Bernadine Wilke is the HR Specialist at CCBSA. She has been with the company since 2005 and has steadily worked herself to where she is today. She takes pride in being a nurturer in her role at the company and strives to go the extra mile to ensure she knows those around her well.
According to Bernadine, it is important for HR to be a partner at the table.
“I ensure that all labour legislation is adhered to and I belief that HR speaks on behalf of the employees, but at the same time ensure that the business’s well-being is a priority,” she says.
She adds that employees spend 80% of their day at the office and she wants them to feel that those hours spend away from their families are worth their while.
“Creating opportunities to learn and grow in our company is definitely top priority. We work and win in teams, but we also encourage young professionals who gets the opportunity to work for CCBSA, to embrace the learning culture we have. Our business is fast-paced, but with a solid learning foundation, motivation, support and guidance we aim to be the best bottler in the world!” she expresses.
Bernadine is a firm believer of allocating time for both professional responsibilities and personal time and considers it a fine art that comes with time and experience.
“Like they say: ‘with age, comes knowledge’. Although difficult sometimes, one needs to allocate specific time for your personal life, family and friends and leave your work at the office. Time management is crucial and planning your week in advance also helps a lot,” she says.
Bernadine says one thing her dad thought her was that no problem is without a solution.
“When facing challenges, I tend to pause for a short while, analyse the problem or issue at hand and then think of possible solutions. When I started in HR I thought it was my sole responsibility to solve everyone’s problems. I sat at the office till late at night and even over weekends, worrying that I’m not helping the employees by not solving their problems,” she says.
In her free time she loves to spend time with her family, friends and pets.
“I love to cook and feel that each occasion should be accompanied by good food. To relax and unwind, I sometimes just enjoy watching a movie or series. Art classes once a week, with my best friend, are diarised and everything else is arranged around my art class. This is ‘me-time’ and much cheaper than going for therapy.”
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Text: Justine Fortuin Photograph: SUPPLIED
