I believe that this is a one-stop site for any professional. I am extremely pleased with the services that are being offered, besides, I am living proof that through Fuzu, you can land your dream job.
We spend our lives preparing for that perfect opportunity to arise, and when it does we give it our all. We caught up with Alex who shared with us his experiences studying abroad, discovering his passion for HR and the phone call that led to him getting his current role at Spear Motors Limited. Read on!
How would you describe Alex?
Well, a little bit about me, I am 39 years old, a husband and a proud father of three. I grew up in Mbarara where I attended my earlier education. After high school, I joined Uganda Martyrs University, Nkozi for my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management in 2004. Thereafter, I enrolled at the University of St. Thomas, in Minnesota for my MBA. My first job shortly after joining St. Thomas was as a Library Assistant. From then and over the last 16 years, I have held different positions in various companies in the U.S.A., Uganda and Somalia.
Family means everything to me and being able to enjoy valuable time with my wife and children is what keeps me going. A little (open) secret about me, I have lost over 15 kilos in the last few years, purely from following a regular home workout routine. I am deeply passionate about working to bring out the best in others. I tend to be the creative one, although over the years and in my career, I have learned how to be analytical and being able to pay particular attention to the smallest details. I tend to think outside the box and I never accept the status quo. I also focus more on what will be, not what was. I enjoy cooking, a good book, and I am always trying to learn something new. If I had a superpower, it probably would be being able to put a warm meal on every disadvantaged person’s plate twice daily.
When did you realize you wanted to become an HR professional, and why?
About 12 years ago, I was in-between careers – having come from being a banking officer in a local bank in Minnesota to business development with Uganda Industrial Research Institute. Like most young MBA graduates, I was struggling to define what I was truly passionate about. I knew I wanted to work in a position where I would make a significant impact on people’s working lives while being able to deliver on my expected goals for the organization. This is when I started gravitating towards the HR profession.
It was also one of my majors for my MBA. I volunteered with the US Embassy as a mentor for prospective students and young professionals traveling to the US. I carried out lots of studying and research and took some extra courses in Israel and Malaysia around the same time. My break came in early 2012 when I joined RA International in Mogadishu as the HR and Administration Officer. I have never looked back since then.
Being someone who has worked in the HR space for quite some time, what are the biggest misconceptions around working in HR? Do the people you interact with understand what you do?
Over the years, I have heard or learned of many inaccurate and often amusing misconceptions about working in HR. The funniest, I think, is that HR is quite easy, all you need to know is how to hire and fire people. Similarly, when HR wants to see you, you may be in trouble, or may even get fired. Others include: HR is purely a bureaucratic function with clear-cut procedures, policies, documentation and compliance. The other common one is that HR’s top priority is to protect the company’s interests.
I have been fortunate that in all the organizations I have worked for as an HR personnel, I have had the support and knowledge of not only senior management or HODs but also the staff have had a clear understanding of the significance of my role and department and its invaluable contribution to the company. While I always strive to uphold the values of the company, I have always been able to navigate opposing views and needs of all staff to ensure efficiency in my service delivery.
Looking at your Fuzu profile, you’ve come quite a long way starting off as a Team Leader at a store. Tell us how your past roles prepared you for your current role as a Human Resource Manager.
My professional career started off at Target Corporation in Minnesota while I was pursuing my MBA in 2004. I took a position as a Team Leader at one of the Target Stores near my school. This was a whole new environment for me. I was a young student who had only arrived in this new (and cold country) two months before, and here I was responsible for a team of peers in the second-largest retail chain store in the US.
I remember having to rely on my experience as a Guild President at Uganda Martyrs University, Nkozi – a very diverse campus and where I had enjoyed overwhelming support from international students. It was while at Target that I got a good recommendation and was eventually hired by Premier Banks. I then had to juggle a full-time position at the bank and a part-time student job and my master’s degree in the evenings and over the weekends.
This built-in me a steadfast and resilient approach to my work, and the ability to accomplish several challenging tasks simultaneously whilst working under pressure. I also learned how to be better organized, plan my time and activities in order of priority, and where I could, I learned to delegate while remaining in line with set rules and procedures. When new opportunities kept opening up for me in the years that followed, I was in a much better position to come into these opportunities and be able to hit the ground running.
As someone who has 15+ years of experience working with diverse cultures in the U.S.A. and East Africa, what are some of the changes that you have seen in the field of HR over the years?
Let me share with you an interesting fact. Back in 2004 when I started out as a young professional, there was no Facebook, instead, my colleagues and I were on this popular social media platform called MySpace. Then, my employer even blocked access to personal emails. Imagine the workplace today without social media. I think this is one of the biggest adaptations I have seen in the last 15+ years. Today, even the most conservative organization has some form of active social media presence.
The other area I have seen immense change is in the area of employee benefits. In a bid to retain the best and the brightest, companies are becoming very creative and are rolling out perks to their staff that either did not exist or were for a select few a couple of decades ago. Traditionally, healthcare and retirement were the basics but today, nothing is off the table. This is even before the most recent social disruptions due to the pandemic. Employees had begun getting customized benefits; for instance, flexible leave packages, health club memberships, education packages, childcare, to name a few.
Also, the HR role has gotten ‘soft’ over the years. There is a lot of adoption of integrated systems and technologies, data processing and storage solutions that have cut out the paperwork that used to characterize the HR function. These systems are now accessed in real-time and have several end-user analytics embedded into them. For instance, most organizations are using some sort of software such as SAP, ATS for pre-screening candidates for suitability, HRiS, to name a few. Other companies have outsourced the entire functionalities to entities such as Fuzu.
What was your career development experience like before you joined Fuzu and how did things change afterwards?
To be honest, a few years before discovering Fuzu, I lived in a parallel universe – career-wise. I applied to hundreds of jobs, attended many job fairs and career sites, combed through my networks and networks of my networks to no or limited success.
When I uploaded my profile on Fuzu, I started getting notifications of available jobs that matched my profile. I started receiving direct emails and occasional phone calls from the staff of Fuzu. This was very promising although I still needed a job (laughs).
Earlier this year, I submitted an application on Fuzu and I had no idea how this was going to play out. Exactly two weeks after the application, I received a call which I initially mistook for an old acquaintance only for the person on the other end to quickly introduce herself and why she was calling. She was calling from Fuzu! She had my full attention, and we scheduled a Zoom pre-screening interview in a couple of days. Fast forward, two months later, I was reporting for my first day at work, all thanks to Fuzu.
What do you like the most about the new Fuzu?
Do you mean to say there was an older version? I love Fuzu, it looks good and it is full of character, it seems to speak directly to me in a bold yet unimposing manner. The dashboard is simple yet it captures all that an applicant needs to view. The navigation is also quite easy, with the aid of the drop-down menus and filters. Also, the fact that there are several helpful features and content on the Forum page coupled with the premium services that are available.
I believe that this is a one-stop site for any professional. I am extremely pleased with the services that are being offered, besides, I am living proof that through Fuzu, you can land your dream job.
You were successfully hired through Fuzu as a HR Manager at Spear Motors. What attracted you to apply to Spear Motors, and what’s exciting about working there?
First off, I applied for this position during the pandemic when the world was (and is still) grappling with its effects. Most companies were not hiring, others had reduced their workforce. I nevertheless spotted an opportunity that was an exact match for my qualifications and experience.
I was excited because I know and admire Spear Motors as the pinnacle of a successful local business with almost 50 years of providing Uganda and the region with the best quality personal and commercial vehicles and services. The reputation, values and growth of the company precede it, and I was excited for an opportunity to align my career goals with the objectives of this remarkable organization. I knew right away that I would be able to utilize my previous experiences and skills to make a significant contribution to the position.
When I joined the company, I was glad to find a team of positive, enthusiastic and committed staff with a genuine spirit of cooperation, support and shared values and goals. The same values that I have always held in all my work and I am happy that I am in a supportive and collaborative environment where I will be able to build on this sense of belonging and teamwork amongst fellow staff.
Got any tips you’d like to share with those looking for job opportunities on Fuzu?
The first thing which is really helpful is to bookmark Fuzu, and to check it all the time. This is going to sound cliché but being persistent is going to be key. Don’t give up after a few rejections or no replies, there is always an opportunity out there, just keep looking but be smart about it. Set a target, for instance, make sure you complete at least one application daily. This means you give this particular application all the focus and attention and you do it well. If you believe you can succeed at a position, put your application in, even if you do not meet all the minimum requirements. But again, be strategic. You do not want to apply for a marketing position when you are an accountant. Have a well-filled profile and an updated resume.
Look out for the keywords in the job posting and make sure these appear in your application. Set up alerts so you have daily notifications about new positions. When a new position that matches your profile is advertised, apply right away. Ensure that you research the company you apply to, and keep notes on all your applications. And finally, prepare yourself for the interviews because they will start coming.
If you meet a genie and he/she grants you your dream to work in a city of your choice. Which one would it be, and why?
This is an interesting question! It has to be Halifax, Nova Scotia. My family and I love a small city that is by the ocean and this beautiful gem on the Atlantic Coast is a dream destination for someone like me. The city is the perfect blend for a busy metropolis with a bustling business district yet the perfect size where every attraction, be it food, music, libraries, museums, galleries, sports, parks and parks, trails, beaches, are all within 15 minutes drive.
