At the beginning of 2014, Corporate Staffing Services conducted a survey on employee’s plans. One of the questions asked was whether employees were considering changing jobs and their reasons for doing so.
60 percent of Kenyan employees were looking to change jobs in the new year with the number one reason being the need for a better pay which was closely followed by job security at 25 percent.
I will agree that money plays an integral part in all our lives. Apart from helping you settle your bills, it determines your quality of life. Those who earn enough to meet their daily needs and have extra to put aside inform of investments or savings are generally happier. Employers will also attest that a better-paid staff is more productive.
From my experience as a recruiter, whenever I interview candidates, they always want to know how much the prospective employer is willing to pay. Which is why job adverts outlining salaries receive more applications. I have also noticed candidates who are confident of their skills and the value they are bringing to a new employer do better at salary negotiation and hence get paid more.
When it comes to best-paying companies in Kenya, there’s a misconception that it’s only the NGO’s, multinationals and big corporates that pay well.
If you are job seeking and only focusing on well-known companies with the assumption that they pay well, you might be missing a lot of opportunities from midsized businesses that equally pay well if not better. I know a well-known bank that pays Sh35,000 for a customer service officer position with three years experience.
We have recruited a finance manager for a retail company that is paying Sh350,000. We also have various HR managers posts with midsized organizations with a salary range of Sh200,000 to Sh450,000. If I mentioned the companies, I am sure you haven’t heard of them.
For entry-level job seekers, there is a new retailer in the market paying Sh60,000 for shop attendants. These are candidates with less than two years experience. The interesting thing is a majority of the candidates we got were working for the big supermarkets where they were earning less than Sh25,000.
In conclusion, when it comes to well-paying companies in Kenya, assess the company on its own worth and don’t just apply for jobs with big corporate names or the NGO sector only.
Cast your net wider and start paying attention to midsized companies that are well structured. There is also a lot of interest in Kenya from foreign companies looking to do business in the country.
Perminus Wainaina has over ten years experience in human resource management working with employers from different sectors. Email perminus@corporatestaffing.co.ke
