From Recruitment to Retention: Redefining the People Function with Christine

In this episode, we sit down with Christine, Head of Talent & People at a pioneering quantum computing start up, to explore her unexpected journey from studying psychology during a global recession to leading people strategy in one of tech's most innovative sectors. Christine shares what it means to bridge the gap between talent acquisition and HR, the challenges of scaling a team from 12 to 100, and why retention is just as strategic as hiring.

We dive into:

Why HR wasn’t the original plan and how Christine found her way back to it

The real differences between recruitment and talent acquisition

How people teams can (and should) collaborate to improve onboarding and retention

Conducting painful but powerful audits to build HR foundations

Mental resilience, imposter syndrome, and defining your leadership philosophy

This episode is packed with candid insights for anyone navigating the intersection of recruitment, people ops, and start up growth.

Whether you're an aspiring HR leader or just wondering how to grow your career in people roles, Christine’s story will inspire and ground you.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

02:12 Journey into HR and Talent Acquisition

05:16 Understanding the Role of Head of Talent and People

08:46 The Shift from Recruitment to Talent Development

10:54 Collaboration Between Talent Acquisition and HR

13:21 Navigating Imposter Syndrome in HR

15:36 Continuous Learning in the People Space

17:08 Challenges in Transitioning Roles

20:03 Balancing Energy and Empathy in HR

22:39 Team Dynamics and People Operations

25:35 Conducting Audits for Operational Efficiency

28:44 The Importance of Employee Feedback

30:19 Advice for Transitioning Between Roles

36:41 Final Reflections and Advice for the Future