Name: Ms Hilda Kabushenga Kragha
Role: CEO of The African Talent Company
QN: What does Career wellness mean for you?
If we were to think of career wellness as an index, I find that I score high on the index when all aspects of my life are in harmony. Not that I necessarily have work life balance, but that my career life is not causing flare ups in my personal, family and social life. This happens when I feel that I am working on meaningful challenges at work, that my impact is visible and that I am at peace with my colleagues. Many people assume that this cannot be achieved in a high pressure environment or during periods of crazy crunching at work, but I actually believe that the more hectic it is, the more important it becomes to assess the core aspects of your work and make sure that they are in harmony. It means dealing with issues head on, having tough conversations when they are necessary, advocating for yourself to make sure that you have what you need in order to succeed (or can take a break when you need it) and actually showing up in the best way you can everyday. This way, even when things go wrong, you do not sit with the guilt that it is because you were mentally AWOL. When I can look in the mirror and agree that this is my current headspace at work, it frees me up to be mentally present for myself, my family and my friends. When I cannot, it means I have pending issues I need to resolve and this takes up mental capacity in other areas too
QN: How can career wellness serve as a catalyst for individual/overall productivity?
In my perspective, the one key benefit of achieving career wellness is that it supports career progression, you are showing up and investing in yourself then you are avoiding skills stagnation which means you are more efficient at work, you are resolving workplace conflicts in time meaning that you build a powerful bench of supportive stakeholders and you are achieving visibility and impact which opens up further opportunities to exercise your skillset, learn and grow. All this makes you not just a more productive individual but also leaves with a lot more power and agency over your career – When you feel lost, you spiral and the delicate dance between your career and the rest of your life is thrown off kilter. Basically all the things you need to focus on to keep yourself in the right headspace at work, play a big role in making sure that you keep advancing.
QN: What intentional steps are you currently taking to achieve career wellness in your life?
At this stage of my career, my focus is extremely multi pronged, I lead a team of 200 people across 5 countries, I have a board to manage and revenue and operational targets that cannot be missed. I also work remotely which means the lines between work and home are often blurred. At the same time, I am a mother of two children under five with their varying needs. It is a dance I have made peace with and am now familiar with. But I realized that the gap was me. What am I doing for me? Who is Hilda when she is not the CEO or the mum? This question is what was throwing my balance off kilter
This got me thinking about the idea of a career portfolio. How else can I advance my skill set beyond my job? How else am I applying my knowledge? How can I impact people that I don’t work with every day and still derive joy, meaning and satisfaction behind it? This was the Genesis of my instagram community. Working with young African women and helping them to navigate a path that I have walked already is extremely satisfying. I am learning new skills and practicing some of my core ones. I get to do one of my favorite hobbies (writing) quite often and being able to monetise it gives me the peace of mind that should I wake up tomorrow and my job didn’t exist, I would have a starting point. I know that it sounds like I took on more work to achieve wellness and yes I did, but this one is for me and rather than think of it as a side hustle, I think of it as a distinct aspect of my career portfolio.
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Biography:
Hilda Kragha is an executive with extensive experience in consulting and human capital development across EMEA (East and Middle Eastern Africa).
She is the current CEO of The African Talent Company, leading career platforms in four countries, including Jobberman Nigeria- Nigeria’s biggest jobs platform, with over 2 million job seekers and 75,000 employers. Jobberman’s mission is to democratize access to jobs through cutting-edge technology.
Until December 2018, she was an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company, serving private and public sector clients primarily on strategy, human capital, talent management, change management and organizational behavior. Prior to joining McKinsey, Hilda worked as a transfer-pricing expert with KPMG East Africa. Hilda also runs a thriving Instagram community focused on women in the workplace, with a focus on helping professional women accelerate their careers.