In 2020 Natalia Szepelowska was announced as Kinguin’s Head of People and since then she has spearheaded the charge to ensure smooth people-related operations – whether it is employee satisfaction or driving recruitment. 

As a psychologist and cognitive scientist, she combines her passion for getting to know people, their potential and their struggles, with her ability to deliver pathways to personal goals and company growth. We sat down with Natalia where she described the employee culture at Kinguin and the company’s new recruitment aspirations.

As Head of People, I recognise that Kinguiners will always be our greatest asset and our top priority. I knew from the beginning that we needed to create a company culture that allows them to have a voice to show them we cared. So, that is exactly what we are doing. We are building a culture centred around caring for our employees, which we believe can enable them to thrive, develop and progress during their time at Kinguin.

Our culture is integral to us, and it is how we measure whether candidates would be a good fit for Kinguin. During any interview, no matter your level, care always sits front and centre. In a world where empathy is increasingly paramount, it has become a standout principle by which we measure both potential candidates and our existing team. 

Take the last two years for example. From clearly communicating our company policy which strongly recommended all Kinguiners to work from home, to moving a majority of the meetings online, to distributing home-office set-ups, to ensuring job security, we were able to successfully help all of our employees through the pandemic – we are extremely proud of this.

More recently, we have introduced new internal initiatives to encourage employee retention, satisfaction and progression. One being our team player of the quarter initiative, which rewards three employees who demonstrate a hands-on approach to sharing their knowledge and supporting others, with winners receiving a gift of their choice. This year, we also established ‘Kinguiners’ Day’ to highlight the company’s appreciation for all our employees’ hard work. The day was filled with special gifts and a personal video from executives and team leaders praising Kinguiners for their ongoing dedication to the company. We thrive off making each employee feel valued and reward those who are excelling – so, keep up the good work Kinguiners!

But we have also expanded our duty of care to help those outside the company. The world has been touched by what’s been happening in Ukraine and as their neighbours, we are passionate about doing our part. So, as soon as the crisis began, we not only opened up the Kinguin Esports Performance Centre for all Ukrainian esports players and their families free of charge, but also welcomed Ukrainian families into our Polish offices. Even though our capacity is limited, we are working tirelessly to accommodate every single guest. It is clear for us to care for those in need, and we will continue to explore ways to provide ongoing support. 

Another example of a programme we created was Kinguin Cares, and a key part of this project focused on supporting children in orphanages across Poland. Last year we provided next generation consoles and games to more than 650 children. In July, we also invited the children back to attend educational webinars led by well-known Polish influencers – Luure, Nieuczesana, Popo and Fanaberry – to give them an insight into potential gaming career opportunities. To finish off the programme, we organised an event at the Kinguin Esports Lounge in Gdańsk with special prizes for all the children.

I feel very passionate about shining a light on our internal and external initiatives because they define our company and people – it is one of the reasons Kinguin is a great place to work. Another reason is because we have a progressive and entrepreneurial spirit – we want to give everyone who works for us the support they need to reach their goals. I am one example of someone who has been able to grow – moving from HR & Education specialist to Head of People in just four years. You can find many similar stories across the company!

And all of this is important in a year when we, as a company, have some big ambitions. Due to continued growth, we want to increase our personnel by 40%. So, if you have big aspirations and believe you embody Kinguin’s company culture, check out our recruitment page – we have multiple vacancies open.