Attracting and retaining top talent is no longer just about offering competitive pay. Across East Africa, HR leaders are navigating a rapidly evolving landscape where culture, reputation, and career growth weigh just as heavily as salaries.

We sat down with four seasoned HR professionals:

• Philomenah Muthoni (Group HR Manager, Wells Fargo Limited & Fargo Courier Ltd),
• Gerishen Katieno (Chief HR Officer, Saruni Basecamp)
• Peninah Murungi (General Manager Human Resources, AAA Growers),
• and Nicholas Ochieng (Group HR Manager, Elewana Collections & Masai Mara Sopa Lodges),  to hear their perspectives on the biggest challenges, strategies, and opportunities in talent acquisition today.

Meet The Veterans

Philomenah Muthoni is the Group HR Manager at Wells Fargo Limited & Fargo Courier Ltd in Nairobi, Kenya. With over a decade of HR experience across Africa, she is passionate about building people-first, high-performance cultures. From leading large teams to rolling out mental health programs, performance systems, and HR manuals, Philomenah’s work has shaped thriving workplaces. 

Gerishen Katieno, Chief HR Officer at Saruni Basecamp, is a trusted advisor to business leaders and a strategic thought partner known for driving lasting transformation across industries. His expertise lies in optimizing performance while ensuring sustainable impact. 

Peninah Murungi serves as the General Manager of Human Resources at AAA Growers. She has led culture change, refined performance systems, and aligned HR processes with business goals, all while championing inclusive workplaces. Recently engaged by the ILO to promote decent work in agricultural value chains across Kenya and Madagascar, Penina continues to shape sustainable workforce solutions. 

Nicolas Ochieng is the Group HR Manager at Elewana Collections & Masai Mara Sopa Lodges. With a decade of experience in HR and training & development, Nicolas has honed his expertise in guiding people strategies that strengthen both talent and organisations.

With their diverse backgrounds and wealth of experiences, these leaders brought sharp insights into how organisations can rethink hiring for today’s talent market. 

Their answers reveal what it really takes to attract and keep top talent in East Africa and also in other African countries.

Let’s dive into it.

Q: From your perspective, what are the biggest challenges in attracting and hiring top talent today?

Nicholas leaned in first: 

“In Kenya, we face both global and local challenges. Many companies can’t match multinational salary scales, benefits are often limited, and hierarchical work cultures push people to leave. To make matters worse, brain drain is real; skilled professionals continue moving abroad in search of better opportunities.”

Philomenah nodded in agreement, adding: 

“And the gap is even sharper in tech fields like AI. Top talent today isn’t just chasing paychecks; they’re looking for flexibility, growth, and purpose. If a company doesn’t offer these, they’ll walk. Even something as simple as a poor candidate experience or long, clunky recruitment process can make you lose the very people you need most.”

Peninah built on that point: 

“Exactly. We are no longer competing only with our neighbors but also with global companies offering remote roles and flexible setups. Pay still matters, but candidates want culture, balance, and career growth. That’s why organisations must get clear on their Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and communicate it effectively.”

Gerishen closed out the round with a different angle:

“For me, one key challenge is the skill alignment gap. Many roles require ‘ready-to-plug’ employees, but the talent market still needs nurturing. It’s also about perception; employer branding. Candidates today will choose reputation and purpose over pay, and we can’t forget the human touch. Even as we automate, balancing technology with genuine human connection is critical.”

Q: What are the top 2 strategies HR teams must adopt to improve hiring success and reduce early attrition?

Nicholas kicked things off: 

“Be structured and transparent with hiring processes; and don’t inflate job titles. Beyond that, AI-powered tools can help us screen faster and smarter, while a strong EVP that includes wellness and training opportunities ensures people actually stay.”

Philomenah added: 

“I’d add that accuracy matters. First, adopt a realistic, data-driven hiring approach; set accurate expectations from day one. And onboarding needs a rethink; it shouldn’t end after a week of orientation. Make it a year-long journey with structured check-ins and career support so new hires feel continuously invested in.”

Peninah smiled and noted: 

“Employer branding is also non-negotiable. Pair it with structured onboarding and early career conversations, and you’ll have a much stronger chance of keeping talent beyond the first year.”

Gerishen wrapped it up: 

“And let’s not forget cultural fit. Go beyond the CV; engage deeply with candidates to see if they align with your values. Then, provide immersive, purpose-driven progressive onboarding that connects new hires not just to a role but to the organisation’s mission.”

Q: How can organisations create a recruitment process that is both efficient and candidate-friendly?

Nicholas noted: 

“Digital tools are key. But don’t lose the human touch. In Kenya, even a simple SMS or WhatsApp update goes a long way in showing respect to candidates. That human touch matters.”

Philomenah added: 

“Exactly. Keep the process simple and mobile-friendly. Communicate openly at every stage, and please don’t ghost candidates. Automate the admin tasks so recruiters can spend time connecting with people.”

Peninah leaned in: 

“ATS platforms can save a lot of time, but at the end of the day, respectful interactions and timely feedback are what candidates remember most.”

Gerishen rounded it off: 

“Efficiency is critical, but it shouldn’t be efficiency for its own sake. Make recruitment both efficient and candidate-friendly by anchoring the process on their purpose, so new hires connect with impact, not just a contract.”

Q: Are there common pitfalls in talent acquisition that HR teams should avoid?

Nicholas went first: 

“Overpromising on career growth, misleading job titles, and nepotism-based hiring…these are mistakes I still see too often.”

Philomenah added candidly: 

“Yes, and rushing the process just to fill a seat is another. Hiring for speed over fit, using generic job descriptions, ignoring employer branding, or skipping structured onboarding: it all comes back to bite you in early turnover.”

Peninah shared her perspective: 

“Don’t rely only on CVs. Culture fit is just as important as skills. Poor communication or rushing candidates through without proper engagement hurts retention and damages your brand.”

Gerishen nodded: 

“And weak communication. Too many organisations fail to clearly communicate roles and expectations upfront, which only frustrates candidates and hurts credibility. Weak communication, poor branding….it all leads to mismatched hires.”

Q: Are there specific tools, processes, or practices you’ve implemented that have transformed how you hire?

Nicholas started:
“Organisations in Kenya are increasingly turning to tech and partnerships. Platforms like LinkedIn help access broader talent pools. We’re also building stronger pipelines through university and partnerships. And in Nairobi, forward-looking organisations are experimenting with AI-driven shortlisting to reduce bias and speed up hiring.”

Peninah shared her team’s approach:

“We’ve adopted structured interview frameworks and recruitment analytics to keep things consistent and fair. Referral programs have also been a game-changer; trusted networks often deliver stronger hires with higher retention. And, of course, technology has been key. ATS platforms help us streamline everything from posting roles to onboarding.

Gerishen added his experience:

“In my roles, I’ve focused on three things: standardising the hiring process to make it fair and seamless, building proactive talent pipelines by developing internal leaders, and leveraging AI-powered screening systems to speed up candidate evaluation. These combined efforts have transformed both efficiency and quality in hiring.”

Philomenah rounded out the discussion:

“For me, it’s about building for the future. Structured internships and management trainee programs help us create predictable talent pipelines, while hiring locally in rural areas reduces turnover and promotes work-life balance. We’ve also implemented candidate relationship management (CRM) systems to stay connected with potential talent long before roles open up. And when it comes to interviews, creating a relaxed, humane environment brings out the best in candidates. Finally, while we use AI tools to manage high application volumes, we never allow technology to replace the human decision-making and empathy that good hiring requires.”

This fireside chat with Nicholas, Philomenah, Penina, and Gerishen makes one thing clear:  talent acquisition in East Africa is evolving fast. 

Pay alone won’t win the war for talent. Instead, organisations must balance technology with human connection, strengthen their employer brand, and build long-term pipelines that go beyond filling vacancies.

For HR professionals across the region, the challenge and the opportunity is to reimagine hiring as more than a process. It’s a chance to shape workplace cultures that attract, retain, and grow the very best people.

What’s Next? 

The conversations with Philomenah, Gerishen, Peninah, and Nicholas show that attracting and retaining talent in East Africa is no small feat. It demands vision, consistency, and a blend of tech and human connection. Pay is just one piece; culture, purpose, onboarding, and pipeline-building are now non-negotiables.

You won’t solve all of this overnight. But you can start somewhere:

• Map out one hiring process you’ll simplify
• Craft or revisit your EVP
• Use SeamlessHR recruitment management software for hiring
• Invest in deeper candidate engagement early on.

Because when HR teams start thinking of hiring as building a lasting ecosystem, not just filling seats; great things happen.

Which of the ideas above will you try first?