The HR interview: What have we learned?
Over several years, FRONT Leadership has interviewed HR directors in Norway's leading companies. In a time of uncertainty, these people have been at the forefront, taking on challenges head-on. There are many commonalities in how some of the most talented people in HR handle different tasks. One thing they have in common is that they see the scope and potential for development both in their own companies and themselves. In the interviews, the HR leaders share their thoughts, experiences and ambitions regarding priorities and their own skills development. Here are the most important things we've learned so far:
- The importance of good leaders and workplaces
Anne Lorgen Riise is Executive Vice President for HR in Mowi ASA. She says that recent years have shown the importance of the workplace, and how strong and important the social community at work is for people. Those who have been working from home have missed their colleagues, and those who have been at work have missed those who have not been there. Gro Hatleskog, Executive Vice President with responsibility for HR, Compliance, Supply Chain and IT in Berry mountain, agrees and wanted to highlight the importance of a manager for the individual and how important the individual's exercise of leadership is for creating good business results and a working environment characterized by development and joy.Ensuring that the full potential of the organization is utilized was also an important theme. Lene Trollnes, former Executive Vice President of People & Global Functions at Yara, was convinced that if you manage to unlock the potential of diversity and connect it to learning, innovation and efficiency, companies will have better financial results, better well-being and be better equipped to face a continuously changing world.
What all the HR directors FRONT spoke to have in common is that they want their company to be a good place to work. We spend a lot of time at work throughout our lives, and a good, social and inclusive working environment is more important than ever.
- Competence development
Skills development came up in all interviews. This is an important topic that encompasses adding new knowledge and developing existing knowledge, both as a company and for individual employees.A fundamental prerequisite for success is to recognize that the glass is always half full, according to Trond Vinje, Chief Human Resources Officer at TietoEVRY. He believes that HR should naturally set strategic priorities and directions, but also provide an infrastructure for development for the individual. "It's important to create good learning arenas in the various projects and teams, and to work for a high level of internal mobility. Development often takes place outside the comfort zone, and exposure to different tasks combined with a good feedback culture results in good learning and development over time.
Leading the way as good role models was something everyone was concerned about. EVP and Chief People & Sustainability Officer at Telenor, Cecilie Blydt Heuch, made a good point in this regard. She says that there is no point in challenging employees to further develop their own skills without doing it themselves. That is precisely why she is keen to deliver on the goals the company has set for competence development in the same way as everyone else.
Nor does competence development only take place internally in the company; several of the HR directors also participated in external HR networks where they get sparring partners who work with similar challenges as themselves. This was described as a necessary investment in time, not least to catch up on trends and concrete experiences from other companies.
- Ambitions
Having high ambitions on behalf of the company and themselves characterizes all of our interviewees.Benedicte Teigen Gude, Senior Vice President HR and Communications at Wilhelmsen, pointed out that the principles of good leadership are applicable to many areas of life. For her, it's about setting ambitions and succeeding in achieving them. Personally, she has actively used business values and leadership expectations in her hobby. "Setting high ambitions and putting together the best team to achieve that ambition is absolutely essential. At the same time, you have to make sure that everyone understands what is required of them and is confident in their roles and responsibilities. To reach the top of the world's highest mountain, she applied all these points, which she also uses actively at work. Without a strong and motivated team, for example, the ambition to be the first Norwegian couple (and one of the few in the world) to have climbed the seven summits (the highest mountains on the seven continents) and to have simultaneously walked to both the South and North Poles would only be an ambition.
