27. January 2023
Womxn in Tech: Shaping People Workflow Automation as Personio's First Program Manager
Change has been the name of the game throughout Senior Program Manager Marta Galofré’s career. Since being hired as Personio’s first Program Manager in 2020, she’s been focused on shaping People Workforce Automation, a new market category that aims to bring even more automation to HR teams. And, just a year after joining, Marta and her teammates presented PWA to the world, reinforcing how new existing features and integrations help customers reduce repetitive tasks. Now those HR professionals can focus on what matters most: people.
Not only has Marta helped change people operations across Europe, she’s also changed her job, her industry, and her city. In fact, she didn’t even set out to work in tech – but she's glad she ended up there.
In university she studied Business Administration and Management, as well as Advertising and PR in university. "Not very techy subjects," as she puts it. After graduating, unsure of what her next career steps should be, Marta began interviewing at well-established, world-renowned companies. “My goal was to get some good names on my resume. But it became clear to me pretty quickly that those weren’t the types of companies I wanted to work for.”
But when she walked into Typeform’s Barcelona office, something clicked. “It was a tiny start-up back then. I remember going in for my interview and being greeted by the office dog, and seeing the open space filled with people from all different backgrounds. The culture and atmosphere captivated me immediately.” Ever since, Marta has found employers with that same spirit. “I’ve continued working at tech companies that focus on promoting diversity and inclusion, have a strong culture and values, and a product that can make a positive impact in peoples’ lives. These topics are all close to my heart.” After Typeform, her next stop was another software company, but not one in Barcelona. This time, Marta made the move to Sydney, Australia for tech collaboration giant Atlassian. Starting out as a Customer Support Specialist, she later made the transition to Program Manager, setting her up for a jump to Personio a few years later.
When she was ready to return to Europe, Marta found a job opening at Personio that sounded like a match made in heaven. “I saw Personio was looking for their first Program Manager to drive cross-functional programs across the business, and I jumped straight for that challenge!”
The product itself didn’t hurt, appealing as it did to her desire to make a positive impact on others. “Personio’s mission is to enable better organisations, freeing up HR teams from repetitive, manual tasks so they can actually spend time on their people. Knowing that I was going to work on a product that could have such an impact on other people’s work lives was one of the key reasons I chose Personio.”
But more importantly, Marta looked into Personio’s culture. “My additional work as a career coach has showed me just how important it is to work in alignment with your beliefs and principles. Personio was a company with values that I could relate to on every level.”
The Personio Code consists of six values and five operating principles that guide the way that Personios work each day. “I’m known for building connected and effective communities of teams, so it’s probably no surprise that #TeamSpirit and #CommunicationIsKey are two of my favorites.” It helps that her role as Program Manager means she’s in a perfect position to do just that. “Helping teams work together, and establishing a constructive, supportive, and thrilling environment, is something I get a lot of joy from.”
Now, Marta and her teammates continue to work on People Workflow Automation, seeking to improve the product each day. “We’re currently working on the Custom Workflow Builder, which is completely new within Personio. It will allow customers to define their own workflows and customize them to their precise needs and preferences.”
As with any new feature, the team has put significant time and effort into ensuring it’s a great user experience. “We’ve conducted a lot of research and discovery to come up with the best solution for our customers. We’ve now launched the beta version and are iterating based on their feedback.”
And with two years at the company under her belt, it’s clear Marta has found the right place. “Personio is a diverse and exciting company to work for! There is no room for boredom here, and you are learning constantly – it’s a great place to be inspired by your peers, and especially by many of our women in senior leadership roles.”
Given the challenges and adventures that Marta has taken on from day one of her career, it makes sense that a tech company in hypergrowth has suited her so well. “It’s been a thrilling journey so far, driving impact for the business and for our customers.”
And, let’s not forget, our tech teams are continuing to grow! As Marta puts it, “At Personio, you’ll find a great team and so many exciting challenges to tackle. Don’t miss out!” Find our multiple open roles – in all seven offices across Europe – on our careers page.
