Without our people we'd just be a pretty logo

Simona, for a full introduction a classic question, yet I'm going to ask it because I think that when you say HR, everyone introduces themselves to something different. What does your position in the tech sector entail?

There are now 45+ people in the Futured team, and in short, my job is to make sure that we are working and working well together. If I had to divorce more, apart from the classic recruitment of new colleagues, it is especially what comes after we agree on cooperation. It's called onboarding and it's actually the onset and adaptation of a new colleague in the company.

Personally, I don't like the phrase “happiness management” very much, but yes, making people feel good about us is key for us, and it is my responsibility. I care about people's well-being and their motivation. I watch them grow with us, and if they are interested in getting educated, I help them find a suitable course or mentor.

My job is also to invent and organize events, whether it's teambuilding or workshops. Well, then there are such unsexy administrative tasks as preparing contracts, registering vacations, or paying salaries. And, of course, I'm still wondering what to improve, what approach to try.

Before I get to the next question, divulge the latest news you introduced.

For example, we are currently testing 360° feedback, which evaluates employee performance from multiple perspectives. The important thing is that the person concerned is not only evaluated by the leader or manager, but also by other colleagues who come into contact with him. And also partners and clients. The great added value is that this assessment takes into account how an individual's work affects the work of others.
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Perennials, or Perennials, will become increasingly important in teams.

With these trends in mind, what is currently being addressed in your field?

Certainly functioning within the home office and in general the transformation of HR processes into remote collaboration. You could say that there is a reorganization of the entire HR.

What needs a trend that interests me a lot is the emphasis on intergenerational differences. In English, it is the term Perennials, which translates into Czech as Perennials. It's a fairly new concept, the word was first used in 2016. The concept has nothing much to do with age, but with attitude and mindset. Perennials uphold (and believe in) the values of the organization, are practical, confident, reliable, creative, understanding and, to top it all off, experienced. They are team players who get along with everyone regardless of age, and are willing to learn and take risks. This is a model that I am very sympathetic to and which I see as working perfectly in the current team.

Where do you draw inspiration?

I subscribe to newsletters from several HR companies and Deloitte makes great content. Since I have a young son, podcasts suit me — I like foreign How to be awesome at your job, Dear HBR Podcast from Harvard Business Review, Cultura prima, #Worktrends, HR Happy Hour and Great Women of Business. The Czech ones, for example Inhuman resources. Sometimes I catch an interesting idea about Clubhouse, but also in NEHR podcasts, and then I look for more information.

And now practically. Taking care of people is your daily bread, what does it look like to search/hunt for new colleagues, but what does the competition strive for?

Of course, it is ideal if an interested person finds us on their own, is motivated and proactively reaches out to us. But there are few such. So in addition to the classic job postings, I'm building a community on LinkedIn -- I follow people who are top notch, I keep in touch with them and when I feel it's a good time that maybe they're looking for a change, I reach out to them.

What do you think of some companies pulling employees over?

I get it, there are not so many professionals in our field. However, it is not a style that is close to me. I believe we have a lot to offer people, I don't knock on the doors of competitors.

We don't push apps, we want to do projects where we sweat and learn something.

Are money and benefits the main thing people are looking for these days?

Good pay and benefits are commonplace today. We build everything on our people who are leaders in their fields and who you want to work with because you grow up alongside them and try new technologies. We don't push apps, we make projects where we sweat and learn something new. We strive for projects that move us, our clients/partners and through which we build a better society. And then it's our people. If you join our team, you'll be working with the best in the industry. People are grasses of everything we do, without them we would just have a nice logo.

Is there a benefit that you and your colleagues are happy about?

We work once a year for a week from some cool place on the globe. Last year we were in Tenerife. I am extremely proud of our open source — we learn from the community and give it back. And then I'm proud of what a team we are, that we love to laugh together and know how to make fun of each other.

What do you ask candidates, check them out, make sense of a sixth? Do you have a top question that always blows the person away?

The basis is definitely a good CV that will give me an overview of work experience. Well, and then a cover letter, which someone perceives as a necessary evil, but for me it is an important document that will kick a person off more than he himself thinks. I watch what words he chooses, what he says about himself. When we make a phone call, I always have a list of questions ready. For example, if an interested person mentions that he is good at conflict resolution, I start to wonder what conflict he (you) last dealt with. In general, I recommend not lying, HR will detect it very quickly. Of course, I will also give to feelings, impressions and mutual chemistry. We don't have a psychological questionnaire, but whether it plays with us is important in Futured.

At Futured, we don't have bosses, we have leaders.

You also did the first round of the interview with me, the second was a meeting with Lukáš, the founder and CEO of the company, why?

Lukáš completes the corporate culture, his word plays a big role. It's such a corporate litmus paper that it will be a good match. At the same time, we introduce how our colleagues are treated — the CEO is not on a pedestal here, he is one of us. At Futured, we don't have bosses, we have leaders.

A new person needs a lot of care, what are the most important points for you that you want to quickly convey to him?

I hope you too will confirm that you have not experienced any fornication. I try to convey to the new colleagues that they are one of us, that we do not see them as employees, but as members of the team and party. That there is maximum openness in our country, everyone bears their responsibility and can make decisions about their work. That he can feel safe with us, say his opinion, contradict, ask questions. It's not just novices I'm trying to make sure they can turn to anyone.

I came to you with experience from a smaller team. When you granted me access to Notion, I was pleasantly surprised — everything is perfectly worked out, and I felt very comfortable with Futured DNA.

Cool that you're saying that. Notion is our important tool, where we have gradually moved much of the information and the organization. Initially, it served us more or less as documentation for project managers, but gradually we worked out a sophisticated structure and moved more or less everything we could there. It will probably never be done, our Notion is such a living organism that is constantly evolving and growing along with us.

Are you part of a technology company, how does technology help you at work? Your favorite tool is...?

Probably Notion, I use it not only at work, but also at school and now at home. Well, then Excel. Now I guess someone is rebutting the eyes in the column, but some of the features are just great. Of course, there are super sophisticated and expensive HR tools, but for our team these are enough for now — you just need to squeeze their functions to the maximum.

What has worked for you towards the candidates, what are your weapons?

Invite colleagues to interview, involve the team. I, of course, am the first buffer. If the candidate meets our expectations, I will invite the leader to join me in the first round to go through the technical stuff with him as well. And, of course, it is important that they sit down together. The Leader leads the team technically and humanly, which is why his opinion is key.

If we have someone in our field of vision, it has been a good idea to invite them to our internal events, for example the so-called so-called. Talkies or Meets that are organized by individual teams. This is a great opportunity to get a feel for our work style and to see what technologies we are dedicated to. We, in turn, see how the candidate responds, how he asks questions and how he thinks about the problem.

As part of caring for colleagues?

I'm not giving you any measurable advice here. To be human. I try to listen and perceive what colleagues are telling me, even between the lines. I learned not to deduce and not to give in to feelings, but to ask openly.

And what (those) on the contrary does not work?

I joined Futured in 2018 and have learned a lot over the last few years — like not having a unified set of questions pre-assembled for the first round of an interview. Now I will go through all the materials in detail and write down the things that interested me and that I want to focus on. It will take a lot more work, of course, but there is a human interest in it -- and that interest is not played. With us, people really come first.

We talk as two girls surrounded by a team of developers. How do you feel about women in the team?

The key is for us to share values, but at the same time to be different. We enjoy talking about things and maybe even being uncomfortable when it helps the result. This is the only way we will grow together and learn the most. Feminine energy and dynamism are hard to replace. I am happy to see how it enriches everyone.

I want to be a good HR as well as a friend and I believe that is not out of the question.

What are the biggest challenges of your job?

Maybe they are my friends at the same time. Sometimes it can be challenging to switch from one role to another. Sometimes it can be a complication when you need to solve a problem, but thanks to openness, which is one of our values, I and others manage it well. I want to be a good HR as well as a friend and I believe that is not out of the question.

How has the pandemic changed your job? Do you give any tips on how to stay in touch with the team when a large part of the colleagues are not sitting in the office?

Due to the pandemic, we have lost most opportunities to meet physically. Of course we “see” each other on Slack, on callas, we also have online beer and board shoes, but it's not that. Quirks at lunch together will not replace it. It has helped me to keep in touch with my colleagues even when I don't need anything. Write to them and call, ask them how they are.

Our expansion to the west is approaching, we will open a Prague branch every day. You live in Brno, how will it work?

Our CEO Lukáš will be there, who is really the best transmitter of corporate culture. Of course I look forward to going to Prague for visits. Hopefully we'll have a beer again soon.

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‍Would you like to join us? We are currently looking for a few colleagues. Get in touch with Simona and talk about the possibilities of cooperation: simona.sadecka@futured.app & +420 735 040 126

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