Workshop for the dissemination of results and good practices within HOPE project

Workshop for the dissemination of results and good practices within HOPE project

On March 16, 2021 HEKS/EPER Romania organized two workshops for the dissemination of results and good practices within HOPE project: one with NGO representatives active in the job mediation and/or social services field and one with representatives of companies. The workshops were focused on the post-employment inlusion of Roma component of the project.

With the NGOs, the discussions focused on the project intervention. HOPE experts explained the importance of a good induction, of offering feedback, of requesting feedback (stay interview), of conducting a formal exit interview so that the employer may learn and make changes when necessary, of identifying solutions together with the employee for different situations/problems, of supporting the employers in creating a favorable environment for vulnerable employees, of explaining the rights and responsibilities to Roma and other vulnerable employees (e.g. the salary taxes, the health insurance etc.), of having a good mentor, of communication (the difference between “I told him/her” and “did he/she understood?”), of including the middle management in the selection process.

With the companies, as the majority of the participants were representatives of collaborating companies, the discussions focused on the changes observed in their companies after the project intervention. Among the changes mentioned by HR representatives after the project intervention were: middle managers showing increased empathy, being more attentive and more responsible, understanding people better and looking for solutions together; the teams being strengthened after the trainings and employees communicating more, middle managers (shift managers) being more patient and improving their communication, the company applying a formal exit interview which helps them to identify the company’s vulnerabilities and to plan interventions to prevent other resignations.

Through an interactive exercise, the participants had the opportunity to answer to a question from the questionnaire, compare on the spot with the answers given by the respondents and reflect upon the changes that have been underlined in the report.