BR Interview | Alina Gamauf, Carrefour Romania: Workplace is our internal communication platform

The Carrefour Romania team has over 17,000 employees, who work approx. 450 multi-format stores (hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience stores, discount stores). All these aspects create an optimal workplace for a multitude of jobs, from baker, butcher, vegetable-fruit worker, to specialists, professionals and experts, both in the area of ​​the commercial departments in stores and in headquarters. Business Review talked to Alina Gamauf, Executive Committee Board Member, Human Resources, CSR, Corporate Affairs & Property Director at Carrefour Romania, to find out how it manages to have a Top Employer certification two years in a row and what it does to keep employees happy. 

How does your company stand out as an employer to watch in 2024 and in the long run?

In Carrefour World we share the mission of promoting a stable, inclusive and positive work environment through active involvement, open communication and balance between professional and personal life.

The TOP Employer certification 2023 and 2024 represents for us the best proof of the effectiveness of our human resources strategy. In 2024 we want to continue defining actions and initiatives to strengthen our employer brand. An important aspect integrated into Carrefour’s strategy, both globally and locally, is that we offer equal opportunities to all people who apply for our roles. Regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, skills or experience, any candidate can find a suitable role in the Carrefour team. We will maintain this position and we are grateful for the trust and professionalism shown by our colleagues.

Another important aspect, that we greatly value, is transparency. We present to our candidates and colleagues their mission, their responsibilities in Carrefour World, as well as the benefits package and the development opportunities that awaits them here.

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Our goal is to make all our colleagues feel understood, appreciated and listened to. Our new employer branding campaign “Oameni suntem. Te înțelegem!” speaks exactly about these strengths identified by our colleagues and those aspects that differentiate us and that are appreciated by all members of the Carrefour World: flexibility, collaboration between team members, growth opportunities.

We invest in the professional development of our colleagues, so that together we can evolve and obtain the desired results. Digital Retail Academy, School of Leaders, Women Encourage Women are just some of the initiatives through which we will stimulate the ascension of our colleagues. The passion for innovation and digitalization is visible in the actions we take and it helps us consolidate our position as the first digital retail company. At the same time, our orientation towards CSR will remain a priority.

Of course, we are receptive to the changes that occur and we constantly adapt in order to remain an attractive and relevant employer.

How does your company manage to maintain its status of a remarkable employer for the new generations of employees but also for your existing employees?

We are happy to have employees of all ages, who form a large and united team of more than 17,000 colleagues.

The continuous expansion of the stores network and the variety of the roles are the reasons why Carrefour is a preferred employment option for a large number of candidates. This brings us great satisfaction and, at the same time, a great responsibility. The presence of different generations in our team determine us to always focus on creating optimal working conditions for both current and future generations.

In a team as large as ours, where you can find at the same time members from different generations, communication plays an essential role. This is why we put a lot of emphasis on being connected with our colleagues: on getting to know their career aspirations, the challenges they face and the ways in which they want to be supported. Periodically we conduct internal surveys through which we take the pulse of the organization and carefully analyse the results to know which are the things we do well and should continue, as well as the things that can be improved.

The recent integration of the Cora team in Carrefour World has strengthened our belief that communication plays a central role in building the sense of belonging and cohesion. Therefore, the HR team made efforts to facilitate the adoption of Workplace among the 2,000 new colleagues. Workplace is our internal communication platform that brings together all Carrefour colleagues and has users of all age ranges. Through Workplace, our colleagues have the opportunity to stay informed, connected, to interact and to give feedback in real time.

Our team becomes better and stronger due to different experiences, backgrounds and knowhow, always being oriented to offer our clients the best shopping experience. To maintain our position as one of the top retailers from Romania, one of the most powerful actions taken is implementing a growth mindset in our working culture. I am confident that by taking the best out of all experiences we will continue to achieve great results and to have a real impact on our colleague’s development. At the same time, we create connection points between the teams in order to maintain an environment where every colleague feels valued for their unique skills.

In our team we have suitable roles both for those who want to develop and also for those who already have several years of experience. We support each of them in having professional growth by creating programs oriented towards their needs, such as mentoring programs and digital learning experiences. For example, the Learning Management System is a digital tool that allows us to offer a complete learning experience, from mandatory training to optional programs, specific to each role and each level of experience.

Major contributions for the local business environment:

The Carrefour Romania team has over 17,000 employees, who work approx. 450 multi-format stores (hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience stores, discount stores). All these aspects create an optimal workplace for a multitude of jobs, from baker, butcher, vegetable-fruit worker, to specialists, professionals and experts, both in the area of ​​the commercial departments in stores and in headquarters.

Considering the multitude of roles in Carrefour, there are different internal programs, created for the specific needs of our colleagues. Some of the most appreciated programs are “Digital Retail Academy”, “School of Leaders” and the mentoring program “Women encourage Women”.

• “Digital Retail Academy” is a program launched in 2022, that contributes to developing digital skills among all our colleagues, both for those who work in stores and for those from headquarters. Until now, more than 13,000 employees have benefited from this Academy courses in areas such as technology, data, e-commerce and digital mindset.
• “School of Leaders” is one of the most important programs from the Carrefour World, currently in its 3rd edition, which debuted as part of a multi-year strategic partnership with the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest. School of Leaders is considered to be more than a professional development program. It is a community of leaders who grow together and develop together through dedicated learning actions. Approximately 180 graduates have been part of the program, benefiting from over 3,000 hours of training.
• “Women encourage Women” is a program dedicated for the female employees from Carrefour, which is still in progress. It was very well received by the 70 participants registered at this edition, as mentors or as mentees.
• “Including YOU!”, our diversity & inclusion campaign, was launched internally in 2022 in order to improve communication and understanding of diversity and inclusion within the organization. This campaign aimed to raise awareness about the challenges faced by people with different backgrounds and promote acceptance and empathy, thus creating a more inclusive work environment.

Leadership style

As an employer, Carrefour stands out for promoting and supporting values ​​such as equal opportunities, inclusion and diversity, social responsibility, transparency. Carrefour’s leadership style is characterized by all of these values, being based on a deeply people-oriented culture. As a proof of our commitment to diversity & inclusion we received last year the recertification in the GEEIS audit (Gender Equality European & International Standard), and the Top Employer Certificate for the second year in a row. At the same time, as one of the founding signatories of the Romanian Diversity Chart, we are constantly connected to programs and initiatives that drive changes across organizations.

Our colleagues’ development is a top priority for us. We constantly invest in identifying learning opportunities and in developing tailor made initiatives directly connected to their needs.  As one of the largest employers in Romania, our strongest ambition is to develop a team of talented and proactive people who are motivated to grow professionally. At the same time, another important aspect in the Carrefour World is related to female leadership. Women represent a percentage of over 70% of all our colleagues and over 30% of them occupy leadership positions.