Andreea Leonte, Schneider Electric: We launched the shareholding program for Romanian employees

Andreea Leonte, SEE HR Services Manager at Schneider Electric, brings her expertise into the world of Schneider Electric during her talk with Business Review. With a focus on the challenges associated with the recruitment process and the strategies implemented to enhance employee well-being, Leonte sheds light on the evolving landscape of HR practices. Leveraging her role and experience, she offers valuable perspectives on employer branding and the measures taken by the company to attract and retain top talent.

Expanding Benefits: Enhancing Employee Well-being and Hybrid Working at Schneider Electric

Schneider Electric has expanded its portfolio of benefits, as the company is constantly working to remain competitive in attracting new employees, explains Andreea Leonte. “In addition to potential candidates, we also think about our existing employees. We have a multitude of benefits, including those in the area of well-being and personal development. We allow for hybrid working, givind them the possibility to choose their working hours as they want. This year, we also launched the stock option program for our employees in Romania, which is now underway. As part of this program, the employees can buy Schneider shares at a preferential price. I had colleagues explain what the tax implications are and the employees were very interested in the program,’ said Leonte, SEE HR Services Manager at Schneider Electric.

Engaging Activities and Webinars at the Workplace

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Over time, Schneider Electric organized several wellbeing events, some with a focus on personal finances. Especially after the pandemic, there was a shift toward viewing well-being as an integral concept, covering various aspects of employees’ lives. “We started having a whole week of such events and during these events we had a lot of creative activities at the office with colleagues. For example we had webinars where you could learn how to best manage the money you have saved during the pandemic and how to invest them wisely now. Such topics were very well received by our colleagues.”

Embracing Hybrid Work and Fostering Professional Growth

“Currently, we are in hybrid working mode and have recently started yoga sessions, which can also be done at the office and which have also been well received by colleagues. In the future, we have many projects that will continue, but we are also looking at programs to help colleagues who have been with the company for a longer time, to help them in their careers, for example. We are thinking of launching a global T-shape program through which seniors can transmit their knowledge to other departments or regions.”

Strategies for Talent Acquisition and Retention

On the recruitment front, Schneider Electric mentioned as a challenge the lengthy recruitment process the company needs to perform to make sure it attracts candidates with the required skills and knowledge. The company conducts internship programs that effectively attract a substantial pool of candidates, with some interns opting each year to continue their journey with the organization. “For our talent nursery, we often go directly to the source, that is, to the universities, where we present the new technologies we develop. Besides this, we have a fairly large support center, where we provide services in many foreign languages, 14 in total, and for which we are also looking for candidates in universities. In the beginning, we were surprised to learn that not many people knew we had a shared services activity – students thought we were only looking for electricians and engineers – but in time we managed to have a good collaboration with the universities here as well. And, obviously, we often have recommendations from employees, which makes the recruitment process much simpler and faster.” – concluded Andreea Leonte.