Right mix of workers
Twenty companies received awards in the Best Workplaces 2006 competition, but Colgate-Palmolive Hellas topped all of them. Its human resources director, Alexandros Tzadimas, explained to Kathimerini how its principles have ensured a good and productive mix of old and new staff and how companies must use their employees in a way that benefits both sides. What does this distinction mean for Colgate-Palmolive? It is a reward for the efforts everyone makes, both in the company’s higher and lower levels. We knew that the systems we use are efficient, first of all because the atmosphere within the company is perfect. However, until recently the company preferred to maintain a low profile about this. It is only now that we have decided to become more extrovert and our entering this competition is an expression of that. How do you explain standing at the top of the list at your first entry in the competition? I believe that the main reason for our distinction is our corporate culture, which relies on three very specific values on the international level: care for employees, constant improvement and teamwork. This is the source of our very good climate and this is why we won the award. Our corporate culture stems from our parent company in the US, but it is shaped by us here to a great extent. We definitely do not act independently but spread our know-how freely. The cultivation of that mentality actually begins from the hiring process. It is important to note that the selection is not bureaucratic. It is very strictly structured and based to a great extent on the interview as, besides the essential qualifications we look for in every candidate, we are interested in his or her character. Given that the company relies predominantly on teamwork, it is important that every employee shows communication skills and of course team spirit, as he or she will have to cooperate with colleagues from subsidiaries, from other sections within the company, and so on. Therefore, in the course of the interview there may be five or six people, directors and managers of the company. This way we ensure that we will not have any problems in the future. From the moment an employee is hired, he or she is officially and unofficially directed through corporate presentations and training programs, although personally I believe that the most important help to new employees comes from their colleagues. How do you deal with instances of unfair competition among employees? They say about us that «we do not shoot horses.» Maybe this is where the secret for eliminating unfair competition lies. We offer opportunities to people who deserve them and decide based on fair procedures. The older employees become mentors of the younger ones, who in turn get all the opportunities to climb the hierarchy without prejudices. We are all soldiers for the same cause. I believe that generally it is the company’s responsibility to eradicate such phenomena, and when they do come up we handle them through predetermined procedures. Do you agree that people are companies most valuable assets? We live in the era of knowledge, so it could not be otherwise. I do not like the term «asset,» but definitely people are the most important factor. After all, they could never become expendable. I think that human resource management and corporate results are intrinsically linked. Colgate-Palmolive seeks talented staff with leadership skills already from the entry level, aiming at the full use of their potential. What is the next challenge for Colgate-Palmolive? Our permanent goal is to build our success on our everyday operation and this does not change. The distinction in the Best Workplaces 2006 competition is the outcome of a multi-year process. A challenge for us now is to continue to do our job with success and that may be certified by a possible entry in the same competition in the future.
