Being part of the MCRN team: about finding your people, meaning, helping children, development and resilience
Working in children's rehabilitation is more than just a job. It is about responsibility, inner resilience and a deep sense that your daily work has a deep meaning.
For the International Center for Rehabilitation and Neurophysiology (ICRN), the full-scale war was not a pause, but a point of growth - sometimes difficult, but one that formed a team of incredible people. They are the ones who help children from all over Ukraine take their first step or say their first word every day.
How the MCRN team was formed and grew
We opened the first rehabilitation center in July 2022 - in the midst of a full-scale invasion, when most such institutions were not working. The children who remained in Ukraine were in dire need of rehabilitation, so there were no doubts about opening it.
The initial team consisted of 12 people, and 9 of them still work at the center today. We now have two centers in Kyiv, and the team has almost 100 incredible professionals. Among them are doctors, physical therapists, nurses, occupational therapists, speech therapists, ABA specialists, correctional teachers, swimming coaches, psychologists, coordinators, marketers and administrative staff.
This growth has been and remains difficult. It is about building processes from scratch - sometimes through mistakes, difficult decisions and losses. Only recently did we form a management team of specialists: before that, most processes took place in a flat-structure format with direct interaction with the CEO.
Today, we are developing and “growing” strong top managers within the team - people who not only know the Center well, but also actually shape its culture.
Rapid career development is possible at the MCRN: from administrator to coordinator who accompanies children at the Center, schedule planning specialist or even operations director. This is a real path where the key factor is not the position, but the internal willingness to take on responsibility. As a company, we create opportunities, support and respect the choice of each person.
Growing together with the team: processes, responsibility, development and motivation
The Center has formed clear values - respect and trust within the team. We realize that everyone comes with their own background: experience of war, mistrust, competition, conflicts or a culture of "who is better". Changing such paradigms takes time - it is a long and continuous process.
We consciously build a loyal environment of support, knowledge exchange and joint growth. It is this that strengthens the expertise of each specialist, and from this, first of all, children, parents and our business benefit.
New employees undergo structured adaptation, internal training and work alongside experienced colleagues. We invest time and resources in people, because we are convinced that a strong team is our main asset and value.
To maintain internal stability and balance, the Center operates:
-internal “strength days” – a space for recovery, where everyone can share their hobbies;
-one-to-one meetings with HR and CEO;
-an open culture of dialogue without fear of “being uncomfortable”;
-trainings on team synergy, home care and tactical medicine, as well as an annual medical examination;
-celebrations of birthdays and important team events.
Even during blackouts, there is light, warmth and continuous work in our Centers. We have become a point of invincibility not only for children and parents, but also for the entire team – a place where you can work, recover and feel supported even in the most difficult times.
Pediatric rehabilitation is a constantly evolving field, so training for the team is not a one-time event, but a continuous process.
Our specialists organize and undergo internal and external training, participate in conferences and specialized events, work with mentorship and supervision. They have the opportunity to independently choose training programs at the Center's expense and share their experience with colleagues.
We support the specialists' desire for growth - professional, personal and financial. We are proud that people come to work with us, study with us, develop and stay for a long time. The staff turnover rate at the Center is only 12% per year.
How we look for our people for the MCRN team
In conditions of war, mass departure of specialists abroad and general instability in the country, we are constantly looking for and developing our own effective approaches to attracting a team. At MCRN, we combine systematic recruitment with recommendations. Among the main sources of candidate search are job search sites, in particular robota.ua, with the help of which we managed to close a significant number of vacancies. In parallel, we use alternative channels: professional Telegram communities, public organizations, as well as personal recommendations - in particular from doctors and parents of our patients.
A separate effective direction for us has been cooperation with universities. We communicate directly with teachers, organize student internships at the Center, and invite young specialists to the team, training and developing them already within the team.
Some processes are still being formed, in particular, systematic onboarding, which was recently introduced and continues to be improved. One of the key tasks for 2026 will be the development of the employer brand through all available channels: social networks, partnerships, professional communities, HR communications, events, and educational formats.
It is important for us to build long-term relationships with candidates - even those who did not join the team immediately often become ambassadors of the ICRN and recommend us to their colleagues.
The development of the MCRN as a business begins with people - a team that performs complex, responsible and emotionally difficult work every day, doing it with dignity, efficiency and real meaning.
We value our people and are happy to invite everyone who shares our values to join the International Center for Rehabilitation and Neurophysiology.
