Plan Zimbabwe scooped the 2011 Best Employer Award for the second year running, confirming Plan employees as a highly engaged team with a clear sight of key deliverables and vision of the organisation.
Plan came first ahead of major industry and development players, who included Ernest and Young Chartered Accountants, World Vision and Schweppes Zimbabwe, to take the accolade.
A survey by Industrial Psychology Consultants (IPC) revealed that Plan Zimbabwe’s employee engagement index is 90% compared to the national index of 64%. The engagement index shows that members of staff have a good understanding of Plan’s strategic direction and are satisfied with the organisation’s leadership, communication, learning and development programmes.
IPC’s Managing Consultant Memory Nguwi said employees go the extra mile in delivering their work and are productive. “Engaged employees are fully involved in and enthusiastic about their work, they are self driven, come up with cutting edge ideas and are committed to deliver”, he said.
Plan Zimbabwe’s People and Culture Manager Emely Muchochomi said the award was a result of teamwork and team spirit that permeates across all departments, including communities who work with Plan.
“Plan Zimbabwe delivers quality programmes and as a team, we are proud of our consistency in sustaining a culture of excellence which makes a difference to the lives of the children we work with. The award also testifies the team spirit that characterises our working environment,” said Emely Muchochomi.
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Plan employees welcomed the news with joy and vowed to continue making a difference in line with the organisational vision.
Thembelihle Ndlovu, a Programme Assistant based at Kwekwe programme unit, said she felt honoured to be part of a winning team that made a difference in children’s lives and befittingly, winner of the 2011 Best Employer Of the Year Award.
“At Plan Zimbabwe, you feel that your views are respected and your contributions are acknowledged and appreciated. It’s one place where you feel you are part of the solution.
Knowing how our programmes change the children’s lives for the better is more fulfilling than anything else. I am happy to be part of the winning team”, she said. Shelton Mashingaidze, Administration Officer at Plan Chipinge Programme Unit, cited the strong team spirit and clarity on how different roles contribute to the overall strategy, as key factors to the success.
Plan Zimbabwe’s Country Director Else Kragholm dedicated the award to the whole team as well as children, communities and development partners and Plan colleagues across the whole organisation.
“This award is a salute to the efforts we all have made to make a difference for children in Zimbabwe,” she said.
“Transformative development starts with each one of us expressing our individual commitment and willingness to be a team player, readiness to do our work right first time and good things will start to happen in our teams and in the work we facilitate with all our stakeholders. I am very thankful to Plan, as the organisation gives us the opportunity to create a platform where we all can excel and realise our potential as people who want to make a better world.”
Plan Zimbabwe also won the 2010 IPC Best Employer of the Year Award and in 2009, scooped the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce Manicaland Chapters Best Social Responsibility Award.
Plan started operating in Zimbabwe in 1986 and has active programmes in Bulawayo, Chipinge, Chiredzi, Tsholotsho, Mutoko, Mutare, Mutasa, Mwenezi, Kwekwe and Epworth.
The main programmes which are making a difference in the lives of children and communities are education, livelihood, HIV and Aids, health and child protection.
Since 1986, Plan has supported over 250 000 children through its educational sponsorship scheme.