Proud to be a young woman in a demanding job

Active listening, respect and well-being at work

Helga Stefánsdóttir, Hildur Sigþórsdóttir and Jenný Dagbjört Gunnarsdóttir all have the common bond of being dynamic and ambitious managers and representatives for the City of Hafnarfjörður in the fields of environmental and planning, finance, childcare and education. Helga and Jenný have worked for the municipality for many years and possess a vast amount of experience and knowledge, whereas Hildur is a new and young manager who brings a breath of fresh air and sees opportunities for improvement and growth at every turn, not least in the field of digital development. An interview with them appeared in a special edition of the Fréttablaðið about women in business on Wednesday, 26 January, which was published in collaboration with FKA – the Association of Women in Business.

Interview with Helga Stefánsdóttir

Interview with Jennýju Dagbjörtu Gunnarsdóttur

Proud to be a young woman in a demanding job

In 2019, the Municipality of Hafnarfjörður signed a letter of intent to work towards the goals of the FKA Gender Balance Scale, and in 2022 the municipality received the award after achieving gender parity in the top management. „The policy of the City of Hafnarfjörður is to equalise the gender balance in employment with the city and for its workplaces to reflect the diversity of the community. The most qualified person is appointed each time regardless of gender, but when qualifications are equal, gender could be a factor if there is a bias towards one gender in the sector. However, that was not the case for me, as women are in the vast majority in my department. I was simply the most qualified,“ says Hildur Sigþórsdóttir, head of the payroll department at Hafnarfjörður municipality, and laughs. The municipality employs around 2,200 staff at 73 locations. „The range of services provided by the municipality is extensive, the trade unions are different, the collective agreements are varied, and the jobs are governed by these agreements. My job requires good overview, knowledge and understanding and, perhaps not least, skills in human interaction and an interest in people.“

Hildur, who is a business studies graduate, took up her current position at the end of 2022 but had been a consultant within the payroll department since 2021. „I'm still settling into the role. I know my team well and the transition is going better than expected. We already had a fantastic department head who was keen to share their experience and knowledge. As a team, we benefit from that, and I make a point of drawing on the wealth of experience of those who have worked for the council for a long time.“

The core has opened up new opportunities and possibilities.

The Municipality of Hafnarfjörður recently implemented the HR and payroll system Kjarna, and in her new role, Hildur took on the task of being the linchpin of that implementation. Kjarni has opened up new opportunities and possibilities and has been an important link both in the council's digital journey and in the implementation of the equal pay standard, which requires regular reviews of salaries and remuneration. „Kjarni from Origo is an excellent, comprehensive system that manages all human resources and payroll matters. The system is exceptionally user-friendly, and this fact has been crucial for a successful implementation that requires the involvement of all managers at Hafnarfjörður Municipality.“ says Hildur.