This October, the interview with an Ex/R Director of DOPOMOGA GROUP in the Republic of Moldova - Evghenia Danu - has been taken by Pavel Zingan. It has covered an introduction of the branch, its main services and values, volunteer projects and an overview of the current situation in the labor market of Moldova. Let’s take a closer look ;)
Evghenia, I didn’t have an opportunity to work with recruiting companies. But I am sure I saw the name DOPOMOGA GROUP before.
I am not surprised that you didn’t work with them before. The recruiting market of Moldova is relatively young. Most of the companies are just starting to figure it out and understanding the importance of our work. So, I hope for our cooperation in future.
DOPOMOGA GROUP has been operating on the territory of Moldova since 2006. Its services included search and selection of a middle and top management team. Also, we have added search and selection of IT specialists to our services in 2011.
Oh, already 16 years? And when has it started to operate in Ukraine?
Since 1994. DOPOMOGA GROUP has been started as a family business. However, in 2019, it served 43% of Global500 companies in the segments Manufacturing, FMCG, IT Technology, Banking, Electronics & Electrical Equipment, Pharmaceuticals, Construction and Machinery. The total revenue of DOPOMOGA GROUP in 2019 made up 12.5 million euros.
Today, the operation of the company in Ukraine shrinked due to a war in the country. But, we really hope that everything will recover in the near future.
How have you started your career in DOPOMOGA GROUP? Did you have any recruiting experience previously?
Definitely not. I have started with a blank page. And I'm really happy about this fact. After my graduation, I was working as a private entrepreneur and had a small operation. However, I always wondered about working in an international organization, so then I will be able to master my managerial skills and gain new ones, such as standards of conducting international business and systematic work.
After that, I had two maternity leaves. When I finally decided to get a job, I saw a DOPOMOGA GROUP’s ad. It was looking for a GM at the representative office of Moldova. And I applied.
You just sent your CV and that’s it?
No, it wasn't so easy. I had two online interviews and one in a headquarter in Kyiv with the founders. Only after that I got the answer.
Evghenia, could you describe in one sentence what DOPOMOGA GROUP has achieved in the last couple of years in the Republic of Moldova?
We occupy more than one third of the HR market in Moldova. We are a top company for a search and selection of managers in Moldova, including attracting specialists from abroad.
What are the last closed vacancies that you are proud of?
I cannot name you specific companies, due to our policies. But, can name you closed vacancies and industry of the Clients. Commercial Director for a leading telecom company, Development Director and Chief Accountant for a large IT company, etc.
These are the most vivid. Although, to find a good Data Analyst or Project Manager is not very easy either.
Do you work with anybody? Or does the size of an organization matter for you?
A very important criteria for us is the company's reputation.
We value our name and the trust of our Clients. If, for example, a potential customer does not treat his employees decently or has other "jams", we will tactfully refuse him.
In addition, we value our Candidates. We care about their further steps and well-being. Thus, we are very precise in the selection of our Clients.
What do you think about the current situation in the moldavian labor market? Do you agree with the relevance of the term “employee market”? When specialists take advantage of the fact that there are not enough of them and "squeeze" everything possible from their employers, who are tired of looking for new specialists?
To be accurate we need to divide markets according to industries and position levels.
For instance, we have a tough situation in the IT industry… And we definitely need to talk about it next time!
Similar situation with the vacancies where specialists with no qualification or experience are needed.
If we talk about our specialization - Middle and Top Managers - there are a lot of open vacancies and candidates to match them.
The problem of this segment in Moldova is clients-candidates expectation. Clients have a specific set of competencies and experience that they are looking for in a candidate, valued at a certain value. However, candidates value the same set of competencies higher. This trend was not noticeable before. But everything has changed after recent events.
So, basically, you, as a recruiting agency, are in the middle of this conflict?
It depends.
Due to the fact that we are a mediator between Client and Candidate, we can inform our Clients with current trends on the market. Thus, our partners always have up-to-date information and are able to adjust to new changes.
Also, sometimes, Clients are looking for qualities or skills that are not available on the labor market of Moldova. In this case, our team search specialist from abroad. We have successful cases of relocating people from Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine. Our Partners especially value candidates who came from Moldova, but then move to European companies.
Let's talk about the Moldovan diaspora in Europe. There are tough times there, too. Perhaps some people have lost their jobs and are actually ready to return to their homeland?
Yes, and we would be happy to give support for these people.
We make posts about vacancies and opportunities in Moldova under a hashtag Diaspora Revine Acasă în our social media. Also, try to get across the fact that they are needed as a specialist in their homeland. The companies gladly consider candidates with a foreign experience. Today, we have a couple of candidates that are interested in these offers.
To be fair, the process of relocation and integration is not easy. However, businesses and the country's economy can have a lot of benefits in the long run.
Additionally, it is important to mention our other project. It is also connected with the diaspora. It is called Noi Pentru Noi. I work on it together with my colleagues - Angela Holovko and Olga Radu. You had an interview with them, too. The project aims to gather professionals that are originally from Moldova, and who are working abroad now. So then, they can share their knowledge with them through workshops and training.
This is an interesting way to improve the qualification of local specialists and develop our country.
Oh, it’s a great idea! I will be happy to interview a couple of participants to ask for their experience on these events.
Thank you.
What is a portfolio of your Clients?
It is Nestle, Viorica, Simpals, Efes, Moldtelecom, Karcher, Waikiki, Maib, Gilat, WizzAir, Epson, Whirlpool and way more. We truly proud to work with these organizations!
Likewise, we value our Candidates. I want to share our main principles that we follow in our cooperation with them.
- We follow the terms of Candidates’ consideration. If we represent a Candidate, we are making sure the response is given in time.
- We give a professional recommendation on how to create a CV and prepare to an interview.
- We give feedback to our Candidates regardless of the results of a selection process.
The process of a job search is always stressful. We are happy to be able to facilitate this process for our Candidates.
Sincerely,
