Technology is ever-changing, how do you keep up? IT at Nestlé promotes a culture of continuous learning
Jens Schubert, Manager Change Management
I’ve been with Nestlé for a little over 18 years, 15 of those years I’ve spent with IT at Nestlé. I’ve had the opportunity to work in various roles, on various projects, and even in a few different countries.
Tell us more about Scrum@Scale, what exactly does this mean?
Scrum helps agile teams work together productively to achieve one common goal. When an organization works according to Scrum it allows for focus on the entire ecosystem of teams to then begin to transform organizational culture. This is where Scrum@Scale comes in.
IT at Nestlé continues to move towards an agile workplace and up-skill and re-skill initiatives are vital to our employees to continue to be a leader in the marketplace. By doing this, it requires new ways of working, a change in our mindset, and the introduction of new opportunities and careers within our organization. I am passionate towards organizational change management and learning and development. With the need for agile coaches and trainers to help build agile and scrum capabilities from a talent pool perspective, I knew the agile learning path was something I needed to explore. I successfully completed the Registered Scrum Master certification in May, then completed the Registered Product Owner certification in July. Most recently, I earned a certification in Registered Scrum@Scale and will begin working on my Registered Agile coach certification come this July. What attracted me most to continuous learning in agile is the career growth opportunities it presents our organization with, which is also aligned with our company vision and objectives.
How have you felt supported by Nestlé IT in your continuous learning?
Working in IT at Nestlé, the culture of learning is a core organizational value and strongly supported by our senior leadership team. In addition, our organization makes a commitment to provide the resources necessary to support employees learning and development journeys. I see this clearly with the various certification opportunities and investments to re-skill and up-skill our employees. My manager is an authentic support system for me and encourages me in my development goals and career aspirations including where I want my career to go.
What’s something you learned while taking the Scrum@Scale course that you feel is most important? How do you plan to use your gained knowledge in your current or future role(s)?
Delivering business value. This is most important when it comes to our receivers, or operational companies, but in my case IT employees’, needs. Prioritization of tasks should be based on business value and not always based on urgency. Ask the product owner, or client, probing questions towards bringing the best business value. Agile has a direct correlation to what has moved the focus from planning to business value. My team successfully applied Scrum in our IT at Nestlé transformation project. As a result, we delivered Sprints faster, focused on the right priorities, empowered individuals, and team members became more collaborative while supporting one another more resulting in added business value.
What advice would you give someone who is new to Nestlé IT or interested in a career at Nestlé IT?
There are a couple pieces of advice I would give someone. First, step out of your comfort zone and explore new career opportunities. You can do this by saying yes to the things that scare you. It’s imperative to start thinking of yourself as a lifelong learner. Deeply considering your career path, setting realistic goals, not being afraid to speak up, and finding a job you genuinely enjoy is also advice I would give someone interested in a career with us. Be a team player but keep asking questions and let go of perfection. Take ownership of your career path, as it is completely up you.
