Merck Group’s Nollaig Murphy discusses her role as HR business partner and the long-lasting effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on work culture.
Nollaig Murphy is a chartered accountant who originally trained as an auditor with KPMG. Since moving into HR in 2019, Murphy has been involved in all aspects of the area including an acquisition, TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment rights), compensation and benefits, employee relations and project management.
In her current role, she is a HR business partner supporting Ireland at Merck, where her main responsibilities are compensation and benefits and HR service delivery. According to Murphy, she spends very little time on recruitment as it outsourced.
“On a day-to-day basis, we are also responsible for all aspects of the employee life cycle.”
What are the biggest HR challenges facing your company right now?
The biggest challenge is striking the right balance between remote working and being on-site. Since Covid-19, flexibility is one of the main benefits that employees are looking for and it is most certainly a retention factor. Due to the nature of our business as a manufacturing facility, there is no option of flexible working for many of the roles.
We are tackling this problem by trying to expand our suite of family-friendly policies by encouraging employees to strike the right balance between work and home life. Additionally, we are focusing on committing to a continuous engagement approach in order to develop our employee value proposition to retain key talent.
What has been the biggest culture change within your organisation in the last five years?
Like most organisations over the past five years, one of the most significant culture changes has been the increasing emphasis on remote work and flexible work arrangements. The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated this shift, prompting the adoption of remote work policies out of necessity. While our employees are working remotely, our culture focuses on trust, autonomy and effective virtual communication tools and practices. This shift has challenged the traditional work-life balance and as outlined above, it is a challenge to maintain due to the nature of our business.
‘HR should proactively cultivate a positive work environment that promotes employee engagement, satisfaction and wellbeing’
What key strategies, tools and resources are you using to prepare for the future of work?
Employee wellbeing: Recognising the importance of employee wellbeing, implementing initiatives to support mental health, work-life balance and overall wellness.
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives: A conscious focus on diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace to create more equitable and inclusive environment. This includes implementing policies to foster diversity and promote belonging. Continue to expand employee resource groups. We also participate in initiatives such as International Women’s Day and Gay Pride.
Flexible work policies: Recognising the benefits of flexible work arrangements, such as remote work and flexible hours, Reviewing the possibility of adopting policies that accommodate diverse work preferences and lifestyles in order to promote and improve employee satisfaction, retention and productivity.
Upskilling and re-skilling: Allowing employees to take charge of their own career and through cross functional training, leveraging our extensive training programmes to expand technical knowledge and soft skills and engaging in educational assistance to further professional development.
Adopting agile work practices: Looking for opportunities to adapt to changing circumstances and market demands. Agile approaches promote flexibility, collaboration and continuous improvement.
What is the one thing you think HR teams should either stop doing, or start doing differently?
Regarding employee engagement and wellbeing, rather than simply reacting to employee concerns or dissatisfaction, HR should proactively cultivate a positive work environment that promotes employee engagement, satisfaction and wellbeing. This may involve implementing wellness programmes, fostering open communication channels and providing opportunities for professional development and career advancement.
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