5 Questions with Petra Slukova, Chief Human Resources Officer at MyQ

4 min readMar 19, 2018

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The first person I met when I arrived at MyQ was Petra. Most of our team can say the same thing as she’s the one who interviewed us and played a big part in facilitating our careers. Interviewing people is a big part of her work (and one of her favorite things about her job), so I decided to turn the tables and give her a chance to share a few things about herself. Her professionalism, confidence, and inviting presence make her an ideal ambassador for MyQ and the best choice to kick off our new MyQ Team interview series.

– Lancelot Purdue

How has your background in competitive ballroom dance help you to more gracefully navigate Czech employment law and stay ahead of competitors when it comes to hiring the top talent?

It has helped me to navigate all the steps and activities in my career with simple rules. Any dance pattern that seems to be extremely difficult at the beginning can be mastered to its finest if you practice single steps and don’t give up if you fail. No matter how much it hurts or if your feet are bleeding, your final performance must look like the most graceful piece of art. Anyone watching it will want to dance too — ideally with you. This is especially helpful to realize whenever I start from zero, and it does happen often in both HR areas you mentioned.

2. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever encountered during a job interview?

I have a list of three: 1) One guy asking me out and inviting me for lunch; 2) A follow-up interview when a guy claimed that I didn’t attend the interview with him earlier that day (ghost HR?); 3) One guy who gave up in the middle of the interview as he got desperately scared that we’re a huge corporation (judging from our modern office that startups usually can’t afford).

3. What are some of your favorite things about MyQ’s company culture which you have contributed to?

I believe integrity, openness, care, and trust — but this is a better question for others, no? I hope others can confirm my beliefs.

4. A lot of people outside of the Czech Republic may only know one city here: Prague. What are your favorite things you can do in your hometown of Tábor that you can’t do in Prague?

Walking with my head in the clouds and not risking an injury in the city center. The city of Tábor is quite small, though I always enjoyed wandering through its tiny old streets where you rarely meet someone else. Tábor is a fantastic spot where you can soak up Czech history, admire ancient houses, taste great food (Thir Restaurant) and artisan beer (locally made Vycep), learn more about chocolate (and try many kinds of it in the Museum of Chocolate), and maybe finish your day partying in the ancient castle (Kotnov Music Club).

5. What is your ideal day away from MyQ Headquarters in Prague?

Ahhh, I have so many great scenarios. Based on my current mood, I would take some time to myself. Dear iPhone — turn off notifications, turn on relaxation: yoga, a long breakfast, a few chapters of the book I don’t have time for (The Den by Jakuba Katalpa), an afternoon run in the fresh air, and sauna with my friend. Also a few cuddles from Noemi (my cat) in between. Or a one-day getaway, anywhere.

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If you’d like to be featured in our 5 Questions interview series, you must first work for MyQ! See our available openings on our careers page.

If you enjoyed this interview, be sure to read the other ones here:

5 Questions with Petra Slukova, Chief Human Resources Officer at MyQ

Written by MyQ Solution