Interview with the HR director of the company “Okay. Formation of a project team: internal and external experts

Publication date 13.05.2011 Moscow

Elmira KHADIEVA: “Responsible and caring attitude towards our employees is one of our main features”

The change in the structure of the retail trade market that began in 1998 - 1999 led to an increase in the share of large chain retail enterprises. One of the well-known retail chains in Russia has become the O Kay chain of supermarkets and hypermarkets, which is already actively operating in many regions. The guest of our newspaper, HR Director of the O KEY Group of Companies, Elmira KHADIEVA, talks about trends in the development of large retail chains and the secrets of the retail chain’s success.

- Elmira, please tell us about the history of the formation of the O KEY Group of Companies

Retail trade is one of the most dynamically developing and promising areas of business. The advantages of the retail industry are obvious - regardless of economic and political changes in the country, people always have a need for food and essential goods. The O KEY group of companies was founded in 2001 in St. Petersburg, and in 2002 the first O KEY hypermarket was opened in the northern capital. In 2005, the Company began regional expansion and opened a hypermarket in Rostov-on-Don. In 2006, the Company became multi-format by opening the first O KEY Express supermarket in St. Petersburg. In 2008, stores were opened in new federal districts - Central, Volga and Siberian. In 2009, the Company opened the first O KEY hypermarket in Moscow. In November 2010, the O KEY group of companies carried out its first public offering of shares on the London Stock Exchange.

What is the O KEY group of companies like today? What is its peculiarity, how does it differ from other retail chains in Russia?

Today, the O KEY Group of Companies is one of the leading retail chains in Russia. On the market retail sales We are represented in 2 formats - the “OKEY” hypermarket and the “OKEY – Express” supermarket. The O KEY hypermarket is an example of the concept of a classic European hypermarket with the widest selection of various goods and services at affordable prices, large car parking, spacious halls and a full range of additional services: children's playground, telephone store, bakery, pharmacy, bank branch, dry cleaner, cafe. The O KEY Express supermarket is the convenience of shopping at affordable prices close to home. The range of products includes food products, in-house culinary and bakery products, clothing, shoes, sporting goods and household goods, household appliances, toys and children's goods.

- In how many cities does your retail network operate?

Today, our retail network includes 59 shopping malls. They are located in St. Petersburg, Murmansk, Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Novocherkassk, Volgograd, Stavropol, Astrakhan, Togliatti, Nizhny Novgorod, Lipetsk, Voronezh, Ufa, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Noginsk, Moscow and the Moscow region.

- I wonder if it was reflected economic crisis at work in your retail chain?

I can confidently say that we not only coped with the crisis, but also developed successfully. Our strategic goal is to preserve our team, regardless of the economic situation in the country. During the acute period of the crisis, we did not make any staff reductions or reduce wage rates. And we are proud that during the crisis, working conditions for our employees have not changed.

- How wide is the range of products in your stores?

There are more than 35,000 items in O KEY hypermarkets, and more than 6,500 items in O KEY Express supermarkets. We also produce and sell products of our own brands - dairy, meat and other products and consumer goods.

What is the number of employees in your Group of Companies? And what social policy is your top management pursuing?

The profit of any enterprise comes primarily from its employees. Today, more than 17 thousand employees work in the stores and offices of the Company Group. Our Company pays great attention to the social protection of its employees. When hiring, we guarantee official registration in accordance with the Labor Code, competitive wages corresponding to the level of the regional markets in which the Company's stores are represented. Quarterly and monthly bonuses, paid vacations, paid sick leave, maternity leave. We make payments to Pension Fund, which increases the level of social protection of our employees. We also have a Voluntary Medical Insurance program, which allows employees to use services and receive treatment in hospitals and medical centers cities at a higher quality level.

- Is it true that employees of your Group of Companies receive additional corporate discounts and benefits?

Yes, and the list of these benefits is quite significant - compensation for meals, free uniforms, the opportunity to buy goods in our stores at discounted prices (a card with a 5 percent discount on all goods. We carry out regular medical and preventive measures, and there are canteens for employees. On holidays, our employees and their children receive gifts.

- How do you solve the problems of training specialists?

Today, the companies that lead the market are those that have the “right people” in the “right positions.” Companies achieve success if their employees are responsible, talented, strictly follow the strategy, goals and enjoy their work. With the opening of each new store, we invite more and more employees - professionals who are capable and ready to work in accordance with our corporate culture and are results-oriented. People are of paramount importance to us, because they are the ones who preach, implement and ensure the high quality standards of “O KEY” - both in stores and in the Company’s offices. We have developed a free corporate training system for employees, which helps them shape their career path in the Company and develop the skills necessary for their work. It is important for each of our employees to develop their professional qualities. Therefore, the Company constantly conducts training events.

- Can you give examples of successful career growth of your employees?

Talk about this for hours, citing dozens of examples. We see many stories of successful career growth within the Company, when employees starting from specialist positions become experts, managers or executives at various levels. Our employees within the Company also try themselves in other professions and specializations related to their activities. For example, we have an employee who started his career at the OKEY hypermarket as an intern at the age of 18, and today (4 years later) holds the position of deputy department head.

- What are the main qualities you, as a HR manager, value in your specialists?

My opinion completely coincides with our corporate requirements for employees. Our Company successfully operates a “Competency Model” - it spells out the professional and personal qualities that employees must have. These are not just professional responsibilities, not just “what What must be done" but also "that How this work must be done." All these competencies are aimed at training, career development and achieving ideal results in the work of employees. The “Competency Model” also helps the manager to more clearly set goals for his team and determine how an employee needs to achieve their goals.

If you were asked to “draw” an oral collective portrait of your specialists, how would you answer?

I can only say the best about our large team. Our team is a team of professionals, where each employee brings value and works effectively in their position. At O KEY, there is no age factor when hiring, which makes it possible to get the desired position regardless of the year of birth. We welcome the desire of our specialists for knowledge and advanced training. A significant part of our specialists work and study. In a number of regions we interact with specialized higher and secondary professional educational institutions. We also employ students. By the way, there are often cases when it is young people who achieve career success in the Company in the shortest possible time. This is due to the fact that they are active, ready to devote more time to work and absorb new information in large volumes.

- In what directions is your corporate culture being formed?

We have always paid great attention to working with employees, fostering corporate culture and corporate spirit. Every year this issue becomes more and more relevant for us, because the Company is growing, establishing its presence in more and more regions of the country, and the number of employees is increasing. To accomplish these tasks, we have corporate media that broadcast the Company’s values ​​to all employees. This is a quarterly corporate newspaper, information boards, as well as an internal corporate information portal. In these sources, we bring together employees from different cities, highlight events taking place in different regions and at different levels of management. In addition, the Company adheres to the principles of information transparency. Our employees regularly exchange experiences with each other, undergoing internships and training in other stores and other regions.

- Does your company have enough staff today? What positions are you experiencing a shortage of specialists for?

Our main task for the coming year is significant expansion throughout Russia. Of course, the opening of new trading enterprises in Moscow is very important and interesting for us. And as we open new locations, we are actively seeking candidates for leadership positions in our opening stores.

Elmira, I noticed how carefully you and the top management of your Group of Companies treat your employees. What would you wish to people who would like to find a job in your company?

I believe that working for a large network will allow young people to move up career ladder, prove yourself as a generalist. We need employees from a wide variety of professions, and we have something for everyone, because... Working in retail is always interesting, as it involves constant live communication. Here every day teaches you something new. You always see the result of your work. Whether it's a customer's smile, a purchase they make, or the opening of a new store, all this allows you to receive satisfaction from the work done. If you want to be confident in the future, are ambitious and want to develop in a large stable company, if you like communicating with people, then we invite you to join our team. I can wish you courage in achieving your goals, active work, and the pursuit of knowledge and self-education. Be innovative and flexible, look for innovative ways to solve problems. Only your efforts and a responsible approach to business can help develop your career.

- And the last, traditional question of our column. Do you remember the first money you earned in your life?

Yes, of course I remember. This was a very important event for me. I earned the very first 17 rubles in my life during a summer internship at school. For me, a schoolgirl, it was very significant money then. A little later at the institute, I did a summer internship as a juice seller and earned 49 rubles for my first train ticket...

- Thank you for the interesting interview. I wish you success.

Andrey Zakhvatov

The activities of the HR service in a modern organization include not only ensuring stable functioning processes and certain procedures, such as hiring or personnel records management, but also project activities that involve the implementation of individual and unique tasks. The company solves all problems in the field of sales, production and economics through the implementation of projects.

The role of the HR department in the implementation of the company’s strategic goals

The culture of project management and corresponding management technologies are not developed in all organizations, and therefore HR services have more experience in process than project activities. However, modern business is becoming more and more project-oriented. New capacities are commissioned, existing assets are modernized, new technologies and services are developed and implemented, marketing research and activities are carried out, and the organizational structure is optimized.

Ekaterina Golubkina, head of the internal communications and results management department at VimpelCom, believes that “the company’s strategic goals cannot be directly reflected in the tasks of the HR department, since working with personnel is a supporting business function. However, the HR function must focus on business needs, responding to changing conditions and challenges.”

“A new strategy, indicating the direction of development of the organization and its target indicators, can affect many business processes. Successful implementation of the strategy requires maximum involvement of employees in the common cause, their loyalty and commitment to the organization, and readiness to accept changes. The HR department plays a key role in this, providing certain conditions for these processes in the company, the expert comments. - In general, the tasks of the HR department in implementing strategic business goals can be divided into three main blocks: internal climate, work with employees and impact on business performance.

Yes, block “internal climate in the company” implies strengthening the corporate culture (comfortable working conditions for staff, motivation to achieve goals), the formation of company values ​​(what kind of employee needs to be in order to achieve maximum results), regular open information to employees and an explanation of the current state of affairs of the organization, its successes, development focuses; block “working with employees” - retaining talented specialists, training employees and directing their efforts in the right direction(talent management, financial and non-material motivation, staff training in accordance with current business needs); block “impact on business efficiency” - increasing business efficiency through constant evolution organizational structures and business processes, launching and implementing projects that are strategically important for the company.”

Elmira Khadieva, director of HR at OK, believes that “a HR employee at any level - from a senior manager to a specialist - should be a business partner who provides full support for all HR-related processes. When changes occur in any function, the HR department must help the manager manage them.”

“Firstly, any changes in the company always raise concerns and questions - employees experience stress from a lack of information. The task of the HR director is to prepare in advance a system for communicating changes in such a way as to achieve maximum transparency and balance of information, provide it in a timely, consistent manner and in sufficient volume, thereby reducing the field of fiction. At the OK company, each employee can make an appointment with the HR director and ask all the questions they are interested in - the organization provides people with an independent direct communication channel.

Secondly, it is important that change is supported and implemented not only by the HR function, the project initiator (director of another function) or senior management. Key employees must be involved in the processes taking place in the organization and support them, Elmira Khadieva shares her experience. - Employees react to changes differently - support them or, on the contrary, resist them. Therefore, when creating a communications system, it is necessary to select individual tools for working with different groups of personnel. It is important that all employees involved in the change process understand their role and the business expectations associated with these processes.

Projects implemented by the company must be completed, tracking the stages of their implementation: are we moving in the intended direction, do we need to change anything, how useful are the tools used, what is the reaction of the participants in the changes?”

Formation of a project team: internal and external experts

For the successful implementation of a project, it is important to select the right project manager, form a working group, and distribute roles and responsibilities. At the same time, companies often resort to expert support from external specialists.

“When developing the concept of HR projects, you should first of all take into account their relevance to the business. Ideally, the internal customer of the project should be the top person of the company. It may also be the head of a key area, in which case the HR project helps improve the efficiency of an important business unit.

When forming a project team, it is necessary to understand what the company’s internal resources are for its implementation. Perhaps the best solution would be to involve external experts. In addition, it is worth comparing the upcoming costs with the result that the company expects to receive as a result of the project.

So, if we are talking about internal research (for example, a study of the level of wages of certain categories of personnel in various regions of the country), then it makes sense to take advantage of the offer of external providers who have sufficient resources to conduct relevant surveys, standard schemes for obtaining the information of interest, and well-structured project logistics etc. In order to obtain from external consultants a solution that best meets the company’s research goals, it is worth looking in advance at what form the final information will be provided. HR specialists, for their part, must formulate technical specifications, monitor the quality of the project during its implementation, analyze the results, present them to management and inform all company employees regarding the data obtained, based on the positive aspects identified during the study,” advises Elena Filippova, Deputy Head of the Department of Personnel Management and Organizational Development at FGC UES.

Denis Kotov, CEO Bukvoed company believes that expert support in project implementation is required in the absence of adequate expertise within the organization and a competent manager who can be completely entrusted with the implementation of the initiative. “In addition, consulting companies, due to their experience, can express an independent opinion on certain processes in the organization. The benefit of engaging external specialists is to save time and reduce risks during project implementation. However, when choosing consultants, it is worth considering their experience and reputation in the market. The company will receive a more pronounced effect if it finds a performing specialist high level, who can independently build a project program and control the stages of its implementation,” the expert notes.

“If, as a result of the project, a unique methodology is created that the company plans to use repeatedly (for example, test tasks to determine the level of development of professional and technical competencies of employees), it would be more appropriate to involve internal experts,” Elena Filippova is sure. - In this case, specialists will take part in the development of a methodology for assessing their subordinates and will be involved in creating a product for the company. It is internal specialists who become the best content experts on the subject content of test tasks. To effectively implement the project, a working group of experts should be formed different levels. In such a project, an HR specialist should act primarily as a moderator of the process.

Any internal project must have communication support. Informing staff about the results of each stage promotes their involvement in the process. In this case, you can use different forms of communication: internal media, vision boards, internal portal, etc.”

Planning an HR project: goals, stages, resources

The project plan includes not only a sequence of actions with deadlines, but also those responsible for performing specific actions, methods for implementing certain stages, and the necessary resources. As experience shows, the scarcest resource of HR projects is the time of managers included in the project; this should also be planned.

“The plan must include project stages with a description of intermediate results; implementation deadlines; resources (project participants, financial information system, etc.) responsible for the project; organizational and administrative documents regulating the activities of each stage (order, instruction, regulation, etc.); reporting form (report, presentation, etc.).

It is better to accompany each project with writing a methodology - to describe in detail its goals, objectives, stages, results, etc. This information belongs to the company’s area of ​​expertise and can be used in the future to solve similar problems,” notes Elena Filippova.

“When calculating the project budget, you need to estimate in advance the profit that the business will receive as a result of its implementation. For example, a company trains salespeople to increase sales or trains warehouse employees to reduce costs. It is also worth considering strategic risks for the business. For example, when entering a new field, you should always train employees. In general, if a company can get results from a project in a year or earlier, then this is a worthwhile investment, says Denis Kotov.

To assess the viability of a project, you need to analyze the idea and justify the project by presenting it to senior management. The justification should include an assessment of the required resources (time, money, effort, other costs) and expected results (specific positive changes in the organization as a result of the project).

“When defending a project, management should clearly describe the benefits for the company from its implementation and specify the risks that await the business if the project does not take place. In addition, if a long-term project is planned (for example, the creation of a personnel reserve system), you should immediately warn management about the actual deadlines for its implementation, so as not to create unnecessary expectations in terms of time resources,” advises Elena Filippova.

The goals and expected results of the project must be understood equally by all its participants; during the implementation process they can only be adjusted within reasonable limits.

Specifics of implementation of HR projects

Today, project activities in the HR field are gaining momentum, and many companies are implementing strategic processes that affect business efficiency, help optimize costs, attract qualified specialists and strengthen the corporate culture of the organization.

Tatyana Parshina, senior HR manager at Magna International, says: “Magna is a global manufacturer and developer of automotive components. The corporate culture of the company is based on the principle of a fair enterprise - a stable balance of interests of employees, investors and customers. In accordance with this, we carry out projects related to personnel training and development, search and implementation of innovative HR solutions.

For example, the program Magna Technical Experts is a global initiative that enables the leadership team to identify and select candidates with technical experience and expertise. Rotating once a year for four weeks or more, selected candidates will be able to provide technical advice and expertise on complex problems to other Magna divisions. In this way, the company supports customers, maintains its reputation as a reliable partner and creates conditions for its employees to share best practices. The program was launched at the end of 2012 and is now fully implemented. Another initiative - training center "Magna Peterform", owned by the operating division of the Magna company in St. Petersburg - "Piterform". During the analysis of the current situation in the labor market and business needs, a number of problems were identified: a shortage of qualified workers to service the company’s equipment, the inconsistency of the training system for professional workers in Russia with the needs of modern business (lack of practical skills, teachers, use of old educational programs).

In this regard, Magna Peterform, together with vocational school No. 43 in St. Petersburg, implemented a project whose goal is to provide free training to students in accordance with Russian and foreign educational standards. The director of the training center "Magna Peterform" coordinates the training and at the same time is a teacher of this educational program. In addition, an extended training plan is being drawn up: special trainings in production, additional trainings at the Magna plant (PLC, hydraulics, pneumatics, welding). Ten students are paid a scholarship and are offered employment upon completion of their studies. At the same time, there is an opportunity for other interested organizations to participate in this project.”

“As a result of the project, the company received a high-quality product in accordance with customer requirements, made by local personnel, provided itself with highly qualified workers with extensive knowledge in the field of stamping, assembly and equipment maintenance, increased production efficiency, reduced costs, and created jobs for a specialty in short supply in the labor market and opportunities for professional growth for employees.

Thus, HR projects contribute to achieving the strategic goals of the Magna company, strengthening its values, and also increase the involvement of staff in the company’s work,” concludes Tatyana Parshina.

O'Key Group implements cross-functional projects in which the HR department plays a key role. “The company quite often opens new sales points, and all functions of the organization are involved in these projects. The HR department actively works at every stage of the project: from planning store size and staffing, assessment and selection of various levels of managers and line employees, training and preparation of personnel for work, to resolving various individual issues related to managing people at each site. Typically, all these processes take from five to eight months. Typically, In order for the HR management process to stabilize, it is necessary to control it and make changes, and after the opening of a new store, adapt employees for at least six more months,” notes Elmira Khadieva.

At Bookvoed, HR projects of strategic importance include training top management and changing the approach to hiring the right employees, in particular using the internal website, changing its functionality, texts and searching for new opportunities for promotion. Also an important annual project is the celebration of the company's birthday. The event is being held as a business conference with useful content, and not just in an entertaining format,” comments Denis Kotov.

Today, HR partners are the initiators and agents of change in the company, providing additional market value through the creation of a unified human resource management strategy and optimization of activities.

The information television program “Today” on NTV, and more specifically, the “Business News” section is in constant demand among businessmen - busy and serious people, and the face of this program was a fragile and very young girl, who nevertheless managed to conquer numerous viewers - Elmira Efendieva .

Childhood and youth

Elmira’s personality is shrouded in mystery, and not many facts about her biography are known, to the general regret of her many fans. Elmira was born in the city of Saransk (Republic of Mordovia Russian Federation) April 12, 1989. The press knows nothing about the girl’s parents, and there is also no information about whether she is the only child in the family.

Elya (short form of the name Elmira) received her basic secondary education at the Saransk Linguistic Gymnasium. Like most children who grew up in the USSR, Elya dreamed of following in her footsteps and conquering space, but her childhood dreams were not destined to come true. Although the girl prepared to be an astronaut quite seriously: cardiovascular and respiratory system Elya regularly trained through tennis classes.

After graduating from the Saransk Linguistic Gymnasium, Elmira entered one of the most prestigious universities in Russia at the Faculty of Economics of International Relations. The girl graduated from the Russian University of Cooperation in 2010, receiving a diploma with honors.

After graduating from the university, Elmira unexpectedly decided to connect her life with journalism and entered the Higher Courses of Journalism in the workshop of Alexander Politkovsky at the Ostankino Higher School of Cinema and Television, which is the faculty of additional professional education of the Moscow Institute of Television and Radio Broadcasting "Ostankino". In 2012, Elmira received a second higher education diploma with a degree in Journalism.

Television and journalism

While still studying in her 3rd year at a workshop at MITRO, Elya first appeared on Moscow television during her student internship. It was then that the girl met the information and analytical service of the NTV channel. Almost immediately after completing the course, Elmira received the position of producer-correspondent of the television show “Confrontation”, where she untwisted rather complicated situations of real people.

On live television, sometimes it was even necessary to determine which of the two men was the father of the child of their common deceased lover. But Elmira emerged from any situation with honor and invariably sought the truth.

2 years later, in 2014, the girl left documentary films in the past and began administering the “Control Call” program on the same TV channel. Here Elya often played the role of a good guardian angel: she helped pensioners, single mothers and disabled people, whose rights were infringed by bureaucratic delays government agencies.

A striking case was the appeal of a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, who lived in a practically destroyed house, without the slightest household amenities. Under the close attention of television cameras and the attentive gaze of Elmira, officials carried out their official duties, helping the lonely old man in deciding housing problems. For another year, Elmira sought justice weekly, live on a popular Russian TV channel, as a producer of “Control Bell.”

In 2015, Elmira continued her career as a producer in the NTV information service under the leadership of Vladimir Kulistikov. In 2016, Elmira again added variety to the list of career achievements and became the host of the TV program “Today,” or rather, the morning editions. Since 2017, Elmira Efendieva has become the TV presenter of the program “Today. Business News”, where he still works today.

Personal life

It is almost impossible to find out anything about Efendiyeva’s marital status, much to the regret of her fans. Neither the interview with the young and attractive TV presenter, nor the brief biographical information on the official NTV website, nor the all-knowing Wikipedia, nor accounts on social networks talk about Eli’s personal life. Even in random shots of curious paparazzi, they have not yet been able to catch Elmira by surprise with some mysterious gentleman - there are only colleagues and friends around.

Also, nothing is known to the public about the girl’s nationality. Most fans on the Internet are unanimous in their opinion about the Eastern origin of the TV personality, but things do not go further than assumptions. But an analysis of social networks eloquently showed that Elmira, like other girls, loves being photographed, cats and relaxing in hot foreign resorts.

By the way, among resorts Efendieva prefers the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Italy, Spain and the Maldives. This is eloquently evidenced by photo reports in "Instagram" and on VKontakte. The only surprise was the photo where the TV presenter and her colleagues decided to take an extreme parachute jump in the Vladimir region, timed to coincide with Victory Day.

Elmira Efendieva now

The position of announcer on the NTV channel in the information and news television program “Today. Business News" Elmira Efendieva has been holding the position since September 2017. Elmira’s colleagues are famous journalists, for example, Vladimir Kondratyev, Vladimir Kobyakov and others.

In her free time from work, Elya prefers to travel, as evidenced by the presenter’s photos on social networks. Thus, the girl spent her summer vacation in 2017 in the Maldives, in particular in the capital of the Maldives, the city of Male. In the spring of the same year, the girl visited Barcelona, ​​and in the winter she admired the sights of the eternal city of Rome in Italy.

Projects

• 2012-2014 – producer-correspondent of the television program “Confrontation”
• 2014 – producer of the television program “Control Call” on NTV
• 2015 – producer of NTV information service
• 2016-2017 – presenter of morning broadcasts of the TV program “Today” on NTV
• Since September 2017, she has been the host of the TV program “Today. Business News" on NTV

I read all the reviews...I'm shocked.

I won’t defend people. Okay, but there’s just a lot of negativity.

I myself started working online as a sales consultant and cashier. He worked conscientiously and received a normal salary.....he never received less than 20,000, the average salary was 21,000. Four months later he was promoted to deputy head of the department, where the average salary was 31,000 + a six-month bonus after the closure of the small industrial enterprise (15,000-18,000 rubles) .
But unfortunately that's where the positives end.......
IN Last year Unfortunately, the work situation has changed, the department has expanded, and the staff has been reduced. And then it began.....I won’t write about all the problems. There is one main problem in this network..... There are a lot of bosses and everyone there is on his own, and until they sort things out among themselves, nothing good will happen.
Another moment that “killed” me. In our store, one person out of ten is Russian, the rest are brothers from neighboring countries (and some of them are generally inappropriately arrogant, especially the cleaning ladies). But it wasn’t scary if they only communicated with each other in Russian. And so the situation turned out that I worked in Russia, in a Russian store, but I felt like I was in a market.....and not a Russian one at that (((((I think this is also quite a serious minus.

And finally, for those who are thinking: "...to be or not to be???"
In this store, everything is possible, if you set yourself the goal of growing, then everything can work out. Everything depends on you. The main thing is not to take everything that happens there to heart)))))

Director of Human Resources, O'KEY Group of Companies Elmira Khadieva I am confident that creating favorable conditions for work, professional growth and comprehensive development of employees is the social responsibility of every employer. The company is ready to invest in people who want to develop and build their careers in retail.

– Who is the founder of the company and the organizer of its business?
– The O’KEY Group of Companies is a multi-format federal retail chain, which includes O’KEY hypermarkets and O’KEY Express supermarkets.
The O'KEY company was founded and registered in St. Petersburg in July 2001; the first O'KEY hypermarket was opened in 2002. Three years later, the company’s activities expanded beyond St. Petersburg: in 2005, a hypermarket was opened in Rostov-on-Don. In 2006, the retail chain became multi-format when the first O’KEY Express supermarket opened in St. Petersburg. In November 2010, the O'KEY group of companies carried out its first public offering of shares on the London Stock Exchange.
Since the end of 2007, the General Director of the O’KEY group of companies has been Mr. Patrick Longuet. The company's shareholders are Messrs. Dmitry Troitsky, Boris Volchek and Dmitry Korzhev.

– Tell us about yourself and your career in the company.
– I graduated from the Kazan Financial and Economic Institute with a degree in Labor Economics. From 1993 to 2007 she worked at British American Tobacco. I have experience in building and creating a function from scratch, as well as in managing a built-out personnel department.
Since August 2007, I have been working as the Director of Human Resources at O’KEY. My tasks include developing a business strategy in the field of HR, creating professional, effective HR systems to support business and attract talented specialists in the field of retail. My team and I are responsible for compensation and benefits, recruitment, training, development, evaluation and retention of employees, and our area of ​​responsibility also includes corporate communications.

– What services does the company provide today? What interesting projects can you tell our readers about? – Currently, the O’KEY group of companies is one of the leading retail chains in Russia. As I already said, we are represented in the retail market in two formats – the O’KEY hypermarket and the O’KEY Express supermarket. Hypermarket "O'KEY" is an example of the concept of a classic European hypermarket with the widest selection of various goods and services at affordable prices, large parking, spacious halls and a full range of additional services: children's playground, communication salon, bakery, pharmacy, bank branch, dry cleaning , cafe. The O'KEY Express supermarket is the convenience of shopping at affordable prices close to home. The range of products includes food products, in-house culinary and bakery products, clothing, shoes, sporting goods and household goods, household appliances, toys and children's goods.
There are more than 35,000 items in O'KEY hypermarkets, and more than 6,500 items in O'KEY Express supermarkets. We also produce and sell products of our own brands - dairy, meat and other products and consumer goods.
If we talk about the functionality of the HR department and interesting projects within our practice, then the work in the field of HR in our company is interesting because over the past five years we have been able to introduce and adapt all the main classic areas of HR activity to the corporate strategy and internal culture. The department represents two blocks: an examination block, in which the methodological development of initiatives and projects takes place, and a block of business partners, who are responsible for the implementation of all initiatives on the ground. This approach allows us to quickly develop, apply and correct all projects.

– What principles underlie the personnel policy?
– Creating favorable conditions for work, professional growth and comprehensive development of employees is the social responsibility of every employer. And our company is no exception. The Human Resources Department team works in four important areas. The first is professional development, which includes adaptation and internships, training, career growth, and the creation of a personnel reserve. The second area is compensation and benefits, which includes voluntary medical insurance, food payments, payment sick leave and corporate fitness. Third - working conditions. This is a comfortable workplace that must be certified and meet all sanitary standards, security, and mobile communications. And corporate culture is the fourth direction, implying timely and competent resolution of labor disputes, informing the company’s staff, unity and development of corporate spirit through the newspaper “O’KEY in Focus” and the information board “O’KEY-info”, organizing corporate events.

– What is the number of employees of the company?
– Today, more than 22 thousand employees work in the stores and offices of the group of companies.

– How does the domestic personnel market meet your needs?
– We are ready to invest in people who want to grow and develop in our company, work in retail trade and connect their careers with this industry. From this point of view, we value motivated and ambitious candidates who understand the value of the training we can provide and which they can benefit from in our joint achievement of O’KEY corporate goals.

– Tell us about the company’s social programs. How fruitful was such activity?
– Our company pays great attention to the social protection of its employees. When hiring, we guarantee official registration in accordance with the Labor Code, competitive wages corresponding to the level of the regional markets in which the company's stores are represented. Quarterly and monthly bonuses, paid vacations, paid sick leave, maternity leave. We make contributions to the Pension Fund, which increases the level of social protection of our employees. We also have a voluntary health insurance program, which allows employees to use services and receive treatment in hospitals and medical centers in cities at a higher quality level.
In addition, our employees receive additional corporate discounts and benefits - compensation for meals, free uniforms, the opportunity to purchase goods in our stores at discounted prices (card with a 5 percent discount on all goods). We carry out regular medical and preventive measures and have canteens for employees. On holidays, our employees and their children receive gifts.

– Is it possible to get a temporary job at O’KEY? If so, how often is this practice used? – Since working effectively in the retail industry in almost any position requires quite a significant and lengthy adaptation and our investment in the development of the new employee, we rarely consider employing candidates on temporary / project contracts.

– Do you select managers or do you prefer to “grow” them in your environment?
– For balanced and organic development, it is necessary to use all approaches, not to become isolated and quickly navigate the external and internal labor markets. We are, of course, actively developing our managers at all levels, and a large number of corporate modular programs are aimed at this. To develop and support innovation, we need a constant flow of external candidates, whom we carefully select through various selection practices regulated within our company.

– What type of experience do you value in candidates? Will experience working in competing companies be a plus?
– Our strength is in diversity, but, of course, the labor market has its own unspoken rules of ethics, and we always adhere to them.
In many positions, what is often important to us is not experience, but integrity, attention and the progressive development of our career. We want people to connect their future with us for a long time and firmly. And, in turn, we invest ourselves in their future.

– Do you conduct professional testing of candidates during interviews or do you check their competence before the interview?
– The selection and interview technique depends on the level of the position for which we are looking for a candidate. And always one of the most important assessment criteria during selection is the applicant’s readiness/compliance with our corporate values: trust and team spirit.

– How much ownership is necessary? English language?
– Knowledge of languages ​​is always an advantage, but if a candidate does not speak a foreign language, this will not be an obstacle to consideration of his resume.

– What educational programs for employees could you tell us about? Do you use the services of external providers or are your in-house specialists responsible for training?
– Today, the market leaders are those companies in which the “right people” occupy the “right positions.” Companies achieve success if their employees are responsible, talented, strictly follow the strategy, goals and enjoy their work. With the opening of each new store, we invite more and more employees - professionals who are capable and ready to work in accordance with our corporate values, culture, and results-oriented. People are of paramount importance to us, because they are the ones who preach, implement and ensure high quality standards of “O’KEY” - both in stores and in company offices. We have developed a free corporate training system for employees, which helps them adapt to the company, shape their career path and develop the skills necessary for work. It is important for each of our employees to develop their professional qualities.
We welcome the desire of young professionals for knowledge and advanced training. We also employ students. By the way, there are often cases when it is young people who achieve career success in the company in the shortest possible time. This is due to the fact that they are active, ready to devote more time to work and absorb new information in large volumes.
A significant part of our specialists work and study. Especially for them, we recently launched the “Leader in 250 Days” project, which has already produced its first leaders. This project is aimed at internal and external candidates - graduates, specialists no older than 25 years. This training can only be completed in O’KEY hypermarkets.

Duration of training – 1 year or 250 working days. The internship is a rotation cycle: it allows a person to sequentially work in all positions within several departments and undergo the necessary training for each position. Thanks to such a program, the trainee is immersed in studying the assortment, store processes, and also lays the foundation for the development and improvement of managerial competencies. The training also includes working on various projects and participating in a number of training programs. The internship supervisor is the director of the hypermarket. Also, a large role is given to deputy heads of departments and heads of departments - the quality of the internship depends on their ability to convey information. Trainees are supported and assisted by company directors at various management levels, which allows the students to quickly adapt and complete their training as efficiently as possible.

– It’s no secret that in many companies internal rotation of employees is a type of career development. Does a similar practice exist in your company?

– You can talk about this for hours, citing dozens of examples. We see many stories of successful career growth within the company, when employees starting from specialist positions become experts, managers or executives at various levels. Our employees within the company also try themselves in other professions and specializations related to their activities. For example, we have an employee who started his career at the O’KEY hypermarket as an intern at the age of 18, and today, 4 years later, he holds the position of deputy head of the department.

– Tell us about the structure of career growth in the company. What opportunities do you provide to specialists?

– In most cases, when the question concerns career growth, employees only think about vertical growth. But how many seats are there on the management team? A little. And the higher the position, the more limited the opportunities for vertical advancement, and, of course, not everyone will achieve it. Therefore, now we are increasingly talking about horizontal growth - deepening knowledge, experience and advanced training through work in cross-functional groups and projects. Modern business blurs boundaries, so both managers and line managers can expand their knowledge through cross-functionality, for example, when they move from finance to procurement.
Our company has several dozen different professions, this allows people to change the direction of their activities or even the profile of their specialization, and the company offers people various opportunities for establishing and developing their professionalism.
Our main task for the next 5 years is significant expansion throughout Russia. Of course, the opening of new trading enterprises in Moscow is very important and interesting for us. And as we open new locations, we are actively seeking candidates for leadership positions in our opening stores.

– Do your employees often travel on business trips? What is the purpose of these trips? And should the candidate be initially prepared for them?
– Most of the work of our employees at various levels and specializations is related to the opening of new facilities throughout Russia, so candidates need to prepare for the fact that their work will involve long business trips.

– Is there a problem with the turnover of specialists? If yes, how do you feel about this phenomenon?
– It’s no secret that in retail trade the level of turnover is quite high, and, as a rule, it concerns employees of line-level stores. The situation is much better with specialists and managers. We view turnover as a positive phenomenon and natural selection: we strive to ensure that only those employees stay with us who want to associate themselves with retail for a long time, are ready to work hard and persistently pursue results, and this path is not always easy and quick. And we develop these employees, improve their qualifications and management skills, and rely on them.

Source of information: planetahr.ru