe the rising phenomenon of “Returnees” managers in West Africa. I witnessed firsthand their social and professional integration upon their return. However, I was also in contact with these “Returnees” in Europe, in North America and sometimes even in China, prior to their return.
Much has been written about successful returns. However, little has been said about difficult or chaotic returns, which are more common than one might think. The following advices are based on the stories of difficulties and failures of hundreds of candidates with whom I have spoken throughout my career covering Africa. Having made some of these mistakes myself, I feel I am in a better position to talk about them.
During these times of economic downturn to which Africa is not immune, I hope that this advice will help by giving those who plan to return the opportunity to adjust their strategy in a job market that is becoming increasingly competitive.
Return for good reasons
Although the reasons why many Africans leave their country of origin are well documented, there is not much information on the motives of those who return.
Many dream of the so called “expat life”: expat salary, retirement pension paid in their former country of emigration in Europe, USA or Canada, international school for the children, car with driver, house and amenities, roundtrip tickets to Europe several times a year for the family, etc.
Of course the lure of a higher standard of living than they would have in their country of emigration is legitimate. However, this dream life of an expat is a model that has been outlived. Beyond the financial question, returning without planning for the long term and without bearing in mind local integration opens the door to much disillusionment. Nonetheless, there are many opportunities to be seized. For instance, 20 to 25 years ago in Africa, the management team of multinational subsidiaries were made up of more than 70% expatriates. Today, the ratio has been reversed to 70% locals and 30% expats.
Reasons potential returnees often share with me include nostalgia and the need to reconnect with one’s roots, family and culture, and even with a certain spiritual environment…
There are also those who return on an impulse because they are fed up with their host country, which is never a good move. More than half the people I know who landed on the continent on a whim, ended up “worn out” from their experience and sometimes bitter. After one or two years, they return to the country they had left and, often, without learning any objective lessons from their failed return.
If these different reasons are always legitimate, from a personal point of view, one must ensure, in particular, that this return is part of a sound and holistic long-term life project, i.e. a project that takes into account professional, family and personal development dimensions. Without such preparation, one will create conditions that could lead to a difficult return.
Return at the right time
Depending on the career plan, the ideal time to leave may vary. Indeed, returning home with the objective of being an entrepreneur or an employee is not the same. Although in both cases it is advisable to return “ripe”, for employees it is probably more critical to clearly identify the point at which one is considered “ripe” enough.
In the case of the executives I have met, the best time to return and to reap the benefits of the first part of their career seems to be after acquiring 7 to 10 years’ experience at the international level. This length of time is validated by employers who consider that i) it allows candidates to build up their profile in international corporate environments; and ii) it allows employers to recruit people who have had the opportunity to assert themselves and gain hindsight that would enable them to take up local challenges, which are sometimes of a different nature.
Consequently, it is experience that allows you to “enhance” our academic career and the sometimes expensive degrees in which you have invested. Returning home with little or no experience exposes you to being stuck, for many years, with a likely handicap that would take a long time to overcome.
Therefore, it is necessary to mitigate risks by gaining international experience for a few years in the country or continent of emigration. Multiply these experiences as much as possible and, above all, if your project of returning has been clear enough in your mind for a long time, gain these experiences in sectors that recruit in Africa or in the country you are targeting! I still remember the interview I had with a brilliant and very friendly neutron engineer. He had spent his first twelve professional years in the field of civilian nuclear power in France and wanted me to assist him with his return to the continent. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do much for him…
Give yourself time for your search
I have often been amazed by the length of time after which people who wish to return begin to show signs of impatience. “Still nothing, Mr. Hazoumè?” I have sent many CVs and responded to dozens of job announcements in the past five months, but still nothing? Is it normal? “
Most candidates believe that six to nine months are sufficient between the time they make their decision and act upon it, and the time they receive an offer.
They are often flabbergasted when they learn that, for executives, the average wait time is between 12 to 18 months!
The erroneous perception regarding wait time is accentuated by the fact that information remains incomplete and confidential with respect to issues surrounding repatriation and the various markets. Applicants are often victims of misinformation.
I often give the applicants I work with the image of a business plan. If you were to launch THE project of your life in a faraway region you know very little about and where the information is not readily accessible, would you take the plunge after a few months? No. You would continue to do research on your project, seek and crosscheck information from all possible sources, without turning a blind eye to indicators that do not support your project, you would assess the competition (in this case, the availability of skills in your field), etc.
You should use these long months to discuss with recruiters specialized in the geographical area you are targeting, to contact the maximum of “Repats” who took the same path quite some time ago and to gather information on your fields of interest in Africa. These are so many steps that will help you when the time comes for THE defining INTERVIEW with the employer of your dreams.
Be adaptable and take into account what the local context requires in terms of soft skills that are different
Being mindful of the unexpected and being prepared that things might not happen as planned are essential when it comes to African markets.
The employers for whom I recruit tell me that Africa does not lack qualified operational managers. Either way, this is not their main concern with respect to talent acquisition in general although this does not apply to certain specific sectors (insurance/actuarial, agricultural engineering/agribusiness, pharmacology, etc.).
What they are struggling to find, however, are people who can quickly embrace the changing realities of their environment and markets and who can come up with innovative, context-specific solutions to overcome obstacles and move forward. Creativity and tenacity are what is needed. These are many aspects of leadership that no MBA teaches…
For regional structures in particular, employers are also looking for people with high social skills who are capable of adapting to social codes which are more complex than it seems, from one country to another or even within the same country.
So you have to know yourself well; ask yourself in all honesty how you would deal with changing and sometimes destabilizing contexts (and do not hesitate to ask the question to people who know you and the environment you are talking about); prepare for interviews from this perspective by demonstrating that you have the resilience needed to succeed.
Build your local networks
Networks are essential to the success of a career project and Africa is no exception. I think it is even more necessary there than elsewhere.
You will no doubt have heard this phrase which is often repeated wherever there is a discussion about employment and career in Africa: “In Europe you will be asked for your resume; in the United States, they will only look at your skills. In Africa, you will be asked who sent you!”
Of course, this statement must be weighed to avoid falling into a cliché. It is more or less relevant depending on the country concerned and whether we are talking about the public, parastatal or private sectors.
But still!
What my experience has shown me is that despite technological advances, digital recruitment, etc., the old-fashioned recruitment methods are still alive, and very much alive. Networks, recommendations and cooptations have a bright future in Africa and job opportunities for executives in Africa are still highly confidential. Potential returnees who focus only on the internet have access to a small number of vacancies, as I often tell candidates that I assist.
What I mean is that there is no point in being upset about this state of affairs. Rather, you should look upstream and broaden your job search to local professional and personal networks.
This simply means, for African executives who plan to return, that managing their job search on the African continent from Paris, Montreal or Washington, without going there is not enough. They must go back and forth, they must network and try to make a lasting impression on decision-makers during these trips and meetings. Therefore, a well-thought-out return strategy must also factor in a significant time/budget (trips) component.
The former manager at a consulting firm that I approached a while ago, explained to me how he had found his “dream-job” in Côte d’Ivoire. Since he wanted to switch to the corporate world, he identified four large companies he aspired to work for. On the basis of the information available, for each company, he prepared a business case on a specific issue they faced and offered to make a presentation. One of the companies created a tailor-made regional business analyst position for him to work on a cost control project.
Beware of the “savior complex”
I have seen people literally “crash” because they had returned as prophets and dogmatists, full of “jaded” stereotypes, who were convinced that they were bearers of the good news and capable of effecting a fundamental change in the way of working just by their mere presence.
Their crash is a result of two errors of judgement: i) failure to take exploratory trips to the country prior to their return led them to misjudge the obstacles and the situation; ii) in 10, 15 or 20 years, a lot had changed locally, in particular the level of education and the quality of higher education. Together with African and regional multinational groups which offer great career paths, the local educational institutions now produce qualified local managers who have a sound knowledge of their environment and who refuse to be preached to about management out of context.
Of course, there is the issue of underlying egos. And this is not a simple matter.
Bosses and employers with whom I have discussed the question of “Returnees” have mixed opinions. For some of them, we must simply accept that ego comes with the leadership they require of these executives, especially in an African context which is still very hierarchy-minded. However, this ego which is necessary to occupy decision-making functions, is paradoxically a serious handicap when it comes to implementing real transformation projects.
It is, undoubtedly, important to distinguish ego from arrogance. Arrogance is clearly a factor that leads to failure.
Be strategic regarding remuneration
Each profile has advantages. Repats want to settle in Africa for the long-term and are often driven by the ideal of contributing to the development of the continent. They sometimes speak several languages and master certain specific social codes that determine the failure or success of a key business negotiation, or of a relationship with an institution.
Paradoxically, at times, it is their awareness of their “competitive advantage” and of their value that may lead “Repats” to make errors of judgement and choices that do not allow them to make the most of their potential, once they return to their country.
Therefore, more than once, I strongly suggested to my candidates who were hesitant about offers, to consider, when making their decision, criteria other than the immediate salary offer. It often turned out to be more judicious, as I pointed out in a previous paper on the talent acquisition strategies of groups I work with in Africa, to give consideration to the employer who offers real “career bridges” with development opportunities, rather than to the salary. Besides being involved in exciting projects and having great mobility across the continent, they would be able to catch up fairly quickly, salary wise, i.e. in 2, 3 or 4 years.
°°°°°°°°°
Since a very large proportion of African MBA students actually want to return to Africa (almost 70% according to some studies), I thought it advisable to share these few tips for a successful return.
I hope you enjoyed this article.
This paper was also prompted by the aspirations of hundreds of African managers, potential returnees, who had inspired me during the launch of the Convergence Forum (1), a digital initiative.
Are you a manager planning a future career in Africa? Are you a company recruiting managers or executives for your operations in Africa? Do you want to continue the discussion after reading this article or do you have specific questions to ask?
Don’t hesitate to contact me. I will be more than happy to share with you.
——————————–
(1) Forum Convergence, the first 100% online West African recruitment forum designed and organized by the firm People Development in collaboration with Ubivent.
