Elektrokontakt Ukraine: working with youth and vulnerable groups helps address workforce gaps
“Inclusion begins with the willingness to listen and support each other. When a company creates an environment where everyone can realise their potential, it builds not only loyalty but also a stronger team. It is also a practical way to reduce labour shortages,”
says Oksana Voitovych, Head of Employee Motivation and Development Group, Elektrokontakt Ukraine (Zolochiv, Lviv region).
Workforce challenges caused by the war have pushed Ukrainian companies to look for new approaches to working with employees. For Elektrokontakt Ukraine, it became clear that traditional HR tools were no longer enough if the company wanted to remain resilient and continue developing.
Participation in the HR Boost for Better Employment project within the Multi Donor Initiative Skills4Recovery helped the company rethink its HR practices, exchange experience with other participants and introduce new approaches to working with employees.
“We lacked effective ways to attract and support employees, especially those who need a more individual approach. We were looking for solutions that would help us improve communication, build trust in the team and address bias when working with vulnerable groups,” says Oksana.
The first step was gaining a better understanding of the target groups. The team looked at HR from a new perspective: who the company could support and who could also support the business in return. Particular attention was paid to young people, as the company recognised their strong potential for the future workforce.
After participating in the project, cooperation with young people became more active and systematic. Oksana Voitovych organised a series of training sessions for students on how to take the first step towards a career, including job search, CV preparation and interview skills.
The company has also strengthened cooperation with vocational education institutions. In particular, it is equipping a training classroom at Zolochiv Vocational College, where students will be able to gain practical experience and try themselves in the role of cable production assemblers. A vocational training instructor from the company also plans to deliver lectures for students to help them better understand the production processes at the enterprise.
Through these activities, Elektrokontakt Ukraine has presented itself as an open and modern employer and at the same time created opportunities for the future employment of young specialists.
At the same time, the company has started working with veterans. One example is the employment of a serviceman who returned from captivity.
“For me, this was a special experience, as we had to move away from standard recruitment procedures. We extended the timeframe for the medical examination, adapted the workplace selection to his preferences and, most importantly, tried not to ask unnecessary questions, as the person was not ready for this. At present, the employee is successfully working within the team and gradually adapting to civilian life,” Oksana shares.
Another area of work is encouraging women to enter traditionally male-dominated professions, including positions as CNC machine operators, with prior internal training.
Thanks to the knowledge and tools gained through Skills4Recovery, the company is developing more inclusive employment practices. The team at Elektrokontakt Ukraine includes internally displaced persons, young people, people with disabilities and older employees. The age range of employees is from 18 to 73.
Background
The project “HR Boost For Better Employment: Enhancing HR Practices for Inclusive Employment of Skilled Workforce” is being implemented by the NGO “Mentor Centre” within the framework of the Multi Donor Initiative Skills4Recovery, which is jointly co-financed by the European Union, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Denmark, and is implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Solidarity Fund PL (SFPL).