Mobility Is The Key To Survival by Zsolt Balla

In an ideal world, people are used to hear the good news from the government and the bad news from the opposition. So when local government minister Gordon Bajnai says that fears of jobs cuts in the excess of several thousand in the upcoming weeks are more than grounded, one can’t avoid thinking that the trouble is, indeed, substantial.

But amid escalating fears of layoffs, top HR-officials showed more optimistic at a conference organized by the British Chamber of Commerce Hungary on Tuesday (Nov 25). 

“During these difficult times, keeping our key people will be even more important than ever before,” IBM HR-director Enikô Kiss said, adding that these people will be more difficult to be lured by other companies as well, because of their natural fears of instability.

“Mobility on behalf of employees, as well as a little more flexibility from the companies may be a key element of the future success,” opined HR-director of ING Bank, László Bek-Balla. According to the expert, companies and candidates are both responsible for a long-term success in people’s carreers.

The traditional Hungarian model is when people start working after school, and then remain in the same sector until the retire. If they are good, they may move upwards, if they’re not good, they usually move among different companies but on the same level. This, according to László Bek-Balla is something that needs to be changed in order to be able to react to crisis situations, like the current one.

“Mobility, flexibility and in-house networking skills are the most important factors of success,” the director claims. Even if one stays at the same company, it is better to move around, and work for several departments, than doing the very same work for several years, let alone decades. “Later, when one has to find another job, it is much better to have experience from different fields, because experience is what employers are really looking for,” he concludes.

Mobility, especially in-house mobility, of course, needs openness on behalf of the companies, too. Because, when an employer “invests” in one of its employees, granting him or her the education and time needed to become an expert, the company’s interest is to get its investment back from this employee’s working in the field for as long as possible. 
“Employers, obviously have their share of responsibilities, too” agrees Shell CEO István Varga. According to him, employers, too, have to be more flexible and take advantage of alternative employment solutions, such as job sharing or home working.

“Mobility in Hungary is unfortunately the lowest amongst EU-countries,” adds DBM’s managing partner, Andrea Juhos. Hungarians will not move from one city to another, or leave the country to find a job. “Compared to the 50,000 Hungarians who went to West Europe after the country’s EU-accession, some 2,000,000 Poles did the same. What may change this? Experts agree: only the real need for a job."

Source: Budapest Sun