Beyond Processes: How HR Connects People Across Raiffeisen Tech
International HR Day is an opportunity to recognize the people behind organizational culture, employee experience, development, and collaboration. But it is also a good moment to look beyond the traditional perception of HR and show how this role continues to evolve — especially in international IT organizations, where teams work across countries, cultures, and different local realities.
At Raiffeisen Tech, HR is not only about policies, recruitment processes, or organizational frameworks. It is about creating connections, supporting people in everyday challenges, building environments where employees can grow, and helping international teams work together effectively while still respecting local needs.
To mark International HR Day, we invited colleagues from our hubs in Poland, Romania, and Kosovo, as well as from our headquarters in Vienna, to share their perspective on what HR really means in their daily work. Their answers show different local experiences, but also one common denominator: people remain at the center of everything.
Meet Some of the People Behind HR at Raiffeisen Tech
Building Connections Across Teams, Countries, and Everyday Work
In an international organization, collaboration does not happen automatically. It requires trust, openness, communication, and space for people to truly connect with one another — not only professionally, but also personally. For many HR professionals, creating those connections is one of the most meaningful parts of their role.
As Andreea Chrobacinschi explains, connection is something that supports both business results and employee wellbeing:
For me, connecting people means being an active link between employees and helping collaboration happen more naturally in everyday work. It’s about bringing people together across teams and roles, making it easier for them to interact, exchange ideas, and work toward common goals. Through dedicated spaces, internal initiatives, and events, we help create opportunities for colleagues to meet and truly discover each other, not only from a professional perspective, but also as people. I see connection as something that supports both results and wellbeing, by building trust, openness, and a stronger sense of togetherness at work.
A similar perspective is shared by Iulia Trica, who highlights how important it is to create opportunities that encourage people to engage and grow together:
It means bringing people closer to opportunities they can connect with or grow into and sometimes encouraging them to step a little outside their comfort zone through initiatives linked to their work. What I enjoy most is seeing people connect naturally through events, even when they’re not part of the same team. The energy, the vibe, the level of involvement, and the fact that they are fully involved in a shared purpose really stand out.
For Alexandru Topuzu, relationship-building has always been at the core of HR work — both during recruitment and long after people join the organization:
Connecting people has been at the core of my entire career over the past 8 years. With many of the people I’ve hired, I’ve built relationships that go beyond work, some of them I still consider friends today. At Raiffeisen Tech, being part of a growing organization from the early stages gave me the chance to help shape teams by bringing in great people from the start. At the same time, I’ve always tried to connect them with each other, acting as a bridge in day-to-day work, but also during team events and informal moments. Whenever I truly believed in a candidate, I supported them throughout the entire process and did my best to make things happen. I hope that, overall, this made a positive difference.
Noemi Badin also points out that HR is not only about connecting with employees individually, but also helping employees connect with one another:
For me, connecting with people doesn’t just mean conducting HR interviews, answering questions about company policies, or simply placing them in different teams. It’s much more about bringing the right person to the right team, having open, transparent, and relaxed conversations, being able to joke, laugh, and share little stories about what everyone has been up to. It’s not only about us in HR connecting with them, but also about helping people connect with each other, regardless of their project or role within the company.
HR Beyond the Classic Role
The answers from our colleagues also show how strongly the HR role in IT organizations has shifted from traditional administration toward partnership, guidance, and employee support. Many of them describe HR as a role built on trust, openness, and genuine relationships with people.
According to Andreea Chrobacinschi:
At Raiffeisen Tech, our HR role goes far beyond processes and policies, it’s truly about people and their needs. Whenever possible, it means doing more than what is strictly required: taking the time to listen, offering guidance, and adapting solutions so they genuinely work for our employees. This approach brings HR closer to people and truly connected to the experience of the employees/
Iulia Trica emphasizes the importance of ownership, trust, and freedom to experiment:
It’s different because people are genuinely listened to and trusted. You’re given ownership and the freedom to contribute, knowing that even if an idea isn’t perfect, making mistakes or having a different perspective and standing up for it is part of the journey. That space to experiment, learn, grow, and evolve makes the role both meaningful and empowering.
Alexandru Topuzu highlights how the culture of a growing organization shapes the HR experience:
As I mentioned, starting as a smaller, fast-growing organization made a big difference. We have the structure of a corporation, but the feel of a smaller, well-connected team where people actually know each other. It’s less rigid than a traditional banking environment, and relationships are more natural and direct. This also means you can have a real impact through your work. We try every day not to be seen as “the HR people,” but as approachable partners , colleagues people can come to with questions, ideas, or recommendations, not just formal topics.
Noemi Badin shares a similar reflection:
At first, I thought that HR work was the same in any company, no matter where or when. But since I started working at Raiffeisen Tech, I realized that the HR role doesn’t mean just processes and policies. It’s about deeply understanding people’s needs and creating an environment where they can have a positive vibe, grow and thrive. It’s more of a partnership and active support, rather than just a traditional administrative function. It’s about being there for people and help them find the resources and support they need to achieve their goals.
Supporting Employees in a Changing IT Environment
Across all locations, one recurring topic appears again and again: employee development, wellbeing, and creating conditions where people can continue to grow in a rapidly changing IT market.
Agon Kabashi from Raiffeisen Tech Kosovo points to continuous learning as one of the key priorities today:
The most important focus of HR in Kosovo in terms of talent development and building IT organizations is upskilling and reskilling, with a strong emphasis on continuous learning in emerging technologies such as software development, Data, cybersecurity, and AI. Another key priority is attracting and retaining IT talent by offering competitive benefits and career growth opportunities. HR also places strong focus on employee wellbeing by prioritizing mental health, work-life balance, and a supportive workplace culture to enhance productivity and retention.
In Poland, Agnieszka Augustyniak also underlines the importance of development and long-term employee support:
Employee development and retention are addressed through a strong focus on learning, growth, and a positive work environment. We support employees with a structured development approach, including defined development paths, upskilling, and reskilling initiatives tailored to the IT environment. Compensation and recognition are managed through annual salary reviews, retention measures, and non financial recognition within market and budget constraints. We also consistently invest in maintaining a collaborative, open, and honest workplace culture, which employees identify as a key reason to stay with the organization.
Sebastian Cieślak explains that employee feedback plays a crucial role in shaping HR priorities:
We address employees’ needs in the Polish IT environment primarily through regular Voice of Employee surveys and continuous feedback, which directly shape our priorities and actions. A strong focus is placed on well being, sustainable workload, and work–life balance, supported by flexible working models, workload monitoring, and a team culture built on trust and respect. Transparent communication, clear role expectations, and regular manager–employee dialogues help ensure clarity, alignment, and a sense of purpose in daily work.
From the recruitment perspective, Michał Bieńko highlights how important personalization and transparency have become in the IT market:
In IT recruitment, the key is to truly understand candidates’ needs already at an early stage of the process—not only at the offer phase. In practice, this translates into several concrete actions. We focus on transparency of the offer by clearly communicating key elements such as: project scope, technology stack, working model, and compensation range. We also assess the real fit with candidates’ development expectations by exploring their career direction, motivation for changing jobs, and the type of projects they are interested in. We aim to match the role not only to competencies, but also to long-term aspirations. Due to the highly competitive IT market, we prioritize efficiency in the recruitment process. We shorten the time-to-hire, simplify the process (e.g. by limiting the number of stages), and ensure fast, high-quality feedback. Additionally, we tailor our communication to the candidate’s seniority level and area of expertise. We use multiple sourcing channels (such as LinkedIn, direct sourcing, and referrals) and focus on understanding individual motivations—rather than applying a “one-size-fits-all” approach.
Balancing Local Realities With International Collaboration
One of the biggest challenges, but also strengths of international organizations is balancing global standards with local market realities. In daily HR work, this means combining consistency with flexibility and adapting international frameworks to local employee needs.
Agnieszka Augustyniak explains how this works in practice:
In our daily work, strong cooperation between local managers and project leads in the Head Office or Network Banks enables effective delivery of international initiatives and alignment with business expectations. We continuously monitor both international client satisfaction and the engagement of employees involved in cross-border projects. Special attention is given to employees working on international assignments, ensuring they feel supported, well cared for, and fully part of Raiffeisen Tech. Through this approach, HR supports both business performance and employee experience in an international environment.
Sebastian Cieślak adds that local adaptation is essential even within global frameworks:
As HR, we apply global RBI frameworks and standards consistently while adapting them to Polish legal, labor market, and cultural conditions. Local HR works closely with managers and Group HR to ensure alignment with RBI and Raiffeisen Tech across locations, while maintaining flexibility in HR tools and processes within Group rules. Local employee feedback and market data play a key role in shaping priorities and HR actions in Poland. In this way, HR ensures compliance, consistency, and transparency while remaining relevant and competitive in the local market.
Michał Bieńko also highlights the importance of translating global structures into local realities:
In our daily work, we balance two perspectives: the local labour market and the global organizational framework. On the one hand, we adapt our offers to local market conditions, taking into account salary benchmarks in Poland, expectations related to remote/hybrid work, and other market-specific factors. On the other hand, we operate within global structures, including frameworks such as budgets and job architectures. Our role is to effectively translate these global guidelines into the local context. In practice, this means that while core processes (such as performance management, feedback, development, and organizational culture) are aligned globally, their implementation is adapted to local needs—for example in terms of communication style or candidate expectations. Working in an international environment is also a key element of our Employee Value Proposition. We deliver global projects, collaborate with international teams, and use English as a working language. At the same time, HR actively adopts global trends (such as AI, analytics, and automation) and implements them in a way that fits the local market and supports organizational effectiveness.
From Kosovo, Agon Kabashi points out that consistency across countries is built through shared standards and continuous feedback:
HR in Kosovo ensures a consistent employee experience in an international environment through standardized onboarding and training processes aligned with RBI standards. Cultural integration programs also play an important role by facilitating cross-cultural communication and inclusivity. In addition, regular feedback and engagement surveys, including the Voice of Employee survey, help monitor employee satisfaction and allow HR to adapt practices accordingly.
Communication as the Foundation of International Collaboration
At the center of all these perspectives lies one common element: communication. For Johannes Stadler, Head of People & Communications at Raiffeisen Tech GmbH, communication is one of the key foundations of successful international cooperation:
When I think about communication within distributed HR teams, two key ideas come to mind: On one hand, clear and open communication fosters alignment, builds trust, and ensures everyone understands our shared goals and challenges. On the other hand, informal exchanges are essential to create a sense of togetherness, strengthen personal connections, and bring joy and fun to the workplace. Combining these elements cultivates a collaborative culture where HR teams feel both informed and engaged, making cross-country cooperation not only effective but also enjoyable and motivating.
From the headquarters perspective, supporting local HR teams also means enabling collaboration while respecting local autonomy:
From headquater perspective I provide strategic HR guidance, share best practices, and ensure alignment with overall company policies and culture. I facilitate access to centralized trainings and resources to empower local HR teams. Additionally, I act as a bridge to escalate challenges, coordinate cross-country initiatives, and foster knowledge exchange to help local teams solve problems efficiently while respecting their autonomy.
Different Countries, One Shared Purpose
The perspectives shared by our colleagues from Poland, Romania, Kosovo, and Vienna show that HR today is far more than a support function. It is about enabling collaboration, supporting growth, building trust, and helping people feel connected, regardless of where they work.
While every country operates within its own local reality, all teams share the same goal: creating an environment where people can grow, contribute, collaborate, and feel part of something bigger.
And perhaps that is the best way to celebrate International HR Day, by recognizing the people who help bring people together every single day.
Happy International HR Day
We would like to wish everyone working in HR many inspiring conversations, satisfaction from building a work environment based on trust and collaboration, and endless energy to support people every day.
Authors
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Klaudia Bednarczyk
Communications Expert, Raiffeisen Tech Poland