In honor of the upcoming Mother's Day, Justyna Mazurek speaks with Elżbieta Grzebyk, Head of Finance at Verestro. Ela is a great example of a mother who successfully balances her professional responsibilities with family life. She may be an inspiration to many women who want to have a satisfying job and take care of their children at the same time.
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Challenges in Achieving Work-Life Balance
Justyna: Hi, Ela! I'm glad that today we can talk about your motherhood in the context of your career. Could you start by telling us how many children you have?
Elżbieta: Hi, I have 3 sons: 5, 7 and 10 years old.
Great! So I'm talking to an experienced mom who knows how to achieve work-life balance. What challenges do you face on a daily basis in balancing work and family?
My biggest challenge is time management. The days are filled with work responsibilities, and when you get home, you still have to take care of the house and family, help the kids with their classes, or drive them to after-school activities. It's quite a challenge to schedule the children's extracurriculars so that they don't conflict and are logistically possible. I also try to make time for my passions. So time management, prioritization, and good communication with my partner are key principles to achieving work-life balance.
How Verestro Supports Working Mothers
That's really admirable. Are there solutions at Verestro that make it easier to balance work and home? How does the company support working mothers?
Verestro cares about work-life balance, primarily by offering flexible work schedules that allow you to work around your family's needs. In my case, being able to work remotely saves me 2 hours on my daily commute to the office. Flexible time off is also a form of company support that I really appreciate. Last year, I combined vacation and remote work by spending over a month in Spain. This year I had the same opportunity.
In a company like Verestro there is a lot of flexibility and women have more opportunities. On the other hand, this is not the case everywhere. What do you think is the biggest challenge for working mothers in Poland? What changes could make their daily lives easier?
Traditional work norms are still very strong in Poland, which leads to a lack of flexibility in working hours and the possibility to work remotely. Introducing these two elements could make it easier for all working mothers to return to work after maternity leave and to function at work on a daily basis.
Employee Benefits at Verestro
And what is the Verestro benefits policy? What can parents and their children expect?
We have access to affordable health insurance. We also have a clearly defined personnel policy with rules for career advancement and related opportunities for training and employee development programs.
How important are benefits to you in building employee satisfaction and loyalty? Does Verestro stand out from other Polish companies in this respect?
For me, employee benefits are very important. Offering benefits in addition to salary is a great way of showing concern for the well-being of employees and giving them a sense of appreciation. Professional development programs motivate me to expand my knowledge and achieve better results, and they also increase my commitment to the company.
Verestro certainly understands the role benefits play in attracting and retaining top talent.
Gender Equality at Verestro
That's right. We have a very attractive benefits package. And what about women at Verestro? Does the company promote gender equality and support women's professional development?
Gender equality is a crucial part of Verestro's corporate culture. The company creates a work environment in which women have equal opportunities for promotion and professional development, and their achievements are recognized and rewarded equally with those of men.
How do you see the situation of women in your industry? What career opportunities do they have?
In recent years, the professional situation of women, both in the financial industry and in other sectors, has changed significantly. Strong analytical skills, our meticulousness, and accuracy show that we are great in the areas of financial analysis, controlling, accounting and banking.
Skillful management of home, children and time has also proven our managerial abilities. We are multi-taskers, able to handle several subjects at the same time. Therefore, I hope that we won't face any difficulties in being promoted to managerial and executive positions. I believe that women are worth valuing - our skills, our diversity of perspectives and the energy we bring to our daily work.
Career Tips for Mothers
What advice would you give to mothers starting or continuing their career? What do you think is most important in building a professional career?
I would tell them to believe in themselves and not to be afraid of challenges. Often we think that we can't handle the multitude of responsibilities, both professional and personal. We forget about our personal development while taking care of our children, and years later we regret not taking up the challenge.
It’s important to build the right support in your environment, first of all with your husband or partner, which will allow you to share household responsibilities and thus be able to invest in your professional development.
Undoubtedly, the key characteristic in building a career is consistency and openness to new technologies, to the world and constant development.
What would you like to say to all mothers on their day?
Dear Mothers, may Mother's Day be a special day for you! I wish you much health, strength and happiness. May each day bring you joy and satisfaction in your family and professional life. May your children always appreciate your love and care.
Thank you for your time, inspiring talk and encouragement to mothers! May this coming Mother's Day bring you much joy!
Thank you very much!
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