“EIMIN is an employer that provides an opportunity to grow, develop and create the future of Lithuania together. We can offer not only an inspiring team, but also the opportunity to contribute to real changes that we all feel in our daily lives”, says Chancellor Iveta Paludnevičiūtė.
“While working in the ministry, you have the opportunity not only to contribute to the improvement of the business environment, but also to space and defense innovations, digitalization, tourism and even changes to the food law, which can be used by every resident of the country, and these are just a few examples,” the chancellor says.
Research conducted by the Ministry shows that employee satisfaction with the organization of work, wages and the opportunity to pursue a career is constantly growing. According to Živilė Gegelytė, head of the personnel management department, EIMIN employees are more satisfied with these aspects compared to other ministries.
“We can see that additional employee motivation and retention measures have reduced employee turnover.” In 2020, the turnover of employees was slightly more than 15 percent, and in 2023 – about 8 percent, she said.
According to Ž. Gegelytė, EIMIN actively applies additional measures to motivate and retain employees, which have already proven successful and reduced employee turnover.
“A dignified and competitive salary is not only a guarantee of financial stability, but also a sense of security, which allows employees to be maximally involved in the work they do, and to achieve the highest quality and results,” the presenter emphasizes.
According to her, routine is one of the biggest enemies of employer and employee motivation, so EIMIN’s focus is on flexibility and maintaining a balance between work and personal life.
“The quarantine showed us that employees work well remotely, so we not only continue to provide opportunities for employees to work from home, the amount of time provided for in the internal regulations, but also provide the opportunity to have an uninterrupted week of remote work once every six months, which can be spent in any EU country. In order to ensure the well-being of our employees, we are constantly challenging ourselves by fostering a motivating work environment”, says Ž. Gegelytė.
Ratings reflect research
The Ministry emphasizes that, as an employer, it strives for continuous improvement, therefore it evaluates itself in various sections – according to the stability of the workplace, the change in the number of employees, employee involvement and satisfaction with wages, and others. Evaluations are carried out in various forms, including anonymous surveys, hiring experts, participation in studies of motivation and job satisfaction of government sector employees initiated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).
“In two years, the employment engagement index has increased significantly, jumping from 3.59 (2020) to 3.72 (2022) and placing EIMIN as an employer above the overall average of ministries, which is 3.67. A study by the Ministry of the Interior conducted in 2022 showed that 63 percent were satisfied with the work of EIMIN. employees, neutral – a fifth”, says EIMIN Chancellor I. Paludnevičiūtė.
According to the survey data, half of the employees give favorable feedback about EIMIN’s activities and employees to their colleagues from other institutions. Compared to other ministries, EIMIN employees respond more positively to their workplace and would gladly recommend it to potential colleagues.
“We are trying to make EIMIN a modern organization and respond to the needs of employees, therefore exclusive attention to employees is one of the main goals of our human resources management strategies. We understand that in order to ensure the satisfaction and engagement of existing employees and to attract new ones and keep them, it is not enough to create the conditions provided for by the law, because modern people need much more”, assures Chancellor I. Paludnevičiūtė.
According to her, when looking for different ways to more effectively integrate new colleagues, the already proven adaptation and mentoring program is used.
“I myself remember very well how uneasy it is to start working in a new job, when you are greeted by unfamiliar corridors and faces, you don’t know the internal culture of the organization, excitement rushes over the edges, there are far more questions than answers in your head. That is why I am very happy to be the first friendly face who welcomes new colleagues, can share my knowledge and the official and unwritten rules of our ministry.
The usual daily routine is greatly brightened by the eyes of new colleagues burning with curiosity, the avalanche of questions and the feeling that they can at least make the first days in a new job a little easier,” says Justė Bulytė, head of the Better Regulation and Business Supervision Policy Group of EIMIN, one of the ministry’s mentors who help new employees adapt .
Attention and entertainment
According to Ž. Gegelytė, it is important for every person to feel special and valued at work, so efforts are made to take into account the merits of employees, to encourage them in various ways, as far as laws and opportunities allow.
“At the end of every year, we get together and thank the employees for their merits, we think it is important not only to thank you personally, but also to celebrate each other’s achievements together with other colleagues,” she said.
Internal communication events are organized in order to create closer relations between employees, including cake day, colleagues’ favorite hikes, where you can chat and get to know employees from other departments in an informal environment.
“We have organized “Around the Ministry” orientation games, which not only encourage cooperation, but also provide an opportunity to get to know the environment in which we work better,” said the head of personnel.
Flexible working hours also contribute significantly to employee satisfaction. The possibility to start work earlier or later is especially important for employees who have children or are studying, because they are given the opportunity to choose a time that allows them to catch up with lectures or other important activities.
“At the Ministry, we apply the LEAN system, the goal of which is to create greater value with fewer resources. We try to involve employees in the changes, because we are all a common EIMIN system. We have already implemented a number of changes proposed by the employees, which facilitated the activities of not only the initiator, but also the whole ministry,” Chancellor I. Paludnevičiūtė was happy.
EIMIN pays strong attention to the strengthening of internal culture and interpersonal relations, with the help of team building events and the opportunities provided by the educational basket. In addition to these benefits, additional health insurance is offered to employees, work is facilitated by equipped acoustic rooms that ensure a quiet environment during remote meetings. For those with children, EIMIN offers employment in the children’s room. Colleagues can relax by visiting the rest room.
Opportunity to improve
According to I. Paludnevičiūtė, EIMIN, like other modern organizations or companies, pays great attention to employee training and team strengthening in order to improve employees’ competencies.
Training in various fields is organized for employees: assessment of public procurement, legal acts and their projects from an anti-corruption point of view, leadership, communication, project management, etc.
“The training topics are determined according to the employees’ personally expressed needs and a general survey is conducted. We see that upgrading the qualifications of employees is particularly important, which is why they willingly use all the opportunities available to them, whether it is a joint lecture or personal training,” says the chancellor.
Training topics are selected taking into account the results of the internal control analysis carried out annually by the Ministry, as well as the MIA study on the satisfaction and motivation of the employees of the institutions. The latest study shows that comparing the indicators of several years, the satisfaction of EIMIN employees with qualification improvement, psychological climate, relations with colleagues, current duties and working conditions has increased. The selected training topics are also related to the Ministry’s Labor Council and Trade Union initiatives, which reflect the needs of employees.
“Over half a dozen seminars on various topics were organized in recent years, in which more than 220 employees participated”, adds I. Paludnevičiūtė.
2024-08-22 22:11:29