PSIHOLOGIJA USPJEHA Hrvojka Kutle

Guest Hrvojka KutleHosted by Tanja PuretaMay 3, 2026

Hrvojka Kutle

About this episode

What you'll hear in this conversation

What if the most important person in an organization isn't the CEO or the CFO, but the "court jester"? Hrvojka Kutle, president of U4HR and director of Spirala izvrsnosti, offers this surprising metaphor to define the ideal role of human resources: someone who knows everything happening from the throne room to the subjects, capable of speaking truth to power in a language everyone understands. Drawing on her extensive career, Hrvojka discusses how HR departments were tested during the pandemic, revealing which teams truly prioritized people over paperwork. She outlines the critical skills required to bridge the gap between management expectations and employee needs, arguing that the HR function must be "among people and for people." This conversation illuminates how HR can transcend its administrative functions to become the most insightful, and often the most critical, voice in any company. You'll reconsider what it means for HR to truly lead.

Insights from the conversation

What to take from this episode

During the initial shock of the COVID-19 crisis, Hrvojka observed a clear split: HR departments focused on "people" quickly pivoted to practical support, while those "occupied with numbers" continued their internal reporting. When crisis hits, your team's existing priorities will dictate its immediate response; there's no time to invent a new culture.

The pandemic also exposed the readiness of HR teams: those with "structured procedures and processes" could quickly consult their handbooks and act, while others struggled. Preparedness isn't about predicting the next crisis, but about having a clear framework to navigate any unexpected challenge.

Hrvojka defines the true essence of HR as being "among people and for people," acknowledging this often sounds like a cliché but is incredibly difficult to achieve. The core mission of HR is simple; the daily organizational reality makes its execution profoundly complex.

Hrvojka champions the metaphor of HR as the "court jester," who, far from being foolish, is the most observant person at court, moving between the king, queen, and subjects. The HR role isn't merely about data and reports; it's about sensing the organization's pulse and knowing where intervention is needed before problems escalate.

The "court jester" must know how to speak to all stakeholders, from management to employees, using the right "language"—sometimes humorous, sometimes serious. Effective HR communication isn't about one style or message; it's about fluency across all organizational levels and knowing when to adapt.

Hrvojka, a psychologist, found herself enrolling in a postgraduate economics program because she lacked a "grasp of the organization" and practical business knowledge. Pure domain expertise in HR is rarely enough; a cross-disciplinary understanding of finance, management, and operations grounds HR in the business reality it serves.

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