50 Humboldt Founders at Hallesches Haus on a Wednesday evening. That’s what it looked like on October 18, 2023, when the annual Founders Feast took place. The Humboldt Founders Club regularly organizes events for its members to meet for informal exchanges and networking. The interdisciplinary networking is what makes it special. However, it wasn’t just chatting; attendees also listened to exciting talks by Dr. Adiba Maignan and Dr. Elisa Lopper. The first spoke as an HR expert about the dos and don’ts of the employee lifecycle, and the second discussed the topic of job crafting. We conducted a short, snappy interview with both to highlight their key points.

Adiba:

HI: Hello Adiba! Today, you gave a talk on the “Employee Lifecycle” at the Founders Feast. What are founders still getting wrong in this area?

Adiba: The most common mistake founders make is not considering the topic of “People & Culture” from the very beginning. Many mistakes could be avoided if the founding team or founder thought about it from the start: What should our culture be like? What HR processes do we need? What do we develop at each stage? This way, when growth happens, we can rely on solid processes.

HI: Do you have a specific tip for founders that they can use right from the start?

Adiba: I would always advise considering the employee lifecycle from the beginning and evaluating it at regular intervals to see if we are well-prepared for the next phase of our company. Do we have everything we need? Are we well-equipped?

HI: How did you find this evening? Did you enjoy the food?

Adiba: Yes, I enjoyed it very much. Thank you so much for the organization, and the food was also very delicious. Thank you!

Elisa:

HI: Hello Elisa! Today, you gave a talk on job crafting at the Founders Feast. What exactly is that?

Elisa: Job crafting is a bottom-up work redesign that employees initiate themselves. It means they try to change or adjust their work or aspects of their work according to their needs or preferences.

HI: What is your experience? Are employers today ready to engage with this topic?

Elisa: Absolutely. At least they should be ready. I think it is more of a necessity. So, the question is less whether they are already engaged, because employers need to take action due to circumstances such as changes in the work environment, employees, or skill shortages. Therefore, they should create a work environment that allows their employees to be proactive, for example, in crafting their job.

HI: How have you found the evening so far, and did you enjoy the food?

Elisa: The evening is wonderful. I have already had very enriching and diverse conversations. A very broad audience. And the food was fantastic.