Innovation

The Hays Promoter Index (HPI) is a global survey aimed at measuring clients’ and customers’ satisfaction with Hays consultants’ customer service. HPI is a system for distributing questionnaires to candidates and clients of the company focusing on the interaction with a consultant. Once the assessments on the consultants’ work are submitted, the managers analyze them, make comments, and, in the case of poor performance, problems are considered and actions are discussed together to improve the quality of interaction and thus the quality of service that Hays provides.

This innovation meets Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 – Good Health and Well-Being. Since 2015, Hays Russia has allocated 50 roubles for each completed questionnaire to a charitable foundation for elderly and disabled people, “Starost v Radost” (starikam.org). Hays transfers donations to the foundation on a quarterly basis. The amount of the funds raised depends on the amount of responses that Hays receives from its candidates and clients. Thus, this process not only makes a business case by stimulating the number of involved respondents, but also makes a positive contribution to society by providing help to the most disadvantaged people.

Inspiration

Competition in the recruitment market globally is high; both international and Russian agencies are active players in the local Russian market. Since recruiting companies produce a service of their own, their competitive advantage is mostly associated with (a) the focus on people, (b) the level of service they provide to both their clients and candidates, and (c) the brand of the company, which speaks directly about the company's concern for people.

Ten years ago, Hays managers at a global level decided to study the behavior of their colleagues, how well they work, what kind of mistakes they make, and what successes they achieve when communicating with clients and candidates. Ekaterina Bondarenko highlighted that “This is undoubtedly important for the successful operation of the business, since communication is at a very good level and clarity of interaction increases the loyalty of both clients and candidates and increases the number of customers, respectively, the number of positions that clients transmit, expands the client base, and enables work with new candidates through recommendations.”

Understanding problems and working through mistakes helps to increase the quality of service and the loyalty of customers and candidates, respectively, which has a direct impact not only on business success, but also on Hays' ability to help more people. As noted on the company’s website: “Now the level of customer satisfaction and the quality of service for candidates is how Hays measures its success. According to the data of 2016, 9 out of 10 respondents are ready to recommend Hays for cooperation.”

Overall impact

Hays is not a company that produces something and needs to be monitored for environmental pollution, waste, emissions, destruction of forests, excessive energy consumption, etc. So there is no need to focus on biocentric values. The way Hays makes money is focused on human capital and the labor of employees, since Hays produces a service. All CSR activities that take place in Hays involve nothing more than caring for people. The company has adopted human-centered values related to CSR.

The company does not leave its customers and candidates without attention. Ekaterina Bondarenko believes: “We have to realize that every consultant affects someone's fate, even the choice of the profession. We tell a lot about different professions. Maybe he did not even think about them. Then he changes his life-giving vector, moves to another place, gets better. I think this is still our mission. We assist people, put in their heads the idea of what is the meaning of good work, that one can do different things, try something. One changes the lives of the candidates.” So helping candidates and customers is a key principle for Hays’ operations.

Hays has been helping not only the candidates, but also the needy for several years. Beyond the business-driven CSR initiatives, the staff of Hays independently began to help the needy by supporting canine shelters. This is very important when people get such a bright idea and become volunteers.

Business benefit

Since the HPI questionnaire is designed to assess the quality of customer service and evaluate communication with candidates, its results directly affect the work of the staff. Having seen the real results of the questionnaire, managers can quickly react to poor performance, consider the causes and consequences, and suggest possible ways to solve the problem and observe the changes, as the questionnaires are sent to different clients and candidates on a weekly basis. In addition, this business process increases the loyalty of customers and candidates to the company, as they understand that their opinion is important for the company.

The fact that for each completed questionnaire the company transfers funds raised to the “Starost v Radost” foundation increases the loyalty of clients and candidates to Hays as a socially responsible company, thereby increasing the number of answers. Undoubtedly, this innovation increases the profitability and financial performance of the company.

Social and environmental benefit

The company's brand awareness and market share are increasing, and it is developing good relations with the government and communities. The importance of the brand and its recognizability increase the interest of candidates in cooperating with the company, which indicates the high importance of Hays for society. With the participation of Hays, more and more candidates find their dream jobs; thus, the company makes a positive contribution to local communities where it operates. Moreover, such innovations increase staff commitment and offer great opportunities for every employee to take part in world-changing projects.

Interview

Ekaterina Bondarenko, HR Director