Notable features of human resource management in Russian companies were the high degree of use of various flexible forms of employment (primarily fixed-term contracts and casual employment) and the low formalization of the personnel assessment system. The degree of coverage of companies with formalized personnel assessment systems in Russia turned out to be lower than in any country included in the CRANET study. This provided line managers with additional opportunities to influence subordinates.
Freezing ruble wages and reducing the number of personnel has become the main ways to reduce operating costs in a significant proportion of organizations. Most often, employee incomes were cut due to the variable (bonus) part and bonuses, although salaries in their “grey” part were also reduced. Line managers used “squeezing out” of employees by transferring them to a lower level of pay (without bonuses and additional payments). Large companies resorted to massive staff reductions or announced such plans in order to obtain government support funds.
The results of the Russian part of the survey in 2014–2015 reflected the state of human resource management mainly in large companies, which dominated the sample (68 % of companies; the total number of surveyed companies was 131). Notable features of the Russian human resource management system at that time were the high degree of structuring and formalization of HRM processes (having a documented HRM strategy was already becoming the norm); the involvement (in one way or another) of HR directors in developing the company’s strategy, but they were rarely members of senior management bodies.
An analysis of the distribution of responsibility for decisions in the field of human resource management between the personnel service and line managers did not show in this wave of research the predominance of the role of line managers, as was the case in the 2008–2009 wave. For most issues, HR managers took primary responsibility, albeit subject to consultation with line managers, including in matters of personnel regulation. Only issues of personnel incentives remained the prerogative of line managers.
The main functions of HRM in general in the countries studied were implemented by companies independently. The tendency to attract external service providers (outsourcing) for training and development of personnel has been observed in European countries, including Russia.