Stuff inspection: who represents domestic business (for analytical publications on personnel matters)

Usually, the success of a business project is estimated with the help of the following concepts: turnover, profit, geography of development, lobby availability, etc. In this series, somehow, there is no such notion as effectiveness of personnel policy. A hackneyed phrase from a past life “Personnel makes all the difference” may have lost its undeniable truth. But it is not a mistake to say that “Human resources mean a lot,” even in a crisis, which triggered massive layoffs in all production areas.

“To find a specialist, meeting adequate requirements, especially for a large employer was difficult before, and is difficult now," - said the director of recruitment agency “Formata” Elena Tsvetkova. – “A business that pays employees a decent salary, has an incentive programme of prospective development, puts high demands, correspond to which is difficult. A high-class specialists usually do not stay out of work, sometimes even the official employment does not matter to them.”

In an informal conversation, experts note that the situation today is ambiguous. On the one hand, the labor market is overcrowded, but what is the quality of these offers? If the company that had the massive layoff continues to work and produce goods or services, then the ballast was dropped. It is unlikely that a company that has at least a minimal chance to survive would to get rid of the avant-garde. On the other hand, companies that suffered a lot from crisis, reducing some perks (e.g. training, or some positions from the social package), still refuse to reduce the requirements today.

Indeed, how effective is the personnel policy for the stuff of many thousands? Can businesses today provide an adequate salary taking into consideration employee’s intellectual and physical resources devoted to work? How is the selection of employees in leading companies in the region done and what is done in order to make their work effective?
We have tried to answer these questions by examining the human resources management system in one of the most notorious companies in Donetsk, the financial and industrial corporation DMS, which long ago won its segments of regional and national markets. The main objective of the personnel policy of the Corporation is to provide an optimal balance of the updating and maintaining of the size and quality of staff processes, its development. We are sure that this position would be shared by any employer who is aware of the impact of human factor on each of the business processes.

Apart from the purely academic (appropriate education , experience, specific skills) data, the choice of the corporation as an employer is affected by initiative and ambition, as well as the orientation of the applicant to effective problem solving.

“We solve the complex task of designing and implementing of selection systems, adaptation, motivation, evaluation, training and development of personnel, effective HR administration, formation of corporate culture,”- says the head of HR- department Nina Borisova. Besides, the Corporation strives to instill team spirit and to involve employees in the production tasks, to teach them respond rapidly to external and internal changes, provide a fascinating creative process.
Ultimately, all this forms the corporate culture that provides a common understanding of the mission and goals of the company and motivates staff to achieve them. The formalization should reinforce this understanding: the Corporation adopted a code governing the rules of behavior at the workplace. These rules concern the dress code, negotiating and relationships in the structure. In DMS there is also an intranet site that does not only provide quality and efficient communication between employees, but also serves as an instrument of non-formal communication. The material manifestation of the staff appraisal is very important in the system of personnel motivation: bonuses for performance over a certain period, the rules of wage increases, financial aid.

According to the Corporation DMS, today, in times of crisis, the new economic relations require new communicative approaches in managing people, negotiating with partners, relationships with competitors. “We are trying not to get away from the crisis, but to use it for recovery. Due to professionalism, efficiency of every employee we not only stayed “above water”, but quickly refocused the business in new directions. Now we especially appreciate people who are not afraid of difficulties and changes,” - says Nina Borisova. Perhaps that is why, despite the general trend of job cuts, the Corporation opened more than 20 vacancies from working professions to top management.

In DMS one of its most important competitive advantages is the personnel. Therefore, the main task in this direction is to create an adequate system of payment, learning opportunities and career growth, the most comfortable working conditions that enable to realize the existing potential of employees.

Today the Corporation as an employer is interesting for young aspiring professionals and highly qualified and experienced personnel. Firstly, the company has more than 10 years of experience in various industries, including real production sector. Studying of the latter gives a chance to acquire new knowledge and utilize it effectively. By the way, the Corporation implemented a training programme for future enterprises’ employees from the number of students from leading universities in Donetsk region.

Secondly, the long-term development plans and strong financial resources allow to grow and develop together with the Corporation, which is of interest not only for young professionals, but also to experienced workers. The wage system is of motivating character and directs employees to achieve the desired result, i.e. directly linked to the performance indicators of the Corporation, departments and the worker itself. Rules for the remuneration are clearly marked, but they are flexible enough to respond to changes in the internal and external situation. Today in the structures of the Corporation it is possible to earn an average of 3 to 10 ths. a month.
Finally, financial and industrial corporation DMS constantly sets ambitious goals that make the work exciting and provide  great opportunities to implement skills even for demanding workers with undisputed professionalism and innovative thinking.

“I have only the best memories connected with the Corporation,” - says the former Chief of Staff of Ukrainian Building Corporation (structural DMS enterprise) Tatiana Zaitseva (2005-2007, reason for dismissal - family reasons). – “Although there was a lot of work and it took a huge feedback. We had just created a construction company but we already planned serious projects. Everything was ready: projects, investments, we needed only a highly professional team of employees. It was challenging,”- recalls with a smile a personnel officer.

Tatiana Zaitseva thinks of her former employers only as high professionals. “They can work in terms of force majeure, they set tasks competently, efficiently use time limits and appreciate the impact.”

We offered Nina Borisova, the chief of HR- department of the DMS corporation, to predict the number of negative feedbacks that will oppose to this positive one. “We have never concealed the fact that we make high demands on employees and establish clear rules of the game. It is not surprising that not everyone can do it in terms of human factor and professional skills. We are consistent and rigid in compliance with the position of the employer. This is normal. The Corporation was established in order to make profit and develop the economy. If a person prefers constant indulgence and to coast all the time, which is often expressed in irresponsible attitude, it is clearly not for us,”- says Nina Alekseevna. –“Personally I, having a solid professional and life experience, do not think that the usage of principle “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need” is beneath my dignity. I think that having certain skills and do not receive decent salary for them is more humiliating,”- said Nina Borisova.