We met Helo at the first-of-a-kind HR Expo in Tallinn and admired her energy and passion for the world of HR. As one of the founders of the Estonian HR Society, she is very well-connected in the industry and actively engages with the community. So it is a sheer pleasure to interview Helo for People Pleaser! After more than a decade at ISS, Helo has recently shifted to fintech HR at Estonia’s Unicorn Wise and has agreed to share a few things about this change, Estonian HR trends & the importance of making time for dreams.
You have been working for a large corporation and now joined a well-known fintech company Wise. Can you share some insights on why you decided to take this new step?
Past (almost) 15 years I was working at ISS, a global FM and workplace experience company. 15 years is a long time and for me, it was definitely challenging to find a comparable company. For me, there were at least those key factors that I was looking from my next employer: a successful international organisation, with multicultural and diverse teams, with great company culture, and a place where I can create value with my experience as well as to learn a lot and develop as HR professional. The role at Wise ticked all the boxes for me and, therefore, I decided to apply for the job.
What main trends in the HR industry do you see currently ongoing in Estonia and do you think that they are the same globally or is Estonia somewhat unique?
That is a great question – early in spring Estonian HR Society together with Fontes launched its second annual HR survey. In total, we had 369 responses this year. Among other topics, we also explored what are the current HR priorities. In the top 5, we had: hiring, employment relations, employee experience, L&D, and well-being (incl. mental health). It is quite unique to see that hiring is still number one (it was also the priority in 2022). This also shows that we need talents to be successful in our business and there is still a focus on finding and hiring the right ones.
Can you name one crazy thing you did and how do you think stepping „out of the normal“ helps us as individuals?
In March I decided to take a bit longer workation in Spain. It doesn’t sound too crazy at first, but here is the trick – I packed my car and took my 3 little children, and drove to South Spain. It took me 8 days to get us there. Probably many people dream about taking a longer vacation somewhere in a warm country (or somewhere else) but they never get there as there is always something else that comes up.
My message is: follow your dreams, don’t put them on hold! To find time, we need to take time.
