I Love The Mix Of People, Programs And Data That HR Has To Offer!

September 06, 2019

Serdzan Şimşek Arnautović is an international recruiter for Facebook based out of London. He has worked on cross-border recruitment projects with some of the largest financial institutions and is now working for Facebook, as a recruiter for their various positions across the MENA and CEE regions. At the Global HR Trends Summit Skopje 2 he will present a session on How To Create A Strong EVP To Ensure Growth & Retention in your company.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your professional journey, how did you decide to work in HR?

I’m actually not a “typical” HR profile if we can call it that! I studied International Relations and was really involved in consulting for emerging markets before deciding to beef up my business knowledge, starting an MBA and deciding to move into the business world. I did one of my MBA internships at a consultancy focusing on banking & asset management working on the HR advisory piece and I really enjoyed it! I love the intersection between people, programs and data that HR offers.

You are currently working in Facebook. What does a typical working day look like for you?

I’m an extremely organized person & an early bird, so am usually in before 8. From 8-9.30ish I check & answer emails and take care of any admin tasks. From 9.30 until noon I work on any projects or programs I’m working. After lunch with my team, from 1-2 I work more on any ongoing projects and then from 2.00-4.00 I do anything candidate-related (interviews, sourcing, etc). From 4 until 5 I answer emails, plan my next day and then leave the office! I’m known for living by my calendar so sometimes when things pop unexpectedly it’s always a positive surprise!

 At the Global HR Trends Summit in Skopje, you will be covering How To Create A Strong EVP To Ensure Growth & Retention; Facebook Case Study, can you give us a preview of what the audience can expect from your session?

The audience can really expect to learn not only why we create EVPs on a base level, but going beyond and understand how we can properly use one and why. We’ll dive deep into how important it is to have one during the whole HR lifecycles of employees and what we can do to stand out.

 What are some of the projects that you have worked on & are most proud of?

I’m extremely proud of the all the projects I’ve done within Sub-Saharan Africa – it’s a market I’ve fallen in love with due to its breadth and width of complexity. Its growth is tremendous and I love learning about it.

What would be your advice on building a successful career in HR?

I do believe it’s really being good at what you do and owning it. Whenever people ask me for any sort of career advice I always tell them the same thing. If someone asks you “what are you good at?” you should be able to answer concisely and confidently. You can’t be good at everything but you should excel and be a subject matter expert in certain topics.

You are currently based in London; how would you compare the working environment there with the rest of the world?

I absolutely adore it. As one of the giant capital cities of the world, it’s so incredibly diverse. I love working here because as I focus a lot on diversity within recruiting, I get to work with diverse groups and learn from them.

You are presenting at the Global HR Trends Summit in Skopje, what are your expectations from the destination?

I’m really excited for some great questions from the audience as well as a great discussion during the panel session. This is a great chance to exchange ideas, discuss best practices and solve problems. I’ll be available at the end and looking forward to meeting everyone. 
 

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#facebook #Serdzan Şimşek Arnautović #hr #conference #skopje