Grow by 58% up in a year: three key rules from CHRO PIN-UP Global on how to scale effectively

Streamlining HR processes and embracing automation are key to managing rapid business growth. Oksana Izmailova, CHRO at PIN-UP, shares her insights on how to scale effectively.

Opinion.- In the following opinion article, Oksana Izmailova, chief human resources officer at PIN-UP Global, outlines strategies for effective business scaling, drawing on the company’s remarkable 58 per cent workforce growth in 2024. Through transparent processes, automation, and professional development, Izmailova explains how PIN-UP Global is successfully managing rapid expansion while maintaining efficiency and talent acquisition.

Our holding company scaled up very rapidly. During 2024, over 1,500 specialists joined our team, marking a 58 per cent growth over the year. Such growth is a very complex challenge for the HR team. And today, we can already assess the vast and multifaceted work that my team and I have managed to accomplish over the past year. Next, I would like to share with you a few tips from my experience on how we can continue to recruit the best talent on the market in a rapidly scaling business.

So, rule number 1. In a short time, we select specialists, conduct onboarding, and adapt approaches and policies. It is therefore crucial that all processes are transparent, business-oriented, and easy to understand, and that their implementation does not take much time. Every participant should understand all the stages, who can initiate them, and what results everyone will achieve in the end. Forget the phrase “Let’s get started, and we’ll figure it out along the way.” This only leads to chaos and not to the effective building of the HR function, which is a key tool for scaling a business.

Rule number 2. Anything that can be automated — must be automated. When a holding company has 4,000 specialists and a year’s growth is 1,500 people — this is work at very high speeds with maximum efficiency. Automation accelerates many processes. For example, at PIN-UP, it allows one people partner to work with a large number of people. As a result, today, one such specialist manages about 70-80 employees. Without automation, such a result would be impossible. And this is just one example. Automation applies to many processes. For example, we have a Chat bot that can answer standard questions from employees quickly and competently. Our onboarding is automated. We also have PIN-UP Team — a unique comprehensive corporate gamified platform. It solves many tasks related to effective HR processes: training and development, adaptation and motivation, communication between team members, creating a community of interest within the holding company, increasing employee loyalty, and internal communications.

Rule number 3. Every process should be handled by professionals in their field. That is why we pay great attention to the development of our specialists at all levels. About 90 per cent of the necessary training is provided using internal resources. At PIN-UP we develop a culture of continuous learning. We have launched and are developing our own LMS, where we release training courses in four languages for different target audiences within the holding. Obviously, there are special training courses for managers among them. In our holding company, there are also opportunities for internships that allow employees to try new roles, while the holding company can retain specialists and form a talent pool.

Let’s discuss this with examples

I think that this text would be incomplete without specific examples. Therefore, I would like to briefly describe how various processes are structured in our holding company, PIN-UP Global.

Let’s take performance review as an example — it is an evaluation of an employee’s work, which can be conducted every six months or a year. In our holding company, the performance review is a comprehensive process. Let me explain what I mean. It consists of an evaluation of results for the previous period, an assessment of soft skills, and an assessment of management skills, if the specialist holds a managerial position. Each block is analysed according to the 360 principle: the assessment is given by the specialist himself, his manager, colleagues and subordinates.

After completing the performance review, the employee is given new business tasks, goals for developing professional, managerial, and soft skills. Everything is recorded in writing in the employee’s profile, which can be accessed at any time in the personal account on our corporate platform.

The entire performance review process is focused on eliminating blockers that prevent the specialist from further professional growth and improving the necessary results.

As you can see, the performance review process is very detailed, highly objective, and easy to perform. It is automated, clear to every participant, and business-oriented.

Another equally important process in every company is the salary review. In PIN-UP Global, it is very transparent. Every participant understands when and by whom the process can be initiated, what percentage of salary increase is possible, and what it depends on. Moreover, this salary review in PIN-UP Global is an automated and controlled process: every three months, we analyse all salary reviews, assessing the correctness of decisions made by managers.

We have also developed a salary calculator for convenience. It takes into account the employee’s position and location, suggesting a range of possible increases. Therefore, before revising the salary of a specialist, his manager can use the salary calculator and check the optimal percentage of increase. It is a very convenient tool. And to ensure that salaries in our holding company always match the market, every six months, our team conducts an analysis to form the appropriate salary ranges.

As a result, the salary review in PIN-UP Global is a transparent, automated, and controlled process, also aligned with the business goals of the holding company. Other HR processes such as onboarding, probationary period closure and many others are also structured in a similar way.

Instead of conclusions

Every company has its own DNA, its own work principles, and values that they adhere to. So, of course, there is no universal formula for all. As for us, in 2025, we have no fewer plans, and we will certainly continue to scale and conquer new heights. But I will share more about that in a year. For now, I wish everyone growth and development. And may the power and the best market specialists be with you.