MOL Group is an integrated, international oil and gas company, headquartered in Budapest, Hungary. It fosters a culture based on diversity, listening, sharing, learning and seeking feedback on how the business can perform better
MOL Group is active in over 30 countries and has a dynamic international workforce of 26,000 people and a track record of more than 100 years in the industry. Here Zdravka Demeter Bubalo, Vice President of Human Resources at MOL Group, talks about the role of HR and its importance for the business.
You hold a very important position at MOL Group. Is it a challenge and are there aggravating circumstances for a woman to deal with human resources at such a big international company?
– At MOL Group, we foster a culture based on diversity, listening, sharing and learning, and we regularly seek feedback on how we can perform better. Therefore, at every level of the company, we are committed to fostering a level of equality and openness, and that changes our culture for the better.
We are also building a merit-based culture, where performance is rewarded irrespective of gender, race, religion or nationality. Our joint objective is to ensure continuous development opportunities for all of our colleagues and to also contribute to the sustainable success of our company as a team.
Human resources impact on the productivity of each company. Considering the fact that MOL Group is achieving major business results, how much does HR contribute to this success?
– Integrated oil & gas companies are currently undergoing a transformation, due to the volatility of the oil price and rapidly changing customer needs.
Our HR strategy at MOL Group is built on the business strategy, thus all areas – from Recruitment, through Talent Acquisition, to Learning & Development programmes – address the changing business challenges and priorities in a tailored way.
In line with the recently announced MOL Group 2030 strategy, our HR teams contribute actively to becoming the first choice for our employees, customers and investors
In line with the recently announced MOL Group 2030 strategy, our HR teams contribute actively to becoming the first choice for our employees, our customers and investors.
Being in the energy sector also means that we need to keep a constant focus on staying on top with technical capabilities. We have successfully implemented the Technical Career Ladder in Upstream, and this year we are also introducing it to our Downstream community.
What is the foundation of HR programme at MOL Group?
– At the level of the group, we design a wide range of programmes, benefits and initiatives to ensure the wellbeing of our constantly changing and diverse, multigenerational teams. These programmes are then tailored to local priorities, affecting the most important dimensions of our colleagues’ lives, including health, financial wellbeing, workplace environment and social care.
In your opinion, what is the key management of large companies that motivate employees to get involved in business more?
– First, we ensure the early engagement of our potential colleagues by nurturing successful university relations in order to improve the image of the natural sciences among students. In support of attracting top talent, we retain a strong focus on employer branding and we tailor our recruitment strategy.
Second, as blue-collar colleagues make up the majority of our workforce, we focus on improving our blue-collar strategies and are constantly reconsidering the development of a pay-for-performance framework.
Third, for our white-collar colleagues, we work to improve Employee Experience, which is receiving growing attention. Employees who use simple digital tools in their everyday lives expect to also have user-friendly digital tools and systems at work. In this area, we have made a lot of improvements thanks to the successful implementation of IT tools, e.g. our new career portal.