"We need to create conditions in which people will want to work long and consciously"

It is no secret that the country's economy continues to experience a personnel crisis, and both private companies and state and municipal authorities are trying to solve this problem. The Moscow government is also doing a lot in the field of working with the labor market. Ksenia Alexandrova, Director of Development and Customer Relations at the Moscow Government's HR Services Department, told Izvestia about the main problems that are being solved now and which still need to be solved.

— What is the situation on the labor market in Russia today? What trends are observed in 2025?

— The labor market in Russia remains labor-deficient, and, according to forecasts, it will remain so at least until 2030 — this is a major challenge.

In Moscow, competition for staff is also intensifying, and simply hiring new employees is no longer enough — the process of retaining them is becoming more important. The focus is shifting to creating an environment in which you want to work and develop, especially for working with young people. It is important to build this work systematically from day one, using tools such as internships, adaptation and development programs.

At the same time, the approach to evaluating candidates is also changing: employers are increasingly looking not only at length of service, but also at potential, and they are actively developing internal programs to "grow" specialists locally.

A separate topic is working professions. There is an acute shortage of qualified specialists in this area. Today, these are sought-after areas with a competitive income level, often comparable to office positions, and sometimes even higher. This opens up opportunities for generating new interest in such professions and rethinking their role in the labor market, so our task is to talk about working professions in a new way and generate sustained interest in them.

— What requirements do employees have for an employer today? What motivating factors make it possible to keep an employee in the organization?

— The demands of employees today are very different, much depends on their age, life situation, goals and motivation. There is no longer a universal approach. To build sustainable teams, it is important to consider what stage a person is at and what is really important to them at the moment.

For example, for employees under the age of 25, work is primarily a trial and search period. They often change directions, try to try on different roles in different projects. At the top of their priorities are interesting tasks, the opportunity to learn quickly, see the result of their work and feel involved in a common cause. Equally important are the team, the atmosphere, openness and transparent feedback. These employees actively share their impressions on social media, and it is this experience that shapes the image of the employer in the eyes of their environment.

For the 30-35-year-old group, the focus shifts to growth and development. People have already decided on a direction and want to move on — build a career, take on more responsibility. They are attracted by clear career paths, participation in complex and significant projects, and the expansion of their area of responsibility. It is important for such specialists to offer a transparent path of professional development, opportunities for training, participation in projects and a clear system of interaction within the team.

In general, it can be said that today it is not just work that is important for employees, but conditions in which they feel comfortable, where their individuality is respected and they are given space for growth. They want to understand why they are doing what they are doing and feel that their contribution is important. For an employer, this means that competitive conditions alone are not enough today — they have become, rather, a basic expectation. Employees choose not just comfort, but an environment in which there is meaning, professional interest, challenge and opportunities for growth.

— Do you think AI will be able to replace a number of professions in the foreseeable future? Or will the need for human resources still remain?

— It seems to me that technology, and especially artificial intelligence, is really transforming the labor market. But this is not about replacing a person, but about strengthening his role. AI takes over the routine — those tasks that can be formalized, automated, and done faster. This frees up the resources of specialists to perform more complex, responsible and valuable functions.

We are already seeing how professions are changing under the influence of AI. A classic accountant becomes a financial analyst who helps businesses make strategic decisions. Teachers are moving from the role of lecturer to the role of facilitator — they enable students to gain knowledge at their own pace using digital tools. In medicine, AI is able, for example, to quickly decode an MRI scan, but it will not replace a doctor who conducts a dialogue with a patient, makes decisions taking into account many factors and shows empathy.

Technology doesn't make people unnecessary — it gives you the opportunity to focus on what's really important. The future belongs to the formula "artificial intelligence together with humans," not "instead of humans." The need for thinking, experience, and human involvement will always remain.

At the same time, there are areas where a person is fundamentally irreplaceable. Artificial intelligence can analyze data, but it is not able to reproduce intuition, imagination, sense of humor or emotional reaction. Creativity, empathy, the ability to understand context and subtle nuances are what remains an exclusively human task. These qualities are increasingly becoming key in a world where technology takes over the rest.

— Which professions will be most in demand in the next five years?

— In the coming years, professionals who can work with their hands and with technology will be in demand. The demand for specialists in professions related to manufacturing, logistics, energy and transport will only grow. And those who combine practical and digital skills will get new opportunities for career growth and rapid development.

At the same time, there is a high demand for IT specialists: analysts, developers, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence experts. Their role in the economy is becoming more and more systemic — they provide the infrastructure on which both production and services operate.

Finally, managers of the new generation are becoming increasingly important. In an environment where familiar approaches no longer work, it is necessary to rethink processes, form a new culture, work with teams and change managerial thinking. It is important to see new tools, build flexible systems and adaptive models in a wide variety of fields, from education to urban management. The key qualities here are the ability to see more broadly, make quick decisions, lead, and flexibly adapt to a rapidly changing reality.

— Is the Moscow government experiencing a shortage of personnel? What kind of specialists are you missing? How does HR Services Management affect the solution of this problem?

— The Moscow government is one of the largest employers in the country. Our team consists of about 900,000 people: teachers, bus drivers, housing and communal services employees, construction workers, lawyers, managers and specialists in various fields. In terms of scale, it's almost like a city within a city. And such a scale requires constant updating of the staff and attracting new specialists.

HR Services Management plays a key role in this process. We are the HR expertise center of the capital. We use the tools used in business and our own experience to create effective personnel solutions: from recruitment and adaptation to employee training and development.

We are developing the brand of the Moscow government's employer, "Your City is Your Business," inspiring the best specialists to join the city's team, telling success stories of employees, and organizing unifying, creative, and sporting events. All this helps to form strong, engaged teams that work for the benefit of Muscovites — with pride and pleasure.

— How can modern employers attract and retain young staff?

— If we talk about the youth, then this is really a very interesting generation. They are ambitious, they learn fast, they are not afraid to change directions and try new things. But they also have a different request — just a stable salary or a big name is no longer enough. It is important for them to understand why they are doing their job, what place they occupy in the team, and what prospects open up before them.

We understand this well and try to speak the same language with young specialists: openly, honestly and to the point. We convey values and meanings, show the real mission and tasks that the Moscow government team faces. It works, especially when you have the opportunity to try your hand at business: through internships, project work, mentoring, and clear development tracks.

We formulate this whole approach in the employer's brand "Your city is your business". It reflects the main meaning: everyone has the opportunity to influence what the city will be like and feel its importance.

— What programs do the Moscow Government have for attracting young professionals?

— We have a flagship product for working with young personnel, which is an internship in the capital's authorities and subordinate organizations. This program has been running for 12 years, and for us it is an important stage in the formation of the city's future team. We give young people the opportunity to understand what they are really interested in, what their strengths are, and what influence they can have on the development of the capital. An internship is a full—fledged professional track. It lasts for six months, and during this time the participants go through three different blocks in different departments and organizations. They get real tasks, interact with a mentor and a team, and this helps them to consciously choose a direction, see the work of the urban system from the inside and understand what is close to them. And we are interested in people staying with us after the internship and developing further as professionals. For us, the best result is when a person comes consciously and stays with us for a long time.

— Are there any fundamental differences between the role of HR in the commercial sector and the public sector?

— It seems to me that there is no fundamental difference. The role of HR in any sector is to build effective work with people: to attract, develop, retain, and form an understandable and working system. Today, both in commercial and government organizations, HR solves the same tasks and faces the same challenges: staff shortages, changing employee expectations, the need to flexibly adapt to new conditions and work with different generations. The differences are more organizational than substantive. The main idea is to create an environment in which people will understand, feel comfortable and find it interesting to work.

— Why did the idea arise to establish an HR award in the field of personnel management in the public sector "In the frame"? What tasks is it designed to solve?

— We see that a lot of interesting changes are taking place in this industry — approaches and practices are being transformed, new projects are emerging. The idea is to collect the best examples, create a platform for sharing experiences and form a professional community. We want to give people who work with teams the opportunity to be noticed, which is why our award is called "In the Frame." We want to make their work visible and recognized. The award is also an opportunity to bring together people who work in different fields but solve the same tasks, to give them a space where they can talk about their experiences, inspire someone with them and be inspired by other people's experiences in order to move HR in the public sector forward together.

— Who do you expect as participants and what should motivate them to nominate their project?

— We are waiting for participants from a wide variety of teams. We have three categories: Moscow, regions, and the federal level. We want to support everyone who works with people in the public sector, regardless of the scale of the organization. What matters to us is not the number of employees and the size of the project budget, but the idea, approach, and how your practice works. And our task is to show that everyone has the opportunity to express themselves and get recognition.

Participation in the award is both prestige and an opportunity to tell a wide audience about yourself and your team. There is also a financial motivation: the winners will receive cash prizes. And we don't use them to encourage organizations, but specific people who have already contributed to the development of the public sector.

— Can we expect the award to become an annual initiative?

— The award is held by the decision of the Mayor of Moscow and will become an annual event. We are already seeing a lot of interest in the competition — such a format is needed as a space for professional dialogue and recognition. And our goal is to create an environment for communication that will help teams from different regions share successful developments in the HR field, be inspired by the experience of colleagues, discuss HR challenges and find solutions. And we are definitely ready to participate in this and support it.