HR PAGES

  In our part of the world, many jobseekers confuse the terms and purposes of Curriculum Vitae and Résumé. It is important for jobseekers to understand what HR managers and organizations are actually asking for when they advertise vacancies. Curriculum Vitae (CV) Curriculum Vitae is of Latin origin, meaning “course of life.” By definition, a CV is a document that gives a comprehensive introduction of who you are as a person and professional. A CV provides a very detailed academic and professional history , including:   • Schools attended   • Programmes studied   • Qualifications earned   • Academic activities, leadership roles, research, or projects   • Professional background and career progression   • Skills, competencies, and achievements It is usually chronological, detailed, and comprehensive , allowing anyone who reads it to clearly understand:   • Who you are   • Where you have come from   • Where yo...

    Religious commitment, when rightly understood, should enhance rather than hinder professional responsibility. Spirituality can positively shape work ethic, integrity, and interpersonal conduct in the workplace. The life and ministry of Jesus Christ provide a timeless model for balancing faith and work: He taught that our daily labor can be an expression of service, discipline, and stewardship (Colossians 3:23 – “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men”). Observations in the Ghanaian Workplace Recent trends in Ghana show some employees, particularly Christians, prioritizing religious activities to the detriment of professional duties. Some churches promote spiritual involvement with promises of material outcomes, such as employment, wealth, property, travel opportunities, and health solutions. While spiritual growth is vital, these promises can unintentionally create an imbalance between religious devotion and workplace responsibilities. This...

  A Strategic Imperative for Sustainable Performance    In contemporary labour markets—as has largely always been the case—the primary motivation for most graduates entering the world of work is economic survival. Employment is first viewed as a means to earn a living. At its most basic level, “living” encompasses the ability to meet fundamental human needs: food, clothing, shelter, and progressively, higher-order needs such as security, dignity, and self-actualisation. While this motivation is legitimate and unavoidable, it raises a critical question for business leaders and human resource practitioners : Can organisations sustainably address issues of stress, burnout, disengagement, and workplace depression if employment is framed purely as a transactional exchange of labour for wages? This question invites a deeper reflection on recruitment philosophy, workforce planning, and organisational purpose. Passion as a Strategic Selection Criterion Consider the case...

In the modern world of work, it is incumbent upon the human resource management architecture of every organization to ensure that its people are continuously developed. Employees must be upskilled through structured training, workshops, seminars, and other forms of continuous professional development in order to enhance problem-solving capacity, improve judgment, and increase productivity. However, a growing concern has emerged when organizational performance is examined critically. Many institutions invest heavily in training and development. They engage internal and external resource persons, sponsor employees for further studies, and roll out multiple learning interventions. Yet, despite these investments, the expected behavioural change and performance improvement fail to materialize.   The result is a paradox: training is taking place, but transformation is not. This raises an important strategic question for senior management and HR leaders— why do well-funded train...

  Globalization has fundamentally altered how organizations compete, innovate, and sustain relevance . In this context, diversity—of thought, culture, exposure, and practice—is no longer optional; it is a strategic necessity. Resistance to diversity, therefore, is not merely a cultural preference—it represents a quiet but dangerous neglect of globalization. Using the Ghanaian workspace as a case study, it becomes evident that deep-seated patterns of cultural familiarity significantly influence how openness to diversity is practiced, not only in organizations but across society at large. The average Ghanaian tends to operate within a narrow range of familiar options. This inclination is visible in everyday life. For instance, food preferences are often shaped early in life, and unfamiliar cuisines are approached with hesitation. Foods not introduced during upbringing typically require significant persuasion and intentional exposure before they are accepted. This pattern exte...

  The cultural context of any society exerts both direct and indirect influence on how people interpret authority, responsibility, fairness, and justice. These cultural assumptions inevitably find their way into organizational life. In the workplace, conflict is not an anomaly; it is an expected outcome of human interaction, diversity of opinion, and competing interests. What distinguishes successful organizations from struggling ones is not the absence of conflict, but the principles and systems used to manage it. In the Ghanaian cultural system, age and seniority traditionally command deep respect. While this cultural value has played an important role in promoting social cohesion and order, it often introduces complexity when applied uncritically to modern organizational conflict management. In many traditional settings, age is implicitly equated with correctness, and youth with error. Consequently, in a dispute between an older person and a younger person, the younger party...

  It is about time that employees and job seekers take personal responsibility for understanding what the labour laws of their respective countries say. Being employed should never be taken for granted. Having a job does not automatically mean you are safe, protected, or fairly treated. Many employees assume that because they have been promised a salary, that promise will always be honoured. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. In Ghana, for example, labour law clearly provides that when you enter into employment, you are entitled to a contract of employment that reflects the nature of the relationship you have entered into. Whether the arrangement is full-time, part-time, fixed-term, casual, or even zero-hour, there must be a clear agreement between the employer and the employee.   That agreement must spell out key issues, including:   • Your role and responsibilities   • Your salary or wages   • When and how you will be paid   • T...