HR Insights: 10 Questions for Irene Mark-Eisenring

1. HR credo: What is your personal HR credo in one sentence?

As HR, we create added value for our company - through people.

2. Culture in one sentence: If your culture were a dish - what would it be?

The atmosphere is as important as the actual meal: Bühler would therefore be a shared meal at a large table with good, committed people who believe in what they are doing. Everyone contributes something, you help each other with the cooking and in the end you have many different international, inspiring dishes. And we discuss how almost everything from aperitifs to pasta to dessert chocolate has come into contact with Bühler Technology at some point!

3. Tool diet: Which tool would you eliminate today to gain focus?

It would be exciting to put PowerPoint on a diet - so that good ideas are thought through first and don't immediately flow into countless slides. And basically: any tool that simulates urgency. Because not everything that flashes is really important.

4. AI in HR: What is your favourite AI-supported tool - and why?

I use Microsoft Copilot and our internal Bühler ChatGPT the most. Both help me to develop ideas further, get additional input and sharpen texts - such as emails or drafts - linguistically (like the answer to this question 😊).

5. HR with added value: Can you give a specific example where HR has made a measurable difference?

One example is our TOP Leadership Initiative, which we launched three years ago. It has had a lasting positive impact on the understanding of leadership at Bühler and has had a noticeable effect on the satisfaction of our employees. We have also developed HR in such a way that we provide even more targeted support to the business - from reorganisations to talent development in our global subsidiaries.

6. Metrics with purpose: Which one HR metric do you track every week - and why exactly this one?

I regularly monitor both HR and business KPIs, for example personnel costs in relation to turnover. At the same time, I don't focus on any single key figure alone. The direct exchange with business, HR and employees is also crucial for me - because you can only identify many relevant topics if you feel the pulse of the organisation.

7. HR agenda 2026: What topics are at the top of your HR agenda for 2026?

1. How do we empower our employees to use AI positively and productively - and how do we shape the necessary leadership, skills and organisational transformation, including within HR?
2. How do we continue to develop our managers, especially in light of our new performance management approach?
3. How do we expand our sales and service expertise in dynamic markets in an even more targeted manner?

8. HR revolution: If you could completely rethink HR, how would you change it?

I believe in consistent evolution rather than radical revolution. HR needs to move even closer to the business, be a credible role model for its own processes and reconcile the needs of people and the organisation in the best possible way - always with corporate responsibility.

9. Looking to the future: How will HR change in the next 10 years?

In ten years' time, HR will be an even more important strategic pillar of the organisation: highly digitalised in administrative areas, efficiently positioned and on an equal footing with the business. At the same time, HR People will be a strong driver of organisational development and all central people issues.

10. Recommendation: Which book, podcast or film has inspired you recently?

Book: «Thinking, Fast and Slow» by Daniel Kahneman. It impressively shows how our brain makes decisions and why we often act less rationally than we think.

Film: I recently saw «One Battle After Another» on a plane. A powerful film starring Leonardo DiCaprio that impressed me with its intensity and topicality. I'm not surprised that it won six Oscars this year.