Tell us about yourself — Where are you from, what are your interests, and what were you doing before joining social.plus?

I’m originally from the Czech Republic, but I’ve been living abroad for the past 10 years. My journey started in the UK, where I moved to Scotland to complete my Master’s degree in Human Resources Management. After a few years there, I relocated to Italy and joined Social Plus as the second employee in the region. About a year and a half ago, I moved to Luxembourg, where I’m currently based. Alongside my work, I’m training to become a psychotherapist, as gaining a deep understanding of people is one of my greatest passions.

In my free time, I love going for long walks in nature, and I’ve always made it a point to join a local choir wherever I’ve lived—it’s a little tradition that I really enjoy.

Describe your journey at social.plus — How has your role evolved and what does a typical day look like for you?

I started working for social.plus in 2021, joining as the second employee in the newly established Italian office. My main focus was building the EMEA team - hiring the right people, finding a suitable office space, and taking care of all EMEA employees in general.

Shortly after I started, the person responsible for recruitment at the company left, and I was asked to step in as the Global Head of Talent Acquisition, overseeing a team of 3 recruiters in addition to my other responsibilities. Over the next few years, I also got increasingly involved in HR business partnering activities across other regions, including APAC and the USA.

In October 2023, I was offered the opportunity to become Head of People, and just one year later, I was promoted to VP of People, which is my current role. I’m really grateful to the company for the trust they’ve placed in me over the last five years and for giving me the chance to grow and develop at such a fast pace.

No two days are ever the same in my role, but at the core, my work is all about people, whether it’s engaging with prospective candidates joining our company or supporting current employees on a wide range of topics, from onboarding, performance management, and professional development, to compliance and offboarding.

What do you love most about your role? And what's the biggest challenge you navigate?

I love the variety in my work and the fact that every day brings new opportunities to learn something. social.plus is constantly evolving as a company, and that evolution also shapes the HR department, which has to adapt continuously to support our employees effectively.

At the same time, this is one of the biggest challenges of my role—keeping up with the pace of change and finding ways to continuously improve our processes, tools, and strategies. It keeps me constantly on my toes, but that’s also what makes the work so engaging and rewarding.

What are your favorite perks of working remotely at social.plus — and how has remote-first working shaped the way you work and live?

For me, remote work at social.plus really means flexibility. Since I collaborate with colleagues from all over the world, I sometimes take early calls with APAC or later calls with the USA, so the company expects flexibility on my part. At the same time, I have the freedom to organize my personal life around work, which saves me a lot of time because I don’t need to commute every day. This flexibility allows me to focus on other things outside of work. Even during the week, whether it’s doing yoga, meeting friends or going for a walk when the weather is nice. At social.plus, it’s more about delivering results than counting hours in front of a laptop or sitting in an office, which makes the way we work both meaningful and enjoyable.

How would you describe what social.plus does to a friend VS to a 5-year-old?

Friend: I usually start by asking my friends: “What’s your favorite app on your phone that isn’t social media?” Then I ask them to imagine if that app suddenly had features like chat or if each user would have their own profile, so you could connect with other users to share experiences or recommendations. Or if you could interact directly with your favorite company or brand inside the app itself—without having to follow them on social media, where most of us are trying to limit our social media exposure nowadays. Most of my friends get really excited about this idea.

Then I explain the benefits our product has for companies. With social.plus, they can get people more engaged directly inside their own app, gain access to first-hand customer data, and create highly targeted marketing campaigns (while users are fully aware of how their data is being used). This is very different from traditional social media, where our personal data is often shared without much control. Ultimately, Social.plus helps companies improve the user experience, collect valuable insights, and even open up new ways to generate revenue.

5-year old: Imagine your favorite toy becomes a little bit boring over time and doesn’t do much anymore. Social.plus is like giving that toy a bunch of fun new upgrades so it becomes exciting again! Lots of companies have apps, but sometimes they’re kind of plain and people stop playing with them. Social.plus helps make those apps fun and interesting again, so people want to keep using them and spending money through them.

Community is at the heart of what we build - what does "community" mean to you personally?

I think community is incredibly important, especially today when many of us live far from family or move abroad for work or studies. Being surrounded by like-minded people can make a huge difference.

Personally, having relocated to different countries three times in the last nine years, I’m always motivated to build a community where we can support each other, spend time together, learn about each other’s cultures.. Even when the community is online, if it’s managed safely and productively (as can be done with our product) it’s invaluable. It helps combat the loneliness that’s so easy to feel in today’s world.

Fun psychological fact: research shows that people with strong communities around them tend to live longer!

What drew you to the tech industry? What's one piece of advice you'd give someone just starting out?

I find working in HR within the tech industry much more fun and creative than in many other sectors. It’s such an innovative environment, and that naturally shapes the way people are managed. Employees in software companies are often seen as an even bigger asset than in other industries—and many of them know it (haha!)—which makes it an interesting challenge. It really pushes companies to put people at the center and continuously focus on employee well-being and their development.

If I were to give a piece of advice to someone just starting out in the tech industry, it would be: never stop learning. This industry moves fast, and new technologies, tools, and ways of working emerge all the time. Staying curious and open to learning (not just technical skills but also soft skills like communication, problem-solving, and adaptability) will set you apart. Embrace challenges as opportunities to grow, seek feedback, and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. The more you learn, the more confident and capable you’ll become, and the more doors will open for your career.