The Human Resources Director of the BALFIN group, Elvin Nosi, shows the approach towards a new generation of professionals.

Many young people today dream of startups or working remotely for foreign companies. Why should a young Gen-Z person choose a group like BALFIN? What is that ‘vibe’ that makes you unique in the market?

The BALFIN Group has relied on young people for its success since its inception. The Group’s President, Samir Mane, built BALFIN by bringing together young people who had the right ambition to learn and grow professionally.

Often when I talk to young people, they tell me: “I want something dynamic, not a classic corporation.” And I tell them: BALFIN is probably the biggest “startup” you can find in this region.

Iliri started 10 years ago as a specialist in our NEPTUN branch in Lushnje and today he is a manager in one of NEPTUN’s branches in Kosovo. The international experience came to him, not the other way around.

This is where I think we offer something more than other groups. At BALFIN, young people find the security of a consolidated group, but also the adrenaline of new projects and markets every year. At BALFIN Group, you join a network of many companies that is already present in 12 countries and that is constantly moving. And this has a special value for Gen-Z: it never feels “frozen in one place”.

Gen-Z is known for being impatient (in a good way) to move forward. Is there a ‘fast-track’ within the group for those who are burning with the desire to prove themselves, or do they have to wait years for a promotion?

I’ll be direct: at BALFIN we don’t believe in the idea of ​​”waiting your turn”. Currently, over 50 colleagues under 30 years old lead key functions or projects. It’s not a slogan, it happened naturally. Someone enters as a specialist, takes responsibility beyond the role, shows initiative, delivers results and within a relatively short time sees themselves leading the team. I’ve seen this model repeated many times.

What makes the difference? Not the years, but how quickly you learn, how much responsibility you take on, and how much results you deliver. “Fast-track” exists but it is not a program, it is a true culture of meritocracy.

One of the biggest fears of young people is to remain ‘stuck’ in one position. How does mobility work within BALFIN? Can I start in Tirana in marketing and after two years work in Vienna or Skopje in another sector?

The career in the BALFIN Group companies is not linear, and this is not rhetoric. Many young people have started in the retail sector and today are part of projects in the real estate development sector. Others have moved from one country to another to support new investments of the group.

Young people see the Group as a career platform, not as a single company. This means that a young person is not limited by city or sector. You can start in Tirana in IT and continue in Pristina, Skopje or Vienna in a completely different function, if you have the desire and results.

For Gen-Z, this is essential. They want real experiences, not just headlines that change on paper.

Often large corporations are seen as ‘machines’ where the voice of a junior is lost. How does BALFIN handle an ‘out of the box’ idea that comes from an intern or a new employee?

We try to maintain a simple principle: a good idea can come from anywhere and anyone. We have had very concrete cases where ideas proposed by new employees have been taken seriously and developed further.

Through mechanisms such as the Speak-Up platform or the BALFIN Innovation Summit, young employees have suggested operational improvements that have been concretely implemented. But above formal mechanisms, what matters is the culture. Leaders who listen, space to speak, and a lack of fear to propose.

I always say that: if an intern or new hire has a better idea than me, the problem is not that he or she is a “junior,” the problem would be if we didn’t listen to him or her.

Let’s be honest: standard CVs are dying. What makes a human resources manager in BALFIN Group companies say ‘wow’ when he sees the application of a 20-25 year old who maybe doesn’t have 10 years of experience?

CVs are often very similar, especially at a young age. I have seen candidates who didn’t have much experience, but had done a personal project, a volunteer initiative or had taken online courses seriously. And this tells you much more than a list of roles.

A personal project, a volunteer initiative, courses taken seriously — these show more than three years of routine experience. Because they show character, not just a CV.

What we are looking for is someone with energy and desire, someone who doesn’t wait for opportunities to come to them but creates them. And above all, someone who asks “why?” and “how can we do it better?” because those are the people who grow the fastest at BALFIN.