Interview with Maria Jomiru, maib HR Business Partner
Why is it important to align HR tasks with business line needs? What initiatives has maib launched for students and IT enthusiasts? What is the definition of happiness for maib employees? Find out the answers to all these questions in the interview of our colleague Maria Jomiru, HR Business Partner, with journalist Pavel Zingan.
María, hello! I've noticed that the organizational transformation at maib has been reflected in employee positions. These are no longer formal and often reflect the essence of the changes. "HR Business Partner" sounds unusual. Does it mean business partner?
Exactly. We partner with business lines in HR processes. On the one hand, we represent their interests in HR, and on the other hand, we reflect HR interests in our business lines. HR Business Partnering means working for long-term results and efficiency, constantly collaborating with business leaders and managers to develop employees' potential, plan and manage talent, and develop approaches that target the common goals set.
Take, for example, the recruitment side, a continuous process of providing our divisions with specialists who possess the necessary skills so that the divisions can successfully implement their strategy and ensure business continuity. But work is life in a constant state of change, where someone goes on holiday, someone else changes living area. In this sense, we are partners of the business lines and take care of these aspects.
But modern HR isn't just about recruitment, is it?
Today, HR is a mix of multifaceted tasks, such as implementing HR practices, creating business plans and the implementation of business strategy, plus adding transformational value. The emergence of a new business model and optimising existing ones also implies structural changes in business lines. Technological changes affect the "human side" - people, positions, and relational structure. It is necessary to be flexible at all times to ensure that HR strategies align with those of the business lines, create the best experience for maib customers, and have happy employees in the team.
So recruitment, HR best practices, structural changes when introducing a new business model...
Add the staff forecasting and planning process to the list. Identifying and integrating employees into the team and aligning them with the corporate culture is another "inertial" process. So, together with the business divisions, we draw up a plan for the number of specialists we need, the specialisations and the skills required.
This involves conscious planning and preparation to ensure the continuity of the Bank's business.
How many employees in your department are trained in providing solutions to all these tasks?
HR Business Partners are usually assigned to a specific business area. We are divided into three teams led by HRBP. My team is responsible for business banking, i.e. everything related to small and medium-sized businesses, corporate clients and the operations and logistics teams. Here, it's the operational tasks, but there is another very important mission of the HR Business Partner, such as implementing innovative HR strategies in HR initiatives. Moreover, every year, we have a new initiative.
Which initiatives do you manage?
For example, last year, we focused on developing our employer brand. We launched this initiative through a project dedicated to students - the (paid) internship. This initiative has proved so successful and effective that this year, on October 9, we will launch the third edition.
How many students have completed an internship program at maib?
In the first internship edition, we received more than 150 applications. We selected 22 students who then completed a six-month internship, during which they combined work and studies. I am proud that 12 people were subsequently employed with us, and all continue to work to the present day. They work in marketing, finance, planning and budgeting. After the second internship, we also have a new colleague in HR.
How one can benefit from an internship at maib?
The internship application process is currently running until September 30. We have created a website dedicated to this initiative, student.maib.md, with detailed information about the internship process, and students can also apply there. This year's internship will focus on many IT areas, such as QA Automation, UI/UX design, Core Banking Development, and iOS/Android Development. After reviewing the applications received, we invite candidates for an interview and choose the final list of interns. In addition to the experience they gain while working in our subdivisions, they also benefit from special training programmes, organised by colleagues from other departments to fully reveal all aspects of the bank's work.
Nice project...
The second student-oriented one is Dual Education, run in partnership with AESM (Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova). This is the first such project in Moldova in higher Education. Until its implementation, a prototype existed only at the level of specialised secondary Education.
What is the purpose of Dual Education?
Dual Education is a modular training where students study at the university for two months and then work at maib for two months. Thus, students work in the bank for four months during the academic year, a great way to combine theoretical and practical knowledge to better train and prepare for their future jobs.
A great advantage for students...
It's also a great advantage for us once we have the privilege and opportunity to provide feedback to the university on the curriculum so that it remains relevant in a changing economy and relative to the ways of running a business.
These were last year's initiatives? What initiative is being implemented this year?
This year's initiative is based on the integration of new bank employees. As part of this initiative, we have created a cool tradition: once every two months, we organise an event for all new employees. This event is called New Employee Day, where new colleagues meet our TOP management, learn about our strategy, mission, values and aspirations and, most importantly, what the role of our employees is in achieving the bank's goals. In addition, our new colleagues can have an open dialogue with the bank's leaders.
How are you implementing this initiative?
I am proud with the success of our team. The feedback we have received from the events has confirmed their practical usefulness. Moreover, the effect of open communication between all departments has inspired us to another initiative - Customer Day, a practice for banking departments that constantly interact with each other. For example, a new HR employee is sent for a day to a business unit that we interact with constantly. This familiarises them with their work, business processes and deadlines, allowing them to interact much more effectively with our business lines. Such an exchange between departments significantly optimises the interaction processes between them. We took inspiration for this initiative from Zappos' working methods. In general, they have implemented sending all new employees to work at the company's call centers for two weeks, which is the ideal environment for a new employee to understand the full spectrum of the company's tasks.
Did I miss anything?
An important initiative entrusted to me to implement and which on September 9 turns one year old, is the opening of the Student Lab by ASEM & maib. This is a "banking lab" equipped with modern tools and applications used in maib branches. The space is a simulation of a real bank branch set up within ASEM, where students carry out practical courses related to the banking sector.
I also mention the establishment of an IT academy in maib, thanks to which our employees can acquire new knowledge and skills in the IT sector. The initiative is designed not only for our employees but also for the "outside world" and the most talented representatives of the IT sector.
I mean, not only bank employees can come to the maib IT academy?
Yes. We have already organised 4 groups studying Data Analytics and one group interested in learning QA Automation and Front End Development.
And access to these groups is free?
Of course. Once they have completed their studies, we also offer them employment at maib. The course lasts three months, and the teachers are our employees who teach them, first and foremost, practical skills. This course showed us that you can work in IT not only with a university degree, as practical skills are a priority.
I'm listening to you and believe that just as the bank has set itself to make its customers happy, so does HR Business Partner care about its employees...
In conclusion, one of the HR goals is to make employees happy, because employees are at the centre of our attention...
