JTI Declared Top Employer in Africa for Second Consecutive Year

WEYBRIDGE, England, October 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Presitigious Certification Asserts JTI's Commitment to the Region  

JTI (Japan Tobacco International) has been certified as a Top Employer in Africa for the second consecutive year during a prestigious ceremony in Johannesburg, South Africa.

     (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/692561/JT_International_SA_Logo.jpg )

The certification by the Top Employers Institute cements the Company's reputation as an employer that puts people first.

In addition, JTI has been certified as a Top Employer in nine African countries, seven of which - Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania and Tunisia - have been accredited for a second consecutive year. The Company has also been certified in two new African countries: Nigeria and Zambia.

"This re-occuring achievement confirms the value and respect that JTI has for its employees in Africa and around the world," says Mark Phillips, HR Vice President, Middle East, Near East, Africa, Turkey and Worldwide Duty Free.

"It proves that JTI's people strategies in Africa are relevant and competitive, and that we are an employer that puts people first."

This success demonstrates JTI's dedication to continuously develop its employment practices and invest in its people. JTI promoted 12.3 per cent of its workforce in the South, East and Central Africa (SECA) region to higher level roles in 2017. More than half of these (58 per cent) were associates promoted to management positions.

Other workplace initiatives that JTI has recently implemented in Africa include:

• A new employee appreciation programme
• New training initiatives, including a new managers development programme and a strategic women leadership programme.
• A new employee wellness programme, to support the emotional, financial, legal and physiological needs of staff
• The introduction of Town Hall meetings, allowing employees to engange with senior leaders.

For JTI, the new regional Top Employer 2019 certification in Africa is the latest addition to a list of prestigious awards recognising its HR excellence across the globe: in 2018, JTI was certified as a Global Top Employer for the fourth consecutive year, and gained Top Employer status in Europe, North America, the Middle East and the Asia Pacific region.

What is Top Employer certification? 

The Top Employers Institute is the global authority on certifying excellence in employee conditions.

Organisations certified as Top Employers dedicate themselves to providing the very best working environment for employees through their progressive 'people-first' HR practices. This global Certification Programme has certified and recognised more than 1,500 Top Employers in more than 118 countries across five continents.

JTI's success in Africa and around the world depends on its ability to attract new talent and retain high-performing individuals. Employees of the calibre sought by JTI will be looking for the assurance that Top Employer certification provides.

David Plink, CEO at the Top Employers Institute, said: "We believe that the 2019 certified organisations demonstrate exceptional employee conditions and encourage the development of these practices by putting their people first. These companies help enrich the world of work with their outstanding dedication to HR excellence and, because of this, they are recognised as an employer of choice."

About JTI 

JTI is a leading international tobacco company with operations in more than 130 countries. It is the global owner of both Winston, the number two cigarette brand in the world, and Camel, outside the USA and has the largest share in sales for both brands. Other global brands include Mevius and LD. With its internationally recognized brand Logic, JTI is also a major player in the e-cigarette market and has, since 2011, been present in the heated tobacco category with Ploom. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, JTI employs close to 40,000 people and was awarded Global Top Employer for four consecutive years. JTI is a member of the Japan Tobacco Group of Companies. For more information, visit http://www.jti.com.

About the Top Employers Institute 

The Top Employers Institute is the global authority on certifying excellence in employee conditions. It is dedicated to accelerating the impact of people strategies to enrich the world of work through certification, benchmarking and connecting Top Employers around the world. Through its certification programme, it enables organisations to assess and improve their workplace environment. Established more than 25 years ago, the Top Employers Institute has certified over 1,500 organisations in 118 countries. These Certified Top Employers positively impact the lives of over 5,000,000 employees globally. To learn more, visit http://www.top-employers.com .