How to support the team and foster talent in the challenging times: Credit Agricole experience

The periods of crisis tend to highlight the pros of employment at socially responsible international corporations. Since the full-scale war broke out, reliability and care for employees came to the forefront in terms of advantages of an employer. So the international Credit Agricole Group set up the solidarity fund of 10 million euros to support the employees in Ukraine. 2.15 million of it has already been allocated to support the team, including the funds to aid those who lost their home or whose health deteriorated due to the war. In addition, the company has implemented a number of initiatives for financial and moral support of the team.

Olena Urusova, HR director at Credit Agricole in Ukraine, will share in more detail how Credit Agricole Bank takes care of the Ukrainian colleagues and their families.

The salaries were raised twice, insurance package improved and remote work allowed

At Credit Agricole we realize that support from the employer is crucial in the times of hardship. Thus, during the full-scale war, the bank has raised the salaries for the team twice and allocated UAH 100 million for additional payments for employers. We also increased limits on some important services in life and health insurance packages. We are planning the annual salary review and yearly bonus payment for 2024.

Besides the financial aid, we also make sure that the employees take their vacation leaves in a timely manner and relax. Should the need arise, everyone can access mental health support from experts. At the same time the company is striving to promote cordial corporate culture and provide nurturing environment.

«Not all employers are currently able to pay the salaries in time and in full let alone empathize with every employee’s grief and provide additional financial aid. That is why this aid for me is another proof that Credit Agricole is the best bank and employer.»

Oleksii, Head of outlet in Lebedyn

The bank’s team in Ukraine is 2200 employees strong. At the start of the full-scale war, 15% of the staff found themselves abroad. We arranged evacuation of our colleagues from the dangerous regions to other countries, including those where the Group is represented, such as Poland, Germany, Portugal. 8% of employees currently remain abroad, the majority work remotely. Specialists based in Ukraine can also work remotely unless their presence in the office or outlet is essential.

Credit Agricole team in Ukraine is 2200 employees strong

For the bank, the main prerequisites of continuing cooperation with employees abroad include performance, constant engagement at work, continuous communication with the team, participation in team activities. However, we encourage the colleagues to go to the office, organize team activities, try to fill the office routine with engaging events. At the same time, Credit Agricole opens its doors to customers every day.

«The war is testing the bonds of the relationship. Credit Agricole passed the test with flying colours. My loved ones and I are beyond grateful to our great Credit Agricole family, in particular to our colleagues from France, Poland, Romania and other countries who joined their efforts to help Ukraine and the team.»

Olha, SME lending expert in Odesa

Organized re-qualification and training of employees

We have successfully implemented the program for retraining of workers who are no longer able to perform their regular duties due to the evacuation. To ensure their employment, we organized the large-scale re-training of employees. The HR-team has carried out a thorough selection, told them about the new opportunities, organized career days, internal job fair, express interview, etc. The program covered 12% of employees.

Now it has become a stand-alone part of our recruiting strategy, within this program we focus on employee development and their transfer to different positions. This project brought our company recognition in the category “Non-Standard recruiting” in the “HR-brand Ukraine 2023” award.

To promote development of our colleagues, we involve them in our in-house educational projects, in which the bank managers and external experts are engaged as speakers and mentors. AgriSchool, our flagship project, is 6 years old now. During this time period, 90 of the bank specialist took part and expanded their agrarian expertise. During the full-scale war we launched Proximity University, the corporate university by Credit Agricole, where employees can select one of the five departments based on their qualifications and interests. We also have the Managerial school, within this project we train new leaders and staff resources for the key positions at the bank. 90% of the leading positions are filled with our internal candidates – we promote our employees.

In addition, the bank is paying for foreign language courses and outsourced training courses.

This year, Credit Agricole celebrated its 30 years of operations on the Ukrainian market 

We help the young talent to have a successful start in their career

We recruit many young people, as they have fresh perspective on the working processes and help view the situation from different angles. In order to ensure successful adaptation of the young specialists, we make efforts to create comfortable environment for them: provide mentors who help them gain the important skills, plan their progress, develop the transparent rating system, etc.

«We recruit many young people, as they have fresh perspective on the working processes and help view the situation from different angles. In order to ensure successful adaptation of the young specialists, we make efforts to create comfortable environment for them: provide mentors who help them gain the important skills, plan their progress, develop the transparent rating system, etc.»

Abianha, leading specialist in robotizing business-processes

«Our staff is young and ambitious. We always work in a team, help each other and find a solution together. We never had the mindset that there was something we cannot carry out or achieve. Personally, my biggest challenge was to grow my professional expertise in a short period of time, as I came to Credit Agricole without any prior banking experience. I had to make many efforts to study the applicable legislation, mechanisms, processes, learn how every department is functioning. I was able to succeed thanks to the support from the team.»

Iryna, Customer Service Manager

Volunteering has become part of our corporate culture

Credit Agricole employees now are not just bankers, they are also volunteers. We promote our blood donation culture. As part of the social corporate responsibility program WeCare!, our employees regularly participate in the blood donor days in a number of cities in Ukraine.

«Credit Agricole employees now are not just bankers, they are also volunteers. We promote our blood donation culture. As part of the social corporate responsibility program WeCare!, our employees regularly participate in the blood donor days in a number of cities in Ukraine.»

Yulia, Sales and Service expert

Credit Agricole regularly participate in blood donor days

The bank serves a good example of the strong social stance and a driver for the team. Since the full-scale war broke out, Credit Agricole allocated UAH 97 million for charity and support of the hospitals and those affected by the war. The company has also organized first aid trainings for all those willing to learn in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Poltava, Kropyvnytskyi and other cities. Over 250 of the interested training participants mastered the basic first aid skills and received the international certificates.

The colleagues are striving to be helpful at their workplaces and doing their best to help those who need it the most. To illustrate, Oleksii, our outlet employee in Zaporizhzhia together with the team evacuated the sick children from Mariupol and collected funds for the medicine and food they needed. They also supplied food products and humanitarian aid to the local territory defence unit and military hospital and organized supply of food to the colleagues of the occupied cities of Polohy and Huliaipole. Thanks to our colleague Yulia from the head office, 25 orphaned children from Kharkiv received clothes, hygiene products, foods, medicines and other essentials.

Credit Agricole team has weathered more than one crisis together and every time we come out of it even more united and responsive to each other’s needs. So, let us hold strong now and work for the peaceful future in Ukraine.