Dominique Ramelet, Netcetera AG has grown significantly over the past few years as a result of its international activities. What is your experience as the CHRO during these times of growth?
When I started in January 2019 it was clear within our company that internationalization would automatically also require a comprehensive analysis of professionalism, compliance, and efficiency.
At the same time, Netcetera has learned that by focusing on more corporate agility, the foundations for successful growth in various dimensions are laid. We combine the following two aspects: Through agility and professionalism we are in a state of continuous improvement, which enables us to experience change in a positive way. We make use of this experience throughout the company as a whole to build even more substance and grow together.
In your opinion, where is the value in expanded personnel support?
Netcetera has been working on enhancing its HR support for some time now. This was a crucial factor to me personally in opting to become a «Netceterian». Last year we restructured our human capital management to function as a service unit: Consequently, we now operate as a holistic team within the so-called “People Circle”.
In addition to operational HR tasks, this includes all internal personal and cultural development - the Netcetera University NCAU. In addition, there is an area within the circle that deals with the strategic development of people management and an area that deals systematically and proactively with the circumstances and challenges of everyday life. With this restructuring, we have now created a relevant proximity to our core business and all those involved.
The term “professional home” is closely associated with Netcetera. And what do you understand this to mean?
Respect, trust, manners, and mutual support. The term "working home" describes how we at Netcetera value a holistically positive approach, combined with the expectation that employees take an entrepreneurial view of the organization. Just like our actual homes our professional homes are made up of social and economic components. We consciously promote this coexistence.
Employees should have an enterprise-oriented view of the organization. What do you mean by this?
By expanding the sphere from a traditional HR department to today's people circle, we are able to better understand individual employees and drive a meaningful development of the organization. One key element in this process is the “Empowerment” of each individual. People management in this sense is not the same as traditional HR support. Every individual and every team should be "empowered" to take responsibility for their own goals while taking the overall organization into account. To be courageous, take risks, discover and pursue the greatest value for the company: In our opinion these are the driving forces of sustainable development.
Creating a favorable work/life balance is pivotal at Netcetera AG. Which role do employees' individual responsibilities play in this process?
In terms of the work/life balance it is important to individually reconcile the various aspects of life. We are convinced that by allowing our staff members to individually structure their private and professional lives we only enable them to create a professional home. As an employer, we can create opportunities and support employees in the process of finding the right balance for themselves.
Lastly, what do you consider to be an ideal collaboration between employer and employees?
This kind of collaboration doesn't exist as such because ultimately employees form the employer. This fundamentally applies to every organization and especially to Netcetera: a significant number of our employees are also shareholders and thus have a decisive influence on our common path into the future.