Hello, I’m Viktória
I’m Viktória, the new Operations & Communication Intern at R.E.D., an HR community in Shanghai. Most introductions start with a job title. I’d like to start with a question instead: when was the last time a professional conversation changed how you think?
Not a business card swap. Not a polite LinkedIn message. A conversation where someone was honest with you, and you were honest back.
That question is why I’m here. I’m writing this to explain why I chose an HR community in Shanghai, and what I hope to build here with you before December.
A Slovak in Shanghai
I’m from Slovakia, and I’ve spent my university years at Fudan University in Shanghai. I completed my bachelor’s degree there in international politics, and I’m now doing my master’s at the same university.
International politics teaches you a lot about institutions, systems, and strategy. The most useful lesson, though, was a simpler one: nothing in the world moves without people talking to each other.
Agreements, partnerships, and trust all start in conversations between individuals, often across languages and cultures.
Five Languages, One Fascination: People
I speak Chinese, English, Slovak, and Czech, and I’m currently getting into Arabic too. Each language has taught me something different about people. Every one of them is a different way of listening.
You notice what people say, what they leave out, and what they assume you already know.
That is why I care about people-to-people connectivity. It sounds like a big phrase, but it comes down to whether two people from different backgrounds can understand each other well enough to work together.
It also happens to be the everyday challenge of HR leaders. They turn strategy into action, headquarters priorities into local reality, and the needs of individuals into policy.
In practice, that is cross-cultural communication.
Why R.E.D.? Because It Is Not Another Network
Many professional groups promise networking. Few deliver connection.
When I read the R.E.D. manifesto, one line stayed with me: “This is not another network.”
R.E.D. HR Community describes itself as a community for unique Relationships, personal Engagement and professional Development. It also creates a space where HR leaders can think instead of only react, where experience is shared instead of performed, and where questions are welcome.
For someone drawn to connection between professionals, an HR community in Shanghai is exactly the kind of place I wanted to be.
Honest conversation, mutual support, and growth that is shared rather than solitary are the qualities I hope to see more of in every workplace.
What I’ll Be Doing Until December
As Operations & Communication Intern, I’ll be supporting the day-to-day life of the community.
That means communicating with members, making sure the voices in R.E.D. are heard on every platform we use, and helping events run smoothly.
That last part is my favorite. I love organizing events.
A good event is where a community stops being a list of names and becomes a room full of people who know each other. I can’t wait to help create those moments.
I’ll be here until December, so I plan to make the time count.
What I Hope to Learn From You
I’m a student, and I’m here to learn. I’m looking forward to hearing from HR leaders across China and beyond about:
- What actually gets lost between headquarters and local teams, and how you close the gap
- What makes a professional community feel safe enough for honest conversation
- How you build trust across cultures, in your teams and in your own career
If you have a story on any of these, I’d love to hear it.
Let’s Connect, For Real
The best communities are built by the people in them, one conversation at a time.
Come to an R.E.D. event, join the conversation online, or simply say hello.
Feel free to greet me in Chinese, English, Slovak, Czech, or even Arabic, though my Arabic is still a work in progress.
Nice to meet you all. I can’t wait to get started.
Want to be part of a community where HR leaders think, share, and grow together? Get in touch with R.E.D. HR Community to find out how to join.
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