“The best organizations understand that performance comes from engaged, motivated people” – Interview with Eldar Banjica (Manpower SEE)

What HR norms did you challenge after moving from IT to HR?

Coming from the technology world, the biggest norm I challenged was the idea that HR processes must always be slow and highly administrative.

In IT, we are used to iterating quickly, testing ideas, measuring results, and improving continuously. When I entered HR, I sometimes felt that processes were designed more around compliance and tradition than around outcomes.

How can HR stay people-focused while driving performance?

For me, these two goals are not in conflict — they actually reinforce each other.

The misconception is that focusing on people means being “soft,” while focusing on performance means being “hard.” In reality, the best organizations understand that performance comes from engaged, motivated people.

How does a tech mindset improve HR leadership?

I think that a tech mindset introduces several very useful habits into HR leadership.

First, systems thinking: Technology people tend to look at organizations as systems with inputs, outputs, and feedback loops. This helps HR design processes that actually work at scale.

Second, data-driven decision making: In technology companies, almost everything is measured and analyzed. Bringing that mindset into HR helps move discussions from opinions toward evidence.

Third, experimentation and iteration: In IT we rarely expect the first version of something to be perfect. We test, learn, and improve. When HR adopts this approach, it becomes much more adaptive and innovative.

What is one piece of advice that helped you when switching from IT to HR leadership?

One simple framework stayed with me throughout the transition from IT to HR leadership.

In my career I learned that every organization, regardless of the industry, is essentially built on three pillars: people, processes, and tools.

If you put the right people in the right roles, give them the best tools available, and continuously benchmark and adopt the most effective processes, great things happen.

Coming from the technology world, this way of thinking helped me look at HR in a very structured way. Instead of seeing HR as something fundamentally different from other business functions, I started to see it as a system that can be designed and improved just like any other operational environment.

How are you preparing for recruiTECH x HRTECH CEE?
I can’t say there is anything particularly unusual in my preparation. I’m mostly looking forward to meeting people, exchanging ideas, and sharing some perspectives from my own professional journey. Conferences like this are always a great opportunity for open discussions, and I hope the session will spark a few interesting conversations.

Who should definitely attend your presentation?
Anyone who would like to hear a “friendly outsider’s” perspective on the recruitment industry. Sometimes, when you spend many years in the same field, it becomes difficult to see the bigger picture. Having come from the technology world into HR, I hope I can offer a few observations and insights that might resonate with those who have spent most of their careers within the industry.