Caroline Wieland comes from a family of entrepreneurs and views human resources management as a strategic aspect of achieving growth targets. A graduate in business and HR management with over 15 years' experience, she has come into her own in the field of human resources management. During this period, her passion for people and their personal development and progression led her to establish Actualise in 2013, a coaching firm that specialises in professional and personal repositioning. This is an interview with a woman who is above all passionate and human.
What is the best moment you can remember in your career?
I would say that the best moments of my career as an HR Manager are all the times that I have had to act to secure a professional relationship. My role is to facilitate a productive working relationship by always passing on the right information at the right time to the right person, at every level. This way, all those involved can make the best decision. It’s rewarding! We mustn’t forget that an employment contract creates a relationship that is unlike any other. For me, the best decision is the one that minimises reputational, legal and economic risks and encourages those involved to invest in a productive relationship.
If you had to give just one piece of advice to a junior starting his/her career, what would it be?
An HR manager must want to develop him or herself and enjoy supporting those who make decisions, particularly by sharing the right information. You must know how to be a source of proposals and good solutions for a company that is always changing.
Do you have a Motto/Lucky charm?
“The only source of genuine knowledge is experience.” (A. Einstein) Raw data is an empty shell – empathy and understanding are what make the difference, hence the importance of putting HR at the centre of a relationship where there may be different interests at stake. Having said that, we mustn’t forget that an HR Manager deals with the “human” rather than the “social” side of things!
What do you enjoy the most in your day-to-day work?
The different challenges I encounter, where I make an important contribution to minimising the legal, economic and reputational risks to the company, with the aim of encouraging those engaged in a contractual relationship to respect each other’s rights and responsibilities.
If you had to do it again would you choose the same career path?
“If I were to begin my life again, I should want it as it was. I would only open my eyes a little more!” (Jules Renard) As I have progressed in my career, I have learned to hone my objectives, by supporting others in their work and personal journeys. Today, all of the skills I have acquired are reflected in my choices.
What is the biggest challenge for a woman in the trading industry?
As you know, commodities trading is a male-dominated world. It’s a conservative industry with high expectations. Women have to prove themselves, be persuasive and bring their own added value to this environment, which, at the outset, is different from their own.
Women have to prove themselves
How would you qualify your relationship with Ampersand World?
For an HR department, it is vital to recruit and supply the best people at any given moment and in record time. It’s no surprise that the success of any organisation depends on it constantly adapting its employee services to fulfil its business objectives. Outsourcing recruitment to a well-connected, reliable partner that understands the business is a key investment and that’s exactly what I found at Ampersand World.
