Creating the Best Employee Experience: Bank Strategy in Times of War according to Yuliia Titurenko, HRD of Pivdenny Bank

How one can adapt HR strategies to war times, create the best employee experience, and come up with new initiates in an open discussion with colleagues? All those questions were brought up by Yuliia Titurenko, HRD of Pivdenny Bank, during the Panel Discussion “HR Strategies in Times of War” at HR Wisdom Summit.

“Since the onset of the full-scale war in Ukraine, we have kept our focus on the building of an effective talent hunting and development system. We understood that we had a great number of efficient employees with great potential and it was our job to create the conditions for their development in response to the challenges of today’s world and realisation of their potential in new roles, even if it is a horizontal rather than a vertical career growth,” said Yuliia.

However, building such a system is not even the most difficult part of the task: it is also important to retain your team. “There are a lot of cool businesses on the market that are proactively engaging in talent scouting. And it becomes increasingly difficult not to lose your own. But we are convinced: people stay when they have the opportunity to grow and develop in the company and get the best experience from every interaction.” Pivdenny Bank has transformed this approach into systematic work with employee experience. The bank has studied the standard career path in detail, i.e. from a first hire to retirement.

“We asked our colleagues what their impressions were at each stage of their career. What they liked, what they would like to change. After all, it is these impressions that motivate the employees to work with the company and recommend it to others. It has been a long journey: we have been working on this for a year and a half and are still on the way to improvement,” noted Yuliia.

Yuliia firmly believes that it is equally important not only to listen to employees, but also to address their concerns. If you only conduct a survey and do nothing, people will stop responding at some point.

A striking example is the initiative “The Year of Ukrainian Art”, which was created in response to suggestions from colleagues. Employees suggested including cultural events – theater, performances, and concerts – as part of the welfare programme. Their initiative has led to the creation of four thematic seasons: opera and ballet, Ukrainian songs, Ukrainian dance, and theatrical performances.

“Once we presented our welfare programme, this initiative gathered the largest positive feedback and appreciation. Every month, we announce a list of events in every Ukrainian city, where our branches are located, and colleagues can choose which events they wish to attend. And this initiative is not only about emotional recovery through cultural experiences - it is also about team building. Colleagues attend events together, communicate, and spend time outside of work. This is a true unification through experience,” shared Yuliia.