How a passion for languages opened the door to a career in HR

After studying in Poland, Agnieszka moved to London to live and work in an English-speaking environment. After returning to Poland missing that connection, she joined FairWind to help build its HR department and put her language skills to use.

What led you to FairWind and a career in the wind industry?

After finishing my studies, I moved to London with a group of friends. That was quite some time ago, Poland wasn’t even in the EU at that time. I lived in London for three years, working and studying, and then returned to Poland.

Once back home, I worked in different places, but I really missed having an English-speaking job. A friend of my sister was starting her career at FairWind and looking for people to help create an HR department. She offered me an interview, and I got the job!

It was all new to me, I had no experience in the energy sector and no formal HR education. But I’d always worked with people, and I quickly fell in love with the role. My main motivation was to use English again, and I had no idea how exciting this business would be. It’s like skiing, you either hate it or love it!

What was your first role at FairWind?

I started as a talent and development assistant. At first, I worked on systems and processes, but after a few months, I became involved in recruitment for the Service business unit, especially for blade technicians. Most of them were UK-based, so I could use English every day.

FairWind was very different back then, structure, no SharePoint, no clear processes. I had to walk around and ask questions to figure things out. It felt like starting school again, but it was exciting to help build something from scratch.

How did the experience of living in London shape you?

Living abroad changes the way you think. Languages have different structures, so your brain adapts. When I returned to Poland, I had to consciously switch back to thinking in Polish!

It also taught me that understanding a language isn’t just about grammar, it’s about context and culture. Even now, I don’t always catch every word, but I understand the meaning because I had the privilege of living among native speakers. That experience has been invaluable when working with UK technicians.

Do you have any memorable stories from your recruitment work?

Yes! During a recruitment project, we invited UK blade technicians to Poland for training. I discovered that one of them and I had mutual friends from my time in London—we might even have met back then! We still keep in touch today. Years later, when we had recruitment event in Manchester, we met again. It’s amazing how small the world can be.

How have you changed since joining FairWind?

I’ve grown up a lot. At the beginning, I was very emotional about everything – even positive feedback made me cry happy tears! Over time, I’ve learned to manage my emotions and be more pragmatic.

I’ve also learned from the people around me. Sometimes it’s not big lessons, but small things colleagues say that change your perspective. I’ve realised that in HR, you need to be the adult in the room, support others and stay calm, even in difficult situations.

Was there a turning point or person that changed your career direction?

It’s hard to name just one person as there have been many, and I hope there are still more to come!

One of the most important moments was my early collaboration with then Head of Service who’s unique approach to the challenges we faced together taught me so much. Those experiences helped shape who I am today: still sensitive, but with greater awareness and resilience.

And of course there are the technicians. Although I’m no longer involved in their recruitment, they remain close to my heart, and I still keep in touch with some of them and really appreciate our short or long conversations on all kinds of topics. Some of the technicians that I recruited have stayed in touch even after leaving, and a number have returned to FairWind. This is such a rewarding feeling, it shows that what we do truly matters.

What do you enjoy most about your work now?

The people! I can’t imagine working without people around me. It’s not always easy, sometimes it’s stressful but I thrive on human interaction. I rarely work from home because I want to be around colleagues. Documentation and reports are part of the job, but they’re not enough for me.

What advice would you give someone starting out in HR?

Try it! If you have the chance, take it. If you don’t like it, that’s fine but at least you tried. And be prepared for constant change. If you don’t like change, HR might not be for you.

How would you describe FairWind’s team culture?

It has changed a lot and still needs to evolve. We need to be more open-minded for the future. Our teams feel comfortable talking and sharing news and work updates, and we’re always looking for ways we can communicate more effectively and learn from these experiences.

The best thing is that in difficult times, we support each other. I’ve seen colleagues rally together during tragedies, raising money and helping families. Even if we disagree day-to-day, we stand together when it matters.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

Honestly, I don’t know! Right now, I’ve stepped back from technician recruitment and moved into a full-time HR Business Partner role. It’s challenging, but I love it. I’d like to stay in the wind industry and at FairWind as long as I’m needed. For now, I’m happy and excited to learn from the amazing people around me.