INTERVIEWER: MAHMOUD MANSI

1-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: When you first held the post of HR Manager of Kobaa Manufacturing, what was your first decision?

Mona Adel: Promote the oldest Technician to a supervisor.

2- HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: What are the challenges you face as an HR department in your organization and how do you deal with them?

Mona Adel: To make the employees feel the importance of the HR’s function in the organization, we implement a system, which is accepted by their side.

3- HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: You were working as a Recruitment Senior at Alexandria Fiber Company when the company started. How did the company grow? And how did it shut down? What are your analytical reasons?

Mona Adel: Alex Fiber as an organization grew very fast and closed very fast as well (2006-2015)…the company had a lot of facilities to grow the talent, manpower, capital and advance technology. But unfortunately the management changed and the way of turnaround in the business changed. This made a lot of talented employees leave the company and were replaced with others that are not on the same level of efficiency and loyalty.

4- HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: If you go back in time; would the HR be able to make any decision to save Alexandria Fiber from closure?

Mona Adel: No, because the management made a limitation for the HR role in the company especially in 2011/2012 this was in the revolution and strike period. In Alex Fiber, me and my HR Team did our best in the company during this hard time, they left their homes and stayed to protect the company and solve the problem with the union for more than two weeks…But unfortunately the unit head in this difficult time was not appreciated for personal reasons.

5- HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: What did you study in college, and how did you end up in the HR career? Did you study inspire you to become a better HR?

Mona Adel: In college, I studied anthropology for four year it’s a Human study; it is social, cultural and psychological one. After I graduated, I took a diploma in psychology, two diplomas in Human Resources, a diploma in TOT and a Masters. Sure, this makes me an effective HR manager but I am still working on myself to be better and achieve more goals.

6-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: To what extent is the HR department involved in the development and growth of an organization?

Mona Adel: The Role of the HR Department in the organization has the same importance like that of the Financial Department and the Marketing Department. The HR Department develops the strategy and plan, brings the talented employees, develops them, makes a successor plan to save the company from any drop, employee engagement that increases the loyalty of the employees all this supports and helps in the development and growth of any organization.

7- HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: When it comes to recruiting a blue collar, what are the procedures? And what are the criteria of selection? Mona Adel: It is very difficult to hire a talented qualified and well-mannered blue collar,The procedures are as follows:·   Read the JD (job descriptions) very well.·   Start by seeing your Advertising budget.·   The criteria must be good manners and experience but in Alex Fiber, it was the least regarding the salary. 

8-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: Through hiring a blue collar, how do you make sure through the interview that this person is qualified or not?

Mona Adel: This I got by practice and experience. You ask some questions in the scant details of the job and you will see the answer if he has experience or not from his body language then you will make your decision as an HR if he is suitable for this job or not.

9-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: Working with blue collars, how did you manage the strikes through the Egyptian revolution?

Mona Adel: It was a difficult time and especially that the joint president at that time in AFCO was not cooperating with the HR department and he was not good with the employees. We started a new strategy that we are here just to pamper the employees even the angry, troublemakers at that time our target was to build the trust again with the employees.

10-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: What are the problems you faced through dealing with employee unions over your work life? And did you deal with those challenges?

Mona Adel: Actually, the main problem was to convince them that the company did not make any profit to increase the salary or give bonuses to stop the strike.

11-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: You used to work with Indian, Thai, and Egyptian employees. Did you find a difference between them in work?

Mona Adel: Definitely, the Indians who were working in Thailand were different in education and knowledge from those who were working with us here. The Indians have a patience to work on the same issue many times. The Egyptians are clever and they know it so they work on the issue one time if they do not succeed, they leave it>

12-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: You are a member at AHRA (Alexandria Human Resources Association), how did this add benefit to your professional HR career?

Mona Adel: AHRA is a professional network, which means we will find the professional HR in this community for any help or support you find a lot of information.

13-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: You work as an HR Instructor at the Arab Academy what are the qualities of a professional HR Instructor?

Mona Adel: I studied how to be a professional instructor from Dr. Hosni Mansour; he is my role model. The instructor of HR should show the trainee how to be an effective HR in their company, how to be a role model in every single act, word or reaction. We built a culture; a generation knowing the importance of the Human Resources’ function in the organization, in the course, do not transfer knowledge or experience.

14-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: What is your criticism regarding the business environment in Alexandria? And how do you advice HRs to react in these companies?

Mona Adel: A lot of multinational companies are downsizing or closing even most of the existing companies decrease the training plan for their employees. My advice will be for the talented employees to not give up, take courses and do not stop learning, tomorrow will be better Insha’Allah.