Mihaela Maranca, General Manager – Randstad Romania
I am Mihaela Maranca, General Manager at Randstad Romania since 2016. I enthusiastically like to say that we are shaping the HR local market and the careers of professionals. With a dedicated, relentless team of over 100 professionals in Romania, we are part of the Randstad Group, a global leader in HR services.
How did you start your career? Which were your first steps? How did you envision your career?
As a student, I dreamed of a career where I could help people, besides being a doctor or a lawyer. I am very grateful to have found the most appropriate way for me to help those around me, working in HR since the early stages of this domain in our country. My first professional steps were within Obiettivo Lavoro, one of the most important recruitment agencies in Italy. I was one of the first employees of the Romanian office, where I grew step by step, to the position of Country Manager, in only 6 years.
What were your key career moments?
A major moment was in 2016, when Randstad Group acquired the company I used to work for, and so I became General Manager for one of the top 3 world leaders in HR at the time (meanwhile, it became number one in the majority of the countries it operates in). It came with significant challenges, valuable development, and a constant push out of my comfort zone to find my inner resources to manage this opportunity at our group standards. The opportunity to access its knowledge, know-how and resources is one of a kind, it gave us an incredible speed of adjustment to the challenges of the last few years. I am a person of things done with passion, I put my soul into every project, and here, my personal values meet the values of my company, because at the heart of the business is the human touch, besides data, results, and algorithms.
What are the three most valuable career lessons you have learnt?
I ask myself, what are the lessons that every day brings so that I can do things better tomorrow, and I think that this comes with a lot of meaningful development in the long run.
Tell us a little bit about your private life: your passions, family. What do you do to relax?
I am very much oriented towards action. I like to contribute to the development of the business environment and support business communities as ABSL. Me and the status quo are not friends, so I look for ways I can bring myself further, through elite international training programmes and reading. I have a lot of fun with my daughter, Stefi – we spend our time doing creative activities (drawing, art & crafts) and listening to music, Andrea Bocelli being one of our favourites.
If now you were starting your career, knowing the present and near future opportunities, what would you do?
The main aspects I would bring to the attention of young professionals are
- Get in touch with your qualities and talents;
- Find an environment where they are appreciated, and you have the chance to flourish;
- Listen to your mind, heart, and intuition;
- Make sure we have a quality support group—from the recruitment agency, which can become a partner in your development, to a mentor or coach.
What are the top 3 skills that you would develop?
Flexibility, curiosity, and the mindset to develop and conquer challenges.