Building a relationship with employees can be a grueling task, but these 10 Ukrainian companies know how to carry it out.
EY Ukraine audit and consulting company named 10 market-leading employers among Ukrainian companies at the Kyiv Post Employment Fair that took place on Sept. 16.
The companies that made the list were the following (in alphabetical order): Bayer, Ciklum, Coca-Cola, DTEK, Kyivstar, Mars Ukraine, McDonald’s, Metinvest, Mondelez and Syngenta.
The companies were nominated by CEOs and heads of human resource departments of top Ukrainian and international companies, and evaluated based on features like the company’s image, corporate culture, salaries and others.
“Generally, leading employers are recognized for their effective corporate culture as well as efficient managerial practices,” says Olena Boichenko, director of people advisory services at EY Ukraine.
She added that the companies that came on top of the list consciously work on building strong employer image brand.
“They are responsible in terms of remuneration practices providing for competitive compensation packages and working conditions,” says Boichenko.
“Such employers pay significant attention to the professional development of their employees, investing into training programs and providing opportunities for the employees’ growth in the company.”
The Kyiv Post went to the companies that were named best employers to ask for their tips for becoming one.
Anna Sarsekova, HR director at the life science company Bayer Ukraine, told the Kyiv Post that staff has to come first.
“One of the main tasks of the HR department and all the leaders at Bayer is to be the best company for our colleagues, as well as for future applicants,” she says. “The key to success is to constantly look after the key resource of any business — people.”
She added that Bayer offers a “social package” to its employees. It includes “competitive pay, our corporate culture, opportunities for development and growth.”
McDonald’s Ukraine also made the list. Igor Sysoyev, the human resources director, told the Kyiv Post why he thinks his company is considered a top employer.
“50 years ago, when McDonald’s was established, the founder Ray Kroc once said, ‘we are not a hamburger business serving people, but we are a people business serving hamburgers’. Since that time, McDonald’s all over the world has been following this principle as one of the main pillars of our business,” he said. “We treat our employees as valued customers and strive to provide them with good working conditions, maintaining the atmosphere of friendship and mutual respect in the workplace.”
Coca-Cola Beverages Ukraine places equal emphasis on their staff.
“We stay fully committed to our mantra: ‘People come first in everything we do!’” said human resources director Liza Shybanova.
Making employees happy includes giving them opportunities for career growth. A survey conducted by the HeadHunter recruitment website supports, with 50 percent of staff surveyed believing their companies should offer opportunities for career progression.
Sysoyev explained that McDonald’s tries to meet this demand and at the same time pay well.
“It is crucial for McDonald’s to provide our employees with the opportunity to grow and to develop both their professional and personal skills,” he said. “In 2016 the company invested Hr 8 million in these activities. Every year about 10–15 percent of our employees get promoted.”
Shybanova from Coca-Cola also emphasized the need for growth opportunities.
“We are proud that a lot of our employees were growing professionally together with our business in Ukraine,” she said. “Thus, many of our market developers have become regional sales managers, operators were promoted to plant managers, and several employees have been appointed to group assignments in other countries.”
She mentioned her company’s graduate and trainee program, an HR policy that HeadHunter judges critical to attracting and retaining young people.
What should other companies do to become better employers?
“In my opinion, the best recommendation is to put both employees and customers at the center of the business,” Sysoyev of McDonald’s said.
The fast food chain’s competitors could learn from how it uses data for its employees’ benefit.
“We at McDonald’s carefully listen to our employees and their needs,” said Sysoyev. “For this purpose we conduct numerous organizational research, workshops and focus groups. Combined with thorough and detailed HR analytics, this information is the necessary basis for any HR related decisions.
From my viewpoint, this data-driven approach is the best option on a way to becoming a good employer.”
Shybanova would recommend “a long-term strategy in terms of working with people.”
“I would advise (companies) to believe in the talent of their people,” she said, “and create opportunities for their personal and professional development as well as keep winning hearts and minds of your employees who in return will make your business successful.”
