What Kenya's top employers look for when hiring

Joseph Mokaya, who heads Talent Management and Capabilities at Safaricom, says there is no major difference between what the company looks for when hiring interns and in filling much higher job positions.

“We always look for passionate, smart, committed, well-rounded individuals who have the potential to grow into business leaders. Fresh graduates must demonstrate personal drive, applied thinking, be change agents as well as have the ability to engage with a wide group of people at various levels, right from the interns and administrative staff to those in senior management,” says Mokaya.

A survey conducted by Brighter Monday placed Safaricom first on the list of companies that people prefer to work for.

According to Mokaya, the company is always on the lookout for a set of soft skills in fresh graduates looking for entry level job positions.

“Collaboration is key to our success, and many of our biggest projects and initiatives are conceptualised and brought to life by cross-functional teams. We, therefore, look for candidates who are team players with good people skills, good communication skills and leadership capabilities,” he says.

Mokaya observes that the youth are very ambitious, keen on climbing career ladders but urges them to grow systematically.

“Young people are looking to grow very quickly, to join the C-Suite in their late 20s and 30s. While this is not impossible, we find ourselves having to manage their expectations and advising them to appreciate each step of the journey because those experiences, right from job seeking to internship to full-time employment and progression from junior staff to senior management, are what will shape their careers. There is nothing wrong with being hungry for success, but it’s important to remember that even the sweetest meal can only be enjoyed one mouthful at a time,” Mokaya says.