Tractebel and HR Partners: A Shared Vision of the HR Role Head of HR at Tractebel, Corine Baudet explains how HR Partners met her expectations when she needed external support for her team. They quickly proposed strong candidates. Their understanding of the HR Business Partner role matched ours: the right technical and ‘hard’ skills, mastery of HR terminology and processes. With 300 employees spread across its various Belgian sites, a strong international presence, and high-level expertise in fields such as energy and nuclear engineering, Tractebel is a major name in the engineering world.“Our design office is part of the Engie Group. It’s organized into three main units that mirror our business areas: nuclear, energy, and infrastructure,” explains Corine Baudet, Head of HR, Communications & QHSE for Belgium. HR Business Partner: More Than Just Soft Skills “I manage a team of HR Business Partners working across our three units. What do I think is essential to succeed in this role within our context? Beyond social competencies and soft skills, it’s crucial to have the right technical knowledge and a solid grasp of HR processes in order to work autonomously. You also need to be able to challenge our demanding audience—made up largely of engineers—and to support and guide managers in leading their teams.” The Impact of Nuclear Extension When Corine needed to strengthen her team, she turned to HR Partners.“Initially, it was to cover a maternity leave during a reorganization of our HR approach. Later on, we needed additional support following the extension of nuclear reactors in Belgium. With 200 people hired in 2023 and 290 planned for 2024, this extension had a direct impact on the number of projects assigned to Tractebel—and therefore on our recruitment plan and my team’s workload.” A Shared Vision of Competencies and Real Added Value The profiles selected by HR Partners clearly aligned with Corine’s expectations and vision.“They quickly proposed strong candidates. Their understanding of the HR Business Partner role matched ours: the right technical and ‘hard’ skills, mastery of HR terminology and processes, and—most importantly—a grasp of their underlying purpose. Their HR consultants were therefore immediately operational and brought real added value. Another aspect of the collaboration that I particularly appreciated? The follow-up provided by HR Partners. This support allows us to give better feedback and react quickly if any challenges arise. It’s also a real benefit for the consultants themselves, who feel supported and can work in a more comfortable environment,” concludes Corine Baudet.