Construction is one of the fields of Ukrainian economy that develops the most dynamically. Along with growth of investments and scope of residential and commercial property development, this field is characterized with growing demand for experts. Primarily, it is accounted for field development rate as well as introduction of a wide range of new technologies from architect and engineer computer applications to the state-of-the-art methods of process management, assembling and high technology tools control. We discuss human resources management and labour market prospects with Mrs. Oksana Andreeva, HR Director of Karkas Company.

Would you please tell us about your methods and criteria of head-hunting?

Our company is engaged in commercial property development; hence, majority of our staff members is construction specialists. In view of vigorous growth of both construction market and our company we can observe growing demand for specialists having technical education background. These are predominantly architects, engineers, foremen and experienced construction project managers.

Our methods of head-hunting are determined by vacancy and position of this vacancy on the labour market. It can be direct search, search through Internet job sites, recruiting agencies and references of our staff members or partners. We manage to fill in majority of vacancies in our company by ourselves, without recourse to recruiting agencies. We place available vacancy announcements on job sites, corporate site and in monthly digest for the staff members.

To fill in the vacancies we consider, first and foremost, promising staff members from the company reserve. If the company lacks necessary specialists or their qualifications are beyond the level we will make head-hunting on the human resource market. However, it may happen that we provide training for our staff member to be properly qualified.

The first thing the HR manager sees is CV. Would you please tell us what are eye-catchers for you in CV?

Our company applies project management and majority of staff members from different departments and divisions of the company are project team members. Traditionally, our projects are long-term and include much communication between the project team members. Therefore, it is important that our potential staff member has developed partnership-building skills, regarding both internal and external customers, and team work skills. University degree and experience in construction field is the must for some of our company positions. Nevertheless, university degree alone, without any pursuits to advance the professional level, is not a guarantee of success.

Consequently, we focus much attention on CV to make initial evaluation of the candidates.

CV can be compared to passport. All presented data should be true and comprehensive as to get as precise as possible impression of the candidate before his personal meeting with the recruiter.

First of all, we pay attention to educational background and specialty, functions at previous jobs, company where the candidate worked. Specialized education is vital for construction specialties.

We look not only at the name of the company but its profile, as not all companies, even the largest but of narrow profile, are widely known.

Referring just to the position without enumerating main functions the candidate narrows range of potential job offers. Name of the position is not so important for us. More important are the functions. For instance, "project manager" in Karkas Company means a person who manages the whole project of the building mounting having broad powers and being responsible for success of the project. In other companies this position may imply consumer goods sales manager.

Do the expectations of the potential candidates meet their qualifications?

The main difficulty of the project team members recruiting is that the construction works may last for several years. Person who decided to change the job can not always resign because the project is not completed. As a rule, staff members are confined to finish of the project in moral and money terms. Therefore, search for such specialists is more time-consuming than in other fields.

Basic criterion of job search for the candidates is the salary rate. Unfortunately, not always the candidates’ expectations meet their qualifications. Sometimes, young specialists who do not have sufficient experience demand salary at the rate of qualified experts. On the other hand, when experienced candidate who poses interest to us claim for compensation package larger than the company offers we can review its enhancement for individual purposes.

While headhunting we are interested to get the proper expert to our company not less than the applicant is interested to find proper stable company to proceed with his career.

What do you offer to applicants from your side?

Human resources are the main value of our business. Management of our company is well aware of this fact, therefore, we try to provide proper working conditions and decent salary rate to all staff members. Just recently we have moved to the new, more spacious and convenient office which has all necessary conditions for the staff to feel comfortable: individual office security, well furnished rooms, dining rooms, parking place under security guard.

Labour remuneration system is individual for each staff member depending upon position and qualification level. Except for salary the company practices system of bonus and incentives at the rates determined by individual and team purposes.

Our company tries to make compensation package complying with the market level. Taking this into account our Personnel Department makes labour market research twice a year which results serve as a basis for revision of salaries. The compensation package is also changed if the staff member shifts to another position or its occupational functions are extended.

Several times a year we organize corporate events on important occasions, traditional and professional holidays. Such happenings make our staff members closer to each other, give them feeling of belonging and improve corporate climate which facilitates working process. The company also has enrooted tradition of congratulating its staff on birthday.

All the staff expenses related to work (transportation, mobile phone communication etc.) are covered by the company.

Our personnel stay with us for a long time. We are interested in their professional and personal development and, consequently, we invest our money and time to develop our personnel. All the new staff members undergo adaptation period when they learn company’s life and principles of work. During the adaptation period the new staff member is instructed to objectives of his position, working standards and company’s values. Well-organized adaptation period allows new staff members feel comfortable, join the activities promptly and work efficiently.

To upgrade qualification our personnel also attend trainings. Besides, our staff members may enhance their skills using the corporate library of professional literature which is constantly replenished with new books.

Karkas Company is the leader in its field. Thus, image of our company, its stability, high level of quality and working conditions may serve additional motivations to work for us.

What are your forecasts concerning labour market trends in construction field?

Throughout the recent years construction field lacked qualified experts. Last year there were some difficulties in recruiting engineers but today this issue is not so crucial. I believe that in the few years the situation will change drastically because sufficient number of young specialists graduates from construction higher education institutions to become construction experts in the nearest future.

The nearest future is supposed to bring more job offers in construction as new companies will emerge and big foreign construction companies will come to Ukrainian market. Along with it, requirements to qualification will rise as the projects will become more complicated and competition with foreign companies more tough.

We, as an employer, will not only engage the best specialists in our field but lay much emphasis on their qualification upgrading and improve our working conditions to motivate our employees.