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Meet Pelin, HR Perspectives

During my assignment I learned about:

I joined Roche in October 2015 and my first rotation was in Basel, working on a talent development project as a Roll-out Project Manager in Diagnostics division for 6 months. Within this project, I was involved in employer branding, recruitment and onboarding topics. Therefore I got to see Roche’s thorough focus on people development and investment into talent as well as how this process is connected to the overall strategy.

During my second rotation, I was based in Singapore, working as a Project Manager in Pharmaceuticals division for 7 months. My projects varied from employee engagement topics mainly focusing on the Global Employee Opinion Survey (GEOS), exit surveys and turnover topics in Asia Pacific (APAC) region, to the establishment of a new Shared Service Center (SSC) in Malaysia. It was very exciting to see the dynamics and work environment of this region. My development in APAC was continuous and challenges on daily basis thought me greatly.

My third and last rotation was for 11 months and based in San Francisco, working as an HR Business Partner in Genentech, a member of the Roche Group and headquarters for the Roche pharmaceuticals division in the US. Taking over an HRBP role for the very first time, I supported a commercial group that is around 250 employees. My role was to provide this group with any HR related assistance on topics like compensation, performance management, employee relations, staffing etc. I very much enjoyed being a partner to the group that has such a direct touch to patients’ lives.

In October 2017, I completed the HR Perspectives program and started to my post program role in Basel. I am working as a Talent Acquisition Expert and supporting both Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics divisions. Talent Acquisition has always been an area that I am interested in, working on I find it to be very rewarding topics like supporting the buildup of a new group in Diagnostics division, leading a global competitive intelligence project and actively doing recruitment and scouting for talents who share the same values with our organization and passion we have to serve the patients better. 

My mentor and HR Perspectives program manager have been a great help, supporting me to find my next role at Roche and I am grateful for that. I am definitely looking forward to experience upcoming challenges and opportunities here!
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From a personal perspective my biggest learning so far is:

That nervous feeling you get when you are doing something out of your comfort zone is normal and that is the moment you learn the most. During the program I moved to countries I have never been in before, took responsibilities I have never taken before and this journey taught me so much! This program provided me the stage to take risks and be courageous. It is not only a career development, but also a personal growth.​​​​​​​
Learning opportunities at Roche are endless. There is always a new challenge to take and you are given a great space for your development. One just needs to be open for it. I have a support system here that is always there when I am in need which is especially important in this early stage of my career. It is not only my mentor and line manager, but also our program manager and my peers are always open to support and provide feedback to my work that I find it to be very helpful. I can see the future career and development opportunities at Roche clearly. 
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My challenges are:

It does take time to understand the structure of Roche and learn the abbreviations used within the company. But I have learnt to be patient and ask for help. Another challenge for me is that just at a time where I feel comfortable at work and in the city, moving to another location where I will need to start again and adapt to the new conditions. However, Roche is a global company committed to its values and celebrates diverse experiences, so it is a pleasure to be here and share these experiences with my colleagues all over the world. I feel very happy that I was a part of such program and the learnings out of the HR Perspectives experience will always be a valuable part of my career.