Finding your passion in the dynamic IT recruiting market

Today we enjoy coffee with Ioana, HR Consultant at Oceanobe and we are talking about finding your passion in the dynamic IT recruiting market.

Ioana has a background in psychology and more than 8 years of experience in the HR industry. She is super calm and has a smile that could conquer any situation. We had a coffee at our amazing office the other day, and I took the opportunity to have a chat with her about the IT recruiting market, and to discover what is motivating her. 

The thing that most surprised me, when I first met Ioana, was how much I relate to her. She is passionate about helping people and she gets involved and puts her best foot forward in everything. She has brought a fresh new perspective to what we do. And I have to mention that Ioana is a woman of many talents, some of which I discovered in this interview. 

I will let you discover her story in the hopes that you will get inspired by her words and positive attitude.

Alina

Getting to know you

• Ioana, let’s talk a little about you and what you do? 

I finished my degree in psychology and a masters in human resources, so naturally, I followed a career in HR. I have 8 years of experience in recruiting and training. But each opportunity comes with something different and I can say I did also venture into other areas such as employer branding or vocational counseling. I’m very passionate about what I do and I love to interact with people and help and get involved. Due to the fact that I am more of an optimist (smiling), I tend to see the bright side of things and I do love a challenge. 

• What’s something you are passionate about?

Photography and painting are the first two that come to mind. I love to paint and I often give my paintings as a gift. Another thing that I am passionate about is statistics. For me a research project with numbers and charts it’s like such a thrilling thing to do. Other than this I love to read, play tennis, swim, run, and of course, travel. 

Growth

• What made you decide to pursue a career in the HR field? Was that something that resonated with you?

My first career choice was in the speech therapy area, but I felt that it was not quite something I will enjoy doing in the long run. I love to have a job where there are many opportunities and you can grow and learn each day. Having a wide range of activities was more appealing to me and also I really enjoy working with people. So working in the HR department was actually a great fit for me. Even now I find that interviews are the most interesting and exhilarating activities. Getting to know people from different backgrounds and with skills and mentalities is quite the thing. In hindsight, it’s probably the thing I love the most about my career. 

• In what ways do you feel that you have grown over the years?

Well, I did reach out in many areas, I dabbled to see what was best suited for me, but in the end, I landed exactly where I wanted. The thing is that if you try more things you actually learn a lot, I met some amazing people, colleagues, and trainers that challenged me and pushed me to be better, grow, and evolve. I am a very curious person and that really helped me on the professional side (smiling). 

• Do you feel that there is a particular challenge in what you do?

Recruiting in a way is a very dynamic field that requires you to adapt quickly to new changes. In the current context for software development recruiting especially, I feel that the challenge does not rely directly on the recruiting side, but more on the retention of the people. Things are very quickly changing and I feel that now we have some balance between the company and the people. If you look at this from an outside perspective it’s all about the culture and the values that one nurtures within the company and the groups here. Without that, without a strong foundation, a company can really get caught up in a never-ending cycle of recruiting and replacing job positions.

Flexibility

• Are there any key ingredients in creating a great recruiting experience? 

I think open communication, being authentic and honest to the person in front of you. The main thing you should look for when having an interview is to try to get to know one another and also find a way in which we can help each other and work together. It’s also about building a long-term relationship and staying connected with that person. I feel that if you speak the truth you are authentic in your approach then you will be able to transfer that into a great recruiting experience. 

• Let’s talk a little about the IT recruiting market. I know it’s quite a competitive landscape right now and I wondered what’s your take on this from the HR perspective.

It’s a very dynamic market indeed and that is due to the offset supply-demand balance. Another contributing factor to this competitive landscape is the openness that Covid did in terms of remote working. Many international companies reached for the opportunity and are now hiring remotely. The funny thing is that I would not work in any other field, in spite of the many challenges and the overwhelming amount of changes. It’s a great environment to be in. People working in IT are amazing, they are smart, dedicated, and know what they want. When you are interviewing a professional in this field it challenges you as a person, to be better, raise the bar, and improve yourself both psychologically and professionally. 

• We talk a lot about flexibility and adaptability nowadays. What is flexibility from your point of view?

Having flexibility for me is having a voice in the decision-making process and choosing the activities you will leave a mark on. If you think about it, it comes down to the fact that you bring to the table a certain set of experience, skills, and knowledge that can then be put to work in a variety of actions and activities that in the end will make the organization a better place. An open and flexible organization will allow you to get involved and will adapt in order to help you grow.  As it is with OceanoBe (smiling).

On the other hand, flexibility in the work schedule is also crucial nowadays and it has become an intrinsic part of our day-to-day life. 

Excellence

• What made you join the team here at OceanoBe?

Oh, for sure the openness I found here and a very human-like approach and environment. The culture here is to put emphasis on each individual and make sure he thrives. I, for example, love to be involved in different areas of the company and what I found interesting here is that there are so many different opportunities to join in the decision-making process. For me, it is something that matters and I am glad to say that I made the best decision in joining the team. Now I get to be a part of this environment and also help build it, which is amazing.

• How do you feel about your contribution here so far?

So far I feel that my most important contributions have been in the employer branding area and the organizational culture. I really do try to get involved as much as I can in every decision we make as a group.  I feel that when you believe in something you will definitely do the best you can in promoting the company's image and its values. Of course, I am just at the beginning of things and I feel that I’m just starting to make my mark. I definitely got an exciting journey ahead of me. 

• What makes you strive for excellence each and every day? 

I absolutely love to help people and learn new things. I feel that if you are curious enough you will try each day to better yourself both personally and professionally. I think having the right environment where you are enabled to become the best you can it’s definitely the best course of action. And again we come back full circle to the people you surround yourself with and the values you believe in. 

Experience

• What's next on your learning path? Any new challenges?

Sharing the knowledge will be next, I think. Having the ability to share my knowledge with people that are in my field of expertise. 

This is where we conclude our interview with Ioana, HR Consultant at OceanoBe. Thank you for taking the time to read it and please share with us your key takeaways. As always we invite you to contact Ioana to discuss further job opportunities. For more information about OceanoBe’s values, team, and opportunities you can check our Join our team page. 

#TimetoBePassionate