- OTE Group’s Chief Human Resources Officer, Elena Papadopoulou, attends KPMG’s 24th HR Symposium
The OTE Group’s Chief Human Resources Officer, Elena Papadopoulou, discussed the challenges of the pandemic, the OTE Group’s digital transformation, and HR’s future challenges at KPMG’s 24th HR Symposium. With other panel members, Ms. Papadopoulou discussed “The way we work: How is HR preparing for the next day? Or is tomorrow already here?”
As the OTE Group’s Chief Human Resources Officer said, in March 2020, the Group successfully implemented the remote work model for 13,000 employees – 80% of its employees –, overnight, while at the same time provided direct solutions for some 3,000 people working on the front line. “We made our people’s safety our priority. We took strict protective and preventive measures, we procured sanitary equipment and put special emphasis on notifying and training our people. For us, our people were the daily heroes of the pandemic. As a company, we directly acknowledged their contribution during this difficult time – to both the company and society.”
Regarding the OTE Group’s digital transformation, Ms. Papadopoulou stressed that “at the OTE Group, our digital transformation has been under way for years now, and the pandemic found us ready. Thanks to our preparation, we were able to adapt our mode of operation immediately, and in the end – despite the great physical distance – we felt closer than ever.”
Responding to a question regarding remote work model, Ms. Papadopoulou noted that it isn’t just a pandemic phenomenon, but a work model that is here to stay. It will function as part of a hybrid configuration that combines remote work and work from the office. In this context, she pointed that there is an immediate need for reforms that ensure freedom and flexibility for both employees and employers.
Talking about the ‘next day’, the OTE Group’s HR chief highlighted that “the disruption of the pandemic quickly brought everyone face to face with a major challenge: sudden radical change that is enhanced by the new digital era and impacts every business in every sector. As technology evolves, companies, too, will have to change and capitalise on the new opportunities that emerge. Change is now a matter of survival; it’s the new reality,” adding that “as HR people, we need to put greater emphasis on training employees and sustaining the trust we developed with them during the pandemic. We need to stand by them, supporting their future needs. We will be the guides to the coming changes.”