“Even during the Soviet Era, the World Trade Center on Moscow’s Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment was already considered to be an island of capitalism in a socialist sea”, stated Tatyana Moskvicheva the head of Human Resources at the WTC. She went on to affirm that, “Working at the Centre has always been reputable, prestigious and financially rewarding. Over the years, we have created a very comfortable professional environment and our employees appreciate the job stability, fair wages along with our policy of strict compliance with labor laws and social security. Today, many Russian employers may boast that they offer the same job conditions, but rarely do so. At the WTC, these practices are the norm”.
That fact is that there were no lay-offs at the WTC during the crisis, with the obvious exceptions of employees with disciplinary issues and those who didn’t fulfil their professional responsibilities. The company has admittedly had to tighten its belt, but got through the most difficult phase of the crisis with dignity and even managed to give employees raises; which incidentally weren’t cut off in the troublesome months.
Much of the WTC staff has been with the company since it opened in 1980. Elderly staff members are not considered to be a burden; their experience is highly valued and they often serve as advisors or mentors. The Center’s Veterans Council was founded in 2003 and has over 700 members, all of whom were loyal WTC employees for at least ten years and have since retired. The company assists them in financing medical treatment, invites them to corporate events and takes them on excursions. No one feels like they’ve been left out of active life and there is a sense of continuity from generation to generation. This feeling of belonging to a community improves employees’ lifestyles and work capacity, thereby allowing the company to flourish.
“We provide health insurance for all our employees and have a programme providing a supplementary pension scheme. The WTC has agreements with banks so that employees can borrow funds below the usual annual interest rates”, added Tatyana Moskvicheva.
In accordance with the collective agreement, the Center’s labour union (founded in the Soviet Era) provides additional assistance for childbirth, costly medical operations and health holidays for children in Russia and abroad, etc. People who want to exercise have access to rented sports facilities and various sports teams and competitions have been organised. The WTC actually stopped inviting pop stars to entertain at festive occasions simply because it turns out that its own corporate employees have talents which are much more interesting. This kind of teambuilding makes for long lasting memories.
One could also cite the WTC's very expensive staff training programmes given by the best domestic and foreign specialists. The WTC works with educational institutions and hires students as interns; we are always on the lookout for potential future employees. Or even mention the general level of team stability; staff turnover mainly concern maids and waiters who are unskilled labourers and have arduous jobs. In other areas, professional staff turnover is close to non-existent.
But let’s not give the false impression that WTC staff gets paid royally for idling behind a desk. The World Trade Center employees push themselves to the limit and must conform to our high professional standards. They are required to work hard; the pace is high-speed with an ‘it should have been done yesterday’ attitude. However, employees are generously rewarded for their efforts.
There is no doubt that the WTC is an attractive employer, as it’s hard to find a job at the company. “Although it may be difficult, it’s not necessarily impossible”, affirmed Tatyana Moskvicheva.
By the way, the WTC recently received yet more pleasant news. The Centerreceived a prestigious international award – the International Arch of Europe Award in the ‘Gold’ category. The award was established by the BID Group (Business Initiative Directions), a leader in the field of communications and one of the four most authoritative independent, international organisations monitoring the quality of national, continental and intercontinental companies. The Arch of Europe has been awarded to companies from 178 countries for over 20 years now. WTC’s Deputy General Director Vladimir Shedrov accepted the Arch of Europe at an awards ceremony in Frankfurt-am-Main and stated that, “This is a testimony recognising the World Trade Center’s professionalism, impeccable reputation and highly qualified staff. The WTC is constantly engaged in strategic development We have become co-owners of the first WTC in Southern Russia. Renovation and modernisation are constant concerns. It’s vital to always be a step ahead and regard competitors with the deepest respect”.
When a WTC representative was asked his opinion on what differentiated the Russian company from its competitors and which factor was decisive in winning the prize he replied that, “All our competitors provide the highest level of service. But our employees put their souls into getting the job done, and I believe that is our main advantage in Russia”.
