At the Top Again and Loving it!
JTI Zambia is a Top Employer for the 4th Consecutive Year!
JTI Leaf Zambia Limited puts a lot of effort into its people first strategy. This strategy recently earned the company a Top Employer award for the fourth year running by the Top Employer Institute, the global authority of recognizing excellence in Human Resources practices.
JTI is one of the fastest growing companies in the tobacco agriculture sub sector with over 11 years of operating experience in Zambia.
The company started with a handful of employ- ees in 2010 and now has a staff compliment of 489 permanent and seasonal employees.
What makes JTI a Top Employer?
The company abides by its people centric principles established by its parent company whose ambition is to be become a global Top Employer to attract the world’s best talent.
In Zambia, JTI is living this ambition and has just been recognized with a Top Employer award by the prestigious Top Employer’s Insti- tute for the fourth consecutive year. “Our cul- ture is built on a strong foundation set by our parent company which focuses on people and for us in Zambia this includes our employees, over 7, 000 contracted tobacco growers, sup- pliers and the communities where we operate” says Rob Glenn – General Manager.
JTI’s people centric approach
JTI’s people-first culture puts a strong empha- sis on employees. JTI provides employees with a wellness program focusing on physi- cal, emotional, social and financial wellbeing as well as a competitive compensation and benefits package, rewards and recognition, a flexible work environment that enhances work- life balance.
“We want engaged employees because that helps create a positive workplace environment where our employees have the freedom to grow and where ideas can become a reality which in return helps the company meet its goals” – Eileen Kapakala Kaunda – People & Culture Manager.
“Career development is another key priority”, adds Eileen Kapakala Kaunda “we’re very proud to have a learning and development team, offering a range of career development initiatives, robust succession program as well as coaching and mentoring opportunities , JTI Leaf Zambia is a career organisation and more than eighty percent of all promotions are inter- nal” adds Eileen. At global level, The Top Employer Institute cer- tified JTI as one of only 11 ‘Global Top Employ- ers’, for the eighth consecutive year. Some of the significant initiatives that the Top Employer Institute commended JTI for were: embedding equal opportunities and equal pay throughout the company, which EY recognized in Novem- ber 2021 when they awarded JTI with one of the first Global Equality Standard (GES) certif- icates; and its commitment to employee well- being through world-leading initiatives such as flexible working conditions, its progressive global family leave policy, rolled out in 2021, and a market-leading approach to diversity and inclusion.
JTI’s people centric strategy does not end with employees, the company firmly believes in the power of community. JTI has invested over 3 million US dollars to improve access to water, education and wellbeing. Further the company has a strong focus on protecting human rights in its supply chain and has adopted the Supply Chain Due Diligence (SCDD) process which focuses on a process of Identify and Prioritize, Respond, and Report. This circular due dili- gence model is in line with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guide- lines, and the Food and Agriculture Organi- zation guidance on responsible agricultural supply chains.
These might be dramatically changing times, but change and adaptation is nothing new
to JTI, and company’s core value of putting people first clearly has remained unshaken. “We will keep on setting high standards and do everything to offer a pleasant working envi- ronment and to support communities around us because we believe this not only helps us become a Top Employer, but it is the right thing to do” concludes Rob Glenn, General Manager.
