Iryna Zaiats is originally from Nadvirna. She began her professional education at the local motor transport technical college, where she studied accounting, before going on to study economics at Ivano-Frankivsk State Technical University of Oil and Gas.
Thirty years ago, Iryna joined the company as an engineer in the Labour Organisation and Payroll Department of the “Nadvirnanaftogaz” OGPD. One of her areas of responsibility was workplace certification for working conditions — a process that required not only dealing with documentation but also gaining first-hand knowledge of production operations.
“My responsibilities included workplace certification, so I travelled extensively to different facilities and saw how people in a wide range of professions worked. That was how I gradually came to understand what almost every specialist in the company actually did,” she recalls.
Over the years, Iryna steadily progressed and eventually became head of the department. Following the reorganisation in 2017, she became Head of the HR Services Group for the Nadvirna region. Today, her close-knit team consists of eight specialists — professionals in their field whose daily work ensures the effective operation of HR services across the region.
“The HR Services Group is, first and foremost, about constant communication with the employees we support. In practice, we are there for people from the moment they join the company, throughout their employment and even after they retire,” she explains.
Behind this work lies a considerable volume of daily processes: administering HR transactions and payments, allowances and additional payments provided for under the collective agreement, providing HR support to employees and dealing with many other matters.
“Practically every project involving employees passes through us in one way or another. This may include helping to organise learning and training, veterans’ programmes or other new initiatives,” Iryna explains.
Away from work, Iryna finds a change of pace in the small garden beside her home. She grows flowers as well as a variety of fruit and vegetables — including tomatoes that she nurtures herself from seed to harvest.
“After a demanding day at work, it feels especially good to return to simple things — caring for plants, working with the soil and watching something grow from a tiny shoot. It helps me regain my inner balance, step away from the pace of work and remember that life is not just about deadlines and decisions. Nature gives me a sense of peace, calm and harmony,” Iryna says.
