Our people are at the heart of Quantexa, and we are incredibly proud of the vast talent, knowledge and experience that we all bring. We have the brightest, most dedicated, and ambitious people who live and promote our values and are always looking to improve. We encourage each other to challenge, learn and push the boundaries so we can perform at our best, supporting one other, and our customers.
The People team is a pivotal force across our whole business, helping us to grow our capability and create a culture that enhances and celebrates our individual and collective talent.
Our People Operations Partners proactively engage with senior leadership teams across the business to support our people, and to explore initiatives focused on improving employee engagement, development and progression, underpinned by a culture where everyone can flourish.
Malveen spoke with Chrys, to find out more about her role as a People Operations Partner at Quantexa.
Meet Chrys...
I grew up in Greece and have been in the UK for just over 8 years. After completing my Masters in Human Resources Management, I worked in a very corporate environment where it was difficult to affect change, although the team that I worked with was great.
I joined Quantexa as an HR Assistant in July 2018 when it was still a very small company, still a startup, and that’s what was so appealing to me. I was in a team of just two and since then, I’ve progressed in my role as the team and the company has grown.
People Partners are aligned with a specific department to help and support them in developing people and management skills; I’m partnered with the R&D department. Our aim is to work closely with managers and team leaders to better understand their needs and support them with advice, tools, skills training, and coaching. Each department has different skills and requirements, and we recognize that it’s not a case of ‘one size fits all’ so we tailor our relationship to the needs and goals of each department.
How do you normally start your working day?
I’m not really a morning person and I need my full quota of uninterrupted sleep!!
Whilst having my coffee in the morning, I check emails and respond to messages. Taking time to connect with people is really important, and a core part of my role.
I live very to close our London office and although we have a hybrid working model, I prefer being in the office as it provides an opportunity to collaborate and meet people face-to-face.
I really enjoy my meetings with the R&D department, and these are either group calls or 1-2-1s focusing on specific projects or initiatives.
How would you describe a typical day?
Our team meets regularly most afternoons, and it’s one of my favorite meetings as we get the opportunity to share ideas and discuss how we can better support each other. We have a social catch-up too! I work in a really friendly and supportive team and we all get on really well.
We have a lot of ongoing projects, and each of us allocates time to work on these.
I spend most of my time working the R&D department, focusing on how we train and upskill our managers, creating clear career paths for employees, and defining capability matrices for different roles and grades within the department.
We also explore the compensation and benefits policy, career development and performance management. Although I’m not involved in recruitment, I am involved in the employee life-cycle starting with the onboarding phase. I’m also involved in projects focusing on well-being, mental health initiatives, and ‘breaking the bias’.
At Quantexa, we actively use Peakon to collect and report on employee feedback, and we use the feedback and metrics to identify areas for improvement. We report the results to employees, and we plan actions to address the feedback and then monitor their impact through ongoing feedback, so it’s a complete cycle. Based on recent feedback, we have a trial underway focusing on manager training.
What do you enjoy most in your role?
I really enjoy the collaboration - working with my team and colleagues in R&D.
I also really enjoy the flexibility and the freedom to express my opinions, affect change, and make suggestions, because everyone I work with is open to new ideas. We have very knowledgeable and smart people in Quantexa, and there’s a lot of trust.
I feel very lucky, as the R&D leadership team is really interested in and committed to improving employee engagement and development, and is proactively engaging with us to explore new ideas.
What are your main goals as a People Operations Partner?
My main goal is to make sure that people are happy to be working here and to support them so they can perform at their best. It’s very much about developing a culture and environment where people can be their true selves, because…
when people are happy and bring their ‘whole self’ to work, they also perform much better and are more productive.
This has a positive knock-on effect across the whole business.
What are your most memorable moments?
The best moments are when I get positive feedback from employees and can see that they are really happy to be working here because it shows that we’re creating the right environment, and that the changes we’re making are having a positive impact.
My most memorable moment is when we recently had a quarterly planning meeting within the wider HR team, and Vishal joined us. He was really inspiring as he explained how important our role is in Quantexa and impact that we’re having on the business through the work that we do and through our direct engagement with the leadership teams across the departments.
It was really great to have insights, feedback and recognition from our CEO!
What do you think are the most important attributes of a People Operations Partner?
The most important attribute is empathy.
You need to try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes, listen very carefully and understand their perspective. We need to be careful how we communicate as we have a diverse workforce that we’re immensely proud of, and we want to protect and enhance that. Coaching skills are also important, as we need be able to ask probing questions so we can support people in solving problems. Teamwork, co-operation, and sharing information are also important as these activities help everyone grow.
What are you focusing on at the moment?
At the moment, I’m focused on supporting R&D with its organization structure, competency matrices, development plans, and improving reporting.
I’m looking forward to helping R&D continue to grow and helping ensure that we are always the ‘employer of choice’.
I want to continue to ensure that people are happy to work here and to support them throughout their journey with Quantexa.
