Why we provide opportunities to connect job seekers to employers – Rolake Rosiji, CEO Jobberman

By Adebowale Johnson

Chief Executive Officer, Jobberman, Rolake Rosiji has enjoined job seekers to be passionate about what they want to do and the big problems that they want to solve with their career.

Before Rosiji joined Jobberman, she was the Country Manager for M-KOPA Solar Nigeria Limited.

Rolake Rosiji has 10 years experience in strategic and operational management positions in businesses in renewable energy, FMCG and management consulting sectors. She has advanced through a series of international level promotions and led multi-disciplinary teams in Nigeria, UK, USA, Denmark and across West Africa.

In a chat with Daily Sun, she speaks on how can small and medium enterprises harness technology to improve their businesses, among others.

Excerpts

Who is Rolake Rosiji?

I am Rolake Rosiji. I joined Jobberman in February as the CEO. Prior to this, I worked as a country manager for M- KOPA solar Nigeria, an asset financing platform focused on smartphones and solar energy. In the last ten years, I have garnered vast experience in strategic leadership and operational expertise in positions in Nigeria, Europe and the USA, and I look forward to utilizing these skills for the growth and development of Jobberman.

I have a Masters in Development Management from London School of Economics, a BA Hons in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Durham University, Certificate in Entrepreneurship from Stanford Business School and is a graduate of the McKinsey Executive Leadership Programme. In my free time, I enjoy hosting a podcast about pop culture and spending time on the beach.

You’ve recently been appointed as the new CEO of Jobberman. What new developments should job seekers and employers expect moving forward?

They should expect excellent customer service and fast response time.  In terms of focus areas, we will broaden the impact beyond the white-collar space to leading on blue-collar services. We continue to work closely with Jobberman’s impact partners to tackle youth unemployment in Nigeria.  We will do this by leveraging technology to cover more ground and bridge the skill gap between employed and unemployed graduates.

We continue to expand our executive recruitment, HR consulting such as Succession Planning and Salary Reviews.

We will continue to create transparency and access for both employers and jobseekers. Our online platform will continue to be easy to use and provide accurate up to date information – which has been filtered through carefully by clever algorithms and our in house team of recruiters.

You’ve worked in the business services industry for several years now. What gaps have you observed in sub-Saharan Africa’s job market, and how can these gaps be closed?         

The most significant gap is caused by the disparity in access to opportunities, which is closely followed by a wide skill and educational gap. The second is a consequence of the first. While some benefit from high and diversified growth, the vast majority are trapped in low-productivity environments that do nothing to improve their employability. In a country like ours, the only way to bridge these gaps is to extend opportunities to low and middle-income communities while empowering them to take advantage of these opportunities through proper education, skill acquisitions, impactful training and empowerment programs, and adequate funding. In achieving this, we will create a more inclusive job market that will provide gainful employment for Nigeria’s teeming youth population across various social classes.

As one who has taken on a couple of roles leading up to this present one, how will your experience in the past roles influence the growth and development of Jobberman?

I have 10 years of experience in the UK, Nigeria, USA, West Africa and Europe. I have worked in FMCG, Fintech, renewable energy, management consulting and development. In every experience, I have gained new technical expertise, commercial capabilities and emotional intelligence in dealing with people at all levels in a range of sectors and organisations. This will mean Jobberman’s development will be bold, daring and focused. We will use technology to secure our leadership in Nigeria and to be used by people who had not considered online recruitment, exec recruitment HR consulting such as salary surveys succession planning before.

It is evident that there is an existing gap between education and employment. How can businesses and organizations bridge this gap?

I firmly believe that there needs to be more synergy between the world of education and the world of work. Educators and employees need to work together to create innovative initiatives that can help bridge this gap. Professionals across various fields should take career talks to several schools and colleges across the country. Internships are also a great way to help young people learn more hands-on skills useful in today’s workplace.

How can small and medium enterprises harness technology to improve their businesses?

The world is becoming a global village and technology is fast becoming a major tool for business growth. SMEs and other startups can leverage it across all business processes. For example, from recruitment processes to HR management. Jobberman has an online platform that businesses can log in to manage the jobs they’re recruiting for and to manage their candidates.

I encourage SMEs and start-ups who probably don’t have massive funds to use our online platform for recruitment and talent management.

You have served in various leadership roles in different companies. What advice would you give to women who aspire to serve in leadership roles in their fields?

Firstly, be excellent in your field . Do the hard work and research and always show up with value to add. Combine this with emotional intelligence and putting yourself out there and the sky is your limit. Secondly,  don’t see your gender as a limitation because that could stop you from putting yourself forward for  big opportunities that come your way. The third thing I will tell you is, stand out. Invest in personal development, hone your skills, get more certifications and give them something more to talk about, other than your gender.

As one who has grown through the ranks in her career, what advice do you have for youths seeking to be employed and enjoy a progressive career journey?

I believe it is essential to have a vision as a young professional. Know what you’re passionate about and what the big problems you want to solve with your career. I love the line from the Mary Oliver poem “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild, and precious life “.

The second thing is to put yourself out there and network hard and smart. Send your CVs but also make sure you meet the people who you want to work with or to become like.

The most important thing is to put yourself out there. Jobberman is a great platform to start your job search as we provide opportunities to connect you to employers. We will also train you on soft skills so that when you meet employers you have an added advantage .