Artūras Kokoškinas: "Baking bread is creativity"

Interview with Artūras Kokoškinas, the head of Vilniaus Duona, about career opportunities in a bakery, leadership training for each colleague and who is suitable to work here.

Have you counted when, how many different professions need to bake bread?

We employ 400 people, but some may be surprised that we have as many as 65 specialties among them.

It seems that the company is very clear: it is only engaged in baking bread, but since the company is large, international, one of the largest in the Baltic States – naturally, we have different departments, and everyone has their own role. Starting from production, dough bags, pullers, mechanics and ending with administration: finances, sales, quality. Many specialties that are needed by Vilniaus Duona.

Where do your colleagues come from to work at Vilniaus Duona?

Some come, of course, from universities, universities of technology, higher education institutions, some come from higher schools, where they have acquired certain specializations. Some come from advertising, we have colleagues from a wide variety of fields.

Who would be suitable to work at Vilniaus Duona?

For many years, we have had three main values of Vilniaus Duona: openness, drive and an all-encompassing approach. Openness – when you talk, you share information. When you can give critical but constructive feedback and accept it. When you are open to change, you are able to accept it or initiate it yourself: in your work, in your department, in the company. Drive – if you come with new ideas. Even when doing a simple job, these ideas appear in many people. This is one of the most important things. The third thing is an all-encompassing approach – you are not only interested in what your field of work is, but more broadly. We are looking for people who are interested not only in what they do directly, but also in what their colleagues are doing. Because only from such joint, collective and teamwork comes the best result. We are suitable for those people who like international companies. We belong to a group of Scandinavian companies. Also for those who like to work in a multinational company, because Vilniaus Duona employs people from 7 nations.

For many, Vilniaus Duona is associated with a Lithuanian company, but at the same time you belong to an international group. Is there more internationality or Lithuanianness here?

We are Lithuanians in our essence, but European and international in our principles of activity. The whole work culture is Western: sustainability, equal rights, clear processes are important to us, so that people can express themselves, are not afraid to make mistakes, can learn from mistakes. Ecology is a very important part for us. We have clearly set our goals for what we need to achieve by 2030: how much we will reduce C02, what products we will bake, how we will contribute to improving the health of the Lithuanian population, how we will increase the amount of fiber in bread, the amount of whole grain flour, etc. Those who agree with these values fit in with us the most.

What kind of young people would work at Vilnius Bread be suitable for?

The most important thing is that you have to be curious, you have to be interested in everything: what you do, what you learn. We are looking for the best. The second thing is that you have to be interested not only in your direct work, but also in what is happening around you: what is happening in the economy, what is happening in society, how fashions are changing, and look, if you start as a student one day, you will become the head of a huge company.

Is it often the case that those people who come to the practice come to life as colleagues?

There are colleagues who come to practice and come back again because they like Vilnius bread so much. This shows that it is a good place to work. We also have colleagues to whom we offer a job after an internship.

You also have a lot of colleagues who are returning. What do they say when they come back?

They say that the feeling that you can contribute is the most important thing. A good place to work and a great team.

You also made a career at Vilniaus Duona, came as an employee of the department, and eventually became the head of the entire company. What are the career opportunities in the company?

I have an interesting story about a former colleague who started working in the company as a bread baker and came from high school. She finished her career at Vilniaus Duona already as the Baltic Production Manager of our group of companies. And currently she heads the production unit of a very well-known company in Lithuania. This is a colleague we can really be proud of and a good example of how a person can make a career at Vilniaus Duona. You can start in any position, but if you are driven, interested in different processes, have a holistic approach, you can have a great career.

In addition, since we are an international company, we have colleagues who, after starting work in Lithuania, continue it in a group, for example, in Copenhagen, and participate in other projects at the level of our group. So there are also great opportunities for an international career.

Vilniaus Duona organizes a lot of different trainings, and for example, you teach leadership not only to managers, but to colleagues at all levels. What determines such an attitude?

A person who understands what leadership is, he also contributes to the better organization of the work itself. In addition, it is important to us that people want and be able to continue growing. This is how our future talents are born.

Managers have training in leadership tools, there are 21 tools for managers that everyone must be able to apply in certain situations: for example, how to communicate better with colleagues, how to understand each other better, why resistance occurs and how to overcome it in tactical ways, how to understand the other person's position.

Other colleagues who, for example, bake bread, do not necessarily work in the administration, they also learn leadership principles, acquire knowledge on how to better manage the project or contribute to the activity in some other way.

And what is your relationship with bread?

Baking bread is really creativity for me – it would seem very simple: you mix the dough, put it in the oven, and here you have bread. And it is really a huge stringed system and the company's activities: processes, delivery of raw materials, production planning, we have many lines, to put everything together exactly is a huge planning that requires various knowledge of ours. And this is the case in all our areas, not only in terms of administration. The most interesting and important thing is that you create all the time. From the moment you mix the dough and bread is born from the dough, you form an assortment that makes new recipes, sells them in stores, works with buyers – it's all creativity.

Many people imagine that working in a food production company is monotonous. Where does that dynamic come from?

Work in the bread sector is really very dynamic. The needs of consumers are constantly changing. In the past, for example, there was bread and baguette. Now, for example, portioned breads are becoming more popular, new types of bread are appearing. Consumer needs are also changing: less sugar, more fiber, more whole wheat flour. You're creating all the time. Creating new products.

Several times a day, colleagues get together in certain shifts and they talk, for example, what could be improved, how to ensure increased demand, how to solve one issue or another. It is a continuous process of improvement and search for solutions. And from that, dynamics come everywhere, whether you work in one department or another.

Now most people are looking for meaning at work. What is the meaning of this work?

Bread in general is meaning. After all, everything starts with bread, it is the essential food of our Lithuanians. That's where I see the greatest meaning. Every day we bake bread for the table of the whole of Lithuania.

And what is your own favorite bread?

Since I have contributed a lot to the creation of various breads, there are many of my babies, I initiated some recipes myself, it is difficult to choose one. I eat a lot of bread, I can't say one favorite.