10K HR Hubbers | HR Hub, as seen by Lavinia Mehedintu

This year marks two important milestones for HR Hub. First, we are now 10 years old. And second, our community just got over 10K members. We are humbled and happy to celebrate together with all of you!

With our enthusiasm sky-rocketing, we reached out to a couple of HR Hubbers and asked them to share their thoughts with us. We hope you'll enjoy this series as much as we do!

Lavinia is one of the ex-HR Hub core members. She is currently leading the People Experience team of eMAG and the Learning & Development Content Curator at Offbeat, a digital publication that helps L&D professionals grow through actionable advice from their peers.

How would you describe HR Hub to a non-member?

It's simply the main place to be if you're working in HR. It's the place where you'll find answers to your most pressing questions, resources for inspiration, and people who could join you in your learning journey. And sometimes it's more than that, is where you find friends, a shoulder to cry on when things go wrong at work, and where you can laugh together with others about the silly things happening in our industry.

One thing you learned through HR Hub and impacted you/your career in a positive way?

I think the most important lesson I took out of HR Hub is the value of a community of practice. Ever since I joined HR Hub, I've learned to look for places with like-minded people that could help me constantly grow. Active learning is such important these days to have a successful career, and I think communities of practice keep you on track with everything that's new.

One thing you wish you could change in the HR world tomorrow if you would have a magic wand?

This is a hard one. Probably the perception of people about our industry. I would really wish we would not be perceived as the "fluffy" or in contradiction the "mad" guys (I've heard both), but like those people who drive business growth and move careers further.

One song you associate with the HR Hub community. Why?

Very nice one! For some reason, I think about "Price Tag", by Jessie J., because HR Hub always seemed the place where it's not about the money, it's about what you give to the community. And the things that HR Hub gives to the HR community are so qualitative. In a world where there are so many speakers asking for money to talk about the simple stuff, I know you guys bring on amazing people that tackle the more complex ideas for free.

Share with the HR Hubbers a personal memory related to the HR Hub community (e.g.: it can be something funny/inspirational/insightful, anything really).

Oh. I remember the first event I joined. I was pretty shy because I knew no one face to face, but I was a bit of a stalker and I knew everyone in the Core Team from Facebook and some of the more active members. I think it was the only event when I literally talked to no one. Although I felt so welcomed and part of the "new joiners" I couldn't bring myself to talk to anyone because I was afraid I might say something that could reveal how much I knew about you guys. It was kind of funny. 6 years later, and now I can't shut up when I meet someone I know in the community.