We've all seen the wave of new tech taking hold in the Human Resources industry. We could already see the effects even before the pandemic hit, but the last 18 months have made it even more obvious who the true movers and shakers in the industry really are. It's been those rare individuals, like Maria Dolgusheva, who have become the face of a new generation of HR Tech and Analytics innovator.
Dolgusheva, and others like her, are not new to the HR industry. As the poster child for disruptive and groundbreaking HR tech, she has worked in the HR industry for more than 13 years, most recently as part of the PandaDoc HR team, but she also benefits from a background in Saas. What that means is that she draws from a multitude of influences and a wealth of experience to prompt her forays into her future of work initiatives, with an international perspective.
Dolgusheva's unique expertise in the market encompasses analytical and operational functions in fast-growing tech startups. When Dolgusheva joined the PandaDoc team, she represented 50% of the HR Department in the USA, with fewer than 200 employees. She immediately demonstrated her expertise in building HR software infrastructure, creating global workflows, standardizing processes, and collecting data globally. One of her goals was to make sure that all employees had the same experience no matter where they were located as they worked for the company around the world. A second is to provide management with the tools and data they need to lead their teams and manage the business.
Now at PandaDoc, employees work from 29 states around the nation, as well as 14 countries around the world. Her dedication to implementing HRIS continues to allow the company to collect data both in the U.S. and internationally. With that comprehensive wealth of data, PandaDoc can analyze and predict their workforce, then transfer the data entry process to Global HRIS data management for seamless integration into recruitment management and payroll platforms.
Is it really any surprise that PandaDoc Inc. has achieved Unicorn status with a growth of 280% over the last three years?
An HR Influencer Around the World
Yes, it might sound a bit odd to speak of an "HR Influencer." We typically see influencers as making waves in the world of fashion and lifestyle. But Dolgusheva offers her international influence and wealth of experience to transform the HR industry. She has already proven that she has the talent to lead global transformation, with the backing of HR tech: automated onboarding, reporting, and data collection. But success is not just a matter of crunching the HR numbers and toggling a few virtual time-tracking boards.
The new waves of HR tech require the ability to recognize the value of established systems that will best meet the needs of each organization. Then, the true HR professional must take that system, configure it to meet the company's needs, and fine-tune it to support the ever-evolving and expanding challenges. Dolgusheva is impressive not only because she has been able to accomplish all that across multiple platforms (payroll, LMS and HR), but also because she has taken that razor-sharp focus into the comp analytical platform and beyond.
Dolgusheva and her PandaDoc HR team have demonstrated their ability to take on virtually any project, big or small, and see it through, with that quintessential savvy and tenacious focus that is a winning combination around the world. Her success demonstrates that the right combination of HR tech knowledge and experience can make a difference in the success and implementation of virtually any platform.
How Her Influence Will Change the World
Dolgusheva's career trajectory may seem lofty and ambitious, but her goal really does include trying to change the world - one person at a time. She knows it's possible because she's already helped people become successful and reach their full potential. She's been a proven leader over the years, with the foresight to seek out and acquire the knowledge and background in specific languages and data management platforms that make her a preeminent expert in key areas of HR tech and HR analytics in both the U.S. and Europe.
There's nothing really surprising about all that-Dolgusheva's leadership skills have long been applauded, and she's got the credentials (MBA and Business Analytical master's degree) to rock any boardroom. The real question is not how she's already proven her leadership and fortitude, it's how her influence will prove valuable as the future of HR tech and HR analytics continue to unfold.
The Future of HR Analytics & ONE To Lead It All!
As Dolgusheva says, "People analytics will play a big part in HR practice moving forward. On the one hand, we'll be able to more easily measure the effectiveness of HR initiatives, but there's more to HR tech than just the HR analytics."
Of course, we're always curious about how HR tech will unfold. How will it affect the people? Will the tech make human resources easier, more streamlined? Will it deliver on all those promises that we've been hearing over all these years? Dolgusheva has already shed some light on that too. She's developed a global employee database that allows you to collect, update, and analyze employee data. And yes, you can run reports too. Her work and expertise continue to deliver on those promises of improving the world one platform or system at a time.
Right now, as she focuses on talent development metrics, Dolgusheva is excited about what that means for employees. It could allow us all to home in on the career path or focus that is best for each of us, with support from a wealth of data about what that potential could mean for our personal and professional growth in the most critical and sought-after roles within a company.
At the same time, HR analytics can and should ensure fairer and more equitable HR practices for all employees. Dolgusheva sees hope for the future, but she also sees how her role as an influencer in HR tech and HR analytics has lent so much to her current trajectory as a rising star in the industry. It's wonderful to see her get so excited about how hopeful she is about the future and what it will hold for her and the HR industry as a whole.
