‘Over the years we have seen a radical change in the job market’ – Mazars in Malta Partner Paul Giglio

How does Mazars’ Employer Branding proposition fit in within the context of today’s dynamic job market?

 “Over the past years we have seen a radical change in the job market, with evolving expectations both from the perspective of the employer, as well as of the prospective candidate and employee. Young people who join Mazars today do so because they have specifically chosen an employer which best matches their career and life aspirations; while we, as employers, select those candidates whose mindset best fits the firm’s values. People are therefore not joining our organisation randomly, but rather as a result of a conscious selection process based on what we offer, and what differentiates us from other firms in the sector.”

In your firm’s communications in connection with the recent inauguration of Mazars new offices in Malta, great emphasis was placed on the values differentiating the firm as an employer. What attracts young people specifically to join Mazars, in your experience?

“At Mazars, we always emphasise the fact that joining the firm is a ‘smart choice’, where young people can come and ‘write the rest of their professional story with us’. This is not just marketing blurb. We stand by our commitment to provide a global school of excellence – as part of the Mazars international network – where young people have an array of learning and training opportunities, both locally and overseas, where they are challenged to develop and grow, and where they can nurture a true sense of purpose. While career progression is linked to education, personal growth and career aspirations, this is also a place where all employees play a central role in the development of Mazars and our clients’ businesses. This takes place in an environment where individuality is valued, where creativity is prized and praised, and where long-standing friendships are formed.”

Your employees appear to place a high value on Mazars’ approach to a healthy work-life balance.

“The career of a financial auditor or in any consulting profession is very demanding in terms of time, personal investment and travel. These are cyclical professions that include both very intense and less intense periods of work. This is why, at Mazars, we strive to preserve a work-life balance for our employees. We adopt a very down-to-earth attitude where the focus is on working together and getting the job done. Whilst expecting our people to give their utmost, we believe that this is achievable in balance with their personal life. To this end, we offer an array of family-friendly measures, hybrid working conditions and flexible employee time management, to ensure we have a motivated and more productive team resulting in a better conciliation between work and family life. Such measures also contribute to engender greater affinity between the individual and the firm, and contribute towards a generally more positive culture which benefits all involved.”

At Mazars, you place a lot of emphasis on international mobility. How does this aspect feature in the firm’s corporate culture?

“Our unique international partnership is by nature collaborative and multicultural; and therefore the diversity which characterises Mazars is regarded as a driver for value. To capitalise on our diversity, we need to know how to work together. This is why at Mazars, international mobility is not seen as a perk, but is rather considered as a valuable development tool for our people, in addition to being of value for our organisation as a whole. To this end, we provide a number of programmes designed to enhance one’s international outlook with regards to their profession. For example, the MOVE Programme(Mazars Opportunities for Valuable Exchange) gives employees with at least two years of experience, the opportunity to gain international experience on a specific project, usually lasting between two and six months. Managers and senior managers, on the other hand, can benefit from our Expatriation Programme, whereby these can be assigned to a strategic project of relevance to Mazars’ development. Such assignments usually last between three and five years. We also operate a Transfer Programme, which involves the signing of a local contract between our employee and the host country. This can be arranged at any time during one’s career, from assistant manager level upwards.”

How easy is it to find space to progress along one’s chosen career path at Mazars?

“Talent Management is at the heart of our HR policy. At Mazars, we empower our young talents by putting them on assignments that count at a very early stage in their career. We also encourage and accelerate progressively their level of responsibility, by offering them more managerial functions. Augmented by the prospect of international mobility experiences, our young employees have access to an array of professional challenges which will help them sharpen their technical and managerial skills. Throughout this journey, they will be able to count on the advice of a mentor, who will provide guidance, and evaluate and appraise their progress. We see the transfer of the mentor’s know-how and their interpersonal skills as one of the keys to our young people’s success with us.

We’ve heard some great things about Mazars’ Internship Programme. What makes it so popular?

Yes, in fact we are already seeing a strong interest in our recently revamped Internship Programme, which will take place between the 3rd July and the 22nd September of this year. I think the pulling factor lies in the prospect of being part of a team of over 90 young, international minded, and dynamic audit, accounting and tax professionals, while experiencing a fun work environment in modern offices, and focusing on technical excellence and professional skills. These internships are available to post-secondary/sixth form, University, MCAST and ACCA students. 

Specifically, our interns benefit from working on diverse assignments and receiving feedback from our most experienced professionals, together with a sensible level of flexibility which allows students to tailor-make the programme to suit their requirements. Moreover, Mazars interns are offered competitive wages that increase annually. Interns will also be able to experience a truly human and international adventure thanks to our accessible management style and coaching culture.