Gina Cruceru, Rompetrol: Everything resumes to people and their willingness to act for the greater good of their communities

In an exclusive interview with Business Review, Gina Cruceru, Group Human Resources Director at Rompetrol, presents a comprehensive exploration of leadership evolution within the dynamic global business landscape, innovative human resource strategies, talent attraction and retention, teamwork among diverse generational workforces, and the cultivation of internal communities. Gina Cruceru delves into the shifts in leadership styles to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing environment, emphasizing the significance of building trust, empowering teams, and fostering a culture of care and respect. She highlights Rompetrol’s commitment to sustainable people practices through their “Together We Grow People” strategy, focusing on education, growth, community engagement, and well-being.

As the Group Human Resources Director at Rompetrol, how have you seen leadership styles evolve in the industry, and which aspects of your own leadership philosophy do you consider most vital in navigating these changes? Considering the dynamic nature of the global business environment, what leadership trends do you believe will be crucial for organizations to embrace to stay ahead? How is Rompetrol adapting to these trends?

Building trust and empowering teams to collaborate effectively and in an agile manner are fundamental aspects of any leadership approach. I believe that leadership with care and respect is the essential ingredient for building a sustainable community. It is said that when we grow others, we grow and develop ourselves. Thus, to be sustainable on the long run when it comes to people practices, companies need to adapt to these leaps regarding the leading people competency, but also individuals can contribute to organization’s progress by activating their own individual leadership, meaning to constantly grow, develop, and invest their talents and energy into contributing more to the communities where they activate. This can be done at any level, from any position. In this direction, for some years now, we have embraced a new approach in our people related programs, consolidated under “Together We Grow People” strategy.

Could you share insights into one of Rompetrol’s most innovative internal programs developed under your leadership in human resources? Specifically, how did this initiative address unique challenges within your organization, and what were the measurable outcomes in terms of employee engagement, productivity, or organizational culture?

One of Rompetrol-KMG International’s innovative programs developed is Together We Grow People, born with the mission to channel our people’s energy towards growing the community and generating engagement in a dynamic context with all five generations at work at the same time. Structured in four pillars, the strategy includes programs and initiatives meant to support directions as: Education & Growth, Rompetrol People Community, Working Environment & Culture and Employees Health & Wellbeing. The associated company regeneration program was co-created with people from the organization: we conducted focus groups, ran an organizational survey, and gathered impact from people regarding what elements define us and what we should develop more in the company. Based on these insights, we have created an action plan on the above-mentioned dimensions of interest. Through this initiative, we aimed to strengthen our strategy within the organization, but also ensure the availability of financial and human resources to support the program. The focus on conscious leadership, community growth and employee engagement, highlights the innovative approach taken by Rompetrol-KMG International’s team to address unique challenges and enhance organizational culture.

Recruitment for white and grey collar jobs presents its own set of challenges. Can you share your strategies for attracting and retaining talent in these distinct segments, especially in the current market scenario?

At Rompetrol-KMG International, last years have been filled with unprecedented changes and challenges that have tested our resilience and adaptability. Navigating through these dynamic times, we understand the importance of embracing change and reinventing ourselves to meet evolving market demands. Our commitment to attracting and retaining top talent remains at the forefront of our efforts, requiring the implementation of innovative systems that support our overall business operations.

One significant milestone in our journey from past years has been the successful integration of SAP SuccessFactors software, enabling us to streamline and digitize numerous human resource functions, thereby enhancing our recruitment and talent management processes with efficiency and precision, while supporting our team to build better relationships with candidates.

Our flagship program “Together We Grow Traineeship” now at its 24th edition, provides a platform for nurturing the brightest minds from technical universities in Romania. For over 23 years, this initiative has played a pivotal role in aligning with our business objectives, ensuring a seamless transfer of knowledge from experienced professionals to the next generation workforce. Since 2001, the Traineeship Program has been designed as an answer to a major business needs aiming to identify and develop a pool of potential employees to become our colleagues and to support the process of generational change, ensuring business continuity at the highest level. During the two months, August and September, the selected students have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the practical environment of the industry, learn alongside our dedicated Mentors, and participate in workshops that help them develop both technical and soft skills.

These initiatives embody our dedication to fostering continuous learning and knowledge sharing within our workforce, ensuring a vibrant and skilled talent pool for the future success of our organization, as well as contributing to Energy industry.

With multiple generations coexisting in the workplace, managing teamwork effectively can be complex. What approaches do you employ at Rompetrol to ensure cohesive teamwork and mutual respect among diverse age groups?

At Rompetrol, a diverse range of generations actively contributes to the workplace environment, each one of them being driven by unique needs and motivations. “Together We Grow People” addresses several business requirements and tackle a spectrum of internal and external challenges, including:

• Transition between generations within the Group’s companies;

• Estimated retirement rate exceeding 5% in operational areas in the upcoming years;

• Presence of specialized niche roles at Rompetrol requiring a minimum of 5 years of experience for independence in the role;

• Requirement for highly specialized and agile employees to handle cutting-edge technical demands generated by refinery modernization;

• Risk of losing critical knowledge and skills due to a scarcity of qualified workforce;

• Scarcity of specialized professionals in the market possessing the necessary practical skills and technical competencies in our domain;

• Educational methodologies not keeping up with the latest energy sector innovations;

• Substantial disparity between the skills demanded by employers and those instilled in educational institutions.

Effectively prioritizing the management of teamwork across diverse generations is essential, tailored to meet the unique needs and aspirations of each generational group within the workplace. Acknowledging the variety of communication styles and preferences among different age groups, the company highlights a common dedication to our community regeneration, as an unifying principle.

Central to our ethos are Continuous Learning and Development programs and also placing a significant focus on mentorship and internal career growth. These initiatives grow and prepare our colleagues for critical roles, fostering a pipeline of skilled professionals to meet future organizational demands. The encouragement of internal promotions further underlines our commitment to nurturing talent from within.

How important do you believe the creation and nurturing of internal communities are within Rompetrol? Can you elaborate on the impact these communities have on the company’s culture and employee engagement?

Everything resumes to people and their willingness to act for the greater good of their communities. Our people are dedicated to this ideal, hence we’ve initiated a series of projects to consolidate a strong relation between Rompetrol community members and, also, extend our actions and impact to our external communities.

By engaging our colleagues to contribute to projects and initiatives such as Together We Grow – Rompetrol Traineeship Program, Retail Academy, Mentorship, Students Bootcamp, Wellbeing Initiatives, Kids@Work, Fueling People Passions, Easter Bunny, Secret Santa for children in need, we embark on a journey of individual transformation to reach authentic and conscious leadership, catalyzing our energy towards growing our community.