IT Hubs at TBS

Wallapop, Badi and Europcar: “Barcelona-based startups need to manage talent”

HR managers from startups such as Wallapop and Badi, as well as established companies like Europcar, announced that they have chosen Barcelona (and its surrounding area) as the location for their headquarters or IT hubs, due to the high quality of life that makes this city such a rich talent pool.

In attendance at the event organised by LinkedIn, IT HR consultancy InnoIT, and our business school, were Andrés Spitzer, CTP of Europcar; Leticia Castro, VP of People at Badi; Stéphanie Giol, HRBP Generalist at Wallapop; with assistance from IT expert Jesús Rodríguez.

The personnel managers described the difficulties that they encountered when trying to accomplish growth, especially during the initial phases. Leticia Castro explained that Badi is still in a primary phase, and that “there are more objectives in the mid-term than the long-term.” She also pointed out that a positive aspect of these circumstances is that a “less complex and more fluid” hierarchy can be implemented.

Stéphanie Giol also discussed the difficulties that existed when she first started at Wallapop: “The first year and a half was very hectic because we had to scale up so quickly. Now we have entered a phase where we can plan our growth.” Andrés Spitzer also contributed with his thoughts about the structure at Europcar: “We operate with small business units to prevent any disruption between them.”

The experts also agreed that, during the selection process, they seek to recruit talent that is not only able to meet the current needs of the company, but that can also evolve in alignment with its long-term strategy. As Castro put it, “when offering someone a position, we must remember that an individual needs to be a good fit both now and in the future.”