HR Expert Interview With Marlena Patyna and Florian Hoffmann

Hamburg-based Kontora Family Office offers a range of programs and benefits to increase employee satisfaction and loyalty. We spoke to HR Officer Marlena Patyna and CEO Florian Hoffmann to discuss HR’s strategic role within the company and technology’s impact on the future of work.

How do you think HR technology will develop over the next five years, particularly with regard to recruitment processes?

Marlena Patyna (MP): Over the next few years, technology like AI will develop at a fast pace and also play an increasingly important role in HR. Workflows, for example, will become more and more advanced, automating recurring tasks and minimizing manual errors. There are also efforts to develop and implement technologies that collect health data in order to create a healthier and more productive working environment for employees.

Florian Hoffmann (FH): In terms of recruitment processes, technology can be used to screen application documents, conduct initial interviews, and manage skills, making the internal and external candidate selection process objective and unbiased. Nevertheless, it will remain crucial to engage with people personally, as college grades aren’t always enough to go on.

In addition, laws will change in Germany, allowing digital signatures on employment contracts, for example. At the same time, as more processes are digitized, HR technology will be used to protect sensitive data.

Can you explain the role of analytics in HR software and how it is changing decision-making in companies?

MP: Companies use HR analytics to collect and interpret comprehensive data. This helps them make informed strategic decisions, such as workforce planning, employee development, and increasing productivity, in a dynamic environment. HR analytics also provides valuable data on corporate culture and employee satisfaction, which can be used to initiate measures to increase employee retention.

What trends are emerging in employee onboarding, and how will these trends impact the future of employee retention?

FH: Onboarding is crucial for employee retention. When new employees are enthusiastic and feel part of the community from the start, their commitment and loyalty to the company increases. Corporate culture and HR technology play an important role in this.

The power of pre-onboarding should not be underestimated. Ensuring a positive experience before the first day of work with smooth, digital processes and a pleasant, engaging welcome culture simplifies onboarding and improves the wellbeing of new hires.

MP: If employees can work remotely, onboarding should be hybrid. This allows employees to get to know the company culture digitally as well as in the office and build connections with many colleagues to strengthen their sense of belonging. Gamification and interactive onboarding methods make the process more interesting and motivating. In addition, a personalized onboarding journey that builds on the skills and experience of new employees shows that the company values their personal strengths.

According to global leadership consulting firm DDI, the proportion of women in management positions in the technology sector is declining. How do you think this could be addressed by HR or HR tech?

MP: HR should partner with management and executives to help shape the company culture. A suitable environment for diversity – this can refer to gender, but also to any other dimension of diversity – forms the basis for creating a diverse team and also for attracting women to management positions in the technology industry. This includes not only the company's values and the basic attitude and role model function of every staff member, but also raising the awareness and visibility of diversity dimensions and taking them into account in all areas of the company.

Women should be supported in the technology sector through options such as dual-study programs and working student positions. Targeted benefits such as flexible working hours, remote work, job sharing, and specific personal development opportunities can help to retain them.

How do think that AI and machine learning will influence the future development of HR software?

FH: AI systems and machine learning will strongly influence the development of HR software. They will significantly increase the productivity and precision of HR processes and help make data-driven strategic decisions. Examples include AI-assisted automation of administrative tasks and HR chatbots that can answer common questions.

What is the biggest challenge facing your HR team today and what do you need to solve it?

MP: HR's tasks are changing; it's no longer just about drawing up employment contracts and ensuring payroll runs smoothly. HR is an important partner for company management on strategic and cultural issues, an internal and external design team for the employer brand, and an personal point of contact for employees. To reduce the administrative burden and give HR more time for these topics, new technologies must be increasingly integrated into HR processes and recurring HR tasks must be automated. It’s crucial to use modern, constantly evolving HR software efficiently and effectively and to optimize processes.

How do you increase employee satisfaction and commitment, and what innovative technological approaches can companies use to strengthen employee loyalty and satisfaction?

MP: We combine a modern working environment with personalized employee development and support for our employees’ physical and mental health. We offer flexible working hours, mobile work, and an office directly on the Alster in Hamburg. Other benefits include personal development plans, career programs, external training and internal workshops, resilience training, company bike rental, company pension schemes, and free fruit.

FH: We also use technological approaches to increase commitment and satisfaction. These include digital communication channels to create transparency and cohesion. These channels are used, for example, to share news, welcome employees, organize team events, provide feedback, show appreciation, celebrate successes, and conduct internal training.

The term “future of work” is used very often these days. How do you see the workplace of the future? What are your top wishes and priorities for shaping the future?

FH: Work should empower people. This means the workplace of the future must respond to people's individual needs. That doesn’t just apply to working hours and the place of work, but also means prioritizing health and wellbeing and applying each employee’s strengths to unlock their creative potential.

To this end, digitization and automation must be used to reduce repetitive and administrative tasks. It is also important that the values of the company and employees match and that employees feel a sense of purpose in their work.