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After moving to Germany, I became passionate about helping others navigate new cultures and find meaningful careers.
Laura Villafuerte co-founder and CEO of CareerBee
Laura, the founder and CEO of CareerBee , is transforming the HR landscape in Germany by connecting international talents with top-tier job opportunities. With a unique blend of HR expertise and a passion for cultural integration, Laura has developed a platform that bridges the gap between talented job seekers and companies in need of their skills.
In this interview, Laura shares her personal and professional journey, highlighting the challenges and opportunities in the HR industry and her tips for female founders.
What inspired you to found CareerBee, and how did your background influence your approach to entrepreneurship?
Moving from Ecuador to Germany at 18 made me realize my big interest in helping others navigate new cultures, which eventually led me to HR. After gaining valuable experience in a large corporation, I decided to quit that safe job and to co-found CareerBee in 2021. My goal was twofold: helping international talents in finding jobs in Germany while helping companies connect with top-tier candidates. This way I could combine my passion for HR and my wish to help talents find jobs.
What should readers know about you? Apart from being the founder of CareerBee?
Since I was young I always have had a lot of imagination and loved creating stories. So during the pandemic I used the time to publish a book which is a fantasy book that plays in the jungle in Ecuador. Currently it is only available in Spanish though. This project allowed me to explore a different form of storytelling outside my professional endeavors, and I’m eager to continue merging creativity with entrepreneurship. Hopefully publishing a second book soon.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when launching CareerBee, and how did you overcome them?
Starting CareerBee as a bootstrapped venture which means that our early focus was on generating revenue as fast as possible. When our original B2C model didn’t scale as expected, we pivoted to a B2B approach—a decision that proved to be truly transformative. Adapting quickly to market feedback and being open to radical shifts in our business strategy were essential to overcoming these initial challenges.
What processes does CareerBee have in place to continuously improve and innovate its HR services?
At CareerBee, we implement very proactive communication and do daily short brainstorming sessions. In everything we do we focus on putting people first. We therefore maintain a close communication with our clients and job seekers, allowing us to adapt swiftly to market dynamics and introduce new services.
We also regularly run small experiments of new ideas and are always willing to discard them when they do not work. This allows us to stay agile and responsive to the needs of our customers and any changes in the market.
What are some common barriers to innovation in the HR industry, and how have you overcome them at CareerBee?
Within the HR industry, the perception of HR as primarily an operational department rather than a strategic partner often hinders innovation.
At CareerBee, we challenge this by empowering HR teams and hiring managers with strategic insights that optimize talent acquisition and retention. Our experience as former in-house recruiters helps us to understand and address industry challenges from a practical but also strategic perspective.
We truly want to change how recruitment agencies work with companies and that reflects in our services.
What advice would you give to aspiring female founders, who are just starting out there?
To aspiring female founders, I would emphasize finding a problem you’re deeply passionate about solving. No matter what company you build, you will need to put in a lot of hard work. You will face many challenges and you will probably even doubt yourself here and there. But if the problem truly motivates you, then you will make it successfully through all of it! And make sure to build a network of other founders. Talk with them about your challenges and fears. You will see you are never the only one
Thank you Laura for the Interview and insights!