"Respect is the basis for our collaboration"
Jelena Wüst in the BRUSA HyPower Talk. Jelena Wüst, 35, from eastern Switzerland with Croatian roots, has been Head of HR at BRUSA since March 2021. She played an active part in the carve-out of BRUSA HyPower 2021 to form an independent company. She describes herself as fair and solution-oriented, and in her day-to-day work, she actively promotes a strong corporate culture.
Buchs SG - 07.06.2022
Jelena Wüst, how do you define a good corporate culture?
Respectful interaction, because respect is the basis for our collaboration. Taking people seriously. Active listening. This is the only way we can work together to drive important issues forward and tackle even challenging situations in a constructive way. In 2021, we implemented a carve-out at a time when it was all but impossible to meet with each other face-to-face – and thus to actually sense each other’s mood. Particularly during a phase of transformation, this is an essential aspect. Today, we are on a very good trajectory. In a recent company-wide anonymous employee survey, some 90 percent of the respondents indicated that they enjoy or very much enjoy working for BRUSA. This obvious enthusiasm also pleases and motivates me.
Your workforce is very international. How does this affect your day-to-day work?
BRUSA HyPower in Buchs currently employs some 200 people from 23 nations. The production team in Sennwald, 15 kilometres away, has about 20. I know almost all my colleagues personally. And I know every single one by name, and we are constantly growing. In conversations with my colleagues, I always try to find common ground. I attach great importance to fairness and I am solution-oriented.
In Shenzhen, China, we are currently setting up a business location where we recruit locally. It is my responsibility to ensure that our high standards are also implemented there. People who work for BRUSA do so out of conviction and typically with the willingness to go the extra mile.
There are some colleagues whom so far I have unfortunately only met virtually, which is also due to the past two years’ pandemic. I am very pleased that we can now get together again in person. Together with the benefits of working from home part of the time, a pragmatic mode of cooperation has emerged within the company. This in turn supports our culture.
How do you convince candidates to work in Buchs? The company headquarters are situated in a somewhat unusual geographical location, aren’t they?
We are unusual anyhow, in many respects – and I mean this in a positive sense (laughs). From here, we have for almost 40 years been shaping the electromobility of the future. BRUSA operates in an exclusive segment, as a technology leader for the development of power converters and on-board chargers. We develop technologically outstanding products while at the same time creating a meaningful social impact. We are currently offering very attractive job opportunities, in particular for engineers in the field of electrical engineering. From young professionals to experienced specialists.
The Swiss Sarganserland-Werdenberg region offers a great deal, both for us as a company with a rich history as well as for people who want to work at the forefront of technology and who appreciate an excellent quality of life. Our multicultural and diverse teams reflect this. And our offices are located in a state-of-the-art building that meets all the strictest sustainability standards. Supported by an environment that actively embraces the networking of industry and academia. In short: The mix of “Swissness” and international orientation is optimal here. bhp