How HR Shapes Hiring & Company Culture

HR can be a completely different job depending on the industry, and a host of other factors, so it’s not that strange to hear people aren’t entirely sure what HR really means or what it does in a tech agency. The perception is often reduced to hiring and administration, but the reality of HR professionals is a lot broader, and depends heavily on the company and its culture.

In COBE, which is considered a small company, the HR role is a bit of a jack of all trades. There’s certainly more to our work than merely hiring and paperwork, and that includes a heavy focus on shaping our company culture, creating comfortable employee experiences, supporting company leadership, and more.

In more academic terms, the two key areas of HR are talent acquisition and people and culture. In simple terms: bringing new talent into the company, and then working on making their experience as comfortable as possible. 

Let’s get deeper into it.

First point of contact

The first thought that pops into your mind when you hear talent acquisition is likely “hiring”. While the hiring process is a big part of it, talent acquisition starts long before the first e-mail or interview. First comes the presence of your company as a potential employer. To make yourself stand out as an enticing place to work at and attract new talent, it’s essential to put effort into employer branding activities. This means sharing and showcasing your company culture – whether that’s through organizing events with guests from your local community or communicating your workplace benefits across different platforms – just to name a few examples.

Another important aspect of talent acquisition is building connections within your local community. This can include supporting employees to speak at conferences and tech events, or building relationships with universities and student programs. Having your team present in these spaces is often the most authentic form of employer branding – by sharing their expertise, they also show that COBE is a great place to grow at. When hiring for junior roles, it’s especially valuable to explore the student talent pool, particularly those who have already shown interest in working with you.

When it comes to the recruitment process, it’s important to have a well-developed system. Even though HR is the one who sets the framework and moderates the whole process, there’s always a team lead or someone of greater seniority from the team we're hiring for included. Everyone has to be aligned during this process and meet the standards we’ve set for ourselves and the candidate. Punctuality and communication are very important, so even if you don’t end up hiring someone, it’s important to provide them with a comfortable experience.

The process differs depending on the position and seniority, and each team has a certain level of autonomy in finding the candidate best suited for their team. For a design position, the process might include a more comprehensive, practical task than for a marketing position, while a senior developer might prioritize the technical part of the interview and situational questions the most.

And when you emerge on the other side with your new hire, that’s where the next part of the job comes in: people and culture.

Building the company culture

If you’re looking at IT companies from the outside or scrolling through their social media, you'll often see team buildings, office perks, or other shiny benefits. Although that might be the most visible aspect of what HR (together with other departments) does for company culture, there's much more to it.

For me, people and culture is about creating a positive work atmosphere for our employees and making sure our ways of working and values are aligned with the company’s goals. It covers the entire employee journey – from onboarding to offboarding – while supporting growth through education and learning opportunities. It includes shaping benefits, running the feedback process, organizing internal events, and taking care of all the small but meaningful details that contribute to a positive company climate.

It’s important to note that company culture starts on day one. Over the years, we’ve learned that a thorough onboarding process is essential to making new employees feel welcome. It’s not just about preparing them for their role, but about introducing them to the entire company – the team, their work, and the people behind it – so they can get a sense of our work environment from the start.

For us, an important part of our wellbeing is psychological safety, which is something we’ve already touched upon in one of our blog posts. I believe it’s important to feel safe to speak up, share ideas, and make mistakes without fear of judgment or negative consequences. When employees feel safe, they’re more engaged, innovative, and collaborative – and that’s what creates a culture where people genuinely thrive.

Two ways you can encourage this are:

• Regular check-ins: Listening and learning how people are doing and feeling, and taking action if something isn’t right. These conversations create space for openness and help strengthen trust within the team.
  
  
• Feedback process: A structured approach throughout the year, including surveys, evaluations, regular one-on-one conversations with team leads, and biannual feedback sessions with team leads and HR. The focus is not only on tracking career growth but also on evolving expectations, aligning employee goals with the company’s direction, and maintaining transparency about when and how those goals can realistically be achieved.

One more thing to take into account are your remote colleagues. At COBE, we have people from all around Germany and Croatia. Although we communicate daily via Slack and see each other on the occasional video call, there’s always a certain separation. We try to bridge that gap by regularly travelling between the offices, planning get-togethers, or in-person sessions for projects teams. We also organize something called COBE Camp, a quarterly event where we share knowledge, hobbies, personal achievements – and always wrap it up with a proper after-party.

Why this matters in tech

While HR differs from company to company, and while we’re always aiming to be strategic by making sure all our development activities and recruitment efforts support the company’s goals, we’re also here to support our employees. It may sound cliché, but what I enjoy most is seeing colleagues grow – taking on bigger challenges and becoming true professionals in their craft. With our strong student culture, it’s especially rewarding to watch someone who joined early in their career as an intern develop and progress all the way to a team lead.

To return to that initial misconception: HR is far more than paperwork and hiring. In today’s competitive IT industry, professionals are increasingly drawn to workplaces that genuinely support their personal and professional growth. In this sense, HR – working closely with management and leadership – plays a key role in making that possible.

While your company may be focused on growth, attracting new talent, and finding opportunities, it’s just as important for HR to stay in touch with the people already there. Putting effort into culture and internal processes always pays off, leading to both strong business results, great employer branding, and a positive work environment.