The Russian market offers the Western recruiter a number of surprises, both interesting and challenging

Russia conjures up a number of traditional images, from its sheer size to its biting winters. But as Luc Jones, a partner in Antal Russia, points out, to the Western recruiter’s eye Russia is also full of surprises. “Russians don’t openly sell themselves at interview. They feel it makes them look desperate; they are much more likely to be matter of fact,” he says. 

And don’t expect everyone, even in the Russian capital, to speak English. “Moscow is not Dubai or Hong Kong. The business language in Moscow is Russian not English,” he says.

Similarly, a typical Western recruiter who draws negative conclusions from telltale gaps in a Russian candidate’s CV could well miss out on some great talent. “In Russia, it is pretty normal to quit your job because you are bored and take a few months off. If you present a person like that to an HR person abroad they will say ‘what’s wrong with this person? Is he lazy or was he fired?’ ”

Multinationals operating in Russia, whose decision-makers are based abroad, are particularly prone to not recognising that in Russia things don’t operate the same way as in the US, the UK or Germany. Jones explains that the recruitment process moves fast, with the successful candidate usually in post within two months. Consequently, he says it is not uncommon to have an irate Western-based client on the phone complaining: “What do you mean the person has found another job? We only spoke to him on the phone a month ago.”

Nick Rees, director SThree, Moscow, says he has seen a noticeable change in candidate behaviour in the past two years, with candidates moving away from a short-term mindset that focused only “on how much am I going to earn in the first six months” towards a longer-term career minded approach. 

Rees says this has been accentuated by big multinationals starting to grow positions at the top level of their organisation, creating opportunities for career progression lower down. Russian nationals are benefitting from this trend, with foreign nationals now more likely to be parachuted in for “a quick fix and out”. Marina Stepanova, managing director, Midland Hunt, in Moscow, notes an increasing number of “talented local leaders” with international experience, and often with an MBA. 

For Anatoli Yakimov, recruitment lead talent acquisition Middle East and Europe at SAP, candidate mobility is an issue. Unlike the US, for example, where candidates are prepared to travel for a job, in Russia it’s just not the done thing. He says his greatest challenge is to persuade candidates that taking advantage of the opportunities in Moscow doesn’t preclude them from returning to work in the Russian regions afterwards. 

Yet with Russia avoiding the economic recession that afflicted Europe and the US, perhaps there are sufficient opportunities closer to home. Indeed in sectors such as IT, Yakimov says staff turnover is high, and retention remains a problem. 

Elena Stelnova, HR director, Jones Lang LaSalle, Russia & CIS, adds that due to the risk of losing employees to competitors, a priority for many companies is to keep its employees motivated.

Irina Spiridonova, employer brand manager at Mars P&O, for Russia and the other countries that made up the old Soviet Union, adds to the general impression that not only do Russian candidates want it all, but they also often get it. 

If working for a prestigious company and earning a high salary isn’t enough, they also want a good work-life balance. “Their thinking is they can’t work all the time,” she says. Perhaps the Russian market is not that different to the West after all.

Key indicators

Russia scored 6.1 in Hays Global Skills Index 2013, reflecting an intermediate degree of labour market pressure, with indicators for labour market flexibility and wage pressure indicating that employers seeking high-skill workers must compete for them.

Source: Hays Global Skills Index 2013

60% of respondents say they are interested in an international career

27% of managers and experienced professionals are dissatisfied with their current place of work

10% say they would only move if they received a 50% or higher salary increase

71% of managers recommend their employer to their friends and acquaintances

Source: Antal Russia Job Market overview and salary survey 2013-14

Colin Cottell