Getting out of your comfort zone: that’s the focus of a job rotation. This is what Thomas from RWE Supply & Trading had in mind when he knocked on Ulf Kerstin's door and expressed his desire to look beyond the horizons of his job. No sooner said than done: a short time later, he met Helen from RWE Generation and changed jobs, teams and RWE companies for four weeks. In an interview, they report on their experiences. It could make you want a change of scenery.
Profiles
Helen has worked at RWE for 12 years. She started in the renewables division, then moved to npower and currently works in the finance division of RWE Generation as Head of Asset Controlling Gas. Her team provides business partnering, reporting and planning support to all the Gas assets across UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Turkey. Helen is also the Finance Director of the UK Generation legal entities where she is involved in all local M&A activities and overarching UK topics eg pensions, dividends etc.
Thomas has been with RWE Supply & Trading since 2009. With his team of eight, he looks after S&T Risk Controlling Trading in Essen. Thomas and his team have Risk Control responsibility for five trading desks with diverse trading and origination business in the Continental European energy complex, North American gas and power markets, Carbon, Weather, Metals and more.
The Interview
Thomas, you got the ball rolling in July 2021. Why were you so keen to do a job rotation?
Thomas: Every two years, I take it upon myself to get out of my comfort zone and learn something new. On the one hand, this allows me to network even better within the Group and get to know other business units, and on the other hand, it gives me new motivation. As two years had more or less passed, I simply knocked on Ulf's door and said: it's time again.
Helen, Ulf Kerstin told your manager about Thomas’ wish and you were on board as soon as you heard about it. Did you already know Thomas and why did you want to swap places with him?
Helen: I didn't know Thomas at all at that stage. In our day-to-day work, our teams don't have much to do with each other. My day-to-day work is dominated by numbers, reports and analyses. With Thomas, I honestly knew almost nothing about what he and his team did. I only knew that he worked at RWEST and that this was the RWE company I was the least familiar with. I wanted to change that!
Were four weeks long enough for you to leave your usual tasks behind?
Thomas: Absolutely. In four weeks you get a good insight into routines and processes and an overview of the most important topics and tasks. Of course, you can't get to grips with all the issues in detail; I don't know enough about the world of RWE Generation for that. But that was never the goal.
Helen: That's exactly how I see it. We were both fully committed, and with one or two exceptions, we've really embraced this new adventure. Plus, we both have great teams that keep the business going and drive projects independently.
What have you taken back to your teams from the job rotation?
Helen: Even if it sounds a bit strange in retrospect, what stuck in my mind most was the very helpful and friendly nature of the RWEST colleagues. I simply hadn't expected that and thought they were all hard-nosed traders. (laughs) They are, but they have a great team spirit and are incredibly nice and helpful. They also work in an extremely structured and process-oriented way. I definitely learned a thing or two from them.
Thomas: I'm now much more familiar with RWE Generation and know what challenges and opportunities lie ahead for the Gas Division. Coming into a team as an outsider and not being an expert in the field can be incredibly refreshing. You question more and can see how other teams overcome challenges and get their bearings. I'm also pleased to have found such an experienced manager in Helen to exchange ideas with in the future.
Do you have any tips for colleagues who could also imagine changing roles?
Thomas: Just do it - take the initiative and get involved in the adventure!
Helen: Absolutely. It doesn't always have to be a colleague who works in a similar field or in their own company. Quite the opposite! After all, jumping in at the deep end is the most refreshing thing.