Conekta: Building Agents of Change

Q: Competition has grown fierce in the tech industry. How does Conekta´s value proposition differ from its competitors?

A: Conekta’s value proposition consists of three main components. The first concerns the communication of our company mission: developing an innovative finance technology ecosystem in Latin America as a means of building a digital economy in which business and people can prosper. We are looking for talent who identify with this vision and nurture their natural skills so they become agents of change.

The second refers to a culture of co-creation because company decisions are not just decided at the executive level. At Conekta, we encourage our employees to continuously provide feedback on strategy and project development, not only as a mechanism to generate innovation but to create a sense of responsibility to the company and its mission. By involving our employees in the decision-making process we are making them vested in the realization of their vision for the company.

Finally, we understand that Conekta is not the only company looking for talent. To stand out, we constantly actualize our information regarding salary and benefits. Beyond remuneration, we also highlight the ability to learn and grow within Conekta so employees can build their career.

Collectively, these three components form a complete and attractive value proposition that not many companies can tout.

Q: What does it mean to be a high-impact leader and how does that supplement the productivity of teams?

A: One of Conekta’s values is “living our mission with passion,” which speaks to being a leader not only inside the workplace but transcending into the wider digital ecosystem. High-impact leaders are active participants in economic change. Discussing at length exactly what that entails as a group has allowed every single one of our employees, regardless of their professional function, to have a larger social purpose.

Q: How did Conekta foster communication and leadership despite the challenges of remote and hybrid work?

A: When the gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic set in, there was a collective sense of vulnerability, leading to recognition that the shift to remote work was inevitable. This required executives and employees to co-create a work model that was not only functional but also conscientious of personal wellness. From the beginning, our model has been centered around the employee, considering support mechanisms such as therapy and support groups. Active listening through these channels ultimately led to the creation of Conekta Conmigo, a program that features a partnership with Cuéntame to continuously help us gauge the emotional and physical well-being of our employees. This was particularly important during the first year of the pandemic when we held meetings almost every month to discuss actionable ways in which the company could help employees. This program has proved to be very successful and will remain an important tool for the company even in the post-pandemic era.

For executives and managers, this program helped facilitate the transition to remote and hybrid work. As many business leaders can attest to, the overnight move and development of a productive work model was a significant challenge. While initially we may have not known how to handle it, employee input helped shorten our learning curve. This tool has evolved to help the company mitigate challenges as they arise before they cause disruption.

Q: What partnerships have you established with universities to find the right talent and ensure a proper curriculum is used to prepare new professionals?

A: Our partnerships with universities, which will kick off in 2Q22, stem from a desire to have a balance of expert and emerging talent. The first is necessary to scale up successfully, while the latter is disassociated with the status quo and can look at processes and challenges in a different way. Through our partnerships with academic institutions, Conekta aims to be an active participant in the creation of skilled talent that the digital ecosystem needs to compete in international markets. As a company functioning in this space, we know first-hand the technologies that will remain relevant and where they will likely head. Ultimately, the objective is to source capable talent and hopefully integrate them into the DNA of Conekta.

Q: What recruitment objectives does the company want to accomplish in 2022 and how will it be measuring its success?

A: My main goal as Vice President of People is to achieve talent density, a foundation prerequisite to creating the dynamic and innovative work culture needed to continue growing the company. The main challenge is developing a value proposition that doubles as a journey in which employees can continually grow and advance their careers with the support of the company. That entails helping our employees find their strengths, nurture them and provide the opportunities needed to hone them. This compromise becomes a magnet for more talent and it will be measured by their successes.