Lacramioara Daraban, Continental Sibiu: There is no organization without our people

Continental Sibiu celebrates 20 years in Romania and the company with 4,600 employees wants to be The Place to Be for people & business. For people that means career development opportunities and a quality mindset and the company considers them to be the ingredients for the long-termn. Business Review talked to Lacramioara Daraban, Head of HR Continental Sibiu, to fin out more about the company plans for the future. 

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

Our 20 years anniversary in 2024 strengthens our vision of making and sustainably keeping Continental Sibiu – The Place To Be – for people & business – now and in the future. But in order to really be “The Place To Be”, we must truly live this manifesto on all levels and dimensions.

First, I believe we are “The Place To Be” for the career development opportunities we offer and the impactful technologies on which #PeopleOfContinentalSibiu are working on. Through our focus on people, we empower ownership and collaboration, we enable people growth and enhance their sense of belonging.  

Furthermore, embracing a proactive quality mindset, maximizing value through key expertise and top technology, leveraging synergies and opportunities while staying competitive, are the other ingredients of our long-term mission. Elements which we believe will help us navigate these times of uncertainty with success and will enable us to turn challenges into opportunities.

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We believe 2024 is bringing on the market something we did not have in years: stability. And this stability comes with a huge opportunity for organizations to consolidate their employer brand. It is a good occasion for us to focus more on employees’ performance, on the best fit talents and truly value the people standing by our side no matter what. In these challenging times, employees have the chance to contribute and shape the future of organizations and their careers like never before. There is no organization without our people.

If we were to summarize in three short phrases, why Continental Sibiu stands out as an employer to watch in 2024 and beyond, those would be:

• The stability and resilience a company such as Continental can prove.
• The agility and entrepreneurial ways of always reinventing ourselves.
• The ownership and competence level of #PeopleOfContinental

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?

Retaining employees but also being an attractive employer for the new generation of employees is a priority for us. At Continental Sibiu, we foster a positive and inclusive workplace culture and make sure that our employees are valued and rewarded for their hard work and dedication.

Furthermore, we are promoting a learning culture empowering and supporting each employee to develop both in terms of technical and personal skills and to choose the career path that suits them best. We are also investing in our future talents through strong partnerships with high schools and universities.

Over 300 students work at Continental Sibiu, within a paid internship program with flexible schedule. Most of these students decide to stay with us after graduation. Apart from opening our door for the ramp-up of their career, we also support their education, by having over 40 Continental experts teaching in the partner universities and by working closely with over 50 Continental Ambassadors who represent our company in the universities and actively organize activities for students such as competitions, technical presentation, company tours and many more. Scholarships, investments in laboratories and research projects are also a strong part of this partnership.

But apart from them learning from us, we are also learning a lot from the new generations. Courage, creativity, search for purpose, innovative learning ways and tech-savviness are just a few of the traits we notice and value among our younger colleagues.

Major contributions for the local business environment:

– Number of employees: 4600

– Types of Programs for Employees:

• Innovative Learning & Development Programs
• Attractive Career Paths
• Reward and Recognition Programs
• Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Initiatives
• Employee Engagement Activities
• Complex Benefits Package (e.g. kindergarten for employees’ children, medical clinic on site)