Professionalism, Empathy Drive Sustainable Workplace Performance

Ifeoluwa Olubukola Salam, a human resource management professional has stated that professionalism, continuous learning and empathy are central to her career growth and ability to thrive in traditionally male-dominated corporate environments.

Ifeoluwa, a Covenant University graduate with a Master’s degree obtained in the United Kingdom and professional training from Harvard University, shared insights into her career journey during an interaction with journalists in Lagos.

With a background that spans highly regulated institutions and people-focused organisations, Ifeoluwa is regarded as efficient and proactive, possessing strong analytical skills in talent acquisition and resource procurement.

Known for her negotiation and mediation strengths, she has built a reputation for driving performance, maintaining productive relationships and managing complex responsibilities under pressure. Over the years, she has contributed to the growth of several corporate organisations, particularly through training, recruitment and outsourcing initiatives.

Speaking about how her diverse experiences have shaped her approach to people management, Ifeoluwa said that her exposure to different sectors and countries has helped her strike a balance between structure and empathy. “Working across banking, insurance, professional training, and human resource management—both in Nigeria and the UK—has shaped my people-management philosophy around empathy, structure, and performance balance,” she said. According to her, working in institutions such as Zenith Bank and the Royal Bank of Scotland exposed her to environments where discipline, accountability, and service standards were non-negotiable. Meanwhile, her HR and training roles revealed the importance of motivation, capability, and engagement.

She explained that these experiences changed her perception of how organisations should treat employees. “These experiences have helped me understand that people are not one-dimensional resources; they are influenced by culture, environment, incentives, and leadership style,” Ifeoluwa noted. She added that her focus today is on designing people strategies that align organisational goals with employee aspirations, stressing that productivity improves naturally when workers feel understood and fairly treated. “Management becomes less about enforcement and more about collaboration,” she said.

At DYA Lorté Limited, Ifeoluwa said her approach to attracting and retaining talent is built around clarity, fairness and development. “Career clarity, continuous development, and fairness are the most effective retention tools in a competitive labour market,” she said, explaining that structured onboarding and clearly defined performance expectations help employees understand both their responsibilities and growth paths from the outset. She added that the organisation consistently invests in learning and development, particularly in leadership training and skills enhancement aligned with business needs.

While acknowledging the importance of competitive remuneration, Ifeoluwa emphasised that work culture plays an equally critical role. “Periodic compensation reviews help us remain competitive, but equally important is creating a respectful, supportive, and psychologically safe work environment,” she said. According to her, when employees feel valued, listened to and equipped to succeed, loyalty and high performance follow naturally.

Ifeoluwa also shared an example of how targeted training interventions can improve organisational outcomes. At Global Positivity Nigeria Limited, she said one of her most impactful contributions was replacing a generic group-based training system with an individualised Training Needs Analysis approach. “Instead of assuming uniform skill gaps across teams, I assessed employees individually to identify specific competency deficiencies and development needs,” she explained. She noted that the tailored training programmes that followed led to measurable improvements in productivity, confidence and role effectiveness, while also contributing to organisational growth and client satisfaction.

Reflecting on lessons from her time at Royal Bank of Scotland Insurance in the UK and Zenith Bank in Nigeria, Ifeoluwa said both institutions reinforced the importance of culture and customer service. “My experience… reinforced two fundamental truths: organisational culture drives performance, and customer service sustains business longevity,” she said. She described environments where excellence was non-negotiable, processes were transparent, accountability was enforced, and customer satisfaction was treated as a strategic priority. These lessons, she said, continue to guide her HR leadership style.

On staying relevant in a rapidly evolving field, Ifeoluwa said continuous learning is essential. As an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management, she said she stays up to date with trends through professional updates, webinars, workshops, policy briefs, and independent research. She also called on Nigerian organisations to rethink their approach to workforce development, particularly in terms of employee wellbeing. “Organisations must begin to prioritise employee mental health and wellbeing as a strategic business issue, not a welfare afterthought,” she said, noting that access to confidential counselling and mental health support can significantly improve resilience, innovation and performance.

Ifeoluwa also reflected on the role of education in shaping her career. She credited Covenant University with instilling values of purpose, discipline and long-term impact, while describing Harvard University as a model of intellectual rigour and diversity of thought. She suggested that both institutions could learn from each other, stating that Covenant could benefit from Harvard’s global diversity and research-intensive culture. At the same time, Harvard could draw from Covenant’s emphasis on character development, ethics, and purpose-driven leadership. According to her, combining these strengths produces not just competent professionals but well-rounded leaders equipped to make a meaningful impact.