The Role of People Partners in Pushing Our Games Forward

Marta Wilmańska-Filec is People Partnering Director at CD PROJEKT RED, where she’s responsible for ensuring our People & Culture department has a real impact on games like The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2. Read how she does so and why.

What does a People Partner do at CD PROJEKT RED?

At RED, a People Partner started as a supportive role for managers, but kept evolving and evolving to the point where it has a direct impact on what we do here as a video game developer. It comes with traditional aspects of the role, like helping managers with decision-making, but it’s also about noticing things that have an impact on effectiveness, productivity, and wellbeing. A People Partner is not only an advisor, a guardian of the rules and standards, but a sparring partner too. My team brings the best out of people, ensures they’re happy while making games, and makes their work and the process more effective.

What makes a RED People Partner different from a traditional HR role?

My People Partners are both in the field, working side by side with managers, and also watching the teams from a broader perspective — how they work with each other, what dependencies there are, how the work is planned. We take into consideration if people need to rest, if they feel engaged, and if they’re motivated. CD PROJEKT RED is a creative environment, so we have tons of people who are different from each other. We have incredible creatives in art, tech, writing, and so on who might all think in a different way. And we need to combine all of them into one team that can make really cool things happen. We work toward the overall goals of this studio — to make amazing games. Of course, as a global company we do have procedures and processes, but as part of a creative industry we also need to adjust and be flexible.

What is your job in all this specifically?

It’s also been evolving for some time! I was an HR Partner at CD PROJEKT RED in the past, then an HR Director at a different company. I really enjoyed my time there, but I’ve always had a special love for The Witcher, and games have been part of my life for years. Plus, I wanted the variety and excitement that comes with working for a really creative company like CD PROJEKT RED. When I returned I was responsible for learning and development — so employee training — and later I became responsible for HR Partners as well. When the department continued to grow, I saw a need for another layer, so we separated these two and now I focus on the People Partners and the People Partnering Managers. There are so many now, even located in different time zones because we have the Boston Hub too, so at the moment my job is focused on making the People Partner role global. We want it to be consistent, coherent, and of the same standard all over the world, and provide the same amount of value regardless of the project. Alongside that, I’m also responsible for the delivery of the processes that we create as the People & Culture department, making sure what we implement is worth doing while keeping in mind budgets and other logistics. So we find solutions while making sure our structures, leaders, and talent grow at the same pace as our games and business.

Is meeting your goals across two continents difficult?

It’s both rewarding and challenging at the same time. I really love the people we have in our Boston Hub. They are super cool, I love the vibe, and I love when we get to visit each other. I think the most rewarding and challenging aspect is learning about cultural differences, like how we approach the employee-employer relationship, how we build it, implement our values, communicate, and so on. These aren’t huge differences, but if we discover something that doesn’t quite line up, we want to address it to ensure everyone can work as smoothly as possible together. And we’re not looking to force two cultures together, but invite everyone to contribute to the joint CD PROJEKT RED culture that allows us to create these amazing games.

What do you look for in a People Partner?

A great People Partner is curious, proactive and courageous — someone who builds trust easily, sees the bigger picture, connects the dots, speaks up when it matters, and takes real ownership for both people and business outcomes. You need to be a people person so you can spot what works for one employee compared to another. And you need to like it! This role is really diverse — every day is different from the next. We go from large-scale implementation of different policies to individual cases. Being responsible for all of this means every day is busy with not just day-to-day duties but also surprises. But I really like that. I like that every day here is different. And it’s part of why I decided to come back to CD PROJEKT RED after being away for a while. And I'm very lucky to have likeminded people in my team.

What else motivates you in your work?

I really like seeing things happen, seeing our games being made, and knowing that I can contribute to that. So what motivates me most is impact — knowing that our actions actually make a difference. When a team works better or a project moves more smoothly, or we manage to spot and mitigate a risk early, that really keeps my motor running. And in my current role, when I’m less involved in the operational work myself, my team is also a huge part of what keeps me growing. They challenge me to keep working on myself, and to become a better, more self-aware version of myself — both as a leader and simply as a person who tries to stay attentive to and genuinely understand others. And when I see them making things happen, and know I helped create the conditions for that, it is just as motivating for me as making that impact myself.

Do you enjoy your job?

Yes, I do. I'm over 40 right now, and in the last couple of years I’ve been able to really feel confident in what I'm doing. I've been in this field for over 20 years, but a couple of years ago I did ask myself the question: “Why am I here?” And I discovered that I really like what I'm doing. I feel the impact that I mentioned before, and this is really important for me. I'm a people person, so I love talking to people and meeting people. I love asking questions and getting their perspectives; I'm curious about people. So I really love this part of the job, but I also love to make that impact and connect the dots for others. I’ve explored many different sides of this area, but this is totally my part, where I’m meant to be. I'm in the field, I pull up my sleeves, and I'm working alongside the rest of the team to make these amazing games. This is what fuels me, knowing that me and my People Partners are helping push things forward.