Quote: “Development is not a department but an attitude.” “My favourite part of the job is building towards the future,” professes Peter Pleunes. He freely admits that he has been enamoured by HR since his early university days, quickly learning that it was a crucial bridge between the operations of a business and the people within it. Thanks to this mind-set, he has enjoyed a diverse career in the field, working with companies such as Belkin and KPMG, before becoming the Director of Human Resources at Merck Serono in the Netherlands in 2009.
I really enjoy working on development,” he continues. “Both organisational development and also employee development. What will the company look like in three years? What skills and competencies do we need? What do we have? What is the gap? How can we fill that gap? How can we develop people?”
These have been especially pressing questions for Pleunes recently, as Merck’s parent organisation has been undertaking a merger with the US-based Millipore Corporation. He notes: “It’s affected all levels and all the different systems. There are different mind-sets, different languages. It’s been a massive job to realign everything. But it also creates a lot of opportunities to develop, for myself and throughout the company.”
He believes that the most crucial key to developing during a major transition, such as a merger, is through communication. “There are a lot of things you can learn from others. They may come from another culture and have different ideas and insights. You can really learn a lot. But it always requires good communication.
Pleunes’ experience at Merck has certainly been changing. He has seen departments integrated, new sales and systems put in place and people given new responsibilities. He was also heavily involved in merging separate HR departments. But he reaffirms that the process has led to positive experiences in terms of both personal career development and for those in big and small positions within the organisation.
“A good illustration is that many employees have had the opportunity to join a new project team,” he notes. “And having gone through the integration phases, they’ve gained new skills and are now in the process of helping other countries as they prepare for these processes. For example, 15% to 20% of our former customer service staff are now rolling out new customer service strategies and systems in other European countries.”
Such a willingness to adapt, especially during a period of transition, has been nurtured by Pleunes throughout his HR roles. “Development is not a department but an attitude,” he asserts. “You have to keep your eyes open and want to improve. Talk to people and learn about the bigger picture of how a company works. No matter where you go, the most valued employees are those who ask questions and challenge the status quo.
