Human Resources MagazineHuman Resources Magazine

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest Human Resources news and updates from around the world.

    What's Hot

    Why you’ll hear ‘mutuality’ a lot this year

    January 26, 2023

    Job scams accelerate in January

    January 26, 2023

    Government cracks down on illegal working

    January 26, 2023
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms
    • Contact
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Friday, January 27
    Human Resources MagazineHuman Resources Magazine
    Demo
    • Home
    • News
    • Boardroom
    • HR Careers
    • Leadership
    • Human Capital
    • Recruitment
    • HR Software
    • Culture
    • Tech
    Human Resources MagazineHuman Resources Magazine
    Home » How I got here: Salma De Graaff, Skyscanner
    HR Careers

    How I got here: Salma De Graaff, Skyscanner

    May 3, 2022No Comments3 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Telegram Pinterest Tumblr
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email


    Salma De Graaff, VP of people at Skyscanner shares her tips for a varied and successful career in HR.

    VP of people, Skyscanner, July 2021 – Present

    I joined Skyscanner at an interesting time for the travel search business.

    Midway through 2021, the travel sector was deep in flux. A key concern for everyone working through this pandemic has been how we keep employees motivated, guard against burnout and preserve a culture of fun, collaboration and innovation.

    That’s something I’ve really dug in to, and I’ve learned how much we as a business can do to keep that feeling alive. We’ve held a fully remote company update across two days of online talks, presentations and activities.

    With 52 different nationalities across eight offices, it was no mean feat, but priceless in helping ensure we were all fully aligned and raring to go. We’ve kept the fun of the office alive too, with quizzes, awards ceremonies and plenty of town hall meetings.  

     

    Chief people officer and other roles, Travix, May 2017 – July 2021

    At Travix, we had a mantra of giving people big jobs from within. It was important to me that it was a place where people could expand their experiences and careers.

    I joined as head of people for product, technology and finance in 2017 and was made CPO in 2019. It was the first time I’d been a global discipline head, accountable to a board. It was full-on. The company changed ownership during my time there, and the pandemic hit a year after that.  

     

    Career break June 2016 – May 2017

    Before I came to Travix, my family and I travelled and lived across the world. I took almost a year off to spend time with my daughter – at that stage a toddler – and resettle us as a family back to Europe. I was almost tempted away from our home countries of the UK and the Netherlands with a role in Rome but held firm.  

    “Be open to opportunities that might take you sideways.”
     

     

    Head of learning and development and other roles, Heineken, May 2009 – May 2016

    My 16 years in the brewing industry were split between Bass, Coors, Scottish and Newcastle, and Heineken. This was a real period of professional growth and development. At Heineken I was an HR business partner, and then took on various specialist roles in L&D, reward and later performance management, organisational design, and development.

    Having made the leap from a sales role, I suffered from imposter syndrome, so took on a masters and CIPD qualification. That education really grounded my functional expertise and knowledge.

    I learned a huge amount about cultural nuances, too and was fortunate to work in Ethiopia, Suriname, and Amsterdam. Working with an array of teams and nationalities, you learn language is key and that messages should be clear and straightforward. 

     

    Top three career tips:

    1. Passion and a can-do attitude are incredibly valuable traits. I wish I’d better understood how appreciated those two qualities are, especially when you’re just starting out.
    2. Careers don’t need to be linear. Be open to opportunities that might take you sideways or that others may consider a backwards step. 

    3. A sense of belonging is crucial. I have mixed heritage, and it has often been within the workplace that I have felt most included and had a real sense of belonging. 

     

    The full piece of the above appears in the March/April 2022 print issue. Subscribe today to have all our latest articles delivered right to your desk.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

    Related Articles

    How I got here: Helen Beurier, Zopa

    January 6, 2023

    Future leader: Shantel Earle, HRBP, SOAS University of London

    January 4, 2023

    12 months of 2022: April

    December 12, 2022

    Winners of the 2022 HR Excellence Awards

    December 7, 2022

    What HR needs to know about the new CIPD code of conduct

    November 28, 2022

    Administrative reputation holding HR back

    November 21, 2022
    Add A Comment

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Don't Miss
    News

    Job scams accelerate in January

    By Press RoomJanuary 26, 2023

    January reporting of job scams is already 66% ahead of December 2022’s total, sparking…

    Government cracks down on illegal working

    January 26, 2023

    Dr Kannan Vishwanatth of Rupus Global Limited awarded Global Icon Award at Royal Palace, Bali

    January 25, 2023

    McKinsey calls for better socioeconomic representation to boost economy

    January 25, 2023

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest Human Resources news and updates from around the world.

    Our Picks

    Employers to step in as menopause rejected as a protected characteristic

    January 25, 2023

    McKinsey sets 50% target for socioeconomic representation by 2030

    January 25, 2023

    Why using RPO can help your talent acquisition to thrive

    January 24, 2023

    Layoff alternatives called for as tech sector redundancies hit 200,000

    January 24, 2023
    About Us
    About Us

    Human Resources Magazine is a dedicated news portal about Human Resources and all that matters to emplyees and leaders in the business section.

    Our Picks

    Why you’ll hear ‘mutuality’ a lot this year

    January 26, 2023

    Job scams accelerate in January

    January 26, 2023

    Government cracks down on illegal working

    January 26, 2023
    Trending Now

    Underrepresented groups consistently trapped in insecure work

    May 27, 2022

    Agile HR: what does it even mean?

    June 24, 2022

    As the world of work evolves, HR should too

    July 20, 2022
    Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest
    • Home
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Contact
    © 2023 Human Resources Magazine. All rights reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.