inter ikea centre group
NEWSLETTER Issue 1, 2012
DEAR FRIENDS, we are addressing you via the first electronic newsletter in 2012 to inform you about news of the developer Inter IKEA centre Group Česká republika and Slovensko that belongs to the international developer group - Inter IKEA Centre Group (IICG). The current issue will provide you with the latest information on the trends in the field of human resources in retail in Slovakia and in the Czech Republic. What is the definition of the term “human resources” for IICG? It is especially a particular employee – human beings who decided to develop their skills and knowledge, to share certain values, to work on our goals in the way the company can grow and they can grow with it. Every company is based on quality work of its employees thus we believe that you find the articles about ”people” in this edition to be the interesting inspiration. Moreover, we shall discover the information on a new benefit system of IICG and the stories of successful employees. We shall welcome all your questions or proposals. Pleasant reading with new ideas is wishing you Lenka Chuwa Human Resource Manager Inter IKEA Centre Group CZ and Inter IKEA Centre Group SK
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NEW SPECIAL WELCOME KIT WILL HELP NEW IICG EMPLOYEES TO GET ORIENTATED The developer Inter IKEA Center Group which builds, owns, and operates Avion Shopping Park centres in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, is recruiting new employees every year all over the world. According to the HR Department in the IICG headquarters in the Danish town of Copenhagen, the first days at work are the most demanding for new team members. The newly introduced special welcome kit intends to reduce stress of employees. The kit includes the schedule of activities during the first days in the company, basic administrative and technical information about the company, its approach to environment protection and basic values. “The folder with basic information about the company was waiting for me on the table already upon my arrival to work. All information helped me get involved in the working environment faster. I was well surprised also by a welcoming postcard from the IICG HR Manager which I received at my home address before commencement of my employment. I understood this company had completely different business policy than the companies where I had worked before. IICG makes the impression on me of being a dynamic company which focuses not only on its own business but also on having the employees feeling well at work and being a part of the business,“ a new colleague in the IICG Group pointed out.
INTERVIEW
BUSINESS AND PEOPLE GROW TOGETHER IN IICG Ms Lenka Chuwa, IICG CZ/SK HR Manager answers the questions about the trends in the employee care: What is the situation on the labour market in the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic? Do you have enough suitable candidates? IICG is one of the biggest European developers of shopping centres. Apart from construction of new centres in Europe, we are intensely expanding to the very dynamically growing Chinese market. We are unambiguously growing also in terms of the number of employees. We are aware of the fact that one cannot grow without the other – company without employees and employees without company. Our IICG company, however, does not grow only according to the number of quality employees but also expert knowledge and abilities of our people are expanding. We invest in our people in the same manner as we invest in the development of our shopping centres. There is, however, still a very small number of candidates on the market in the Czech Republic and Slovakia experienced in our field. But concurrently we know that experience is just one of the criteria for being a successful employee. What apart from work experience is the decisive aspect during interview? I say – don’t look always just for pro-
fessionals but let’s leave room also for people with personal potential. Then let’s offer them possibilities, challenges, freedom, incentives, inspiration, support etc. We select candidates with strong internal motivation, courage to overcome new challenges, their behaviour is in compliance with the company values and they want to develop further. What is the method applied to the selection of suitable candidates? In the course of interviews we apply modern as well as best practises verified by years to the selection of employees. Psychometry, which discovers what style of work the future employee prefers and which his/her qualities show hidden potential, is a very interesting and contributory selection tool. It is always necessary to continue with behavioral interview after psychometry results are available during which the experienced personnel clerk shall verify the conclusions of psychometry. What can personal interview with a personnel manager discover? This type of an interview is time demanding but it may discover for example the way the candidate communicates, what are his/her incentives, how initiative he/she is whether he/she need a creative scope of employment or he/she can perform cyclic work with pleasure etc. Right questions and excellent
Lenka Chuwa Human Resource Manager IICG CZ/SK listening skills may assist in discovering not only the current skills of the person concerned but also his/her future ambitions and self-reflection. During interview there are not correct or incorrect answers since everyone is shaped for various working tasks and responsibilities in his/her life. What are the qualities of an ideal leader? Every leader is unique similarly as his/her people. The only thing that really works is the importance of an individual approach to everyone and continuous effort for justice. And after intense work with an individual we can find out ourselves whether we are a leader or not! Source: IICG CZ/SK
Since November 2011 Lenka Chuwa became Human Resources Manager of developer Inter IKEA Centre Group Czech Republic and Slovakia, which owns and operates shopping centres Avion Shopping Park. After high school study Lenka Chuwa graduated from Czech Technical University, where she acquired engineering degree. During university study she worked in the field of executive search, especially in headhunting in Central and Eastern Europe. Gradually she gained experience in all areas of human resources in companies PricewaterhouseCoopers, Window Holding and ČEZ.
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SUCCESS STORIES As an example of employee development in IICG CZ/SK we present two interviews with our colleagues, who push their skills and knowledge further and accepted the offer to work for the development company IKEA MOS in Russia:
VLADIMÍR BEREŠ Vladimír Bereš started in IICG CZ/SK as a Project Manager, he was managing Avion Shopping Park in Bratislava for six years, then he was in the position of the Property Manager for the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic for two years. Till his leaving in 2012 to Russian IKEA MOS, he worked in IICG CZ/SK as the Expansion Manager. Why did you decide to work for IICG? From the beginning, I worked in the IKEA Group for several years in various positions. But the development and operation of shopping centres was a new and unknown challenge within our concern, I was attracted by being at the birth of something new. Which activities in IICG were the biggest challenge and contribution to your personal growth for you? Each position and every work, even less successful period of the career is the contribution to personal growth. The biggest challenge for me was the project of Avion Shopping Park in Bratislava. We were not much experienced, IICG in Slovakia and in the Czech Republic was just at its beginning and many decisions were verified only when implemented in practise. What do you appreciate about the work for IICG? To work in the field of shopping centres
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is an interesting job, every day brings something new. A person should use and acquire experience in various areas – in marketing, financial or technical one. I do appreciate that in IICG we maintained excellent relations with our partners along with good results. Why did you decide to accept the offer right for IKEA MOS? I learnt about the offer from my colleagues who had already been working abroad. The main reason was the offer of an interesting position in the company which is the subject to certain transformations. I also wanted to try the work abroad, in the country with great potential for development of retail trade and for development of modern business centres. How will the work in Russia be different compared to work in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia? The main difference is in figures: in the size of centres, number of shops in centres, number of visitors or in the distances among centres. IKEA MOS has 14 business centres in its portfolio and it also enjoys a dominant position on the Russian market. Business centres include IKEA department stores which are directly connected to the business gallery. As a Regional Manager I am responsible for nine business centres in Moscow
and its surrounding. Regional centres outside Moscow have their specifics, different customer, various cultural and religious background. It is very interesting but also demanding job requiring the knowledge of the local market. Russia is a huge market and despite low purchasing power, the revenues of dealers are surprisingly high. Our biggest centre, Mega Bela Daca in Moscow has 333 shops, has the biggest selling area in Europe and it counts 40 million visitors a year.
Vladimír Bereš
SUCCESS STORIES
HYNEK ŠANDERA Hynek Šandera was long-time Financial Manager of IICG CZ/SK and recently he accepted a challenge to work for IKEA MOS in Russia:
ted company. It is very important for me to work in the environment which does not limit me and which supports individual thinking. That all I found in IICG.
Why did you decide to work for IICG? I started to work for IICG in 2004 as a Financial Manager for the Czech Republic and Slovakia. I was incentivized especially by the possibility to participate in building a newly-established organisation within the IKEA Group.
Why did you decide to accept the offer right for IKEA MOS? I was addressed with a particular offer and they asked me whether I like challenges. The Russian market is a huge market and it develops fast. IKEA MOS belongs not only to the biggest companies within the IKEA Group but also to the biggest companies in the world within the shopping centre business. Currently, there are big changes implemented in IKEA MOS covering the management process. The combination of all these factors at the same time creates a unique situation. The offer of work in IKEA MOS was interesting for me due to uniqueness of the situation in which the company is. At the same time, I perceived this offer as an expression of great trust. My deciding, however, was not simple because I liked my work in IICG CZ/SK very much and I also enjoyed it.
Which activities in IICG were the biggest challenge and contribution to your personal growth for you? The most contributory for me was the fact that I met great number of excellent professionals in IICG on all levels from whom I could constantly learn something new both as for human and professional aspects. Being the same professional as them had always been the biggest challenge for me. What do you appreciate about the work for IICG? The work in IICG was interesting from all aspects. The corporate culture supporting open communication, team cooperation and independent deciding, excellent group of people and the possibility to participate in work for stable and respec-
How will the work in Russia be different compared to work in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia? There is great difference in the company size as well as in the dis-
tance of particular business centres. In the Czech Republic and in Slovakia we had ten times less employees, we all knew one another by name and all business centres can be visited in two days. In IKEA MOS there are many people from various countries. All this supposes great demands for mutual communication and coordination.
Hynek Šandera
IICG OFFERS TAILOR-MADE BENEFITS FOR EMPLOYEES Since January this year, the developer IICG introduced – i.e. flexible benefits based on individual approach to employees in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia. The employees thus may select themselves the area or service for which they will use the annual contribution from the employer. ”This step not only supported satisfaction of employees but it also strengthened one of the internal values of the company - „the value for money“. We offer freedom – something, that employees value. There are people of various age, sex, interests etc. working in every company.
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Each of them shall appreciate an individual approach satisfying exactly his/her needs and wishes,“ Ms Lenka Chuwa, IICG CZ/SK HR Manager stated. A new approach to benefits called also a cafeteria means, in her opinion, a possibility for each employee to choose various activities up to certain maximum financial amount. Apart from flexible benefits, IICG CZ/SK provides its employees with general and local bonuses – for example discounts for purchase in particular Avion shopping centres, gift vouchers for anniversaries, teambuilding activities for employees or fruit days.
What are the flexible benefits in IICG CZ/SK? • activities or services for which an employee may spend contribution from the employer • these are activities related to health, education or future • for example: a contribution for mass transport, babysitting, foreign language course, contribution to the insurance, or above-standard health care, etc. Source: IICG CZ/SK
inter ikea centre group
Inter IKEA Centre Group (IICG) • IICG is an investor, developer and operator of shopping centres • Inter IKEA Centre Česká republika and Inter IKEA Centre Slovensko were founded in 2003 and are a members of IICG group • they operate 4 shopping centres in Prague, Brno, Ostrava and Bratislava known as Avion Shopping Park, together with area of 304 000 m2 • IICG builds shopping centres always with IKEA store that is an anchore tenant and has IICG shopping centres as partner
DID YOU KNOW THAT IN 2011:
OUR VALUES 1. Leading the way
• average age of employees in IICG CZ and SK was 37?
2. Leadership by example
• the proportion of men and women in IICG CZ and SK was 51% and 49%?
4. Striving to meet reality
3. Simplicity 5. Value for money 6. Humbleness and willpower
• the proportion of men and women in managerial positions in IICG CZ and SK was 58% and 42%?
7. Togetherness and enthusiasm 8. Accept and delegate responsibility
• 79% of the IICG CZ and SK employees expressed the opinion that they have good opportunities for development and improvement of their skills? • 82% of the IICG CZ and SK employees expressed the opinion they are respected and appreciated in their department? • 100% of the IICG CZ and SK employees expressed the opinion that to meet their tasks they can use the assistance they need provided by the HR, education and development department?
FURTHER ENQUIRIES: Are you inspired by the information in this newsletter? Do you need more information? Please contact us via e-mail: ksutarova@agency-like.com
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Contact: Katarína Šutarová PR Consultant PR Agency LIKE Jozefská 19, 811 06 Bratislava Slovakia Mobil: (+421) 917 654 603 E-mail: ksutarova@agency-like.com
This document is not legally liable and does not serve as a contract offer. All information in this document serves for informative purposes and we do not bear any responsibility for information integrity or correctness. All information can be subject to changes.
© Inter IKEA Centre Group A/S, 2012
Source: IICG CZ/SK survey – VOICE 2011