With the onset of a full-scale war, the Ukrainian labor market changed significantly. Mobilization and the mass exodus of Ukrainians abroad caused real personnel famine. According to UN estimates, more than 6 million people have already left Ukraine as of today. Such industries as logistics, manufacturing, IT, agriculture, etc. suffer most of all from the shortage of specialists. There is also a shortage of financiers, marketers and engineers. Therefore, competition for candidates among companies is growing. HR directors claim that there are more vacancies than actual applicants on the market.  

Companies are trying to retain talent: they are developing programs of material and non-material support for employees, helping people with relocation, etc. HR Director of BAYADERA GROUP Lyudmila Savitskaya told Forbes BrandVoice how to cope with the challenges of the war and attract new employees on a monthly basis.

New opportunities

Since the beginning of a full-scale invasion, our company has faced the issue of hiring new employees. Almost 10% of our colleagues have now been mobilized to the front, and quite a few of them left to defend Ukraine voluntarily. 

Nevertheless, business does not stand still and every month we have about 40 new vacancies. Traditional methods of finding employees - websites, social networks and Telegram channels - do not always work. Recruiters today have to be flexible, resourceful and find new ways to attract employees. At the same time, programs to retain the existing team should be updated - this works well to prevent hiring. Unfortunately, such cases are becoming more frequent in the market. 

One such program at BAYADERA is relocation assistance. We encourage employees from frontline or occupied territories to move to safer cities where our holding company has branches. We take an individual approach to requests: we pay for the rent of an apartment for the first time and the move itself. Since 2014, 60 employees have relocated within the company.

Anna Smykalova, 39, HR Manager at Bayadera Group

I have been with Bayadera since 2007. For six years, I worked at the branch in Horlivka, and in 2013, I moved to Donetsk. When the war broke out in 2014, I was forced to relocate to Dnipro. I am glad that the company has branches all over the country. This allowed me not to lose my job when I moved, but rather to have two options to choose from - to live and work in Kharkiv or Dnipro. 

Packing up and leaving is not an easy decision, but I am glad that my move was within the country. There was no language barrier, and all everyday issues were resolved quite quickly. In the 10 years since I moved, Dnipro has become a truly hometown for me, so I am very grateful to my company for supporting me.

Vladyslav Rusinov, 37, Deputy Director of HoReCa Sales at BAYADERA GROUP

I am from Mariupol and have been working for BAYADERA since 2013. Before the full-scale invasion, I was Deputy Director of Sales in the South region. 

In July 2022, I moved to Kyiv with my family because the occupiers seized my hometown. I had to literally start from scratch, get used to new pace, and set up my home. However, I am grateful to the company that I did not lose my job, although I had to change my position because the territory I was responsible for was under occupation. The team in Kyiv greeted me well, I made new friends, everyone treated me with understanding, tried to give me advice and help me in my work. Thanks to my colleagues, I feel supported, and this is very valuable.

Mykhailo Gordienko, 42, Commercial Director of the BAYADERA GROUP branch in Odesa

I joined BAYADERA GROUP in Kramatorsk in 2021 as a supervisor. When the war began, I moved from Kramatorsk with my family, first to Dnipro and then to Kharkiv. In April 2023, I was offered the position of a commercial director of the Odesa branch, that is why I live and work here today. 

Moving for me always means new opportunities and acquaintances. If you are a professional in your field, treat your subordinates fairly, and show leadership qualities, there are no problems with joining a new team. In addition, the company's top management was supportive during my adaptation. 

Additional bonuses and referral programs 

All BAYADERA GROUP employees can receive additional cash bonuses for participating in the recommendation program. Candidates can be recommended to any division or department of the company - the main thing is that the person should have necessary knowledge and skills.

There are several channels where employees can find out about current vacancies. These are BAYADERA GROUP website and  People-Service Telegram channel. If a candidate has passed a probationary period, the person who recommended him or her will receive a monetary reward. The amount of assistance is determined individually in each case, depending on the region and the level of the position. On average, we hire 10-12 people on recommendation every month. 

Speaking of other additional bonuses in the company, we also provide financial compensation to those employees who have lost their homes because of the Russian attacks or have fallen ill. We also help those who have gone to the front and their families. In total, the holding has transferred 63 million hryvnias to help the AFU since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. These funds were used to purchase a mobile tire repair shop, a mobile bath and laundry complex, a mobile hospital, vehicles, UAVs, quadcopters with thermal imaging cameras, diesel generators, a portable device for vascular surgery, medicines, equipment, ammunition, protective equipment and other. We proudly keep certificates, awards and trophies from our defenders. We have commendations from the command of the AFU, SOF, military intelligence agency of the Defense Ministry, as well as from the 93rd, 95th, 13th, 112th and other glorious brigades, the regiment of the SOF "Azov" and many other units. 

The company will continue to transfer funds for the needs of the AFU and then for the reconstruction of the country.

According to the State Tax Service, BAYADERA GROUP Holding is the largest taxpayer in Ukraine's alcohol industry. 

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the company has paid more than 8bn hryvnias in taxes to the state budget.

About sports and training 

We actively involve our employees in sports and healthy lifestyle. Yoga classes are held twice a week in the central office of BAYADERA GROUP; the company also pays for employees' participation in running marathons and gives corporate discounts in the network of one of the famous sports clubs. 

In general, we welcome any development of our employees: we partially compensate for training courses and encourage them to lern foreign languages

We are especially proud of our Internal Coach program, where experienced employees share their expertise with others. This year we successfully certified five internal trainers. Thanks to our multi-tiered talent pool program, sales team members have the opportunity to grow their careers. Moreover, we cooperate with Lviv School of Business Executives, where the company's managers study at the Executive MBA course.

- There are 3500 employees in the holding.

- 253 people have been mobilized to the AFU.

- There are 184 job openings across all branches as of April 2024.

- On average, 41 vacancies are opened in the company every month.

- Relocation was made by 60 employees.

- Employees have been laid off since the beginning of the war - 0.