Roxana Crețu: How to keep the sense of humanity in HR

When she was just a little girl, she wanted to become a doctor. When she was in high school, she realized that she was feeling better with people older than her and that everybody came to her for advice. So, she wanted to become a psychologist and help people to manage their problems. Later, she discovered the HR world, where she can listen to people and help them too.

She was always a geek, studying and reading all the time, but also a rebel soul. Because even though she was the head of the class, she was also the one convincing her colleagues to skip classes. And she loved speaking in front of the people since she was in school.  

She is the biggest fan of Coma band, and she attended more than 30 concerts of them. At some point, she was thinking of becoming a singer, but her friends brought her back to the ground, explaining to her that she has absolutely no voice. So she remained only to listening to music, her favorite genre being rock and indie.  

And we are glad that she did so, because now we have her as our amazing colleague in HR, excellently combining the Senior HR Consultant job with being a Steering Board member and owner of the Learning & Development Area within CGM Software Romania. Let`s get to better know Roxana-Andreea Crețu and find out what is it like to be in her creative shoes.  

How did your relationship with HR start and what your professional path is until now?  

I have a degree in Psychology because I have always wanted to work in therapy and to listen and help the others. But when I was in college, I also needed money, so I put on hold my dream to work in a small, cozy psychology office and I went on a different road. I finished a Master of Psychology applied to Human Resources and several other courses related to HR field and I got hired.

My first job in HR was in 2014, when I got hired part-time by a psychologist who was also covering labor placement services. I also had a full-time job at a call center, while I was attending my Master courses on weekends. I was a total geek all my life, studying and reading all the time.  

After graduating, I entered the corporation's world and here I am now, after more than 8 years in the industry.

At CGM Software Romania, I came almost 5 years ago, when I really needed a change in my life. I loved the fact that I had a lot of challenges, and, also, that since the very beginning the entire company gave me a good zen vibe.  

And because I always need more in my life, besides work, I am a volunteer at an education NGO, and I do selection for management positions and Leadership coaching with high school principals.  

I know that you are always busy, and it is quite a challenge to synchronize our calendars for meetings. What is it that you do exactly as a Senior HR Consultant within CGM Software Romania?  

Uuh, how much time do we have? I do a lot: coaching and guidance in building and strengthening the communities together with the Functional Leads, creating, implementing and monitoring the organizational culture and engagement, 1-on-1 discussions with the CGMers, both professional and personal, interviews with the management and the Product Owners, Soft Skills Workshops, discussing with the Functional Leads for the technical direction in the Learning and Development programs, signing contracts and additional papers, approving or not approving sick leaves, adapting procedures that come from Germany, escalading, weekly syncs with the Team Leads, Functional Leads and Vice Presidents, managing annual evaluations, giving feedback and many other things.  

I can see it in your eyes and in everything that you do that you really love your job, and you really know how to do it. If you should create a decalogue with the Golden Rules in HR, what it will look like?

It will definitely look like this:

1. Be human; people will forget your title or what you said - but they will never forget how you made them feel.
2. The interview is not a question-answer meeting or a checklist hour. It is a discussion and a unique experience.
3. HR should be about Human Relations, not Human Resources; about humans not resources.
4. The HR person is the one who is bringing both good and bad news; Don’t shoot the messenger.
5. The HR person is the one who encourages feedback and communication among people, giving them the trust, the confidence and the secured space to express their opinions.
6. The job should be your objective also in growing and becoming your better version year after year. Don’t stick to the same level and tasks over and over again.
7. If you complain that you have too many hours or too many days until you leave home or in a vacation, it means that you don`t have the right job;  
8. If a HR person is telling you during an interview that their company is perfect and everything is pink there, run. There is no such thing and HR people should tell the truth.
9. Do not confuse the management with the leadership, there is a huge difference; companies must invest in both areas
10. The technical skills are not the most important, because they can be learned. The most important ones are the soft skills; you will work with people not with skills

What are the most memorable interviews in your life?

I will not give names, but all the interviews that sticked to my mind and my heart are the ones with managers who made an impact. With people that were humans first of all, who shared stories, who laughed while still being professional. 

Let`s get back to your work within CGM. You are a Senior HR Consultant and also you have the ownership on the Learning & Development Program. Which of these two is your most favorite?

Oh, I love the Learning & Development part, because it gives me the total freedom of creativity and of constantly adapting to people. I love helping people learning by doing and growing all the time.  

I remember when I first came to CGM, there were only external trainings, not necessarily adapted to the CGMers` needs. So I began to contract only extremely good and well-known trainers and I also begun to deliver trainings on my own. And this is how the Learning & Development Department was born.

I deliver a lot of Soft Skills Trainings and Workshops within our Learning & Development Program: motivation and objectives, feedback, for technical interviewers on each technology, leadership, some for the students from faculties and, my personal favorite, public speaking. And I am ready to expend the list in 2023 and beyond.

As if it wasn`t enough everything that you do as a HR and a Trainer, you are also a member in the Steering Board of CGM Software Romania. What are the challenges of this position?

The Steering Board is the leadership team who is responsible for the mission, vision, values, and direction of the company. They are role-models for the behaviors stipulated in the organizational culture and they make sure that everyone is understanding and implementing the right direction.  

The Romanian Steering Board is formed by Christopher Roy Turner (our General Manager), the 4 VPs – Loredana Armanu, Adrian Barna, Adrian Cristea and Ovidiu Drîmbă, Corina Matei (HR Team Lead) and me.  

The Steering Board part is the one who helped me grow the most, because I started to see more different business perspectives. It made me realize that I have to be between the business and the people, between empathy and results, between when and how we promote the values and the direction. I know that I have the tendency to be a savior, and I know that sometimes I need to be the one who let the others figure it out the best solution for themselves (I`m still working on this).

You are Senior HR Consultant, you are a member of the Romanian Steering Board and you have the ownership on the Learning & Development Program. How does your typical week look like?

There is no day like the other. And this is one of my favorite parts about this job. Sometimes at 7 PM, I am still here, doing what I love, although I have days when my work is done way much earlier. And even if the tasks are repeating themselves, the situations are different and there are new challenges every single day.  

What inspires you and what motivates you to continue doing what you do?

Definitely, the people. I`ve cried for people who left. Of course, I am happy everytime for them and for their career path, and i hope we will meet again in the professional field, too. And, yes, I admit that I get attached to people more than I should. But I simply can`t help it.  

What is it that you love the most about being a CGMer?

Again, the people here. Since the very beginning, I was encouraged to do more of what I like. I came as a recruiter and look at me now, doing so many things that I love. And I love that all the CGMers are encouraged to do more of what they like and they receive the support for this. Because everybody has the potential and the support, you just have to wish for more and act towards it.  

And, of course, I love the good vibe among people and the communities that we worked for and that we are continuously building here, at CGM Software Romania. I continuously observe others and learn from them, and I really, really enjoy working here. Together we rock.

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If you want to stay in touch with Roxana and learn more about the HR world, follow her on LinkedIn, along with our LinkedIn profile, so you can see what she and the other CGMers are doing here.