Of professionalism vs. remuneration

Malawi is in need of professionals and benefits of professionalism are many, both to the individual and to society. Society benefits from professionals through delivery of quality services within the expected time and cost. Aware of benefits that come with professionalism, government today is revamping the civil service to make it more vibrant, in other words more professional.

Both the private sector as well as the public sector service have policies that ensure recruitment of staff that have the potential to deliver services professionally. Various performance management methods are also employed to ensure staff are assessed on how they have performed and are assisted, if need be, in areas they have gaps to make them become more professional. However, for one to become a professional it takes years of discipline.

However, many people understand professionalism differently. Some consider professionalism as dressing smartly to work while others think professionalism as having a cold/distant relationship with junior staff members or colleagues and throwing their weight around trying to command respect. Yet others think professionalism is being in competition with fellow employees, or neglecting family and taking work to work at home and of course, not even taking a holiday. These are some of the ways through which people in the workplace today display professionalism in their day-to-day duties.

However, one dictionary defines professionalism as the conduct, aims or qualities that characterise or mark a profession or a professional person. The dictionary further defines a profession as “a calling requiring specialised knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation.”

Based on this definition, it can safely be deduced that a professional is someone who knows their job very well and has acquired the necessary knowledge over a period of time. The well-known statement that says ‘knowledge is power’ is not totally true, as not all knowledge is power. It is only specialised knowledge that is power.

Common knowledge on various issues on the other hand is common to everyone and unfortunately, no matter how great in both quality, quantity and even in variety, it is of little use in the accumulation of skills necessary for professionalism. In addition, there is little effort required to accumulate common knowledge.

On the contrary, specialised knowledge takes years of training, discipline, commitment and consistency. It is only specialised knowledge that distinguishes an individual from the crowd. Specialised knowledge is a mark of professionalism and a higher price tag is placed on individuals who are professionals.

Professionals, therefore, are well-enlightened people. They are aware of their rights and their worth. It is hard to deceive professionals for a long time. There was one writer in one of the local newspapers who suggested that the government should consider recruiting graduates. There was also a suggestion that government should retire all civil servants that are due for retirement to create room for these graduates as it revamps the civil service commission.

While the suggestion is commendable, it has its implications. Hiring graduates in the civil service or in the private sector will indeed bring competent staff as these are professionals who have spent years studying their area of expertise. Their ability to comprehend issues might also contribute to quicker delivery of government services which for a long time has been painfully slow. Professionals or these graduates are also most likely to be highly ethical and are most likely to exercise respect, honesty, integrity, accountability in an environment they are well taken care of.

Although huge financial resources and well-defined systems are needed to remunerate, reward and train these graduates in various areas to increase their productivity, it is no secret that adequately remunerating the civil service has been a challenge to government in the past years.  Anywhere else, it is difficult to get the best from professionals who are not well remunerated. These things work like computer processes—garbage in, garbage out.