Katerina Szabo

As the founder of People Purpose, I take on temporary HR responsibility, as an Interim or Fractional HR, for companies with 20 to 250 employees.

I step in when HR leadership is vacant, build missing structures, or support companies during phases of growth, change, and leadership transition. Ready to act from day 1.

I primarily work with companies facing leadership changes, cultural tensions, loss of trust, high turnover, HR overload, or growth-related disorganization. I address the root causes rather than just the symptoms, combining strategic perspective with operational implementation strength and 15 years of HR experience.

My keen sense for organizational dynamics distinguishes me from purely administrative HR work. I quickly identify where friction and lack of clarity hinder performance and ensure that change is not only introduced but also lived.

Establishment and strategic further development of the HR department in an SME with around 80 employees. Responsibility for the conception and implementation of central HR processes, including performance management, goal setting, onboarding and offboarding, salary structure, collective agreement adjustments, and contract templates. Introduction and further development of HR benefits, strengthening of the employer brand, HR support for establishing a GmbH in Germany, as well as functioning as the data protection officer and project member within the scope of ISO 9001 certification.

Responsibility for the operational HR support of around 110 employees in Austria, Germany, and Italy. Participation in and management of international HR projects, including in the areas of salary review, performance management, HR metrics, and relocation. First point of contact for managers on personnel issues, as well as responsibility for topics along the entire employee lifecycle, from onboarding, personnel administration, and payroll through personnel development, labor law issues, and KPI reporting to offboarding. Functional leadership of two HR specialists and close collaboration with the global People Team in an international, English-speaking corporate environment.