Pioneer Profile: Meet Anna Bertoldini
4th Oct 2023
It’s time that we recognise the people behind the evolving world of work. Our working lives have shifted to being more inclusive, more people-centric, more flexible, and just plain better for both employees and companies.
These changes didn’t just happen: they were put into place and upheld by individuals and teams working to create a better working future for everyone.
So we’re finally putting the spotlight on the people who make great companies great: the people-people.
People-people are crucial to the success of every company. They find you the talent that drives you forwards, and they’ve taken on an increasingly strategic role in the past few years – often taking on responsibility for mental health, diversity and inclusion, culture, EVPs, Employer Branding and team happiness.
Read more about the Pioneers List and go behind the scenes to understand how and why we’ve selected our Pioneers.We were lucky enough to speak with Anna Bertoldini, Global Head of Employer Branding at NielsenIQ about her career, her experiences with flexible working and building great company cultures, and her hopes for the future of work.
Let’s dig in!
Tell us a little bit about your career history, and how you got to where you are now. What were the key milestones?
I love this question, my career has brought me all over the place.
In the beginning, my career and aspirations weren’t linear. I studied international relations and communication in my bachelor's and marketing and sales in my master’s. I fell into employer branding by chance after working in different companies across big Fortune 500 organisations and smaller companies in positions ranging from content management to marketing, and communications. I applied to an employer branding position right after grad school and thought it would be the right choice for me. And I’ve loved it ever since.
Employer branding is creative and there’s still so much room for experimentation. It combines a people-centric mindset with lots of strategic thinking.
What I love most is its focus on people and long-term thinking. I feel like a lot of my work is creating and sharing positive experiences, upskilling and empowering our teams, and crafting messaging people believe in and get excited about.
Ultimately, what gets me out of bed every morning is the desire to engage and inform people with authentic and captivating content. I made it my mission to help global companies build their brand and communicate their culture, mission, values, and purpose with authentic and people-centric storytelling. After living in 6 countries, I listened to people and learned that we all have something to teach and to tell. We just have to find our unique voice.
When did you become interested in flexible working, EVPs and the future of work?
I think the future of work is flexible and I believe that if employees have the trust and optimal working conditions they need to succeed, magic happens. They’ll do their best work and deliver better results.
I think companies are starting to care more about employee wellbeing, engagement, and development as it's becoming a business imperative.What’s the biggest impact flexible working has had on your own life?
Flexible working has given me the chance to balance my work and life more effectively, and I've improved my overall wellbeing and performance. I find that I’m more productive because I’m empowered and trusted to structure my day in a way that allows me to do my best work.
What’s the biggest challenge of being in your role right now?
My personal challenge is to make sure our organisation keeps attracting the right talent. Not all talent, the right talent that's aligned with our values and working culture, in the midst of a competitive market.
For this, I focus on making sure our EVP messaging and candidate experience are consistent, positive, and human. I do this by upskilling and empowering our teams to activate our brand through knowledge, assets, and resources (and the flexibility to personalise it through their unique voice and audience!).What do you think the next big trend is in working culture?
I think the future of work is going to involve a bigger focus on employee engagement and human-centric experiences.
As different generations make up the workplace, I see innovation, inclusion, and well-being becoming more important in the future as workplaces transform to become more flexible and decentralised.