In spring, Tatjana Pashchenko realised a rather unusual idea without further ado. She completed a three-and-a-half-month internship at Pro Data GmbH - in parallel to her work as Senior Legal Counsel in the Group Legal department. In the one_Interview, she explains why she took this initiative, how this temporary insight into another department, known as Job Swop, paid off for her - and what tips she has for interested colleagues.

one: Tatjana Pashchenko, how did your Job Swop come about?
Tatjana Pashchenko: Originally, I wanted to get Friedrich Zimmermann, Head of Holding Tax Group, to speak at our internal legal academy so that he could introduce us to Pro Data, which has grown rapidly in recent years. We are all under the same roof, have dealings with each other - and yet we don't know each other very well. During the conversation, the offer came up to do a job swop in the tax sector.

one: How did you react to the offer?
Tatjana Pashchenko : I had actually already thought about it very specifically, but not with Pro Data, but with my internal clients in order to better understand their operational view, connections and backgrounds. My clients include group companies such as REWE Markt, Toom and Transport & Logistik.

The tax colleagues are not my clients, but we have a lot in common and can learn a lot from each other. However, I had a few preconceptions about the tax sector, even though or perhaps because I didn't know it. I thought they were certainly dry, boring topics. But most processes in the Group are driven by tax law, it's a hugely important department. So I embarked on this "adventure".

one: What happened next?
Tatjana Pashchenko: Legally very quickly, that's just the way I am. I spoke to my line manager Peter Bracken, who immediately said that this was a unique opportunity. We had a lot of projects and topics in common and a job swop could help us to understand each other better. The only question was when and how.

one: Were you thinking of the classic Job Swop principle, i.e. a kind of full-time internship?
Tatjana Pashchenko: No. It didn't even occur to me to ask for time off. We have a very high workload and it was inconceivable for me to have my work covered by my colleagues. So it was clear that it would have to run parallel to my job. But having two full-time jobs at the same time is obviously not feasible, so we looked for a compromise solution.

one: What was your solution?
Tatjana Pashchenko : I was present in the tax department a few days a week. It all worked well despite coronavirus, and my contacts were also on site. The rest of the time, I took care of my day-to-day legal business. The days were just a bit longer... We always found a good solution depending on the needs and situation.

I believe that the whole thing worked well mainly because I had the support of both the internal clients and my line manager. So my model was: I continue to do my work in parallel, but concentrate on the essentials and sensitise my clients to the situation. That was no problem at all and was met with complete understanding. In particularly urgent cases, I received support from my colleagues.

one: And how were the arrangements with the head of your "host area"?
Tatjana Pashchenko: The conversation with Friedrich Zimmermann was mainly about: what does he expect, does he want my full-time, active involvement or is a taster enough? Other important questions we asked ourselves were: where are the overlaps, what makes sense, what benefits everyone the most. We then chose two departments in which I was mainly deployed. I then drew up an induction plan.

one: What was your induction plan about?
Tatjana Pashchenko: It was about my motivation, goals and concrete measures to realise them. I need such an overview, which means structure and commitment for me. It was important that the plan was realistic and fitted in with day-to-day business.

one: What else is important for such an endeavour?
Tatjana Pashchenko: Planning is the be-all and end-all. And mutual expectations have to match. Because such an "internship" has to be meaningful.

one: When does it make sense?
Tatjana Pashchenko : When there are overlaps and points of contact, when a job rotation can improve collaboration. And in our case, there should be something in it for everyone, for me and the tax department as well as for my clients.

one: A lot of experience means a lot of questions. But if you ask a lot of questions, you sometimes get in the way and disrupt day-to-day business. What was the response from your tax colleagues to your undoubtedly many questions?
Tatjana Pashchenko: Of course, I asked myself that beforehand. Tax law was a closed book for me, I had great respect for the people at Pro Data and found their knowledge almost superhuman. But Friedrich Zimmermann was sure that his employees would be delighted with me and my interest. And in fact, they were all really welcoming and took a lot of time for me. Perhaps I also had an exotic bonus, as I was the first "job swopper".

one: And such interest also means appreciation...
Tatjana Pashchenko: Exactly. They sensed my interest in their work and in the people. It was a very warm welcome and a really nice time, they invited me to their regulars' table and to the department's summer party. And I quickly realised that tax experts are not dry at all..

one: So you were able to break down prejudices through real encounters. Why do you generally find it important to gain such insights into other departments?
Tatjana Pashchenko: You can only benefit from it. Depending on the task at hand, it makes sense to look at the problem from a specialised perspective. But if you think in interdisciplinary terms, you can find the optimum solution more quickly together.

one: What else has it brought you? How is the collaboration now?
Tatjana Pashchenko: After three and a half months of internship, of course I won't pass my tax consultant exam, but that wasn't my goal either. My aim was to exchange ideas across disciplines and departments, to network, create synergies and learn from each other. And that worked out.

The cooperation between Legal and Tax is now noticeably better, both professionally and personally. We know each other. If I or my clients have a problem, I now know who to ask. The answers come faster, it's no longer anonymous. Of course, this also applies the other way round. Legal and tax are not a "black box" for each other.

one: Final question: You have a full-time job and a family. How did you manage the Swop job, physically, privately and in terms of time?
Tatjana Pashchenko: It really does leave its mark. It's a really exhausting and challenging time, and it's mainly a question of organisation. You can't overdo it and you have to make the cut in the evening. When I felt like my head was spinning, my boot camp and jogging helped me to "blow off steam". I think an affinity for sport helps anyway, because the whole thing is really sporty.

Of course, the job rotation didn't go unnoticed in my family either. My three sons are 18, 14 and 10 years old and completely independent. But every now and then I've heard funny comments along the lines of: 'You're far too quiet, Mum, what's wrong with you?` And I didn't cook them enough, in their opinion. Well, they can now prepare many new dishes themselves.

one: Your tip for all those who are now motivated to do job rotation?
Tatjana Pashchenko: Have the courage to embark on a journey of discovery! After many years of working, you are in a comfort zone, but when you leave it, you are rewarded with new experiences and insights.