In order to attract new employees, today companies go to great lengths – offering various motivational packages, additional vacation days, or even the opportunity to work from exotic countries. But sometimes the opposite happens – after a while, employees themselves decide to return. And this, according to HR experts, is one of the strongest proofs that a company truly is an attractive workplace.
This autumn, several long-time employees returned to the parcel delivery company Venipak. Some after a year, others after a few years, and one – even after a nine-year break. What prompted them to make this decision, what changes did they notice, and what motivates them to stay this time?
Leaving for New Challenges, Returning for the Chance to Make a Difference
Gabrielė Tarchanovaitė, Venipak’s Head of Processes and Quality, says that three years ago she left the company driven by curiosity.
“I wanted to try myself in another company, to see how processes and quality management look elsewhere. At first I worked as a process and quality manager, later I moved into a product manager role. That experience gave me a broader perspective, but when returning, the most important thing was not just the position, but the people and the belief in a shared goal. I came back because I see room to grow here and contribute to big results,” she says.
Gabriele Tarchanovaitė
Darius Pakalniškis, now leading logistics in Kaunas, smiles – his “break” lasted as long as nine years.
“During that time I worked as a transport manager, courier coordinator, and head of several logistics centers. I came back because of many good memories, but even more because I wanted to grow again, to improve, to create change. Venipak has all the opportunities for that, especially because it is a locally owned company, where decisions are made very quickly,” he says.
Romanas Gelusevičius, now heading Venipak’s freight division, admits that his departure a year and a half ago was due to a simple reason – exhaustion.
“I left my position as head of night lines because I needed rest – to make a restart. After a few months in Greece and almost a year at another logistics company, I realized I was still interested in what I had been doing at Venipak. And when the opportunity to return came, it was easy to decide – the team has always been very important to me, and the colleagues who also returned, as well as the changes that had taken place, encouraged me even more to rejoin,” says R. Gelusevičius.
Romanas Galusevičius
Changes That Surprised Them
G. Tarchanovaitė says that coming back to the company felt like returning from a long vacation.
“I was surprised that I adapted so quickly – already on the second day I could productively participate in meetings. That was my WOW moment – I realized the organization was still very close to me, and the support of colleagues helped me quickly get back into the rhythm,” she shares.
D. Pakalniškis says he was most surprised by the increased parcel volumes and the expanded, much larger Kaunas logistics terminal.
“Although I returned to the same company, it had changed a lot in nine years. And I am very glad that changes happened not only in flows, processes, and facilities, but also in mentality. Now I want to build a strong team and help achieve the company’s goals together,” he says.
Darius Pakalniškis
Technology adoption, digitization, and automation – all this surprised R. Gelusevičius. He explains that it felt as if he hadn’t been away for long, but upon returning he saw many new things – from the amount of accessible data to a strengthened team of analysts. And all this, he says, creates a lot of potential to optimize routes and improve processes.
Motivated by Dynamics and the Team
All three colleagues agree that working at Venipak stands out for its pace, dynamics, and team energy.
“Work here is definitely not monotonous. You constantly need to react to the situation, adapt to client needs, stay alert and flexible. What motivates me most are victories – both small and big. And of course, the team – strong professionals in their field, with whom you can achieve results,” says R. Gelusevičius.
G. Tarchanovaitė agrees that Venipak is unique because it never stands still, and employees are motivated to reach higher goals.
“What excites me most is that everyone here can share ideas, and often those ideas are implemented. I am motivated that I can be not just an executor, but also part of the creative process, contributing to the implementation of new solutions,” she says.
Meanwhile, D. Pakalniškis adds that the greatest motivation is to see a satisfied team and achieved company goals. According to him, Venipak is a growing international company where you can apply what you do best and pursue a common goal together.
The stories of these three colleagues are different – some were brought back by the team, others by new opportunities or inspiring goals. But all are united by one thing: they chose to return. And this is one of the clearest proofs that the attractiveness of a company is best evaluated not by experts, but by its own employees.
