Nikola Kritekova: From corporation and state administration to startup

When Nikola Kříteková was considering a job change two years ago, she couldn't imagine that a startup environment would be suitable for her. Nevertheless, she gave it a try and has now been managing HR at the startup YDISTRI for more than a year, where they develop software that helps companies turn excess inventory into saleable items.

In this interview, we asked her about the challenges that awaited her in her role as HR manager of a start-up and what motivated her to move to a completely new environment.

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

The first idea was born about two years ago during a session with my coach, who is also a psychologist. I wanted to return to the private sphere where I could have more freedom and the opportunity to get involved in the implementation of new HR projects. Based on his recommendations and personality tests, I was a great starter, visionary and ideal for a startup environment where everything is still being built, set up and implemented. I'm the type of person who, when I look back, likes to see work done and some progress behind me. So the startup environment seemed ideal - you start in a greenfield site with a vision that you want to see Manhattan on it in a few years.

With such a major change in your working environment, you must have felt many differences. What do you think are the most important ones?

I perceive the biggest differences in comparison with the state sphere. I worked for a year for the Chamber of Deputies, where I organised tenders, development programmes and helped to form ministerial cabinets. I found this environment very conservative and bureaucratic. It is subject to a lot of rules and sometimes time seems to stand still.

For example, for interviews, all questions must be prepared in advance and must be identical and approved by the selection committee. You have to be careful what you ask and how you formulate the questions so that there is no hint of racism, ridicule and so on. You have to meet strict deadlines, answer all candidates, have scoring thresholds. The whole process is transparent, but it is very bureaucratic. I'm not saying that the public sphere is badly set up compared to the private sphere, it's just tailored to people who like clearly defined procedures, a less dynamic environment and more monotonous and routine work.

On the other hand, the startup environment is one big challenge. You can see everything building and growing before your eyes day by day. But at the same time, you have to be prepared for the fact that every day can be different and you mustn't be surprised. As our CEO Roland Dzhogan says - it's like building a plane in flight.

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

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

First, I had to understand the product, the technology and generally get oriented in the IT environment. Then I had to tune in to the mindset of the management and our CEO, to connect with them as best I could, to know what and when I could bother him and when I should give him space. I had to find out what was expected of me and what I could expect. It was a six-month "struggle" before we set the style of our collaboration.

As far as HR as such is concerned, after mapping the situation, I started working on the correct grasp of labour legislation, the introduction of OSH and the selection of suitable HR software. At the same time, of course, I dealt with a lot of recruitment activities.

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

I'm currently on my own, with occasional outside help, but I more or less have to rely on myself. In the next year or so, however, my goal will be to recruit reinforcements.

What do you consider to be your biggest challenge in leading the entire HR function?

I want the company to run like clockwork in terms of human resources. Translated, I care about all key positions being filled, employees being happy and enjoying working for us, and last but not least, internal communication working perfectly. Therefore, I regularly find out what the mood of the teams is, solve problems, and try to connect the mindset of management and the mindset of employees to build a great company culture.

I try to draw on what I learned in my previous jobs because they were larger companies that had these processes down pat and where we were always learning how to do it even better. Coaching from my former colleagues is very helpful, for example in developing management skills, but also in resolving conflicts in the workplace or giving feedback so that even negative feedback can give a person a positive start.

As a company, you are still developing and growing dynamically. Do you feel the change in your role as HR manager?

I feel it to a great extent because I am connected to the company's strategy. If I didn't know where the company was going, I couldn't work. Sometimes it's like a roller coaster. In a startup, plans change really fast and this environment is not for everyone. I point that out in interviews.

Of course, what we depend on most is the investment and the related budget we have available. Everything depends on this, including the improvement of HR processes such as recruitment or onboarding.

In a startup, schedules change very dynamically and this environment is not for everyone.

You are a software company, so you are no stranger to digitalization. Last year, you decided to digitalize your HR agenda. What was the turning point when you decided it was necessary?

The main problem for us was the recording of employee data and onboarding. We had a lot of excel spreadsheets and I was lost as to who was due for a medical and when, who had what birthday, whether everyone had the necessary access or where to find handover reports.

I couldn't keep track of everything and keep it in mind, so I decided to implement an HR system, where I would have all this data in one place and I wouldn't have to think about everything. Thanks to notifications, the Pinya HR system now reminds me of important deadlines on its own.

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

For me, the biggest benefit is having all the data in one place. Pinya HR has also helped us a lot with onboarding. By generating and sending an onboarding questionnaire to a new employee, I save a lot of time because the employee fills in all the information themselves, which is then automatically transcribed into the system. Another important feature is the attendance and absence record, which gives me a perfect overview of not only who is on leave when, but also the data regarding balances and leave entitlements.

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

What are your plans for the future from an HR perspective? Are you planning on expanding your team or introducing new processes?

At the moment, our big goal is to expand into the US market, which we are approaching in small steps. We have piloted one of the largest retail segments in the world with 9,600 branches across the United States. This opens up further opportunities for growth. If all goes well, expanding the team will be a given.