‘Open Dialogue’ is a new platform to promote contact between students and specialists at the Polyus Shared Services Center. More than 40 students and teachers at the Siberian Federal University have had the opportunity to talk to the finance, tax, HR and IT teams at Polyus.
Open Dialogue is similar in its characteristics to a round table. Its main purpose is to find out how the needs of the employer and a prospective employee differ, and what managers should do to ensure the work of new specialists is effective.
Open Dialogue gives students and teachers from the Institute of Business Process Management and Economics the opportunity to speak to functional managers working at various business units and services within Polyus. Discussion topics could include their expectations and understanding of the internship program, their first month of employment, career growth and understanding how values of different working generations can differ. There is potential for the dialogue to identify common ground to help them in their professional journey.
Students and company managers agree that the internship should be professional, mutually beneficial and challenging, however students emphasize that additionally it should be educational, interesting, communicative and fun, compared to managers, who believe it should be beneficial and meaningful. Family, health and personal fulfilment remain important values for both students and managers.
Both sides have similar expectations of the first month of employment: a job title, social benefits, a well-equipped workplace, a clear job description, a well-defined induction program, feedback and support from managers, and a good team spirit are all deemed very important.
Students noted the benefits of the programme, despite feeling nervous sitting at the same table with managers at Polyus. They also stressed the value of knowing what is expected of them from potential employers, and welcomed the opportunity to articulate their expectations.
During the Open Dialogue programme, students learnt about internships at Polyus, and five students have already applied for pre-degree training in relevant areas. The platform was created a few months ago as an outcome of joint sessions between Polyus and the Siberian Federal University.
Open Dialogue has been the next step in effective co-operation between strategic partners, made possible thanks to Irina Bagdasaryan, Master Programs Coordinator at the Institute of Business Process Management and Economics and Svetlana Dzhafarova, CEO at the Polyus Shared Services Center. The platform is complementary to the ’Know the Worth of Gold’ program, currently being rolled out across SSC.
Alena Yarvits, a 3rd year student majoring in Management, commented:“Open Dialogue was an excellent opportunity to come and get a taster of what there is in the job market. It totally lived up to my expectations. Polyus looks for proactive and committed students with a certain level of competence. I want to become a part of the team and work to the company’s high level of corporate standards. All the managers are very friendly and willing to help by sharing their knowledge and experience with us.”
Zoya Vasilyeva, director, Institute of Business Process Management and Economics, commented:“Open Dialogue helps us to outline what needs to be done at university to ensure the requirements of the potential employer can be met. This platform is an opportunity for both employers and potential employees to sit down together and identify their respective needs. I believe that this is just the beginning of our cooperation and we will be able to achieve an outcome that satisfies everyone: the state, organizations and most importantly, our students.”