CASE-IN study: What do employers and young people expect from each other?

The Organizing Committee of the CASE-IN International Engineering Championship conducted a study of corporate youth policy in leading Russian companies. It is of paramount importance for the country's leading employers and industry, as it allows us to determine the motivation of future and current specialists when choosing a job and their career prospects. What motivates industry youth today and what conditions are being created in companies for the training of personnel reserves – we will try to answer these and many other questions in the material.

The CASE-IN Championship specializes in the popularization of engineering and technical education and the training of specialists for companies in the fuel and energy complex, MSC, nuclear industry and related industries. As part of the competition, schoolchildren, students and young specialists solve engineering cases based on real-world production situations, learn valuable professional skills and get acquainted with the leading industries in Russia.

The partners of the championship are the largest industry companies that offer winners and prize-winners real opportunities for personal and career development. Students will receive additional points for the Unified State Exam upon admission to specialized universities and trips to educational shifts. Students receive privileges upon admission to master's and postgraduate studies at partner universities of the championship and undergo paid internships in companies with the possibility of further employment. The best young professionals have opportunities for career growth and the implementation of their project in production.

By conducting such studies annually, the CASE-IN organizers summarize the interim results of their work and identify new vectors that allow participants to move forward.

The results of the 2023 study have already been presented at major industry forums. Among them is the SPIEF Youth Day. On energy debates "Career and development of a young specialist in companies in the real sector of the economy: today and tomorrow" Organized by the Reliable Shift Foundation, the participants discussed the entertaining results of the study, as well as key topics of interaction between employers and students and young professionals. Senior management specialists of key companies, winners and prize-winners of federal youth competitions, including the CASE-IN championship, students of 10 specialized universities, and young employees of 43 companies were able to express their opinions and original solutions to pressing problems.

Representatives of 7 employers took part in the study of corporate youth policy in companies: ALROSA (PAO), JSC MHC EuroChem, PJSC SIBUR Holding, JSC Russian Railways, GC Rosatom, JSC System Operator of the Unified Energy System and PJSC Gazprom Neft, and There are also 150 young aspiring employees.

Director of the Foundation, founder and co-chairman of the International Engineering Championship "CASE-IN" Artem Korolev, who moderated the event, noted: “We tried to gather representatives from different companies to hear a variety of opinions. Together, we've highlighted the pain points and growth points of companies and the industry as a whole. After this event, I would like all participants – managers, young professionals and students – to be inspired to come up with new breakthrough ideas and solve existing problems.”.

According to the Director of Communications of ANO "Russia is a country of opportunities" Sergey Kolyada, The topic of personnel training and education for the industrial complex has become a key one. Domestic companies are ready to invest a lot of resources in young people who will determine the key agenda in the foreseeable future.

 “Now there is a race between companies for talented personnel. The winner is the one who can offer the best conditions., - noted by Sergey Kolyada. – At the beginning of this year, we conducted a large study, interviewing about 20,000 Russians, and found out how the labor market has changed recently. Its results showed that approximately 50% of today's youth want to own their own business, the younger generation does not have the values in the work culture that they had 20-30 years ago, and expectations from employers do not match what the labor market can offer. This shows that we need to speak to young people in their language and provide them with opportunities for development. These are the tasks set by the projects of the presidential platform, including the championship."CASE-IN»”.

When recruiting staff, employers prefer young professionals who are ready for global challenges and are not afraid of difficulties (30% of respondents believe so). Also, according to 30% of company representatives, knowledge of English is important.

In turn, young professionals believe that for a successful start in any company it is necessary to show responsibility (81%), diligence (65%), willingness to work as a team (46%) and an active lifestyle (37%).

These are the requirements that JSC "System Operator of the Unified Energy System" imposes on internship students and current employees.

HR Director of the company Bayrta Perveyeva She noted the important role of partner universities in the formation of the personnel reserve and maintaining the brand of the System Operator.

 “Working in our company requires unique competencies from specialists. A high level of professionalism and responsibility are qualities necessary for each of our employees., - approves Bayrta Perveyeva. – In order to ensure a constant influx of highly qualified and motivated young people to work in the operational dispatch department, the System Operator works closely with 27 specialized universities. Along with typical career guidance events such as open days, career days, round tables, and thematic excursions to our dispatch centers, we, together with universities, actively involve students, postgraduates, and young scientists in scientific and innovative activities. In this area, the System Operator and partner universities offer a variety of educational activities.: participation in specialized scientific conferences, Olympiads in the electric power industry and electrical engineering, case solving championships. This kind of work allows the System Operator to track and attract interesting and ambitious people who are ready to work in the industry.”

Company executives and working youth consider purposefulness to be the most important features of aspiring professionals (70% of employers and 60% of specialists answered this way), sociability (55% and 46%), initiative (40% and 63%) and digital/technical literacy (30% and 64%).

In the survey, 35% of industrial company specialists said that they learned about their current employer at the university where they studied. Companies are aware of this trend and are actively developing cooperation with universities. Gazprom Neft PJSC and ALROSA JSC are among the leaders here.

Head of the Personnel Selection and Development Department at ALROSA (PJSC) Natalia Petukhova She said that the company not only actively participates in research from the CASE-IN organizing committee, but also conducts its own surveys of students from specialized universities. The results of the latest research, according to her, demonstrated the increasing popularity of the ALROSA brand among the industry youth.

“Now, by participating in various events, including at universities, we see that the level of brand awareness and awareness of the company's activities has increased significantly. They know about us as an employer, moreover, they want to work with us. One of the effective formats of working with universities for the company today is Open Days, which clearly demonstrate the interest of students in ALROSA.”, - Natalia Petukhova concluded.

Today, companies are actively trying new formats of interaction with universities and selecting talented students for inclusion in the talent pool. For these purposes, Gazprom Neft has opened a corporate project, the Gazpromneft University League.

Rector of the company's Corporate University Ilya Dementyev He revealed some details of the initiative: “The 35 universities currently involved in the project act as platforms for the implementation of Gazprom Neft's educational program. The project also conducts scientific research and creates new laboratories for the development of student youth.”.

To a large extent, the success of a novice young specialist depends on adaptation to the workplace, the participants of the CASE-IN study agree. 40% of employers say that this process takes from 1 to 2 years on average, and to make it more effective, they introduce future and young professionals to their values and corporate culture.

The young specialists themselves are ready to adapt much faster.: 55% replied that it is possible to adapt to new realities in just 3 months.

Rosatom attaches great importance to the company's values and cultural code when selecting candidates for a vacant position. “As you know, every company has its own internal code and corporate culture. Obviously, she doesn't respond to absolutely every candidate, no matter how highly qualified they are.  Neither a person nor a company will be happy if their value field does not match.  That is why it is so important for us to introduce future employees of the industry to the "inner kitchen" as early as possible, to show what Rosatom is from the inside, to demonstrate our values in activities, not just in words, and also to assess how these values are shared by applicants.”, - The Deputy Director General, Director of the Methodology and Development Unit of the Rosatom Corporate Academy, told Elena Egorova-Kirillova.

70% of employers, recognizing the ambitions and talent of young professionals, create great opportunities for personal, career and professional growth for them. The study showed that 60% of companies have a specific career path for industry youth, and 40% of employers are developing it.

The experts themselves are more skeptical. 40% admitted that they have no idea about their career prospects in the company.  Sibur Holding is ready to dispel the doubts of young people by offering them effective career paths and creating great opportunities for development at all its enterprises.

Director of the SIBUR Holding Corporate University Rustam Galiakhmetov: “Our company has created conditions for those employees who want to develop. We provide opportunities to develop in career paths, participate in projects, and even change geography. In modern realities and highly competitive conditions, we prefer applicants with a high level of knowledge. IT-literacy, English language and economic aspects. Our company must fully meet the challenges it faces.”.

The Organizing Committee of the CASE-IN championship also found out what motivates specialists to work effectively and achieve high results? Employers say that the main thing for young people is professional and personal growth (70%), involvement in large–scale projects (70%), as well as professional recognition in the industry (55%). Meanwhile, 70% of company employees focus on financial rewards, 65% on career prospects, and another 55% agree with the first choice of employers.

Anyway, every single motivated and responsible young man can build a successful career in the Russian industry, the HR Director of Eurochem Mineral and Chemical Company JSC is convinced Ekaterina Serebrenikova: “It is important to get rid of the stereotype of "it is difficult for young people to build a career." Today, the country's largest employers are carrying out large-scale work, opening up limitless opportunities to students. The task of the company is to provide an environment where everyone can develop. A career is a mutual process and no one will come and build a career for you except yourself.”, - Ekaterina summed up Serebrenikova.

The majority of managers surveyed believe that young employees who are not afraid of responsibility, demonstrate an active position and possess strong professional knowledge, will certainly be able to take leading positions in companies. Young people, on the other hand, believe that for leadership positions it is necessary to first prove yourself at your best (60% of respondents chose this option) and earn a place in the managerial personnel reserve (25%).

The key to achieving the desired results for young professionals is initiative and a responsible attitude to their craft, said the head of the Center for Employer Brand and Human Capital Development at Russian Railways. Stanislav Sugak: “Our surveys have shown that a key factor in job satisfaction for young professionals is career development opportunities. Based on the requests of young employees, Russian Railways updates its comprehensive corporate youth program every five years so that every young specialist has the opportunity to move in any of the chosen areas – from personal development and the development of innovative projects to sports and participation in the company's volunteer movement.”.

 Stanislav Sugak added: it is extremely important for the company to know how well the existing infrastructure and corporate culture meet the career needs of young people.

In general, the study of corporate youth policy covered various formats of companies' work with human resources, as well as the involvement of employers and specialists in international and federal competitions and events, social initiatives, industry communities, youth councils, and much more.

Detailed research results can be found in the presentation on the Reliable Change Foundation's website: https://fondsmena.ru/news/2788/

A source: The journal "Education Management: theory and practice"