Author: Masenko Veronika

Staff shortage: what should businesses do? Eight solutions from the best HRDs in Ukraine.

Where to look for new employees and how to keep existing ones in a shortage of personnel? What is important for teams in the frontline territories? The most effective HRDs of Ukraine shared their rules at the Forbes Ukraine NadLiudy (Superhumans) Forum. What do HR Directors of the Ukrsibbank, Metro, Ukrnafta and NBU rely on?

According to the European Business Association, three-quarters of companies report a shortage of qualified employees. "Every business asks HR: where are the people?" - says Myroslava Trandash, Managing Partner of the Talentor international recruitment agency. There are decades of challenges ahead for the labor market, she believes.

How does Ukrainian business react to the demographic crisis? "We are working to prolong the career of our employees in the company," says Anna Tolmachova, the HR Director of the Metro Ukraine. The average term of work in the company is more than six years. The Metro continues to hire up to 1,000 people annually, Tolmachova notes.

Olena Artazei, the HR Director of the Ukrnafta, is responsible for 20,000 people. One of the company's principles is to build open relationships between subordinates and managers. "In order to achieve great results, you need to have this connection," says Artazei.

How do the best HRDs attract and retain staff in the face of staff shortages? Eight decisions from the Ukrsibbank, Metro, Ukrnafta and the NBU.

Invest in the internal mobility

The Ukrsibbank closes annually up to 57% of vacant positions with the internal personnel reserve. This is the result of investments in internal employee mobility, said Natalia Halunko, the company's HR Director. "We encourage you to develop your career not outside, but inside the company," says Halunko. – Not only HR is focused on this, but also top management and line managers."

Not only vertical career development is important, but also horizontal, says the Metro Ukraine HRD Anna Tolmachova. In particular, the Metro prioritizes cross-functional transitions. "We have 300-400 horizontal transitions a year, and about 15% of which are cross-functional," Tolmachova says. 91 % of management positions are filled from the personnel reserve, she adds.

Establish an employer sub-brand

According to Halunko, organizations with a diverse business model compete for employees in different markets. Thus, Ukrsibbank competes for personnel not only in the financial sector, but also in the IT sector.

The Metro Ukraine HRD Anna Tolmachova and the Ukrsibbank HRD Natalia Halunko at the Forbes Ukraine NadLiudy (Superhumans). Forum. Photo by Forbes Ukraine

"A bank in the IT market is not the most attractive employer," says Halunko. In order attract IT specialists; the company has established the Ukrsib Tech sub-brand with a separate marketing strategy.

"The promo for the IT community emphasized that we are a very progressive and modern organization," says Halunko. As of April 2025, the bank's IT team consists of about 400 specialists.

Meet expectations

The key principle of the best HRDs is to tell candidates the truth, HR directors agree. "You should not create expectations that the organization cannot meet," Halunko advises.

"The employee's experience should coincide with what is communicated to the market," Tolmachova confirms.

At the Metro, employees are ready to bring their friends to the company – a quarter of hiring provides recommendations, says the HR director. Another 15% of the vacant positions are closed by former employees who return to the company.

Work with "non-target" audiences

Students, people of retirement age, and women are the target groups in which employers should be interested, according to leading HRDs. "I advise you to consider audiences that for some reason were not previously considered targeted or were not active in the labor market," says Liudmyla Yeropkina, the Director of the NBU's HR department. The NBU organizes student championships, conducts trainings and internships, and attracts young people to projects in the banking sector.

A similar strategy is used by the Ukrnafta, says Artazei. The company has signed memorandums with 25 educational institutions. "We pay scholarships, go to business lectures," she says. "We expect [the result in the form of new personnel] in three years."

The Director of the NBU HR Department Liudmyla Yeropkina and the Ukrnafta HRD Olena Artazei at the Forbes Ukraine NadLiudy (Superhumans). Forum. Photo By Forbes Ukraine

The company is trying to retain people who reach retirement age until the young people "join". This is 400 employees annually, Artazei notes.

In September 2024, Ukrnafta also launched the "Everyone can" project for training and retraining women. The company has adapted training programs for 16 industrial professions to train candidates from the foreign market and the internal personnel reserve. "We rejoice at the entry of every woman into the working profession," says Artazey. According to the company, women in the Ukrnafta hold 23.5% of production positions, and 18% of senior positions.

Develop the alternative search channels

The HR startups, new platforms for finding candidates and recruiting companies should be in the field of view of the HRD, Tolmachova from the Metro believes. She advises you to cooperate actively with new players and share internal analytics. "This is how we help them improve and create more options for us, employers," Tolmachova says.

Take care of psychological and physical safety

"A soft recommendation is to make psychological support available," Tolmachova advises. The Metro actively uses the services of a corporate psychologist both in frontline and remote regions, the HR Director notes.

Another tip is to teach your employees how to provide support themselves. This approach was applied in the Ukrenergo, where more than 2,000 employees were taught the basics of tactical medicine and emergency psychological care, says Yeropkina. "This is especially important in situations where you need to bring your colleagues out of a state of shock," says the HR Director.

The most effective HRDs of Ukraine shared their tips at the NadLiudy (Superhumans). Forum.

The team's physical security is a must-have, the HRD agree. They advise you to have clear protocols for evacuation and response to dangers: occupation, shelling and front approaching. "There are clear protocols of the "great relocation" of employees to the west of Ukraine in [Ukrnafta]," Artazei gives an example. "The team knows that the company will help in case of danger, and this builds trust."

Ensure the inclusion of frontline regions

Employees in frontline regions should have the same access to opportunities and processes as people in territories more remote from the front, Tolmachova believes. Every year, the Metro management company goes on a strategic road show ("tour") in the regions.

"We never bypass Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro," says the HR Director. – We provide frontline regions with equal participation in decision-making, charitable and volunteer activities and informal initiatives."

Pay attention to veterans

More than 53,000 military personnel are conditionally potential labor, according to the Institute of Demography. In the Ukrnafta, the adaptation of the military is handled by a specially designated employee – a Veterans ' Affairs Officer. His area of responsibility includes areas of psychological, legal, material assistance, and rehabilitation. "This person is in touch with veterans around the clock," says Arthazei.