Nikola Kříteková: From corporation and state administration to startup

When Nikola Kritekova two years ago she was considering a job change, she could not imagine that a startup environment could be suitable for her. Still, she tried it and has now been managing HR at a startup for more than a year YDISTRIwhere they develop software to help companies turn excess inventory into well-sellable items.

We asked her what challenges awaited her in the role of HR manager of a startup and what motivated her to move to a completely new environment, we asked her in this interview.

Before you started your career at YDISTRI, you worked as HR in a corporation and also in government. What motivated you to move into a completely different, startup environment?

The first idea was born about two years ago during a session with my coach, who also acts as a psychologist. I wanted to return to the private sphere, where I could have more freedom and the opportunity to be involved in introducing new HR projects. Based on his recommendations and according to personality tests, I realized that I am a great starter, visionary and ideal adept for a startup environment where everything is still being built, set up and implemented. I'm the type of person who, when he looks back, likes to see a job done and some sort of shift behind him. Therefore, the startup environment seemed ideal — you start on a greenfield with the vision that you want to see Manhattan on it in a few years.

With such a fundamental change in the work environment, you must have felt many differences. What do you think are the most fundamental ones?

I see the biggest differences compared to the state sphere. I worked for the Chamber of Deputies for a year, where I organized tenders, development programs and helped assemble ministerial cabinets. This environment for me was very conservative and bureaucratic. It is subject to many rules and sometimes as if time stops there.

For example, for interviews, you need to have all the questions prepared in advance, which must be identical and approved by the selection committee. You have to be careful what you ask and how you phrase the questions so that there is no hint of racism, ridicule and so on. You must adhere to strict deadlines, correspond to all applicants, have point boundaries. This whole process, while transparent, is very bureaucratic. I am not arguing that the state sphere is poorly adjusted compared to the private, only that it is tailored to people who like clearly defined procedures, less dynamic environments and more monotonous and routine work.

On the other hand, the startup environment is one big challenge. You see everything building up and growing before your eyes from day to day. But at the same time, you need to be prepared for the fact that every day everything can be different and this should not surprise you. As our says CEO Roland Joggan -- it's like building an airplane in flight.

The startup environment is one big challenge. You see everything building up and growing before your eyes.

What were the first challenges you faced as a new HR manager at YDISTRI?

First of all, I had to understand the product, the technology and the overall orientation in the IT environment. Then I had to tune in to the thoughts of the management and our CEO, to connect with them as best as possible, to know what and when to annoy him and when to give him space. I had to find out what was expected of me, what I could expect. It was a six-month “struggle” before we set the style of our collaboration.

As for HR as such, after mapping the situation, I began to work on the correct grasp of labor legislation, the introduction of OSH and the selection of the appropriate HR Software. Of course, I did a lot of recruiting activities.

Do you have a team of people on hand or do you still handle HR processes yourself?

At the moment I am on my own, sometimes I have external help, but more or less I have to rely on myself. In a year's time, my goal will be to bring in reinforcements.

What do you consider to be your biggest task in HR management?

I want the company to run like clockwork in terms of human resources. In translation, I care that all the key positions are filled in order to be employees satisfaction and fun to work with us, and last but not least that internal communication works perfectly. Therefore, I regularly find out what the mood is in the teams, solve problems, try to connect the thinking of the management and the thinking of the employees and thus build a great company culture.

I try to draw on what I learned in previous jobs, because these were larger companies that had these processes in the small print and where we were constantly educating ourselves on how to do it even better. I am very helped by coaching my former colleagues, for example in developing managerial skills, but also in resolving conflicts in the workplace or providing feedback so that even negative feedback can give a positive start to a person.

As a company, you continue to develop and grow dynamically. Do you feel a change in your role as an HR manager?

I feel this to a large extent because I am connected to the company's strategy. If I didn't know where the company was going, I wouldn't be able to work. It's like a roller coaster at times. In a startup, plans change really very dynamically and this environment is not for everyone. I point this out in interviews.

Of course, what we are most dependent on is investment and the budget we have available. It is from this that all comes, even refinement HR Processes such as recruiting or onboarding.

In a startup, plans change very dynamically, and such an environment is not for everyone.

You are a software company, therefore digitization is no stranger to you. Last year, you decided to digitize your HR agenda as well. What was the turning point where you said it was already necessary?

The problem for us was mainly records of employee data and onboarding. We had many excel spreadsheets and I was lost in who and when to go for a medical check-up, who's birthday is when, whether everyone has the necessary accesses or where I can find handover logs.

I couldn't keep track of everything and keep in mind, so I decided to introduce HR Systemwhere I will have these data clearly in one place and besides, I will not have to think about everything. Thanks to notifications, the Pinya HR system now reminds me of important dates itself.

What do you see as the greatest benefit of digitizing HR?

For me, the biggest benefit is having all the data in one place. Pinya HR It also helped us a lot with onboarding. By generating and sending a starting questionnaire to a new employee, I save a lot of time, because the employee himself fills in all the information for me, which is then automatically overwritten into the system. Another important function is the presence and absence record, thanks to which I have a perfect overview not only of who is when on vacation, but also about the data relating to the balance and entitlement to leave.

Overall, Pinya HR saved a lot of work not only for me, but also for my colleagues, because we can connect everything you need within a single tool — from onboarding to reporting.

What are your plans for the future from an HR perspective? Are you planning to expand your team or introduce new processes?

At the moment, our big goal is to expand into the US market, which we are approaching in small steps. We are piloting one of the largest retail segments in the world with 9,600 locations across the United States. This opens up other opportunities for growth. If all goes as it should, expanding the squad will be commonplace.