🚀 Welcome to One HR Nerd’s Opening Statement
A few years ago, someone introduced me as “She’s like HR, but you actually want to talk to her.”
I blushed.
Then I thought: Yes. That. Put it on a mug.
Because somewhere between the corporate handbooks and the Slack-channel chaos, people operations became either:
a bloated, policy-heavy labyrinth, or
an afterthought delegated to whoever last used Google Forms.
I’ve spent the past 15+ years somewhere in the middle—translating business strategy into actual people strategy for startups, scale-ups, and global teams trying to grow without falling apart. And the truth is, even the smartest founders are often building culture like a teenager packs a suitcase: fast, messy, and with the quiet hope that no one will notice what’s missing.
I notice.
And now I’m writing about it.
Wait, who are you again?
I’m Raluca Ghete.
I’m a systems thinker, an HR strategist, and a fan of clean frameworks in messy times. I’ve worked across SaaS, tech, and finance, helping teams build everything from compensation structures and onboarding flows to AI-assisted performance processes—without making it all feel like a spreadsheet had a panic attack.
I’m currently working full-time as an HR Director—but I’m also exploring fractional work with teams that want to scale people ops the smart way. Think of me as the architect who shows up before your people systems start leaking.
Also: I love dashboards. And deep work time. And good coffee. In that order.
What am I doing here?
This is where I’ll write about the stuff most people avoid talking about until it’s on fire:
Why your “flat org” is secretly a power vacuum
How compensation confusion eats trust for breakfast
What happens when “culture” is just a vibe, not a system
How to use AI in HR without replacing your soul with a bot
Sometimes it’ll be practical. Sometimes it’ll be more like therapy for founders.
Always, it’ll be honest.
Who is this for?
If you’re:
Building a company and secretly Googling “how to fire someone nicely”
Wondering why no one’s using your shiny new performance tool
Thinking about culture like it’s a personality quiz you forgot to submit
…you’re in the right place.
Why subscribe?
Because feedback shouldn’t feel like a confrontation.
Because pay transparency shouldn’t give you anxiety.
Because even chaos needs a framework.
Because “culture fit” isn’t a hiring strategy.
Because AI can do more than auto-replies.
Because it’s time to upgrade your people stack.
If you’re into people systems that actually support your growth—and you’re tired of the same recycled corporate advice—subscribe. I’ll send one good post every couple of weeks, maybe more if the espresso is strong and the Slack channel is quiet.
Let’s build something smarter. On purpose.
(And maybe even have some fun doing it.)
🧡
Raluca