We recently caught up with Catarina, our Talent Acquisition Lead for Business & Corporate functions, to hear more about her journey, the challenges and rewards of her role, and what makes working at FREENOW special to her. Enjoy the read!
Thank you for taking the time to chat with us, Catarina! To start, can you share a unique or surprising fact about yourself that not many people know?
I'm very passionate about learning new languages and that is a factor that really excites me about working at FREENOW! I’m Portuguese, but having lived in Hamburg myself, it's great to be able to practice German with some of my colleagues.
Let’s talk about your journey at FREENOW. Can you share a bit about your professional background, when you joined, and the role you currently have?
My professional background is in Clinical Psychology, but I soon realised that my passion was within Human Resources, so I decided to explore that path. I then worked in different international companies and focused on Talent Acquisition roles, especially within tech environments. Currently I'm a Talent Acquisition Lead for Business & Corporate functions, which is something that I feel particularly proud of, especially having grown internally from an IC to a Lead position.
It’s inspiring to hear how you’ve grown within the company! What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your role, and what aspects of it do you find most exciting?
The biggest challenge is understanding the very particular needs of each business unit & Hiring Managers. However, challenges are what makes things fun! I do love to be able to advise our leaders internally and to provide great candidate experiences externally.
Considering that FREENOW's business is also quite dynamic, another big challenge is to keep up with all the changes and the fast-paced environment. I find it fascinating though! :)
What do you love the most about working at FREENOW?
Without any doubt, the people that I work with. They're ambitious, smart and extremely collaborative! Additionally, they come from diverse backgrounds, nationalities, etc., and I feel like I learn with them every single day.
Besides that, I'd also make reference to the flexibility and, fortunately, lack of micromanagement :)
Last but not least, since we're not a very big and corporate company, I like the fact that my actions have a big impact and that everything is done in an agile way. I also have a lot of autonomy and ownership, which I love!
That’s so great to hear! Lastly, what advice would you give to someone considering joining the FREENOW team?
Just join, you won't regret it! This is the place that will help you grow by getting you out of your comfort zone and make you think outside the box! Get ready for the most exciting rollercoaster of your life!