The ‘great resignation’ is pushing companies to offer these remote-work jobs in South Africa
International companies are increasingly outsourcing their skills as working remotely becomes the new norm around the world.
In the US, a shortage of applicants to tech companies has led to economic hubs such as Silicon Valley trying something new and offshoring jobs to other countries reports BusinessInsider. As globalisation continues to increase, the ‘great resignation’ is spurring tech companies to move jobs to developing economies.
“The USA and a number of other countries around the world are feeling the effects of the so-called great resignation – the phenomenon whereby vast swathes of employees simply quit their jobs instead of returning to the office,” said Advaita Naidoo, the managing director of the African division at Jack Hammer Global.
“The socio-economic environment in South Africa means that while some people are indeed quitting, most don’t have the luxury to do so.”
Naidoo said that jobs are not exclusively being outsourced to South Africa in particular; instead, they have seen an increase in enquiries from international companies that are ‘location-agnostic’ and are fully supportive of remote working.
“There were no instances of this a few years ago, but, over the past two years, at least 5% of the roles we have seen can be worked from anywhere, and this proportion is likely to grow,” she said.
Naidoo said there has been a wide combination of available job offerings specifically focused on leadership roles in:
- Digital transformation;
- Artificial intelligence;
- Data science;
- Other related fields.
More broadly, companies have also been seeking executives in technology-enabled companies or companies that are ‘digital-first’, said Naidoo.
This shift is a recognition of the fact that, with the right mindset and enablement, many roles can be fulfilled remotely, she said. “These days, this can be done without the need to relocate physically.”
Naidoo said that remote work also acts as a powerful incentive to gather skilled talent.
“The two biggest bargaining chips right now are flexibility and career development. We would all like to earn more money, and most good companies would like to offer their loyal employees increased financial incentives.”
