| |
NewswireTODAY - /newswire/ -
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa, 2016/06/13 - Maxus' Johannesburg employees have been given the opportunity to experience what it’s like to live and work in one of 45 cities worldwide - including New York, Melbourne and Shanghai.
|
| |
This winter, worldwide media agency Maxus is giving 75 of their people the working adventure of a lifetime with a two-week placement at one of 45 offices across its global network. “Exchangers” will live and work with a Maxus colleague in their host city.
Every participant has a mission: introduce a key learning from their home market, and bring back something from their host agency. It can be big or small, a work practice or completely cultural. From Sydney to Singapore, the purpose of the programme is for Maxus employees to broaden their global perspective, understand local cultures and share initiatives.
The WPP-owned media agency has invited their people of all levels and skillsets to pitch for a Global Exchange place in an X Factor-style audition. The one question each applicant must answer is: how are you leading change? Applicants have 10 minutes to convince the judges. The programme is open to all Maxus employees who have been with the agency for a year.
Exchangers will enjoy a two-week placement in a city anywhere in the Maxus global community. They cannot chose where they are placed, and all placements will be cross-continental. Employees based in Europe, for example, will go to North America, South America, Asia, Africa or Australia. Successful candidates will live with a host Maxus office team member so they can get a real taste of what life is like in that city. It will be the host’s responsibility to create a working schedule for their visiting colleague.
From May this year the Exchangers have one year to have their hosting and visiting experiences. After the placement is over, participants can extend their trip by a fortnight to explore the country. All participants will be asked to blog about their trip and experiences - both from a work and cultural perspective. Content will be shared across Maxus' global platforms.
Rudi Symons, EMEA Head of Talent and Culture at Maxus, said: "The spirit of this programme is one of absolute adventure it’s designed to broaden perspectives and open up the exciting career possibilities that exist within our global network”.
The winner of the Maxus South Africa office, Elizabeth Selepe, had this to say: “And the winner is… Liz” - that moment had to be by far one of the happiest moment in my life; but firstly I would l like to emphasise that the competition was tough. The #MaxusJHB team brought their A-Game and I was thoroughly impressed, more than anything I started doubting my own presentation I remember sitting there thinking that this could go either way, there definitely, in mind, was no clear cut winner.
I don’t think anyone can fully comprehend the impact this initiative has on the lives of the candidates. What Lindsay Pattison and the Champions have started here is one of endless opportunities, and the great thing about the Maxus Global Exchange programme is that Culture has been put on the forefront. I cannot explain how heart-warming it is to be working for a company that makes it a priority not only to upskill their people but to motivate cultural diversity and integration across Maxus offices globally.
I am a young Northern Sotho (known as Pedi) South African lady who is excited to share the core of who I am…my upbringing, my way of living and to experience the life I live on a daily basis. The most exciting part is that I get to teach my visitor the street way of living, the diversity of my neighbourhood and the unity of living in a township, they will get to experience the true meaning “Ubuntu”.
I’m not well travelled, so this is, without a doubt a dream come true for me…..London, here I come and Shanghai, get ready for a new chapter in your life”
The first year of Maxus' Global Exchange programme will run from April 2016 to April 2017. There are 75 places in total - 36 places for Maxus employees from EMEA, 25 from APAC and 15 from the Americas.
|
nina.amri[.]maxusglobal.com 
