In its special project “Ukraine’s Best HR Professionals: What Every Employee Should Know”, the publication brings together the experience of the country’s leading industry experts. They share their insights, observations and advice regarding various matters: from finding the right people and building trust to retaining teams and remaining humane even in the toughest of times. The project offers a glimpse behind the scenes of companies, helping readers to understand what it means to work in HR in Ukraine today and how standards of recruitment, loyalty and corporate culture are evolving.
As the publication notes, Metinvest continues to strengthen its position as one of Ukraine’s largest employers despite the challenges of wartime. It is adapting its approaches to people management, expanding training and retraining programmes, supporting veterans and creating conditions for employees’ professional growth. The Group pays particular attention to supporting the psychological and physical rehabilitation of defenders returning to civilian life, as well as to engaging young people and women in industrial professions. In doing so, it is shaping a modern corporate culture in which people are at the centre of every process.
In her interview with Oboz.ua, Tetiana Petruk discussed how the labour market is changing, what candidates should know before an interview and why Metinvest can become a springboard for professional growth.
Tetiana has over 20 years of experience in HR and has been leading the HR function at Metinvest for the past two and a half years. Her expertise includes implementing strategic HR policies, developing personnel, introducing effective motivation and training systems, and shaping corporate culture, employer branding and internal communications.
When and how did you enter the HR field?
I gained my first HR experience at the Western NIS Enterprise Fund. Later, I joined the oil and gas company TNK-BP Ukraine, where I built the HR function from scratch. I then spent three years at Naftna Industrija Srbije, one of the largest energy companies in Southeastern Europe. After that came the telecommunications sector: I spent almost ten years as HR director at Ukrtelecom. In May 2023, I became director of sustainability and people engagement at Metinvest.
What is your key insight? (How would you summarise your experience in the industry, and what discovery have you made for yourself?)
The exhaustion and burnout experienced by Ukrainians who have been living in wartime conditions for four years can be addressed only through an individual approach. Our task is to organise work in a way that keeps the person at the centre of all processes and to care for every employee, especially for our defenders, a thousand of whom have already returned to work at Metinvest enterprises. This is why we have created an ecosystem to support veterans’ reintegration into civilian life. Our work with veterans is integrated into every area: professional training and retraining, psychological and physical rehabilitation, preparing teams for veterans’ return, and establishing veteran communities at our enterprises and in the cities where we operate. In 2025, we plan to allocate more than US$550,000 to veteran adaptation programmes.
Among the key projects is “Free Waves”: 432 veterans in Kamianske, Kryvyi Rih and Zaporizhzhia are undergoing rehabilitation through swimming, following a programme developed by Olympic athlete Denys Sylantyev.
Another project, “Speak Up, Veteran”, gives defenders the opportunity to share their concerns and receive support. It is a series of open meetings for Metinvest employees and veterans from the Group’s cities of presence, featuring lawyers, psychologists, social service representatives and others.
How would you describe the current labour market situation and the role of HR for companies?
The war has significantly deepened the labour shortage in industry, due to mobilisation and migration, which means that traditional recruitment tools no longer work. In these circumstances, the role of HR becomes strategic: we must adapt quickly, think creatively and offer solutions that ensure business resilience. Today, HR is both a driver of change and a cornerstone of the business.
To fill vacancies more effectively, we have shifted from a centralised to a decentralised recruitment model at the enterprise level. In parallel, we are transforming our training system: updating programmes and shortening the time needed to prepare specialists. For example, the training period for a steelworker’s assistant has been reduced from six months to two.
The most striking example is the work of Metinvest Polytechnic, the mining and metals university in which the Group has invested UAH513 million. Already, 267 master’s students have graduated from it for Ukrainian industry. Over its five years of operation, 1,330 students have enrolled, 4% of whom are veterans.
Which specialists are currently in highest shortage at the Group?
The scarcest professions are machinists and their assistants (for locomotives, excavators, cranes, conveyors and mills), as well as control post operators, crushing plant operators, steel pourers, batching operators and blast furnace keepers.
Why should jobseekers choose Metinvest?
1. Opportunities for everyone
We are ready to hire anyone who is willing to work, both experienced candidates and those without prior experience. Where needed, we provide training and retraining at the Group’s expense. Everyone also has the opportunity to obtain a higher education degree at Metinvest Polytechnic.
2. Support for veterans
We have one of the largest corporate veteran communities in Ukraine. We welcome demobilised employees and other veterans returning from the front line into our teams.
3. Youth programmes
Metinvest runs the “First Job” and “Young Specialist” programmes and this year launched an initiative for Ukrainian students studying abroad. The pilot in the United Kingdom has already helped several students complete internships at Group enterprises in Ukraine and overseas.
4. Equal opportunities for women
We actively encourage women to take on roles traditionally dominated by men, such as crane operators, electrical technicians, quarry workers and haul-truck drivers. Today, women make up 30% of Metinvest’s workforce.
5. Competitive pay
Salaries at the Group are higher than the regional and national averages. Each year, we carry out indexation above the forecast inflation rate. Last year, wages rose by an average of 15% and for shortage occupations by up to 30%. In 2025, base salaries at production and service enterprises increased by 20%, and overall, since the start of the war, employees’ wages have grown by 50%. The average salary at Metinvest is UAH32,500, while for key technological professions it is around UAH43,000.
6. Bonuses and social benefits
Our Ukrainian industrial enterprises offer a performance bonus for meeting production targets and a team bonus for overall efficiency. All employees are provided with medical insurance, and internally displaced persons receive compensation for housing costs.
What questions would you recommend asking during an interview? What are your “red flags” in an interview?
Questions that invade privacy or are unrelated to professional competence — for example, about marital status, political beliefs or religion — should be avoided. They create a risk of discrimination.
Questions that undermine or devalue the candidate are also inappropriate. For instance, “Why should we hire you?” has long been outdated. It is far more effective to assess how a candidate thinks and responds to challenges through practical cases. And, please, no questions like “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
From the jobseeker’s side, it is unwise to speak negatively or disrespectfully about a previous employer or manager during an interview. This signals that once the person leaves the new company, they may talk the same way about their next experience. Employers care deeply about their reputation, and such behaviour can easily cost a candidate the job.
What advice would you give to those just starting out in HR?
HR is not only about processes: it is about influencing the business through people. So for beginners, I would recommend focusing on three areas.
1. Develop analytical thinking
Today, HR is not “people for people”: it is a business function. Learn to interpret numbers and analyse data on productivity, retention, cost per hire and employee NPS. Data is your strongest argument at the top-management table.
2. Seek a balance between humanity and business
You need to be a partner to managers, not just a “process administrator”. View HR initiatives through the lens of business objectives: how they influence profitability, culture and innovation.
3. Keep learning
The market, technologies and generations are all changing. A modern HR professional must understand HR tech, AI tools, trends in employee experience, DEI and well-being.