Kolos wants to live openly and be himself in the work environment
Kolos Kiss has been working as a Delivery Manager in the Customer Journeys Division, Department Lending & Leasing Experience, at Erste Digital since August 2024. His career within the Erste Group began in 2022. He completed a Bachelor's degree in Business Consultancy International at the University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt and a part-time Master's degree in European Studies – Project Management at the University of Applied Sciences Burgenland. Originally from Hungary, he enjoys spending his free time travelling, attending festivals, and sharing moments with family and friends.
Dear Kolos, where are you at right now?
I'm still quite early in my career. I'm 25 years old now and have been working full-time since August 2024.
I studied at the University of Applied Sciences Burgenland. I did my Master's degree in European Studies and Project Management. It was an interesting mix of economics, politics, and international relations. I really enjoyed that.
Now I'm a Delivery Manager at Erste Digital. I really like being confronted with something new every day. Organization and planning are my strengths. I enjoy driving projects forward.
How do you envision the future?
I don't just want to grow professionally, but also personally. It's important to me to strengthen my personal relationships and to get to know myself better and better.
How important is the topic of diversity in the workplace for you?
Diversity is very important to me personally, also because I am part of the LGBTIQ community myself. I think it's important to be able to live openly and be yourself not only in private but also in the work environment. At Erste Group, I feel very safe and appreciated. Here, diversity is not just a marketing campaign, but truly part of the corporate culture.
Do you expect that from an employer? From a company?
Yes. Especially in times when societal trends are becoming more conservative, I find it extremely important that companies clearly show their stance and support their employees. After all, we all spend a lot of our lives at work, and every person should be able to feel accepted and comfortable there.
Is it important to you to be visible as a queer person in the workplace?
Queer visibility is very important because you spend so much time in the workplace. If you constantly have to hide or avoid parts of your identity, it's burdensome. Open discussions make it possible to feel safer and more comfortable. It's also important to raise awareness among colleagues and offer new perspectives to those who may not have had much contact with LGBTIQ topics.
How do your colleagues respond to that?
Most of the time, positively or at least openly. Some were initially surprised, but never negative. One time, we even had a spontaneous discussion at a Christmas party, and my colleagues said that everyone should be able to live how they want. I found that very encouraging, and it helped me to be more open.
Of course, there are also colleagues who have difficulties with the topic, perhaps due to personal or political views. But overall, I find these conversations very valuable and important for breaking down prejudices.
How could Erste Group promote diversity even more strongly?
More events with informative content would be great. It's about sharing knowledge to break down prejudices and create more tolerance. It's also important to explain the vocabulary, because not everyone is familiar with terms like "queer."
Do you have a personal motto that is especially important to you?
During my semester abroad in Italy, I read a great motto: “Io voglio solo vivere” – “I just want to live.” That really sums up how I think. Simply live and let live, focus on the positive, and get the most out of life.
Thank you, dear Kolos, for the interview!