How do you go from the fast-paced world of video production to the high-stakes environment of fintech? For Anastasija Audrupe, HR Generalist at xpate, the journey was a natural one. She cut her teeth in recruitment at a top creative studio before bringing her unique perspective to the world of financial technology.
Today, she’s re-imagining HR processes. With a sharp focus on smart automation and unconventional strategies, Anastasija is dedicated to creating a people-first culture that can keep up with the speed of a scaleup. HarmonyHR’s team sat down with her to get her take on the future of HR.
1. What are the three biggest HR trends you see defining this fall? What’s becoming a relic of the past, and what’s gaining momentum?
The biggest shift I see is that HR is becoming truly people-first. Employers are increasingly intentional about how they support, engage, and develop their teams.
Three areas are taking center stage
- Well-being and flexibility at the center. Mental health, burnout prevention, and work–life balance are finally real priorities, not just slogans. Flexible arrangements — hybrid, remote, or personalized schedules — are becoming the norm because people expect them.
- Development as retention. Companies now understand that keeping great talent means investing in their future. Upskilling, reskilling, and clear career pathing are no longer side projects; they are core pillars of a modern HR strategy.
- AI as an enabler. Automation is taking over repetitive tasks, freeing HR to focus on what really matters: building relationships, supporting managers, and shaping employee experience.
What’s fading away?
- Rigid, nine-to-five office mandates. The "five days in the office" model feels like a relic.
- Purely transactional hiring. Speed used to be the only goal; now, long-term cultural and professional fit is king.
- Overcomplicated HR tech. Companies are tired of juggling dozens of disconnected tools. They want fewer, smarter, and seamlessly integrated solutions.
2. What are the most pressing people-related challenges your industry is facing right now?
The most significant challenge we face right now is the talent shortage in a highly competitive market. It’s not just about finding people, it’s about keeping them. Strong specialists are constantly being approached with new offers, so we have to think beyond salary. Our focus is on creating a complete employee experience that makes people genuinely want to stay and grow with us.
3. How has technology changed your HR processes over the last year? Where is it most useful, and what are the hidden risks?
AI has definitely accelerated our work. For us, the main use is in hiring; it saves time, helps with communication tasks, and sometimes supports us with research that we use for shaping policies.
Where is it most useful, and what are the hidden risks?
But there are risks. The biggest one is over-reliance. AI is a powerful assistant, not a replacement for human judgment. It’s not always reliable, especially when the data quality is poor or the context is nuanced. It can generate misleading signals, like misinterpreting a candidate's tone in writing or making an incorrect assessment of cultural fit.
"AI is a powerful assistant, not a replacement for human judgment."
4. Which HR metrics are you focusing on right now?
We keep a close eye on time-to-hire, since it helps us evaluate recruitment efficiency and plan future needs. Beyond that, we monitor team growth and attrition as key indicators of overall stability.
But for me, these aren’t just numbers on a dashboard. They tell a story about how well we’re aligning our talent strategy with our business goals and how positive the day-to-day experience is for our team.
5. Fintech startups like xpate need to grow quickly while maintaining extremely high-security standards. How do you balance the speed of hiring with the need for thorough candidate vetting?
At xpate, we’ve built a rigorous selection process that’s a shared responsibility. It involves not just HR, but also department leads and our CEO. This ensures that every candidate is evaluated from multiple angles: for their technical expertise, their potential contribution, and their alignment with our culture.
Our priority isn’t to hire the fastest; it’s to hire the right people who will thrive and contribute long-term. To achieve this, we keep the process transparent at every stage. Candidates know exactly what to expect, and we maintain the high-security standards that are non-negotiable in fintech.
"Our priority isn’t to hire the fastest; it’s to hire the right people."
6. In fintech, top specialists are often headhunted. Besides a competitive salary, what retention tools do you find most effective in fall 2025?
In fintech, retention goes far beyond salary. Our approach at xpate is built on a foundation of trust. We don’t see our people as employees; we see them as partners in a shared movement with common goals.
What really works for us:
- Continuous learning and development: upskilling programs, leadership training, and cross-functional projects.
- True flexibility: hybrid or remote work options, robust wellness support, and benefits tailored to individual needs.
- Clear career pathways: giving people the confidence that they have a future here and can grow internally.
- Culture and values: people stay where they feel connected, valued, and inspired by the mission.
The most powerful combination is ownership, growth opportunities, flexibility, and culture.
7. How do you onboard new hires at xpate to get them up to speed quickly with a complex product and the regulatory landscape?
We approach onboarding with a personalized program, broken into stages so new employees can quickly adapt to our complex product and the regulatory side of fintech.
Every new hire gets an individual plan with clear goals and milestones. Along with that, we provide mentorship, cross-team collaboration, and direct access to experts in areas like compliance and security.
This way, people not only understand their tasks but also integrate smoothly into the team and culture, which helps them make an impact faster.
8. As a company grows and formalizes its processes, how does an HR Manager maintain that innovative "scaleup spirit"?
When you're scaling, the first step is to build a solid foundation—clear structures, fair policies, and a coherent HR strategy. The trick is to do this without losing the startup magic that made the company agile and innovative in the first place.
We introduced new frameworks to support sustainable growth and ensure compliance, but all of our initiatives are driven by continuous feedback and aligned with our strategic goals. We view our culture as a living system. While some processes are now established, we remain focused on iterative improvement and adaptability.
"The trick is to build a solid foundation without losing the startup magic."
9. The HR Manager role is incredibly diverse. What are your three main areas of focus right now, and how do you prioritize in such a dynamic environment?
The role of an HR Manager covers a wide spectrum of responsibilities, but at the moment, my focus is on three main areas: operational HR tasks, recruitment, and continuous process development.
I consider myself fortunate that my role is more than just a job; it’s an opportunity to grow every day and take the next step forward. This mindset allows me to approach challenges without burnout or unnecessary pressure. I am also supported by a strong and collaborative team, which makes it easier to prioritize and deliver results effectively.
In an environment of constant change, I see transformation as a driver of progress. It requires not only evolving our policies and processes, but also continuously developing my own knowledge and skills to stay ahead and bring value to the organization.
10. What data and HR analytics help you make decisions? Can you share an example?
We’re not drowning in complex analytics yet; we focus on the fundamentals that truly matter. Time-to-hire, for example, shows us how long it takes to fill roles. When we noticed certain positions were taking too long to fill, we dug into the data. This led us to change our approach by involving hiring managers earlier in the process and rewriting job descriptions for clarity.
We also track team growth and turnover to monitor stability. Even these simple metrics are powerful. They help us understand where to focus our energy and what we need to improve.
11. From HR Manager to HR Director: key competencies to develop
To move from HR Manager to HR Director, I believe the focus should always stay on people.
- Build strategic thinking. Go beyond HR functions to truly understand how people's strategy drives business outcomes.
- Grow in change management. In tech, change is the only constant. You must be able to guide people through it with empathy and clear communication.
- Use data and insights. It’s not just about tracking numbers, but about understanding the human stories behind them—engagement, motivation, and behavior.
- Strengthen leadership. The goal is to inspire, listen, and build a foundation of trust across the organization.
For me, the real shift is going from “managing processes” to shaping a culture where people and business grow together.
12. Looking ahead, what’s missing from the HR tech market? What feature would make your daily work genuinely easier?
What’s really missing in HR tech is simple, people-friendly tools. Interfaces should be intuitive, but still cover all the core HR tasks. I’d like to see more integration and flexibility, almost like a constructor where you can build what you need.
Even a basic task like creating an employee survey should be quick and seamless, not a thirty-minute battle with clunky menus. And of course, smarter AI functions to further reduce repetitive administrative work would be a game-changer.
Perhaps the biggest missing piece is a single, unified system for both operations and recruitment. We're seeing some progress, but the industry isn’t quite there yet.
"We don’t see our people as employees; we see them as partners in a shared movement."
13. To finish, complete this sentence: "In 2026, the HR teams that thrive will be..."
To finish, complete this sentence: "In 2026, the HR teams that thrive will be..."
The HR teams that will thrive in 2026 will be those who:
- Stay adaptable — responding quickly to change while keeping people first.
- Build trust and culture — creating spaces where people feel engaged, valued, and connected.
- Use tech wisely — letting AI take care of routine, but keeping the human touch in what matters most.