Leadership means showing compassion in hard times, argues WeissBeerger’s Head of HR

Even though Covid-19 offered opportunities for tech companies to expand or adapt their product or service, not every organization has been so lucky. For WeissBeerger, which is the big data arm of a global brewery, the closure of bars meant that it sadly had to let some of its staff go during Covid-19.

“We did it with the WeissBeerger spirit – with a lot of sensitivity and care,” recalled its Head of HR, Naama Engel. “We invested a lot of effort in helping them to find their next career step… I think a company’s leadership is measured by the business results as well as by its ability to lead the company with compassion through volatile times.”

Engel joined CTech for its HR Post Covid series to share how the company managed to steer through tough times, all the while keeping the positive energy from management, employees, and HR teams.

Company Name: WeissBeerger

HR Leader: Naama Engel, Head of HR

Field of Activity:

WeissBeerger is the big data, analytics, and innovation arm of the largest brewery in the world – AbInBev, which owns major global brands such as Budweiser, Stella Artois, Corona, and many more. We are enabling our bars, restaurants, and grocery stores to optimize the way they run their business by leveraging the advantages and power of a data-driven world.

Number of employees/location: 60 employees in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Professional background of HR Manager:

I’m lucky to have experienced in my career a variety of roles that exposed me to all the areas of HR – Recruitment, OD, Leadership Development, Employees Experience, and Compensation, in both the corporate and startup worlds. I’m thankful to have worked with amazing executive leaders and employees who challenged me and shaped my identity as a business and strategic partner. Looking back, I’m proud of the roles I had that allowed me to have such a meaningful impact on organizations, business teams, and individuals.

On a scale of 1-10, how much did the coronavirus pandemic disrupt operations at the company?

As a company whose main business focus was related to bars, I would say 7. We felt the impact of the pandemic on our business and our partners. At the same time, our parent company started to develop one of the largest B2B marketplaces for retailers. We quickly adjusted and re-focused all the organization, and we are now leading the innovation and moonshots arm of this unique B2B marketplace product.

What interesting technological tools do you use in employee management/recruitment?

We were first focused on how to keep working effectively together and used all the tools we had. When we realized it would take a while before we will get back to normal routines, we leveraged the power of social channels – Instagram, LinkedIn, and even our WhatsApp groups to create more informal, fun, and spontaneous interactions.

What positive and/or negative impact did the outbreak have on the human capital of the company?

Like everybody else we learned to work from home, focusing on results while keeping flexible. We also learned that the company spirit can not only transcend beyond our office walls even if we don’t see each other on a daily basis, it can also expand to our meaningful connections beyond work and engage family members, flatmates, ex-employees, and friends.

Unfortunately, due to the global impact on our industry, we had to release a number of employees. We did it with the WeissBeerger spirit – with a lot of sensitivity and care. We invested a lot of effort in helping them to find their next career step. It was very touching to see the reaction of the employees we had to part from and of the employees who stayed. I think a company’s leadership is measured by the business results as well as by its ability to lead the company with compassion through volatile times.

What are the two major challenges you are coping with these days?

The first challenge is finding a new and balanced point of integration with our parent company: one that allows us to integrate and impact the product’s success at a global level while keeping our unique identity and brand at the local level. The second one is how to engage all our employees to innovate smart and fast and bring unique value to the global product platform.

Are you actively recruiting? If so, what is the process and where can the applicants find you?

Currently, we are not recruiting. But applicants are welcome to find us at www.weissbeerger.com

  

Which changes forced upon you by the circumstances will stay in place after Covid-19 is over, and which are you most eager to revert back to normal?

The HR team shifted from focusing on recruitment and scaling up to focus on professional and personal development across the organization. The initiatives we implemented will continue to serve the employees’ personal and professional development and the organization’s business results long after the virus is gone.

Last but not least - I miss our office bar. As in any other bar it enables us to meet, interact, and innovate in the most unexpected ways.