Global Courant 2023-04-12 23:00:06
My Pivot Journal is a Ventures Africa weekly series that documents people’s career transitions from one industry to another, especially to technology.
Temitayo Isiaka is a people person. She likes to organize things and put people at ease. Her strong sense of calculation and analysis led her to study economics in her first degree. But while she was at it, Isiaka discovered what her true love was: Human Resources. Here’s her playbook.
How it started
My name is Temitayo Isiaka. I am from Edo State (Nigeria). Looking at my state of origin, some people wonder why I wear Yoruba name (laughs). But my people also bear such names.
I was born and raised in the vibrant city of Lagos. Honestly, I am a very organized and logical person. Growing up, I enjoyed organizing things and bringing people together. Some thought I would be great in the arts, but I defied that belief when I went to study economics for my first degree at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State. Later I graduated in 2015.
Professionally, I started working quite early, while still a student. I had more than 4 years of pre-B.Sc administrative experience in various industries.
Revelation
Working in a corporate environment in those early days helped me to get my people skills. I think that’s where my passion for Human Resources first started. Every workday I looked forward to the joy I felt in managing people, processes and policies and enabling them to achieve an overall goal. But I didn’t take on a full HR role until years after graduating. About 3 years into my first degree, I fully embarked on my journey into Human Resources. That was about 5 years ago. My first year of experience was with an IT company.
In 2018, a friend told me about a job opening in a fintech company. I was so happy. But amidst my excitement, I quickly realized that the fintech space was a whole different ball game. So I had to learn how the space functioned, the culture, the people, the language, the expectations, the market, the products and the right policies to implement.
Temitayo Isiaka, Head of People Operations at Riby.
Transition
My first visit to the fintech startup got me thinking, “Is this even a workplace?” I mean, how could people wear shorts to the office? Can I function in this environment with soft music playing in the background? (laughs) I came from a very corporate environment, so I felt this was unfamiliar territory. Guess? It has been the best decision so far.
When I joined the team, the company had little structure, so I took the initiative to put things in order. I did a lot of reading, researching, consulting seniors in the field, learning, unlearning and relearning. I started taking online courses on Allison and Coursera on technical recruiting, performance appraisal, and policy management.
I also joined the HR tech community on Twitter and followed certain HR professionals on LinkedIn. I did my SWOT analysis, understood my new assignment and immediately started learning the ropes so I could hire the right skills and also help communicate with the developers. By the time I left the company a year later, I had helped with the strategic restructuring that continues to this day.
Later I switched to another fintech company. I strongly believe that the grace of God gave me that opportunity, but then my previous year of learning, skill polishing and strategic research gave me a soft landing on the job.
As an HR professional in the tech space, I’ve brought nothing short of growth. Over the past 4 years, I have gathered the right skills to function in the tech space and maintain my talents. From recruiting to onboarding, performance review, training and development, policy formulation and implementation, compensation and employee retention. Of course there were challenges and hard times, but the ability to provide a lasting solution and my love for the profession keep me going.
How are you
I am currently working as Lead, People Operations Riby, a fintech startup that helps people in economic clusters, SMEs, cooperatives and trade groups access financial services through its digital platforms. My work consists of managing the team and the business administration. Ensuring that employees have the necessary tools to perform their jobs, management goals are met, government regulations are followed and everyone is happy.
I am that HR that is approachable, so we create a safe environment for employees, especially in times of vulnerability. We have created a very family oriented (clan) system with a mix of market driven cultures.
In the first 2 months of my employment at Riby I studied the culture, learned the business focus and involved my immediate boss a lot. The work is not all rosy. I mean, managing my schedule was a challenge while learning, but I never thought about it because my passion for Human Resources keeps me going. When I get overwhelmed, I repeat the good days and shake off the bad feeling.
One of the challenges I’ve been facing in the last few days is talent retention. Technical talents are like hot cakes and the competition is willing to pay more to hire them. But we found a way to keep most of them by introducing certain mechanisms and incentives to Riby.
Moreover, I am currently pursuing my M.Sc in Industrial and Labor Relations (Human Resources) at the University of Lagos. I am also working on professional certifications.
Career Hack
Research, run programs (online and offline), keep applying for positions, and don’t get discouraged by failed interviews. Note the areas where you failed these interviews and work on them. Attend technical seminars and start building your network.
