Noëlla, what does your job entail? 

I am a Human Capital Manager at Home Invest Belgium. A healthy staff policy is therefore my responsibility, both on a strategic and an operational level. I am effectively the link between the management and the employees. I also ensure that the working relationship runs smoothly, so that we meet the expectations of our employees on the one hand and achieve our organisational goals on the other.

What do you require to perform your job well? 

What’s essential to my position are employees, of course, and the organisation's belief that an HR policy is both valuable and essential in achieving the various business objectives. I take care of the most valuable resource of our organisation, our employees. I want to be available to them and offer a listening ear. Employees who are heard feel more connected to the organisation, and when they are involved, they also feel more committed to the organisation's objectives. My aim is to bind and connect employees and help them develop into true professionals. Investing in our people increases the success of our organisation.

What is your biggest challenge? 

I see two major challenges in HR today.

The first and most significant challenge is to never lose sight of our organisation. The organisation's ambitions must always be reflected on the workfloor. Employees must also be able to identify with them, thus contributing to the greater whole. It is my job to facilitate this, to guide and advise team leaders.

It is also essential to find the right people for our vacancies. The war for talent 2.0 is clearly palpable after two years of Covid. If we want to attract good candidates, we must continue to reinvent ourselves to remain an attractive employer, an employer of choice. We do this by regularly examining and redefining ourselves.

For instance, we have ensured that each new colleague goes through a complete traineeship within our organisation with the support of a buddy; we recently adapted our telework policy to the new hybrid work; we evolved our car policy to a full EV range; and we developed a CYOD policy together with our IT department that allows employees to make their own choices of IT material with a virtual budget.

In your opinion, which focus should Home Invest Belgium not lose sight of as a company?

Apart from investing in sustainable housing units, which is our core business, we must continue to invest in our employees, as they are our most important asset. We therefore consider training, development and our culture to be of great importance. After all, employees spend a great deal of their time with the company they work for. Without them, there is no growth. My HR motto is therefore: 'What if we invest in training and development of our people and they leave our organisation? Well, what if we don't invest in them and they stay?' The answer speaks for itself.

Where would you like Home Invest Belgium to be in 10 years’ time? 

I am convinced that we will be even stronger as landlord of choice. A landlord that tenants choose wholeheartedly because of the quality, sustainability and affordability of the residential units.  But also, an employer of choice, where employees identify with our culture and values and actively participate in the ins and outs of our company.

What is it that makes you proud to work for Home Invest Belgium?

Home Invest Belgium has understood that, to progress, it needs to invest in its employees. I am proud that our organisation effectively carries out this task. We organise working groups to make major decisions and changes understandable and then embed them in our company. We empower our leaders in coaching their employees and provide regular formal consultations in the form of our Thursday Talks, where the stage is shared with all employees. The event committee, which was founded last year, provides fun and relaxation. Work hard, play hard is our motto. I am proud to be part of this.

What are your passions? How did you develop them? 

I have a passion for interiors. Years ago, I trained as an interior designer, and it has become a hobby. I love advising and supporting people in developing their living style. Which colours and materials, how they can optimally use their space, which decorative elements are important. I prefer a minimalist approach, and this is often reflected in the advice I give. I love architects like Vincent Van Duysen, Nathalie Deboel and Dieter Vandervelpen, who take the purity of materials into account in their designs and take sobriety to the next level.  Less is definitely more. 

Which film genre do you prefer and is there one specific film that you really like?

I am a real cinephile. Ordinary television programmes are lost on me; I don't even have cable TV. But I do like all kinds of genres, and preferably I watch French films or miniseries. A recommendation? "Il était une deuxième fois" by director Guillaume Nicloux, currently on Netflix, with the unfortunately recently deceased Gaspard Ulliel. A masterpiece, if you ask me!

What kind of music do you listen to?

I listen to all kinds of music depending on how I feel. Last year I accidentally discovered the Russian singer, Jony. I don't understand a word of it, but I love his voice and the melancholy of his songs.

If you wanted to learn something more, take a course, what would it be and why?

I would like to follow a ceramics workshop and make my own tableware à la Pascale Naessens. This is on the agenda for this autumn. I always try to realise the dreams I have. Not YOLO, but YODO: You only die once and you live every day, so make the most of it.