Employee welfare-based development at Optimum Solar
Our company recently won the SILVER certification grade of the Responsible Employer. We are very proud of this award, which is our first recognition in the field of HR. On this occasion, we asked the HR manager of Optimum Solar Zrt., Szilvia Szamosvári, about the details.
You have almost 20 years of experience in the field of human resources management, which you mainly gained in a multinational-oriented environment. You joined Optimum Solar in 2021. What was your first impression of the company? How were you accepted by the community?
My first impression was that the operating principle here is quite different from that of a multinational company. Even my job interview took place in a more direct, family-like atmosphere than usual. Professionally, I could absolutely identify with this, because during an hour and a half job interview it is important to reveal the true personality of the candidates, which really comes out in such a direct, stress-free environment. As a manager, I also conduct job interviews this way.
In the first few weeks, I saw that many serious professional challenges await me in the life of a company undergoing change. The greeting was full of expectations on the part of everyone, which was also made difficult by the fact that I started working remotely. This form of employment was a new thing in the life of the company.
What do you think are the main characteristics of a Hungarian SME? How can you take advantage of these?
I think that it is mainly the role of SMEs in the labor market that is noteworthy. They typically employ local labor, and their network of contacts is also local. Although small businesses carry out HR activities, they are less regulated and primarily operate informally. Task performance is mainly administrative in nature, activities requiring special knowledge are mostly outsourced. However, Optimum Solar is a special place in its own right: here the local SME interest meets the international contact system, local smaller projects meet large national and even foreign developments, which brings with it the diversity and diversity of employees, jobs, and tasks. We could also say that it is a Hungarian SME that operates with a multinational approach.
In Hungarian medium-sized enterprises, it is increasingly necessary to develop and operate HR systems that meet the goals of the given organization, which requires professional professionalism like that of a multinational company. Here at Optimum Solar, we had to introduce a hybrid version: a family-friendly Hungarian SME with a multinational-view. My task is to implement HR developments that are already essential in an organization with such many employees and ensure organic development both in terms of domestic and international goals. I couldn't say no to this challenge.
In the evaluation of the current award, it can be read that you have achieved very good, one might say exemplary results in many areas. Could you tell us about what these are and what characterized them when you came to Optimum Solar? So where did the company come from in just a few years?
The company has already carried out very strong CSR activities and is a regular supporter of several associations and foundations to this day. The changes I introduced took place continuously over 2 years. I would like to emphasize that to get here, I primarily needed a well-functioning HR team, who are professionally prepared and committed to HR. After the reorganization of tasks and roles, Anett Keszthelyi supports my work as an HR generalist, and Erika Szabó as a labor administrator, so that I can concentrate on my management tasks as much as possible. The team jointly developed and introduced innovations such as support of community and social well-being at work, knowledge transfer, feedback evaluation and development of the work environment.
What are you most proud of in terms of HR matters at Optimum Solar?
We put a lot of work into each innovation individually, there were and still are beauties and difficulties in each of them, I am equally proud of them all. What gives me the greatest pride is that I can bring my team together, they accept my guidelines as a leader, and together we form an efficiently functioning organizational unit. Furthermore, I consider it a great achievement that HR as an area has achieved strategic focus from the company’s management and owners.
What suggestions and advice did you receive from the OFA evaluation committee? Were there any areas that were highlighted as needing improvement?
As a result of our qualification, we received very positive feedback. From the point of view of introducing new developments, 2 years is a short enough time to introduce innovations in all areas. In the near future, we plan to support innovations recommended by OFA, such as physical and mental health preservation, and the introduction of pension and health insurance packages.
In the evaluation, it can also be read or highlighted that "the atmosphere is family". What does this manifest itself in? At the same time, don't you think that the "family atmosphere" would be a disadvantage, since no one can fire a family member....?
I don't think that a family atmosphere is a disadvantage for an organization, since the most important goal of the practices we introduce is to bring our employees closer to each other to create a successful community and a suitable workplace atmosphere where everyone is happy to work. Of course, we also have layoffs, but we try to maintain a long-term, good relationship with everyone, even if we part ways, because this plays a key role in the company is reputation.
Finally, how do you see today’s Hungarian labor market, what are the skills that employers are looking for today? And what makes Optimum Solar special?
In general, it can be said that the labor market is a dynamically changing and constantly adapting environment, which now absorbs reliable candidates very quickly, so it is important to react quickly. The continuous development of digitization and automation also affects the labor market, remote work and flexible working are becoming more and more common. Currently, companies that offer an employee-friendly environment are attractive to employees. Different generations have different expectations and values, so we also must adapt to these differences.
Our team has the right knowledge and ten years of professional experience to make us unique on the market. The key to increasing our competitiveness and achieving our long-term success is the commitment of our well-trained professionals to our company. We try to ensure the well-being of our employees at work with sufficient flexibility with the innovations we introduce.
Along with all this, we try to adapt to the needs of the labor market and adapt our employer branding accordingly. A strategic approach and consistent communication play a direct role in achieving this. We continue to work on their development, we have ideas that we plan to implement soon.