Before she came to our Human Resources department, Pauline Paulson was the human resources department.

AVP and HRIS & Benefits Administrator Pauline Paulson just marked 20 years with North Shore Bank.

Pauline worked at a bank in Marshfield, Wisconsin, for 13 years as a teller, a consumer loan officer, and finally as its only HR staffer. “I was a little burnt out from the lending process, and I wanted something different, maybe having employees as my customers,” she says. “When the only HR position opened up, I lobbied the manager relentlessly until she couldn’t turn me away.”

Pauline handled hiring, payroll, benefits, and everything else. The experience would come in handy when she and her husband, Jeff, moved to the Brookfield area in late 1994 because of his job.

“I felt like a fish out of water, working at temporary jobs and trying to adapt to the ‘big city,’” she remembers. “I was fortunate to come across a classified ad seeking an HR generalist at a bank two miles from my home. I remember thinking that this was meant to be.”

Change and growth
Just months after North Shore Bank hired Pauline in June 1995, we merged with Badger Bank — and Badger’s head of HR, Judy Van Goethem, took over the department here.

“I was uncertain where I would fit in, but it opened up a whole new dimension in my career,” Pauline says. “Judy and I just clicked really well.” Among other things, Judy put Pauline in charge of handling benefits at North Shore Bank, which continues to be one of Pauline’s main responsibilities. She works with current HR VP Molly Schissler to design the bank’s insurance plan and takes care of the corresponding administrative work. “Assisting employees in understanding their benefits is the most rewarding part of my day. I really enjoy providing this help and guidance.”

Pauline also spends a lot of time creating reports for different managers throughout the bank. “It’s actually quite interesting, once you learn the language.” In fact, she notes, one of the charms of working in HR is that she gets to use her analytical skills as well as engage with people. “I meet the everyday challenges with my ability to prioritize and with lots of common sense.”

A feline affinity
Though her professional expertise is in human resources, Pauline harbors a deep fondness for friends of other species. When she started at North Shore, she had four cats and has owned as many as five at once.

“I’m down to two now,” she says, “and the older I get, the less I want to take on.” Still, she admits, if a sweet little stray wandered into her path, she’d have a tough time not giving it a home. “I used to volunteer at the Wisconsin Humane Society, and if I were independently wealthy, I would own and operate a no-kill animal shelter.”

And while she’s certainly much busier than her pets, Pauline draws inspiration from them in one area, joking that if she weren’t working for North Shore Bank, she’d be sleeping in every morning.

“There’s nothing secret about it!” she says, laughing, when asked if she’s secretly a late sleeper. “Of course, whenever I retire, I won’t have to answer to an alarm clock. I’ll be able to wake up on my terms, so I’ll probably be up early anyway.”