Imagine starting a new job on the very day of an intergalactic-themed winter party. That’s how Kerstin Schrader, our new People & Culture Lead, kicked off her journey at Effectory.
The human touch in HR tech: Inside the mind of Effectory’s People & Culture Lead
Amid a sea of glitter and space-themed costumes, Kerstin’s arrival symbolized the beginning of a new chapter not only for her but for all of Effectory as we embraced our future in a bright and beautiful new space in the heart of Amsterdam.
With a global background in HR, Kerstin brings a fresh perspective to Effectory’s mission of building organizations with the voice of every employee.
Today, we explore her HR journey, her role, and her impact at Effectory.
Meet Kerstin: A global HR visionary
A world traveler with roots in Bremen, Germany, Kerstin has called many places home, from Australia and South America to South Africa, before making Amsterdam her base. With a rich background in Work-, Organizational-, and Clinical Psychology, she brings extensive experience from her international HR roles across continents and industries.
Her journey into HR was driven by a fascination with the interconnection between people and organizational dynamics. She sees HR as a field that demands both subtlety and clarity. “Every decision translates into personal consequences, and I find it essential to act with this in mind,” she says, pointing to the profound impact of thoughtful HR practices.
“Effectory wants to be an employer that offers a once-in-a-lifetime work experience, takes People & Culture very seriously, has a very mature and committed HR team, and invests heavily in all aspects of their own People & Culture offering.”
Her interest in Effectory was sparked by a mix of professional curiosity and a personal quest to reconnect with her roots. She was drawn to Effectory’s state of growth, especially in the DACH market, and to the company’s commitment to being a world-class workplace: “Effectory wants to be an employer that offers a once-in-a-lifetime work experience, takes People & Culture very seriously, has a very mature and committed HR team, and invests heavily in all aspects of their own People & Culture offering.”
The mix of an impactful HR role, a dynamic work culture, and a hybrid work setting in a top location sealed the deal.
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DownloadLeading HR in an HR tech world
For Kerstin, leading HR in a tech-driven environment is a natural fit. She finds the egalitarian, risk-encouraging, and collaborative ethos of tech companies a perfect match for the Dutch work culture, which prioritizes flat structures and open communication. “It’s a beautiful match, certainly on the aspect of People topics,” she adds.
This year, Kerstin and her team launched an ambitious roadmap, the highlight being the ‘Performance project.’ This initiative aims to embed Performance Management throughout Effectory, starting at the top with the company governance and leadership, all the way to the personal goals, rewards, and development of every employee. “This is the result of last year’s feedback survey. The employees themselves were asking to introduce a performance culture to elevate us to the next level,” Kerstin explains.
They put together a feedback-infused strategy to support this roadmap: “We live and breathe giving and receiving feedback […] We’ll involve our people in our planned changes, asking for feedback and working with the insights gathered through our Pulse Surveys.”
The People & Culture team has also introduced a new product to support the rollout: an HRIS platform designed with flexibility in mind, allowing for customization to align perfectly with Effectory’s culture.
“We live and breathe giving and receiving feedback […] We’ll involve our people in our planned changes, asking for feedback and working with the insights gathered through our Pulse Surveys“
Kerstin’s vision for HR
Her vision for HR is crystal clear: to make room for genuine insights to naturally arise from within the organization. To make this happen, Kerstin emphasizes the importance of consciously enhancing leadership qualities focused on human skills and blending them with data analytics. By placing people at the core of sustainable growth, HR takes on a key role in advancing Environmental and Social Governance (ESG).
“HR teams of the future will be the multidisciplinary DevOps Engineers for the people-, organizational-, societal-, and legislative environment,” she predicts, envisioning a transformative role for HR.
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Kerstin started her new role right when the company was kicking off its plans for the year. In a short period of time, she has achieved some remarkable results together with her team:
“Creating the future while nurturing the magic from the past. I am proud my team has put a strategy in place that caters for exactly that. And that we have managed to create clarity within the team in a heartbeat, while offering transparency at the same speed.”
Her team already started a People & Culture vlog where they share their yearly plans with the whole company, making everyone feel part of the process and keeping things open and honest.
Her advice for HR peers
For her peers in HR, Kerstin offers a piece of advice born of experience:
“Embed a Listening Strategy into change initiatives. This way you can be transparent about your goals, make sure you invite and hear out all perspectives, be inspired by views you did not come up with yet, and share a joint vision for the future.”
It’s a call to action, urging other HR professionals to dive in and shape their impact from the get-go with a strong collaborative mindset.
“Embed a Listening Strategy into change initiatives. This way you can be transparent about your goals, make sure you invite and hear out all perspectives, be inspired by views you did not come up with yet, and share a joint vision for the future.”
The road not taken
Kerstin’s career could have taken a completely different direction. Initially drawn to psychotherapy, she pursued this path with the intent of understanding and guiding people on a personal level. Yet, she soon found her passion elsewhere. “I missed the dynamic environment and the opportunity to also impact wider organizations and structures more directly,” she reflects.
If she hadn’t found her place in HR, Kerstin imagines she might have been a beekeeper. It’s just a daydream, but it makes sense. Beekeeping, focused on care, organization, and community, reflects the qualities she values in her HR work. “Managing a beehive is a lot like HR—you’re setting up the right environment for everyone to succeed, balancing autonomy with strong personal connections,” she explains.
This look at the paths not chosen reminds us that the crossroads we encounter are just as important in shaping who we become and how we contribute to our workplaces.
Key takeaway
Kerstin Schrader opened a new chapter for herself and for Effectory, leading the way in fostering a workplace where every voice matters. Her story is a reminder that in the realm of HR tech, transforming data into actionable insights with a human touch is what truly drives organizational change and growth.
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