Talentech people stories: Annelie’s 12-year journey at Talentech began by doing a little bit of everything

If you’ve ever worked with Annelie Wistedt, chances are you’ve heard someone call her an expert, a superstar – or even the mother of Talentech. And it’s no surprise. With more than 12 years at the company, an incredible amount of knowledge, and a personality that mixes warmth, honesty, and sharp expertise, she’s made a strong impression on both colleagues and customers.

“Oh, that’s a lot of nice names, thank you. But I actually have another one that I think fits,” she laughs. “During a meeting, someone once called me a potato. It was in Norway, where apparently, it’s an expression. And it was meant as a compliment – because potatoes can do everything. Baked, mashed, fried… That’s me. I’ve done a little bit of everything.” 

And it couldn’t be more true. Because Annelie’s journey at Talentech is all about daring to change direction, building from scratch, and never being afraid to try – even if it sometimes means failing.

A leap into the unknown 

Her career actually began far away from the tech world. After studying finance and marketing, Annelie started working in executive search. But after her maternity leave with triplets (!) she realized it was time for something new. 

“You learn to multitask as a mom. Maybe even more so when you have triplets. No matter how much you do, it never feels like enough – so you find solutions.” 

That mindset stayed with her when she applied for a job as a consultant at HR Manager (which later became Talentech). She even took a pay cut and threw herself into an industry she knew nothing about. 

“I had never worked with anything like it before. But I love systems, and I love working with people. And here I got the perfect combination of both – so I just dove right in.” 

Two people, one office – and sixty unhappy customers 

When she started, the Swedish office was tiny. Just Annelie and one colleague, Carolina. 

“We sat back-to-back in this brown, boring office. Carolina handled support, implementations, and invoices. I did everything else – took care of customers, ran demos, created marketing emails, wrote bids… everything. And on Mondays, I was completely alone because Carolina was on parental leave. So I was support, Customer Success, sales, marketing, procurement – all in one.” 

Daring to test – and test again  

Much of what Annelie does today, she has no formal training in. And she sees that as a strength. 

“When I started, I was completely lost. But since we were so few, no one else knew either, so I could just try. That was the beauty of it. If I had joined a big, rigid company, I would never have dared or had the opportunity.” 

One example? A public procurement process she had never done before. 

“I opened the email and thought: okay, let’s give it a try. I filled it out as best I could – and we won.” 

Trial and error have since become her driving force. From product testing to hackathon ideas to creating internal tools for publishing and sales. 

“It’s not brain surgery. If something doesn’t work, we change it. Try again. Learn. And get better.” 

From generalist to trusted advisor 

The chaos never stopped her – quite the opposite. She thrived on the variety and, most of all, the customer contact. 

“Customers challenge you. They give you energy. And if something doesn’t work, they’ll tell you. You build trust by being honest, thorough, knowledgeable – and sometimes very creative. Early on, I wanted us to move from just being a system provider to becoming real advisors. A knowledge hub. And I think we’ve come a long way.” 

As Talentech grew and merged with other companies, her role changed again. She began to focus more on the partner area – integrations, supporting CSMs and sales, and building frameworks that connect Talentech’s tools with the wider recruitment world. 

“We realized we needed an easier way to share information. Sales teams just couldn’t keep up with everything. So, me and Camilla (our former Marketing Manager) started building partner landing pages – pages that could easily be shared and updated as changes occurred.  Today, they’re used in several countries and have become knowledge-hubs.” 

Why stay so long? 

After 12 years, countless projects, system changes, and organizational shifts – what makes her stay? 

“I love learning. Understanding how things connect across systems, departments, and people. And I love being useful. For me, it’s not about holding on to knowledge, but about making sure things work for others. That’s what drives me.” 

Of course, it hasn’t always been easy. Annelie is open about the tough times – like losing colleagues during restructurings, or when changes moved too quickly. 

“The only thing I’ve really disagreed with? When we centralized marketing. That made it difficult to meet the needs of our market here in Sweden. But apart from that? I understand most changes. And I speak up when I don’t.” 

What’s next 

Now, she’s stepping even further into the product world, working closely with the development team. 

“I’ve always wanted to help influence the product. Now I get to be part of the actual decision-making – and it’s so exciting. I’m really energized about what we’re building. And I want to be there to see where it takes us.” 

A final piece of advice  

When asked what advice she’d give to others – or to her younger self – she doesn’t hesitate: 

“Ask all the stupid questions. Click all the buttons. Try everything. And find a mentor you trust and can learn from. That’s how you grow.” 

And to companies? 

“Hire moms. Seriously. Moms get things done like no one else 😊.” 

Annelie’s journey is a story of persistence, humility, and quiet expertise. She doesn’t lead with title or status – but with usefulness, determination, and a sharp sense of how people, systems, and businesses truly work.