The Swiss-Hungarian Business Forum was held on Sep. 11 at the Neumann János University in Kecskemét, Hungary, in cooperation with the Embassy of Switzerland. The main topics were innovation, institutional collaboration, Swiss best practices, cooperation programs, and training opportunities. Speakers and panel discussion participants included representatives of the Swiss and Hungarian governments, institutions and companies. The audience was drawn from the regional corporate and institutional spheres and the chamber’s membership. After the event, there was a visit to the Fornetti factory.
Swisscham’s next event in October is its HR café, a successful series organized in partnership with Business Drive, where current HR topics are discussed with renowned experts. The central theme will be “How to Make Your Public Presence Effective and Efficient: The Secret of Successful Communication in the Age of the Attention Economy.” The guest will be presenter and communication expert Csaba Azurák. HR professionals, managers and anyone who wants to improve their public speaking skills are welcome to join this event.
• When: Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, from 2-4:30 p.m.
• Where: Hageni Távegyetem Budapesti központja, Madách Imre utca 13-14, A épület 4. Emelet, Budapest 1075
• Fee: Members HUF 5,000 (0% VAT); non-members HUF 12,000 (plus VAT). Register by Oct. 14.
At the start of October, the CCCH will host its latest Business Breakfast, focusing on one of the most pressing concerns for businesses today: cybersecurity. With cybercrime on the rise, business leaders are increasingly concerned about how to safeguard their organizations. Attendees will hear from cybersecurity experts such as Nicholas Sarvari from CNS Risk and Adam Enterkin from BlackBerry, who will address the current threat landscape in Central and Eastern Europe, the growing role of AI in cybercrime, and effective risk mitigation strategies. The event will feature a panel discussion and an interactive workshop, providing practical tools for SMEs to strengthen cybersecurity defenses. Breakfast, lunch and networking are included.
• When: Tuesday, Oct. 1, 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
• Where: Académia Irodaház, Académia utca 6 Budapest 1054
• Fee: Members HUF 9.900 (+ VAT); non-members HUF 29,900 (+ VAT)
Is it better to work in a French company in Hungary? Join the CCIFH Business Breakfast and discover the employer branding perception of French companies in Hungary.
• When: Tuesday Sep. 24, 9-11 a.m.
• Where: Randstad Budapest, Dózsa György út 146-148, Budapest 1134.
• Fee: Members HUF 8,900 (+ VAT); non-members HUF 13,400 (+ VAT).
The next CCIFH Businesswomen’s Lunch will feature Krisztina Kovács, the Rector’s chief of staff at MOME (Moholy-Nagy Művészeti Egyetem). She will talk about the subject “See and be Seen,” with a discussion about creative thinking and value creation in contemporary art and art education.
• When: Wednesday Oct. 2, noon-2 p.m.
• Where: Andrássy Garden Andrássy út 111, Budapest 1063
• Fee: Members HUF 18,900 (+ VAT); non-members HUF 28,900 (+ VAT)
The next CCIFH HR Club presents Yogist: Well at Work. Yogist has already trained more than 500,000 leaders, managers and employees in techniques that prevent work-related illnesses in the office or remote work. The special guest will be the French founder, Anne-Charlotte Vuccino.
• When: Tuesday, Oct. 22, 9-11 a.m.
• Where: Europa Design-Well Point, Törökvész út 71-75, Budapest 1025.
• Fee: Members HUF 9,900 (+ VAT); non-members HUF 14,900 (+ VAT).
The sixth BCCH CEO Dinner of 2024 will be held at the W Hotel Budapest and features James Nelson, general manager and head of finance shared services at Computacenter, a leading independent technology and services provider. The firm’s center in Hungary employs 560-plus staff to manage internal business functions and provide direct customer support and services. Budapest is Computacenter’s primary global GBS location. The company is building out multiple roles as part of several functional transformations to enable Computacenter to grow internationally and serve its customers more effectively. The event lets guests enjoy a three-course dinner with wine and welcome drinks while hearing a leading professional’s views on recent developments and current industry affairs. BCCH chairman Duncan Graham will give the opening remarks.
• When: Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, from 5:30 p.m.
• Where: W Hotel Budapest, Andrássy út 25, Budapest 1061
• Fee: Members HUF 28,000 (plus VAT); non-members HUF 38,000 (plus VAT)
Dutcham’s first networking lunch event this fall features a chance to meet the Budapest Marriott Hotel’s new general manager, Angela Saliba.
• When: Sep. 26, noon-2 p.m.
• Where: DNB Restaurant, Budapest Marriott Hotel, Apáczai Csere János u. 4, Budapest 1052
• Fee: Members: HUF 10,000 HUF (incl. VAT); non-members: HUF 13,000 HUF (incl. VAT), includes two courses, mineral water and coffee. More information: dutcham.hu
Since 2017, the DUIHK has honored 37 member companies with the title “Reliable Employer.” The awards were handed out for the eighth time this year at a dedicated event where the winning companies presented their best practices for increasing employee engagement and reducing staff turnover.
Zsuzsa Mészáros-Schaffer, marketing manager at Work Force Hungary Kft., said that the primary concern of every employee is the monthly salary, so the firm regularly checks the competitive wage for a job. For blue-collar employees, there are performance or attendance bonuses and transparency of career opportunities to encourage engagement, while for white-collar employees, health benefits, cafeteria and home office are also important. Mészáros-Schaffer highlighted the importance of onboarding processes, applicant support, personalized training, and internal communication.
Anna Kaposvári, HR manager of Class Hungária Kft., emphasized the power and role of internal communication and the importance of first impressions during onboarding. New colleagues are welcomed with their own branded workwear and other useful gifts, and the entire employee family is integrated into the corporate culture through various programs under the slogan “Not just colleagues, but family.”
Anna Varga, HR director of Bay Zoltán Közhasznú Nonprofit Kft., says that the Institute of Natural Sciences mainly employs researchers and is a bridge between basic research and industrial realization. In addition to competitive salaries, employees are motivated by anniversary bonuses, a cafeteria, lifetime benefits, anonymization of the annual satisfaction survey, transparent management of results and even participation in designing solutions and updating policies.
Judit Kiss, HR manager of Rossmann Magyarország Kft., says that, as a family business, it has opted for supportive practices and programs. According to the employee engagement measurement, this has paid off for the employees, more than 80% of whom have been engaged this year. As a caring employer, Rossmann has a social safety net for colleagues. The company offers free counseling for colleagues and family members and helps with various welfare packages, including rapid assistance following an anonymous application.
In the panel discussion moderated by Zoltán Karácsony of HR Portal, all four managers confirmed that, although an attractive basic salary is the most important aspect for Hungarian employees and, therefore, regular salary increases are the most significant retention factor, the added value offered by a company is also increasingly appreciated.
This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of September 20, 2024.
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