Interviewed by Anel Arapova

“HR is the heart of this organization.” What developments have shaped HR? How can a psychology background benefit HR? And what role does HR play in fostering effective businesses? Anna Bowtruczuck, HR Director at Lingaro talks about the above, efficient cross-cultural management, and more in this month’s interview! Also discover what Anna believes to be her greatest achievement!

You hold a master’s degree in psychology, and you have completed postgraduate studies in management. How did you go from Psychology to Human Resources (HR) and how does Psychology apply to a HA Career?

I chose to study psychology without having a specific idea of what I would like to do in the future. Most of my closest friends from high school decided to study medicine or law. As for me, I had a strong feeling that studying the human mind would broaden my horizons and inspire me to take my ideal career path.

During my studies, I began to see myself more as a businesswoman than a therapist. After doing an internship in a bank’s HR department, I thought this was an excellent direction to take.

Fundamentally, HR involves dealing with people and its essence lies in understanding the person in front of you. You need to be able to observe their behavioural attributes and conduct yourself accordingly. Of course, processes, competencies and technology all come into play; but ultimately it is all about people. A good knowledge of psychology is additionally helpful when you are choosing the right person for a key role or advising a manager about how to deal with team members.

Fundamentally, HR involves dealing with people
and its essence lies in understanding
the person in front of you.
You need to be able to observe their behavioural attributes
and conduct yourself accordingly.

You started your career in HR in 2006 before joining Lingaro in 2012. What major developments have you observed within the industry?

There are several developments regarding the IT industry that I would like to mention. First, the war for talent is more competitive than ever. Winning it requires much more than simply offering a better salary, because current candidates consider a sophisticated variety of factors.

Second, when I was starting my career, everyone dreamed of working in a big international corporation. Today, many talented people prefer working in innovative start-ups, preferably providing solutions that have a positive impact on society. With that said, having a sense of purpose is becoming more important for younger generations.

Third, there is great demand for candidates who are open to change, hungry for new knowledge, and comfortable taking on different roles. There are a lot of new technologies and solutions available on the market –including open-source ones –that people can use both in their private lives and for business purposes. It is essential to be able to adapt to this rapid pace of change. The fact that you joined a company to work with a specific technology does not guarantee that you will still be working with that same technology in a year’s time. For example, in 2006 it was far from certain that cloud technologies would be so popular just a few years later.

As a company, you need to know how to deal with a growing amount of data and have people with a flexible mindset. As a result, successful HR departments are not just doing administrative work anymore. They are playing a key role in executing their companies’ strategies.

Finally, I would like to mention that I am delighted by the growing number of young women going into IT. Currently, almost 30% of Lingarians are women. We are exceptionally proud that this is a result of organic growth and a focus on finding top talent – not hiring based on quotas! Whereas, when I was starting my career, it was very rare to find a woman in the IT world.

At Lingaro, you have played a key role in the doubling of the company’s headcount, as well as other major expansions in the field of knowledge sharing. In a general sense, what role does HR play in fostering effective businesses?

An HR team should be ready to respond effectively to the dynamically changing business and labour markets. HR should never become a bottleneck to business growth. Moreover, HR should not only keep up with the changes but also take initiative and be proactive. In a modern company, HR cannot merely be a support department solving tickets in a locked room cut off from the rest of the business and people around it. It needs to stay in touch with people, be the heart of the organization, and guard its values.

There is an important additional point to mention here. To play such a key role, HR needs the support of the entire organization and its culture. At Lingaro, we are driven by a set of Core Values that include “Autonomy, No Barriers, and Collaboration”. The management board makes HR a key factor in strategic planning and major business decisions. Our CEOs sit in our open space with everyone else to stay in touch with all the people and ideas moving around our office. We avoid unnecessary procedures and silos and give our people a great deal of autonomy. Partnership, mutual trust, inspiration, and commitment are the basis for HR’s good relationship with the rest of the business.

Partnership, mutual trust, inspiration,
and commitment are the basis for HR’s good relationship
with the rest of the business.

You have been a vital part of designing agile talent management processes for Lingaro’s teams in Poland and the Philippines. According to you, what aspects ensure efficient cross-cultural management the most?

You need to have authentic deep respect for whomever you are working with. Also, do not make any assumptions while you build your understanding through questions. Keep an open mind and do not fall into the trap of thinking that there is one “normal and accepted” way of doing things. From an organizational perspective, at Lingaro, we help reinforce a respectful, outward looking attitude by acting in line with our Core Value of No Barriers, recruiting people with the right attitude, and supporting our team of diversity and inclusion ambassadors. Additionally, we make an effort to ensure that people from our different sites have time to meet face to face and hold cross-cultural trainings – especially for team leaders!

Keep an open mind
and do not fall into the trap of thinking
that there is one “normal and accepted”
way of doing things.

However, most importantly, it is by “walking the talk” because if people notice that you use big and beautiful words about diversity but then behave differently, it is all over.

You are an ambassador for an open-minded and value-driven leadership approach in HR. How does your enthusiasm for these values influence Lingaro’s unique company culture?

I live by these values every day. I truly believe that these values are the key ingredients of our unique growth recipe as we continue to expand quickly, open new sites, and bring new customers onboard. You cannot expect people to believe in values just because you put them on the wall. You need to lead by example and make sure that values are taken into consideration while making any business decisions, as well as those concerning promotions and awards.

You are now participating in the 5th edition of our Women Talent Pool Program (WTP). Why did you feel like this was the right time to join? What do you hope to take away from the program?

I am thrilled to have spent the majority of my career at Lingaro. However, in my role it is crucial to know how other companies are approaching certain issues and learn from their experiences. It is also a great opportunity to build a network of businesswomen with whom I can stay in touch after finishing the program.

Lastly, we like to conclude our interview with a question from the Proust questionnaire: What do you consider your greatest achievement? Why?

My greatest achievement has been building a team of passionate people at Lingaro. In fact, this is a work in progress! I am proud of the way we are doing business. HR is the heart of this organization. Here, people know that they can come and share ideas, concerns and – most importantly – be heard. All other achievements are less important.

Find out more about Anna, here!