#FUTUREOFWORK | HR Spotlight Interview: Călin Fusu, BestJobs founder and CEO

This week, the HR Spotlight moves on BestJobs, one of the most important recruitment platforms in Romania, as we sit down with Călin Fusu, the company’s founder and CEO, to talk about the latest HR trends he observed in his organization and in the industry as a whole. Also a partner of the upcoming Working Romania HR conference, BestJobs is giving out a welcome gift of 300 Euros worth of credits on the BestJobs.eu platform for those who register for the online event! The process is simple: fill out this form and in the confirmation email you will receive a link where you can create an employer account on the BestJobs platform and claim your free credits.

BR: What are the biggest challenges for your HR department in the current situation? Is this what “the future of work” will look like?

Călin Fusu: It’s safe to say that the way most of us work right now has changed. At BestJobs, due to the nature of our business, it has definitely been easier for us to adapt and many colleagues welcomed the concept of working from home with open arms, especially considering that, as a digital business providing online solutions to both employers and talents, our HR processes and all business processes in general were WFH-ready before the need for such a system occurred.

However, for many companies, the “new normal” implies a radical shift in mindset – and, of course, in strategies – when it comes to HR. Adapting to a more digital recruitment process that partially or even fully eliminates the possibility of face to face interaction with potential candidates has certainly been a challenge for some in these past months. This is exactly why BestJobs is already in the process of deploying new tools that will solve these challenges, like video CVs in which candidates briefly present themselves. This way, the recruiter gets a flavour of the candidates’ skills and experience and can better evaluate from the start if they might be right for a job, while candidates increase their chances to advance in the recruitment process and be selected for an interview.

How did your organization manage to balance the increased workload of employees, both in the HR department and company-wide?

Ensuring a work-life balance has always been a priority in HR strategies and the increased workload some companies are experiencing can prove to be challenging both for the human resources and the overall team. Business and HR strategies have always covered this aspect so I would say it is rather business as usual than a specific situation connected to the pandemic. At BestJobs, we are in full mode to redesign the way we support employers recruiting through our platform, aiming to create an innovative experience that will lighten the workload of their HR teams. And we are also facilitating their access to solutions that can help them increase mindfulness and balance within their teams, like coaching and counseling, through our sister company Avocado.

Has the use of tech alleviate the workload of your HR team?

Immensely. And this is, by far, the biggest plus of this pandemic: it accelerated the implementation of tech and digital tools across areas of a business that might have not relied so much on technology before. I think that, from this point of view, the HR function in companies has evolved in the last 6 months more than in the last 3 to 5 years.

Are there any specific tools/platforms used by your HR team which significantly improved productivity and helped keep things manageable?

BestJobs focuses on supporting HR departments in their strategies, while our own HR function is far from seeing the same dynamic like in companies recruiting tens or hundreds of employees. Our platform and tools we offer to employers are precisely those that make the life of HR people easier and help them fulfil their recruitment strategies. And we encourage them to make the most of our services and tools we are planning to fully deploy this autumn to find the right talents for them and to simplify their hiring processes. Alongside the video CV we are premiering in the Romanian market, we are also developing HR services that will allow companies to externalize certain recruitment processes, like the search for candidates or headhunting for management positions.

How did you replicate recruiting and onboarding from traditionally office to hybrid working arrangements?

Online technologies and digital platforms help companies immensely, providing them the means to replicate conditions of the traditional office. Moreover, digitalisation helps HR specialists to overcome many challenges and to implement new processes even faster than before. And, surprising or not, employees have quickly adapted and responded to the new environment. In the end, it’s all about trust: when both sides collaborate and rely on each other in a transparent and effective way, the outcomes can only be positive.

What programs/rewards/benefits have you implemented in order to keep spirits high in your company?

Keeping existing employees engaged and balanced, while coaching them to deal with the changes the pandemic has brought on their day to day professional lives has proven to be challenging for many employers. But companies have implemented an array of internal programs in the past months to motivate and support employees. Many such initiatives focus on wellbeing and mindfulness and some even help employees replicate activities they were involved in after office hours in their own home. And this is precisely what we are doing at Avocado, by providing access to coaching and counselling for employees, in a seamless digital experience.

As the months have passed since the beginning of the outbreak, have you seen an improvement in employee morale, team cohesion, etc. even as many of them might still be working remotely?

Although at BestJobs we are distanced and have been so for a while – as our team is split between Bucharest and Targu Mures -, we are closely working online and the cohesion of the team has increased in the past months. Everybody mobilised and we are all pitching in to be more efficient than ever in helping companies pursue their HR plans during these times.

How did you manage to keep a good level of engagement among your teams / departments / employees?

As we did before pandemic: with attention to details and empathy. And through a weekly tea party everyone at BestJobs attends, including myself. This brings us all closer in a virtual environment and lets us interact, share experiences and connect in a less formal set-up, definitely contributing to better engagement within the team.

Every company has been focused on the employees’ needs and has made changes to adapt to the current context. People need to connect and feel part of a team even when they aren’t working under the same roof and I think companies that made this possible have recorded the highest levels of engagement and motivation within their teams.

Did you make use of professional counseling for employees who reported issues of stress / anxiety?

Absolutely. If an employee has this kind of problem, it’s always recommended to make use of professional counseling. A specialist is more efficient and can quickly understand and solve specific problems. That’s why we believed so much in Avocado’s business model, especially during these times.

How prepared is the Romanian workforce market in adopting the latest HR technologies, seeing the latest surge in workload?

These are interconnected. The bigger the workload, the bigger the necessity to adopt new technologies. Moreover, the companies need to adopt the new technologies in order to be more efficient and to cut costs, two important aspects especially in this delicate situation. I think that the Romanian market is well prepared to adopt the latest technologies, and already did that in the last months, so we have a good track record.

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