Ofelia Kamalyan, chief specialist-group leader of the Human Resources Management Department of Ameriabank, founder and board member of AIWA-SF Armenian International Women's Association San Francisco Affiliate, Gayane Khachatryan and International Armenian Women's Association in San Francisco the exclusive interview of Suzanna Khachatryan, a member of the executive board of the representative office, to "ARKA" news agency.
"AVAILABLE". How do you assess the current labor market of the financial and banking sector in Armenia? What changes have occurred in the labor market after the process of bank enlargement?
O. Kamalyan. The labor market of the financial and banking sector of Armenia has always been active and dynamic. Recently, serious changes took place in the banking system of Armenia (in particular, we are talking about the process of enlargement of banks), which also affected the labor market. If we take into account that as a result of the mentioned process, 17 of the 21 banks operating in the market remained, it becomes clear that a significant part of the employees of the banking system lost their jobs, which in turn had a qualitative impact on the market situation. Not only novice professionals are looking for work, but also experienced people in the banking system. Therefore, a wide opportunity was created for us, our employers, to choose high-quality and experienced professionals. By the way, reducing the number of banks does not at all mean reducing the demand for high-quality professionals. Those banks that use the market crisis as an opportunity for business development and strengthening their own positions are interested in qualified personnel.
"AVAILABLE". In recent years, the banking system has become more technologically oriented. What new vacancies have appeared in the bank in recent years, and what kind of professionals are in demand today?
O. Kamalyan. The development of banking technologies and remote banking services is perhaps another trend inevitably affecting the labor market of the banking system, which is gathering momentum especially in developed countries. the demand for staff skills and quantity is changing, the demand for IT specialists among banks is increasing. The mentioned processes in Armenia are still in the initial stage and may not be clearly visible at the moment, but they are already manifested in the form of an increase in the demand for IT specialists in the banking system.
The mentioned process can be observed with the example of our bank. Transforming the ideological base of operations, Ameriabank is now implementing a digital technology implementation strategy, transitioning from traditional banking services to digital services. Today we already offer a wide selection of remote banking services, we have a developed network of modern ATMs that allow us to carry out various banking operations, but when we completely transition to digital banking operations, the ability of customers to manage their own funds independently (without visiting the bank) will be on a completely different platform. will come out. That is why today we are trying to attract as many specialists as possible who have IT education and can carry out the digitalization of the bank's activities. I would like to take this opportunity to mention that we have announced a tender for the vacancy of Head of Digital Banking and are currently reviewing applications from both Armenia and abroad. We need a skilled specialist who will be able to implement the bold strategic plans of the bank.
"AVAILABLE". What difficulties does the bank face today when looking for an employee and how do you generally overcome these difficulties?
O. Kamalyan. The problem of attracting employees is due to the fact that the demand for IT specialists is high in the IT sector of Armenia, which is very developed in our country. In addition, many specialists in the field of IT are trying to find work abroad, so there is a shortage of these specialists in Armenia. For this reason, we consider applications not only from Armenia, but also from the diaspora for the available vacancies, especially considering the fact that we already have the experience of importing employees from abroad.
I would like to mention that the bank implements a multi-plan personnel policy. We do not create artificial limitations for ourselves. Yes, Ameriabank strives to attract the best professionals available in the market. The number of people who want to work for us is more than enough. On average, the bank has 70 vacancies per year. We receive 300-350 applications per vacancy and naturally select the best ones. At the same time, according to Ameriabank's personnel policy, we select young professionals with great development potential and train them ourselves. We believe that in order to create a truly strong team with a special corporate culture, it is necessary to involve both skilled and novice young professionals. 52% of our employees are between the ages of 25 and 35, and 14% are under 25. Our team is very young and energetic. The bank implements the "Ameria Generation" program, which allows to attract purposeful young professionals aged 20-25. This year we are implementing the seventh "Ameria Generation" program. As a result of the implementation of the project, our team was successfully filled with about 150 young professionals. We have a long experience of cooperation with the leading universities of Armenia, we attract and train the best students of economics and finance faculties of Armenian universities. Every year, about 100 students get the opportunity to do an internship at Ameriabank.
We attach great importance to the issue of repatriation and are interested in the return to Armenia of young people receiving education abroad. For this purpose, Ameriabank actively cooperates with organizations dealing with repatriation issues. We cooperate with the "Birthright Armenia" organization, which allows students studying abroad to integrate in Armenia, and with the "Luys" Foundation. Recently, we also started cooperating with the non-profit organization AIWA-SF Armenian International Women's Association San Francisco Affiliate.
"AVAILABLE". How do you motivate your employees?
O. Kamalyan. We strive to become the best employer in the market and adhere to the rule of creating opportunities for professional growth for each of our employees. We understand the importance of the promotion system. the stronger the incentives, the higher the commitment to the Bank's mission and tasks. Currently, Ameriabank has a package of privileges for employees, which defines special conditions for banking operations, as well as a package of insurance services, an opportunity for professional training and education has been created, and many other privileges are also in place. The bank has a flexible promotion policy. Ameriabank is open in its relations with its employees, that's why they always raise their concerns and show initiative. We welcome the freedom of newcomers to introduce new ideas, and we ourselves are willing to constantly transform to meet the demands of the times.
"AVAILABLE". We would also like to ask a question to the founders of the International Association of Armenian Women. What does your organization do and how long have you been working in Armenia?
G. Khachatryan. The International Association of Armenian Women was founded by three Armenian women in Boston in 1991. Later, representative offices of the association were opened in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New Jersey, New England, Detroit, Armenia and Argentina.
Today, the International Association of Armenian Women makes a great contribution to the development of the new generation of Armenian women. Our goal is to help them believe in themselves, realize their unique leadership skills, reach their full potential, and participate in all aspects of public life. We have already successfully implemented a number of projects, in particular, we have provided support to girls from needy families through the "Our Hope" program implemented by the Nagashyan Child Support Center in Yerevan. Within the framework of the program, children have gained an opportunity to get an education. We cooperate with the Women's Resource Center operating in Armenia. we provide opportunities for young female professionals to get a job, and we organize courses for teenage girls. Within the framework of cooperation with the Women's Support Center, support was provided to persons subjected to domestic and sexual violence. We also sponsored an English language training program in Dsegh village, which not only gave young people the opportunity to learn English, but also allowed the village teacher to do what she loves. In cooperation with "Children of Armenia" Foundation (COAF), trainings were organized for healthcare workers in rural communities of Armenia, a curriculum was developed for female students of "Avetisyan" high school in Yerevan. And finally, all structures of the International Armenian Women's Association contribute to the expansion and development of the women's entrepreneurship program. This program was established more than 10 years ago in partnership with the American University of Armenia. The goal of the program is to provide women with the foundational skills and knowledge needed to successfully run a business in Armenia.
"AVAILABLE". In what directions do you cooperate with Ameriabank, and what are the plans for further cooperation?
S. Khachatryan. On the initiative of the Human Resources Management Department of Ameriabank, a meeting was held between the mentioned department and the representatives of the Armenian Women's International Association within the framework of the trip to the Silicon Valley in San Francisco. We talked and found common ground. It turned out that our goals coincided and we decided to collaborate. Despite the fact that our cooperation started quite recently, it has already produced results. One of the students of the American University of Armenia, whose studies were sponsored by the International Armenian Women's Association, was admitted to Ameriabank as a student. We hope that he will be able to prove himself and succeed.
The goal of the cooperation between the International Association of Armenian Women, Ameriabank and the American University of Armenia is to provide students with the opportunity to receive a quality Western education in Armenia and to complete an internship at Ameriabank through the allocation of scholarships. The ultimate goal is to help prospective female students acquire critical practical skills in the professional arena, demonstrate success after graduation, and most importantly, further utilize their leadership and management skills in making key decisions that improve the lives of their hometowns and society in general in Armenia.
"AVAILABLE". What are the future plans of the Armenian Women's International Association?
G. Khachatryan. We plan to continue working towards our targeted programs, supporting women in getting an education and finding a job. In addition, we will continue to look for a new partner to implement our plans. We believe that the programs implemented in the field of education are the most effective in Armenia, because they allow people to change their consciousness, help them become independent and establish themselves as specialists.