The first IT Meets: Talent conference brought together over a hundred leading HR experts from Ukrainian tech companies to discuss key topics such as preserving employees’ internal resources, the importance of salary surveys, and HR strategies during wartime. After more than eight hours of discussion, the event produced valuable insights, which we have gathered and summarized below.
The ongoing war consumes a significant amount of energy and resources, making it crucial for individuals to prioritize their own well-being. At the IT Meets: Talent conference, psychologist-practitioner Volodymyr Stanchyshyn highlighted the importance of employee mental health during the second year of the full-scale offensive. He shared practical advice on maintaining motivation and productivity despite the challenges of the current climate.
First of all, the psychologist advises following simple rules: getting enough sleep, eating well, and enjoying good food. According to him, it is impossible to heal the trauma now as the war is still going on. But these basic things will help you cope until you can start therapy.
According to Volodymyr, another good practice may be partially avoiding the war topic. At the same time, this does not mean you must completely dissociate yourself from the news. He proposes that HR specialists create an environment where employees can temporarily switch to work and take a break from the war context.
“Today, we have to talk about our fears. Mental health should be a top priority. When we share our fears with someone and see in their eyes the reassurance that everything will be fine, it becomes easier for us and reduces tension. Therefore, it is crucial for HR specialists to create a safe and supportive environment where employees can talk about their experiences without judgment,” added Volodymyr Stanchyshyn.
The tech industry is currently going through tough times: foreign companies have started to be more cautious in their contracts with Ukrainian vendors, affecting the market, and the global recession is also impacting them. It is essential to be open and transparent about the state of affairs within the company with employees.
“One of our absolute values is transparency and openness. This is very helpful, especially when there is tension in the industry regarding whether you will keep your job or your client will want to go to a safer region. We hold regular ‘all hands’ meetings where we openly discuss the situation in our partners’ business and inside the company,” shared Maryana Horlach, CEO of Blackthorn Vision.
“Maximum transparency and trust are what bring people together. They understand what will happen to them tomorrow, what the plan is for each stage of the company’s development,” added CEO and co-founder of Scimus, Ihor Kit.
Having a relevant market reward system is essential during unstable business times. Salary surveys can be a good tool for this. They will help optimize the company’s compensation system, form decent salaries for employees, prevent staff turnover, and thus be a competitive employer in the tech market in Ukraine.
“Salary analytics provide a reasoned position during negotiations with existing specialists and new candidates. You will understand what lies behind the candidates or the reviewed employee’s desires and the company’s opportunities. This directly affects the company’s financial performance, as you can more reasonably plan project budgets and hire according to them,” said Yaryna Vozniak, Research Lead of the Lviv IT Cluster.
Lviv IT Cluster presented a unique study during the conference: IT Research Salary Report. Within the “Starter Edition” of the project, the team has already analyzed data from more than 9,120 tech industry specialists occupying different positions in 35 leading tech companies that are members of the association. The “Spring Edition” will be implemented in 2023, with data collection underway, and the “Autumn Edition” will be available in the fall.
Participants in a panel discussion on volunteering agreed that a company that helps bring Ukraine closer to victory could attract and retain talent more effectively.
“We have a cool case. Every month we measure NPS (Customer Support Index). During the celebration of our 20th anniversary, we bought a FlyEye drone with the Sergiy Prytula Foundation. It corrects artillery work and costs 5.4 million hryvnias. And we saw how our NPS boosted. It was within 50-55%; after this, it becomes 75%,” said Roman Hapachylo, VP of Talent Management at Intellias.
“90% of our activities in the office are related to volunteering and fundraising. Analyzing employee feedback, we realized that they have become more loyal. In addition, this also affects hiring. Everyone knows that when a candidate comes for an interview, they ask how the company contributes to victory,” added Olha Chekh, Head of the Sombra for Ukraine Foundation.
IT Meets is a series of one-day professional conferences. The initiative was created for the quality exchange of knowledge and experience, productive networking, and development of professional communities’ culture in the Ukrainian tech industry. The next event, IT Meets: Tech, will take place in April. Stay tuned for updates on the website itmeets.com.ua and join the conferences in Lviv.
N-iX became the partner of IT Meets: Talent. The media partners are robota.ua, Happy Monday, Liga.net and HURMA.
The first IT Meets: Talent conference brought together over a hundred leading HR experts from Ukrainian tech companies to discuss key topics such as preserving employees’ internal resources, the importance of salary surveys, and HR strategies during wartime. After more than eight hours of discussion, the event produced valuable insights, which we have gathered and […]
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