Alexandra Peligrad, Smartree: "We place great emphasis on each stage of the customer journey"

Smartree, the strategic partner that provides integrated human resources services and software solutions for over 20 years, has a unique positioning in the Romanian market for payroll outsourcing and personnel administration services, being a key player in both the payroll outsourcing services segment and the temporary staffing agencies area. Alexandra Peligrad, CEO of Smartree, sat down with Business Review to talk more about the first ebook dedicated to human resources digitalization launched by the Smartree HRTech division.

How does Smartree Group differentiate itself from competitors in the HR services industry, particularly in terms of innovative technologies and solutions?

For us, software is key, so we consistently direct our efforts toward improving the effectiveness of human resources processes. As a strategic partner in Romania for payroll outsourcing and personnel administration services, we have been delivering complete service packages and advanced software solutions for strategic human resources process management for over two decades, continuously adapting to evolving needs. Notably, Smartree holds a distinct position in the Romanian market as a local partner of ADP, the largest global payroll processing company.

In the digitalization era, it is essential to offer customers user-friendly interfaces and sustainable solutions that are easy to implement and use in the long run. Smartree’s philosophy revolves around relieving HR departments of time-consuming and repetitive tasks, which can be stressful and exhausting. This allows HR professionals to focus on current priorities, such as employee well-being, talent development, team growth and cohesion, and employee retention.

Smartree places great emphasis on each stage of the customer journey and every interaction that can enhance employee engagement within organizations. The company not only monitors customer satisfaction through continuous feedback collection but also prioritizes the long-term results that clients strive to achieve by adopting Smartree’s solutions. With a strong commitment to supporting the success of its clients’ businesses, Smartree constantly seeks to improve the user experience from solution implementation to the daily use of MyStaff products.

What inspired you to write an e-book specifically dedicated to the digitalization of HR? Were there any key insights or experiences that motivated this initiative?

The main idea was to spread awareness regarding the importance of technology and digitalization for both the current activity and the future of the HR departments. And we decided an e-book is the best way to address all these to the market. Technology has gained a lot of territory within all the areas of the business, but HR has been, somehow, left behind, with a lot of processes and activities that can still be automated.

These past 3 years showed everybody that automation through technology is the way to go when it comes to improved payroll and HR administration operations, employee recruitment, retention and engagement and the much-needed strategic role for the HR teams. We are here to provide the technology support companies need to automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks so that they can further focus on strategic initiatives for people’s growth and development.

In the era of remote work and hybrid work models, how does Smartree Group support organizations in effectively managing and engaging their dispersed workforce while maintaining productivity and collaboration?

Since the pandemic, numerous companies have been testing various work models, and even after the restrictions have been lifted, many continue to operate in a hybrid or remote setup. It was essential to adapt to this new normal and acknowledge that, due to investments made and still being made in the digitizing work processes, it has become more convenient for both employers and employees to work beyond the confines of traditional office space.

We provide continuous support for our clients by making sure they benefit from seamless payroll and personnel administration services without worrying about any change in legislation that could affect their reputation. We deliver our high-level services, both through our teams of experts and our advanced software platform, MyStaff.

Can you provide some key takeaways or actionable tips from your ebook that HR professionals can implement immediately to kick-start their digital transformation journey?

The most important takeaway for our readers is related to the main areas and future benefits to consider when choosing the best automation solutions for their HR departments.

These are the same aspects that we covered when we developed our HR software package, MyStaff, and the aspects we are continuously focusing on when updating and improving the features that this software provides.

Another important tip for our readers: they should never forget that, at the end of the day, it is all about the people – employees that need intuitive, user-friendly solutions. Technology is here to take the burden of time-consuming administrative tasks from HR and, at the same time, to provide a higher level of independence for the employees when interacting with their HR departments.

In the rapidly evolving HR technology landscape, how does the technology innovation division at Smartree stay ahead of the curve and ensure that the company remains at the forefront of technological advancements?

Our team at Smartree keeps a close eye on the latest trends and developments in the HR Tech area, to identify and implement technologies that have the potential to improve the employee experience and make HR more efficient.

We are investing time, money and a lot of people’s energy in Research and Development. We create and evaluate Proof of Concept projects that can boost User Experience, automate HR tasks, and help HR professionals make better decisions through data analytics. These projects are presented to our customers, and we are actively looking for their feedback to further improve our software products and services.

The team also partners with other companies to share ideas, stay up to date on the latest trends and integrate innovative solutions that meet customer needs.

As the CEO of a prominent HR services provider, how do you envision the future of work, considering the increasing role of automation and artificial intelligence?

I believe we can expect an exciting future of work that embraces the increasing role of automation and digitalization. These types of technologies are revolutionizing the way we operate, and the HR industry is definitely no exception. I see them as powerful tools that can enhance our efficiency, streamline processes, and enable us to focus more on strategic and value-added initiatives.

In the future, new technologies will continue to take on repetitive and time-consuming tasks, allowing HR professionals to focus on more strategic and creative tasks. By leveraging these technologies, we can optimize recruitment processes, conduct data-driven talent analytics, and improve employee engagement initiatives.

While automation plays a significant role, I also strongly believe in the importance of maintaining human hands-on involvement in HR and in all other teams in a company. We will continue to prioritize empathy, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal skills in our interactions with colleagues and employees. These qualities are absolutely crucial for fostering a good work culture.

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