Interview with HR: Everything You Need to Know About Working with People in IT

Good day, Ulyana!

We are glad to see you at our interview. Today we’ll talk about what it’s like to be an HR person at PlaysDev and we hope that you’ll share with us some of the real cases that you remember or, on the contrary, you want to forget them as soon as possible.

Let’s move on to the questions.

First of all, let’s talk about your tasks at PlaysDev. Who is an HR specialist and what does he do?

– «Certainly. My responsibilities include: onboarding new employees, conducting 1:1 meetings, resolving various issues related to the office and the team as a whole, handling objections from employees and daily routine tasks.

Any newcomer to the company goes through me. I introduce new employees to the processes in the company, the team, conduct introductory tours of the office and support green specialists at the adaptation stage – this includes communication, answering questions, support in the first months of work.

At PlaysDev, 1:1 meetings are held to discuss the successes, current tasks and goals of employees. My task is to support and provide feedback to create a comfortable atmosphere in the team. I love that our company places special emphasis on ensuring that every employee ultimately feels heard. In the 1:1 I also discuss career paths and opportunities for growth within the company.

Together with my colleagues, I take part in organizing events and team building to strengthen team spirit and improve the working atmosphere. A significant part of the administrative work lies on my shoulders: maintaining documentation, recording working hours, keeping HR systems and databases up to date».

Working in HR requires not only professional skills, but also the ability to find an approach to people, solve complex problems and constantly develop.

At PlaysDev, you probably have accumulated a lot of interesting cases and experiences that you would like to share.

– «Yes, of course, *laughs*. I remembered one of the cases when it was necessary to justify the decision why it was necessary to say goodbye to an employee during the probationary period. There the nuance was precisely in the soft skills.

When we hired a new employee for a probationary period, at the first stages he showed good technical skills and compliance with the professional requirements of the position. However, in the process of work, significant problems with soft skills began to appear, which became critical for his effective integration into the team and in completing tasks.

In this regard, my advice for many HR specialists is to pay special attention to the employee’s behavior in a team and flexibility of communication.

Well, from my favorites: buying furniture for the office, communicating with movers and resolving document difficulties on the fly. As part of the renovation of the office space, it was decided to purchase new furniture. We chose a supplier, agreed on the order and set a delivery date.
However, on the day of delivery, unexpected difficulties arose. The furniture we chose was partially rearranged and replaced with something else. Already on the spot we had to wriggle out, choosing something alternative in order to resolve the issue with the furniture in one day. After days like these, I realize that my work is truly versatile».

Is there a case that you are especially proud of? What was so special about it?

– «This is not a case, but rather part of the responsibilities, but I am proud that after 1 week of working in the company, I was entrusted with conducting 1:1 meetings with employees. And here it was necessary not so much to ask questions and listen to answers, but to establish contact with people and gain their trust in you.
After all, I was a newbie about whom no one knew anything. And in fact, opening up to such a person is much more difficult, because you generally don’t know what to expect from him as a result. I believe that I coped with this task, because it was from these 1:1s that I established contact with the employees».

Constantly working with people can be exhausting. What helps you stay motivated?

– «No matter how banal it may be, these are people. I really enjoy being helpful, helping others and bringing joy by creating a positive and supportive atmosphere in the company.

Every day I see how employees grow and develop, and this brings me great pleasure. I am sincerely and from the bottom of my heart happy for every employee when they start to work on their projects».

What do you think are the key values ​​for successful work in HR?

1. Ethics and honesty. These skills help build trust between employees and management, and are also a must for fair and transparent personnel management.
2. Empathy and understanding. Being able to put myself in the shoes of others and understand other people’s feelings and needs has more than once helped me effectively solve employee problems and improve the working atmosphere.
3. Confidentiality. The ability to maintain confidentiality of information about employees and business processes is a key value in the HR profession, ensuring the trust and safety of each employee in the team.

What qualities and skills do you consider most important for a successful HR specialist?

– «Openness, kindness and empathy, understanding, cool mind. Among the skills, I will probably highlight the ability to work in a stressful situation, multitasking, flexibility, adaptability and the ability to listen to people. It’s important when people can calmly approach you with this or that request, trusting and relying on you, with full confidence that their request will be resolved».

What brings you the most satisfaction in your work?

– «Interacting with different people, solving their questions and problems, as well as the opportunity to influence positive changes in the company makes me 100% happy. After all, in the end, the success of a company depends on happy employees!»

Key points of the article:

1. In the work of an HR specialist, key tasks may include supporting newcomers at the initial stage, organizing 1:1 meetings for feedback, and participating in the formation of a comfortable working atmosphere.
2. Ulyana emphasized the importance of ethics, empathy and confidentiality as core values ​​in the HR profession.
3. She is motivated by the daily successes of her employees and the opportunity to influence positive changes in the team, making work more fulfilling and enjoyable.