Maxim Behar, the company's founder, interview for Economy. bg

 

 

 

What social benefits are included in the company's package?

Practically all possible ones - additional health insurance, sports cards, etc. Of course, this is important, but it is far more crucial for managers to make their colleagues' work enjoyable and their time in the office the best part of their day possible. It's not easy, of course, but nothing is easy nowadays. I make sure every detail in the office is carefully crafted - from the atmosphere in the cafeteria to the wall decorations, the layout of the desks, the comfort of the chairs, the speed of the computers, and the contrast of the monitors... maybe you'll smile at this, the selection of music in the bathrooms and the presence of foot masseurs in the small, covered relaxation terrace for reading... Yes, indeed, these are important details, but I never forget that the most essential things in a company are its projects, the exciting and creative work, the relationships with clients, and the team. If the assessment of these components is at least an eight on a ten-point scale, then that will be the company's strongest social and professional benefit.

 

How many vacation days do employees have in your company?

As many as legally required. They vary for each person depending on their length of employment. My colleagues know well that with good performance, I often throw their vacation requests in the trash and tell them that their days off will be a gift from the company for their excellent work.

 

Do you have a flexible working hours policy?

Yes, we do. We struggle with it, but we manage. I still can't accurately analyze the advantages and disadvantages; I need more time. The system is three days in the office and two days working from home. It applies only to colleagues who have passed the six-month probationary period and have already been appointed with a permanent contract. The truth is, both I and the executive directors and department directors rarely work from home; nowadays, times are challenging, and our presence in the office is really important; plus, there isn't a day when we don't meet at least a few clients.

 

How is the work-life balance supported?

I believe everyone has their system. I try to control my colleagues so they don't stay in the office after 7 p.m. I don't mind when they come to work, but I work with such serious and responsible people that I'm confident in their well-done work. Ultimately, we all know you can stay in the office for 15 hours and still not accomplish something very good. I aim for us to have a "best" prefix in everything - to be the best, the most precise, the freest, the most professional, and ultimately - the happiest.

 

Do you have a practice of giving bonuses?

Indeed, after every successful project. This system persisted for many years, but we decided it wasn't fair about a year ago. Too many people are often involved in a project, and when we assign a bonus for only two or three, it's not very fair. That's why we created criteria for evaluating the team; they are transparent and known to all colleagues. Based on these criteria, the company's board evaluates them every six months, and then we determine bonuses for good performance or, more commonly, salary increases. In other words, we prefer honest and accurate professional assessment, which we communicate in detail with colleagues, and - if justified - salary increases rather than a one-time bonus for one project or another.

 

What are the training and professional development opportunities you provide to your employees?

In short - they're unlimited. We manage the only private and fully licensed college for public communications in Bulgaria - M3 College - and every new colleague immediately gets free access to all the video presentations and lectures there. Furthermore, I can't recall a colleague coming to me or any of the other managers with the idea of attending a course, forum, or important event and us refusing, no matter the cost or location of the event. Every Monday, I talk to my colleagues about this and stimulate and motivate them in every possible way to learn and read interesting articles, which I often send to them early in the morning.

 

Do you organize team-building activities for your employees?

Yes, of course. For instance, next week, we're going bowling, a game that brings our team together, and we've invited our clients to join us as well. We have departmental dinners or lunches, trying to be together as much and as effectively as possible. Our most important initiative in recent years has been the monthly M3 Power Talks - we gather the entire company with interesting people - managers, businessmen, artists, athletes, and then we have lunch with them. This has proven to be the most effective way to learn something exciting and have fun together.

 

Do you participate in various public and corporate social initiatives?

We participate in all possible meetings and initiatives that can help society and educate our future colleagues even better. Since its inception, we have actively engaged in the Bulgaria Forum of Business Leaders and in bilateral chambers of commerce - American, French, and British. We conduct masterclasses at many Bulgarian universities, but I prefer to go to schools and talk about our profession before young people have chosen their university or specialty. Our year-round internship program makes us very proud as we provide a professional path to dozens of professionals every year.

 

What other additional benefits and social initiatives does your company offer to improve the quality of life for employees?

Ha... There are opportunities for professional challenges and a great time in a super professional company with a fantastic team. Nowadays, that's not insignificant at all!

 

You can find the full interview here.

You can learn more about M3 Communications Group, Inc. here