Over the past twenty years or so, I’ve witnessed a fascinating ebb and flow to the movement of talent in and out of the country. There seems to be a certain logic to the process. For example, periods of political unrest and economic hardship tend to increase the number of young and not-so-young Nigerians willing to seek their fortunes in foreign lands. On the other hand, global economic downturns such as the current economic recession sweeping across much of the world, tend to increase the number of people seeking to return home.
In between these two extremes, there is a more natural pattern of expatriation and repatriation that occurs as students travel abroad to further their education in foreign centers of academic excellence, people working for multinational companies are posted to overseas assignments, and older people nearing the end of their careers or perhaps simply tiring of life in foreign lands return home.
A few years ago, Human Edge participated in a global talent search on behalf of one of the oil majors operating in the country. Our brief was to seek out talented Nigerian professionals, ideally with engineering or financial backgrounds and working in Europe or North America, who might be interested in returning home to take up jobs in a newly created division. Our client was generally regarded as an employer of choice wherever the company did business, so we assumed that if we could find the right people at all persuading them to take up the jobs on offer would not be too difficult.
As the engagement progressed, it soon became clear that we were actually dealing with three distinct groups of candidates:
- One group comprised fairly young people who had recently completed their undergraduate or post-graduate studies and who were anxious, or at least willing, to return home almost immediately. Members of this group were mostly in their late 20s and early 30s, and were to be found in fairly large numbers within the search field we established. Their main concerns centred around the security of the job opportunity and comparability of the financial rewards and development opportunities to what they might reasonably expect to receive if they stayed abroad.
- A second group consisted of professionals, typically aged between 35 and 45 years, who had finished their studies and taken up employment in the international oil and gas industry. We were pleasantly surprised at the number of people in this group, many of whom were clearly doing quite well in their careers. With good career prospects in view, members of this group were far less receptive to our advances.
- Finally, we encountered a third, somewhat smaller group of older professionals whose career progression appeared to be slowing or who, for various personal reasons, were looking to return home under the right conditions. These were largely senior managers or senior technical personnel in their mid – 40s to early 50s.
That particular engagement was successfully concluded, but the categorisation described above has continued to be useful in understanding the motivations of the people who contact us from time to time.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the current economic downturn has sparked a new wave of inquiries. One such inquiry recently arrived from a gentleman who had relocated abroad a few years ago and who is now considering returning home. I asked him to kindly share his considerations and concerns with me. Here is his response, in his own words:
“I think people’s considerations will depend on their circumstances in leaving and returning. As a professional who has spent much of my working life in Nigeria, mine fall into two major groups – business and personal.
On the business side, I’m thinking about:
1. Level of Re-entry
- How do I ensure my absence from the country doesn’t cause me to fall behind my peers?
- What level of responsibility am I likely to be given?
- Who will I be reporting to?
2. Convertibility of Experience and Qualifications
- I appreciate that business structures and roles differ between countries, but I should be able to make an impact on the organization structure and improve efficiency
- Will my certifications be considered relevant?
3. The Business Culture, Ethics and Practice (Corporate Governance)
- Many of our ‘normal’ practices in Nigeria might be considered wrong (or even illegal) in other parts of the world. How close will my employer’s business practices be to its stated guiding principles?
4. Growth Potential of the Economy and Industry
The recent Fitch downgrade sends a red flag:
- How easy will it be for me to help deliver real growth to my stakeholders?
- Will my responsibilities include attracting foreign investors?
5. Remuneration and Benefits
- I recently spoke to some potential employers who tried to do a direct Dollar to Naira conversion as a salary guide. They didn’t want to factor inefficiency costs (e.g. PHCN/private generator, etc) and the standard of living (safety, health) into the calculation of a possible compensation package, resulting in huge undervaluation.
On the personal side, the issues under consideration include:
- Security of life and property
- Ability to remit funds abroad
- Accommodation and infrastructure (car, security, etc)
- Network building, ease of getting fully entrenched back into the system
I hope this helps, but please let me know if you’d like me to expatiate on any of the above issues.”
Quite a balanced set of considerations, if you ask me. I was particularly impressed with the emphasis on being able to contribute to a prospective employer’s business performance and efficiency. At the same time, they speak to some of the very real personal concerns that might influence the decision to return home or not.
In an upcoming post, I’ll give my own take on some of the issues raised.
