Ivie is a Human Resource and Business Development Consultant. She serves as the Lead Consultant at Elite Hunters, responsible for strategies to attract, develop, and retain talent for corporate organisations and SMES in diverse industries across Nigeria.
In the course of her HR career, she has successfully managed the overall provision of Human Resources services, policies, and programs and has helped various organizations boost overall performance through effective HR, strategy building, fair and coherent compensation & benefits, and employee engagement.
With a plethora of experience across oil and energy, automobile, consulting, media and communications sectors, Ivie is known for ensuring top notch organization culture through the constant presence of high-performing motivated staff, talent management & personal development.
Ivie has been instrumental in the recruitment of talents from junior to senior management level positions through Elite Hunters and she has been able to prepare Nigeria’s talents for the labour market through effective career advisory initiatives bordering on CV writing, interview coaching and mentorship scheme.
Ivie is passionate about people development and humanitarian endeavors and she spends her spare time volunteering with various initiatives.
Ivie’s educational background includes an LLB in Law from the University of Benin and a B.L from the Nigerian Law School.”
Growing up my parents brought my siblings and I up to be very independent individuals who can think for themselves and make decisions on their own and this has influenced my approach to life, career and my business as I am able to chase my dreams and make decisions about my life without any interference.
What are the duties of a human resource and business development consultant?
As a human resource and business development consultant, I am generally responsible for helping companies to identify the challenges in their organisational structure, talent management and staffing strategies and business profitability to determine relevant solutions.
When did you set up Elite Hunters? What is the rationale behind the name?
The word “Elite” means a select group that is superior in terms of ability or qualities to the rest of a group or society. “Hunters” was gotten from the word ‘Hunt”. This means at Elite Hunters, we make it our priority to identify and source for the best talents to fill the position.
Observation in selection process for clients
Some clients do not have specified job roles for their employees and this may hamper the productivity of such employee who doesn’t know what is expected of him/her. The salary budget is also another challenge as some employees want a candidate with extensive experience but with not enough remuneration. Some candidates are great at interviews but not on the job while some other candidates apply for job roles without fully understanding the job requirements
Qualified but not employable. What is responsible for this?
There are different factors that may be responsible for this. The first is that the candidate’s resume does not fully capture the experience and skills that they have acquired which will be relevant to the role they are applying for. Another reason may be that the candidate is not able to verbally express their strengths and experience during the interview because they are nervous or did not prepare for the interview.
How important is employee/ employer engagement? What can the lack of it cause?
It is important that there is constant communication and feedback between the employer and employee so that they are in sync with the duties, tasks and goals of the organisation. Lack of employee/employer engagement will result to poor communication which can lead to lack of team cohesion, unclear messaging and expectations, wasted time and resources, low employee morale.
How do you rate/describe the working environment in Nigeria? How can it be better improved?
Well, with my experience, the improvement of the work environment in Nigeria rests majorly on the employer; this is because, whatever policies and culture you put in place and tolerate in your work space is what will be passed down to the employees. It is important to clearly define goals and expectations for the organisation and its department and implement policies to drive such goals. With that in place, the workplace will be a safer and more productive place to be for employees.
Other initiatives you are passionate about and why?
I am passionate about creating events and programs that will prepare people for the workplace and help them to develop employability skills, have clearer career visions and be armed with the tools to bring their dreams to life.
A post went viral recently on how someone lost his job because he was deliberately made to wait for longer than usual hours to ‘test’ his patience level. What is your honest opinion on this?
In as much as it is the candidate’s responsibility to present him/herself in the best possible light by arriving early for an interview session, the employer also has to show professionalism in relating with people and managing situations like this. Deliberately making a candidate wait extra hours to “test their patience” puts the company and its reputation in a bad light and does not show professionalism. A better solution would have been to ask clarification on why the candidate was late and gauge the candidate’s response and body language.
How has being a Lawyer helped in your line of work?
Being a Lawyer has helped me to understand the legal implications of employment and service contracts and the acceptable policies and practices that must be put in place where drafting same. It has also helped me to understand the importance of documentation.
What are your personal and professional challenges? How are you surmounting them?
My personality is one of the areas where I am working at getting better. I am what you will refer to as a choleric person and while this personality trait has helped me to push through difficult situations head on to achieve my desired goals, on the flip side, I may be perceived as brash or cold in my relationship with people; this is ironic considering that I am a Human Resource Management professional. I am becoming more intentional about practicing emotional intelligence skills and taking personal development trainings to improve myself.
What are you looking forward to?
I am looking forward to building and creating an employability training platform where we can assist individuals in developing the right employability skills and competencies required in the work place.
What advice do you have for any unemployed person reading your interview?
First, get your resume in order; it is a recruiter or potential employer’s first impression of you so be sure to extensively highlight your relevant experience, skills and training before applying for a role. Also, before getting your dream job, consider internship opportunities, personal development trainings and workshops to constantly learn new things. Finally, don’t give up!
Advice to every single lady out there?
Chase your dreams and focus on adding value to yourself and your community. Do not allow your relationship status be a barrier to whatever you want to achieve as a person.
