“Workers is what we need most. We cherish them”
12 December 2024
Regions of Russia magazine, No. 4–2024
One of the principal problems of modern Russian economy is personnel shortage. Valerii Chenskii, HR Director, told Regions of Russia about how this issue is being solved in Pumori Corporation’s companies located in Ekaterinburg.
Mr Chenskii, what specialists are most badly needed in your company?
Workers is what we need most. In the first place we need CNC machine-tool operators. This trade is in high demand everywhere. And in the situation of personnel shortages, they are being poached away to other companies by offering a higher wage. We, too, lost many of them. However, some later returned…
You didn’t ask why they came back?
Each has their own reasons. Someone found commuting to the new place of work inconvenient, another landed up in what they now call a toxic team, somebody else didn’t want to lose touch working with equipment older than ours. Then, the conditions are not bad here.
Such as?
The wages are official and stable, the company pays for its employees’ medical checkups and vaccination, swimming in the pool, it provides corporate parties and festive presents. One can see that they are being taken care of. Lastly, the shop is warm and light. And yes, this was what a woman said after trying a new place: “I decided to return when I have stumbled a dozen times on pieces of dirty iron”.
However, there are always vacancies…
What would you think? It’s life. Some people retire, others leave the city, still others feel they’ve made a mistake in choosing the trade.
Have you big staff turnover?
No. There may be two people going in a month, or there may be none. Some guys have been working here for seven to ten — even twelve — years.
Do you try to dissuade people from going?
It depends on the situation. If it's evident that the person (especially a young one) has made a mistake in choosing the trade, which brings him no joy, then we immediately let him go. But we certainly try to keep really good workers. We talk to them, trying to convince… After all, they often say: “Okay, you win, I'm not going” (smiles).
If somebody still leaves, where do you look for replacement?
There are several possibilities. In a critical situation we place an announcement with a recruitment company. Generally, however, we regularly work, in the first place, with educational institutions. At present, we have agreements with 10–12 educational establishments, such as Ural Polytechnic College, Russian State Professional-Pedagogical University (RGPPU), Ural State University of Economics (USUE), Polzunov College a. o. They send us their students to do internship. And after the internship, short though it is (one or two months), many of them say that they want to work in our company. We keep in touch with them.
If 10–12 educational institutions in Ekaterinburg train the specialists you need, why are there staffing problems?
They turn out few specialists. The demand of the economy is greater. There are true battles for graduates. If you go to a college right now and ask for a junior, they will answer that all the guys have already been taken by factories. There are quite a lot of employer-sponsored students, when a company concludes a contract with the would-be student, whereby it pays for his or her studies, and after graduating the student undertakes to work in the sponsoring company.
Does your company use this option?
Certainly. One of ours is studying at Urals University right now. We pay for him, and he works in our company and studies part-time. That suits us perfectly. Upon graduation, he will work here at least five years more, according to the contract.
Some companies are taking people literally off the street, without any background, and train them themselves…
We do it, too. We take guys after short-term training courses. There are a lot of them in Ekaterinburg now, with a duration of two-three months. They only teach the basics of machine-tool control, not even hands-on, just theory. We take them, provide them with mentors from among our specialists, and promptly put them at the machine. Sometimes we even take those who hasn't attended even such courses. We recently took a young man from a wholesale store. He was sick of carrying crates and wanted to learn a decent trade.
Does he work with you?
Yes, taken root, so to say.
How long does it take to bring such a real beginner to an acceptable level?
A couple of months at most.
You mean this mentoring only lasts a couple of months?
Yes, it’s quite enough. Afterwards, one works on their own, but, of course, one can always come up to the former mentor with a question. And not only to the former mentor. Our people all share their knowledge willingly.
Do you assign a mentor to each young worker in the shop?
Why only in the shop? To any newcomer, and not just to the production. Any of them needs showing, explaining, drawing attention to particularities.
Are there people who take on the role of mentor on a regular basis?
Yes. They certainly grumble: “It’s me again, of all people”. One has to coax them a little.
Is the mentorship paid?
Yes. A company order is issued, providing for the pay, among other things. Not much, but still.
How do you select mentors?
The decision is taken by the head of the Engineering-Technical Centre. He assigns the mentor for each newcomer. But since our entity is not so huge, I know the names and the values of each worker. I know who will share his knowledge with pleasure and to good purpose. And who will do it, let’s say, formally. Therefore, I also participate in the decision-making.
Are there guys who had come with zero knowledge, then learned things, and now teach others?
Yes, there are. It’s them indeed who enjoy sharing their knowledge. They like it. When I walk the shopfloor and see a former newbie with his learner, I ask: “You've become a teacher?” And he answers: “Yes, I've grown”.
