Přístupnostní navigace
E-application
Search Search Close
Brno University of Technology is made up not only of students and academics, but also of technical and office staff, whose work keeps the university running. The Backstage BUT series introduces non-academic employees who have linked their careers with Brno's university of technology. Zuzana Jandorová is setting up a modern human resources system at BUT. When recruiting new employees, she pays particular attention to sincerity and to whether candidates' eyes light up when they talk about work. Zuzana Jandorová is setting up a modern HR system at BUT. | Author: Václav Koníček
After various ups and downs, when I started looking for a new job, I was eventually drawn to a job advertisement for the position of ‘Transformation Manager’. And I must say it was framed in a really interesting way, so I decided to give it a try. At the time, I had absolutely no idea that I was responding to a job advertisement at BUT.
My first personal reaction was that I sort of leaned back from the table and thought to myself: well, well. The first interview with the recruiter was a little mysterious, as she asked me whether I actually knew where I was going. I admit I had guessed it was some commercial IT company, so BUT had never crossed my mind and it came as a complete surprise. For someone who has worked in the commercial sector for over thirty years, a university is a completely different world.
A very pleasant difference for me is the wonderful culture of conduct and language – you can tell that the academic environment shapes people. What is more, you work with intelligent and educated people, which must be respected. These are people who are bringing up new personalities who will fundamentally shape our lives, particularly in technology.
Simply put, as a department we are responsible for everything related to human resources. I see my own role as it was named in the original advertisement – that is, a transformation manager. My task is to set up a governance model for modern human resources management, which also includes the recently introduced new evaluation system for the departments of the Rector's Office.
In all of this, I receive great support from the people who worked in the department before I arrived and who know the processes here inside out. Also important to me is the support of the entire university management led by the Rector – particularly the Bursar – and cooperation with the other heads of department, HR officers and faculty Chief Financial Officers.
I am glad that we can work on things that will move the university to where it deserves to be – among the best in Europe. We are also preparing, for example, a new concept of internal training, which I am really looking forward to, because education is my life's passion and domain.
To try to reawaken that healthy desire within themselves. To ask themselves what else they want to achieve and where they want to go. For me, the whole concept of internal training has the subtitle ‘a continuously learning organisation’. Education is the absolute foundation of human activity and functioning, because people who have knowledge and information are naturally critical, naturally ask questions and are less easily manipulated.
My mum jokingly tells me that I will never stop being a student. (laughs) Learning can take many forms, whether you read books or simply try to get into something and learn something new. I am learning all the time and I must say that I enjoy it.
Recently, I have been focusing specifically on everything related to AI. It is an extremely fast-moving discipline with its pros and cons, and it is necessary to keep learning about it. Apart from that, I continue learning in the field of human resources, and I focus most on leadership, meaning the development of leaders and people. So if you looked at my bookshelf, besides Saturnin you would currently find these topics there as well.
It is a book I like to return to when I want to relax. The same goes for Hrabal. I like this style of humour. There is poetry in it and also kindness, which I believe needs to be carried over into life. Kindness in the true sense of the word is a wonderful tool for dealing with people.
Since childhood, I dreamed of becoming a journalist, an archaeologist or a historian. In the end, I studied law. For a while I considered specialising in criminal law, which I really enjoyed, but after careful consideration and some court cases I attended, I realised that it was not my path. I first came into contact with human resources in the 1990s. In 1993, at my father's company, I first encountered personnel files, which I had never seen before and hope never to see again. But it was a very interesting experience.
I like people. I know it may seem overly sentimental or even silly to some, but in my view working with people is wonderful and gives me an enormous sense of purpose. With every encounter you learn something and have the opportunity to see how far you have progressed in your own development. People are, after all, wonderful mirrors. And it is important to go through the world with the view that we all deserve a certain degree of respect and a culture of conduct.
Sincerity and honesty. In my opinion, these are important for any position. Even if you cannot perfectly do what is currently required, with this attitude you can learn it. The key thing for me is also the ‘driver’ of those people: why, for example, they are changing jobs or what they want from life. That blossoming, that light in their eyes when candidates start talking about things they enjoy, is exactly what you want for the organisation. It is also important to come up with new ideas and not be afraid of making mistakes.
I see people leaving as a natural part of an HR professional's work. And it is not an easy part, for either side. For me, in any dealings with people, it is extremely important that they feel respect and esteem. Whatever may have happened, those people have accomplished something. They have visions and dreams that they have put into their work, and at the very least they deserve to be thanked for it.
Everything we do and the way we behave creates culture. By saying good morning and smiling, you are creating culture. During those hot days, the cleaning lady would open my window wide, we would smile at each other and have a lovely day. And it is a beautiful culture, because I have experienced cases where you came into the office and heard nothing at all, not even a good morning. At BUT, people know what they are doing and why they are doing it. And at the individual faculties, you can simply feel the creative environment. That is why students want to study there. So BUT definitely has a culture.
It is true that in the IT world, the heads of departments I worked with during my career were predominantly men, and we did not have many women leading development teams. However, the fact that women are considered the gentle, ‘weaker’ sex does not mean that they cannot have a strong voice. In general, I think the blending of male and female worlds is a good thing, and seeing things from different perspectives is extremely important. It is natural and it shapes the world we live in.
And I would tell them, and this applies to both women and men, that motto of Masaryk's: do not fear and do not steal. If you want something, go for it. And when the opportunity comes, take it. Fear, and specifically fear of the unknown, is a very bad driver. On the contrary, by being fearless or overcoming that fear, you can inspire others.
After more than thirty years of working in HR, you mature into certain things with age. They cannot be learned, because you simply have to go through them. First-hand experience is, as they say, the most valuable. I am convinced of this, because practical experience, especially over the last ten years, has in a way prepared me for the role I currently hold.
A certain ability to recognise the need to relax only came to me with age. For a long time I was not used to it and I would forget about it. But if you do not let the emotion pass through your body and live it through, it will come back over time.
I relax mainly through exercise. It is something I need practically every day. Sometimes more, sometimes faster, sometimes slower, but always some movement. I like running best. My favourite route length is between five and eight kilometres.
For me, BUT is an opportunity and a chance, with everything that entails. So if you would like to come and work at BUT, it is a chance to work for an exceptionally important institution that educates future experts. It is something that makes sense. And I am glad that I took that