Magdalena Błaszczak is the COO at AppLover (based in Wrocław, Poland), listed on 50Pros as a top 50 firm in Software Development, Mobile App Development, and IT firm.
In this Q&A, Magdalena shares her in-depth perspective, unique background, robust experiences, and insightful tips.
I started in the area of HR, recruitment, and employer branding in the IT industry. Like almost everyone - from the position of a researcher, then there was recruitment and selection, and finally, I became the leader of the recruitment department. There was no such person in this company before, but someone had to deal with topics such as raises, evaluations, and employee development, so we created the role of HR business partner who was responsible for it. HR tasks were very much intertwined with strictly business ones, and that's how I learned how to create effective teams. I was heavily focused on how to motivate people and support their actions with a flat organizational structure. It was then that I noticed that operational topics fascinate me more than strictly HR topics. Which is what I'm working on at Applover right now. Here, at the beginning, I became an HR manager. And, from the very beginning, my activities were focused on the organizational and operational level.
Remember that everyone has some "pain limits" in their work. You won't find the perfect job and there will always be something that doesn't suit you, but what matters is that there are more things that suit you. If you are getting enough of this "taking care of your motivation" and other things you care about (apart from the basics, i.e. we earn enough concerning our competencies) then you want to stay. If you have a sense of influence on what is happening in the organization and your subsequent, higher motivations are also "taken care of" - you also stay longer.
I believe that the company as a whole is the sum of employees' attitudes. I know that focusing on people is simply important and even now when I deal with business a little more than HR, I still say that you need to choose the right people and create conditions for their development, and they will create a company. And what is the most important thing for me personally at work? I feel like I need my work to provide some value. I need some sense of fulfillment in all this, and if I see that my actions make people happy at work and that they develop and have ideas, then I feel fulfilled in all this.
There is a part of specialists in the IT industry that is constantly looking for where to get a few PLNs more. I think that in most cases it does not result from the need for higher earnings, but from the fact that something bothers them in the organization, but they do not say it or the employer disregards their needs. We listen to the team and rely on the aforementioned values. For example, our people are convinced that they have an impact on the company and it works. We work with a team of professionals who would easily find employment anywhere in Poland or the world. And yet they are here and have been for the most part for several years. Even contractors who are on civil law contracts are also several years old. If a person comes to us who honestly says what sucks about a given project, we don't deny it, we just say "ok, give us a month" and, if possible, assign them another one.
Among other things, the slowdown in the growth of salaries in IT. Every bubble bursts at some point, and wages in IT have been growing continuously for many years. Demand has also slowed down, and more and more people with experience above junior level come to us and ask for employment. It also happens, more often than a year ago, that a person who originally expected higher earnings comes back to us and says that he will accept our offer, even though he was not at the level of expectations. You can see the "falling tide" on the market, and even IT specialists are beginning to appreciate the stability of employment. In addition, at a certain stage of professional development, you care about long-term work in a stable company, because it allows you to achieve a higher level of specialization. And it's practically impossible when you jump "from flower to flower".
Both relationships with customers and employees have the same foundation: empathy, and the ability to listen. We collect feedback from both employees and customers, and it is this feedback that decides which way we go, what we improve, what we build, and so on. Listening to people is a solid foundation.
Work out the project initiation in detail. I started by mapping the entire process. I didn't go into the individual sales sequences, but you had to understand what happens from the moment the customer says "Okay, I want to do something with you" and what happens after that, to the moment we say "Here, customer - here is your product." First, we mapped all these processes, saw the whole thing, and found out where we have problems, what doesn't work, and where there is too much of something. The last one was especially interesting because after drawing it several times we were scratching our heads that some things could be done much simpler. The first change we introduced was to define who takes responsibility for a given process. This is a key issue, and concepts such as the person responsible for the process did not function at all at the time. From the moment the client signed the contract to the start of the project, a lot of people were involved, but no one would take care of the whole thing, so it was the first really important change.
Firstly, a sense of influence, the ability to shape this company. If someone sees that something can be done better, they share it immediately, even if it is not the most pleasant information for the managerial staff. Each such signal is analyzed and, if circumstances permit, changes are implemented. Secondly, the possibility of development. Continuous exchange of experiences and learning from practitioners. Even employees with extensive experience often point to this asset of Applover. Thirdly: the crazy atmosphere, the fact that it is "funny" and without corporate stiffening. Everything happens at ease, making communication more effective. Fourthly - hybrid or remote work to choose from, without any attempts to return to the "stationary". Fifth: freedom to choose the form of employment and transparency of salaries. In general, the company is adapted to Generation Z, i.e. the youngest participants in the labor market.
1. We started in 2016 with PLN 0 and 5 chairs in a small room
2. We are growing on average >106.8% y/y
3. We have a team of almost 150 experts in various fields, and we are constantly developing it
4. We specialize in HealthTech - an area with the highest growth dynamics in the IT sector
5. We work for recognized brands from around the world
6. Our goal is to be a top 3 technology company in Poland and create solutions that improve the quality of life for users
The atmosphere and personalities of the founders are what binds the team together. They are present almost all the time. It's not guys in suits who fly around the world and write e-mails as it should be, but the hosts of this "yard". In addition, the goals are certainly integrating. They are quite ambitious: 30% growth, increasing the margin to 50%, keeping the NPS above 30 points, and rotation below 15%. When I talk about them publicly, I am met with disbelief, so I explain that such a pace is not unfamiliar to us. What I appreciate in the team is the “How? We won't be able to?” One of the rules of creating goals is that they must be ambitious.
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