In conversation with ...Roelinda Noorderink, HR Manager at Alpuro and Navobi
The most important thing in your job is to be in a place where you are comfortable and feel safe.
Roelinda Noorderink, Human Resource (HR) Manager at Alpuro and Navobi, both of which specialise in calf feed, has worked for the VanDrie Group for almost 30 years. She started as a secretarial assistant and had the opportunity to develop within the organisation to her current position. She now focuses entirely on all facets of HR. In this interview, she talks about what dignified work means to her and how she is contributing towards that within the VanDrie Group.
Roelinda, what do you think good employment practices entail?
Roelinda: “That is a very broad concept that involves many factors. In my opinion, good employment practices are mainly about making sure people are in the right position. That they enjoy what they do and work in an environment that feels pleasant and safe. As an employer, you are largely responsible for that.”
At Alpuro and Navobi, how do you ensure that the working environment is perceived as pleasant by employees?
“We make sure that everyone is included in the developments taking place within the organisation. Our industry and our business are situated in an ever-changing environment. Employees need to know that the VanDrie Group is aware of this and that the company is responding to it, giving them the assurance that the continued existence of the VanDrie Group is guaranteed. In addition, the movement within the chain means that the work our people are doing is changing. That can be challenging, especially if someone has been used to doing their job in a certain way for years.”
How do you tackle that?
“We communicate a lot internally. For instance, we distribute a weekly newsletter covering all the current developments. There are several work meetings and at Navobi there is a focus group. That focus group is made up of a number of employees who meet with the plant manager every six weeks. At those meetings, members of the focus group put their ideas on the table or they raise issues that the plant manager then addresses. In addition, the focus group is informed about projects or new developments within the organisation. That's how we create engagement and it’s very much appreciated.”
“In the focus group, employees can contribute their own ideas. That is very much appreciated; people feel heard.”
What career opportunities are available within Alpuro and Navobi?
“We focus on sustainable employability. We encourage our people to keep developing themselves wherever they can. This development and training take place within their current position or as in order facilitate progression to another position. If a person wishes to progress to another position, we look at opportunities across the VanDrie Group. It also sometimes happens that in discussion with the employee, we come to the conclusion that the opportunities within our organisation are insufficient or that he or she has outgrown the VanDrie Group. In such cases, our aim is always to part ways on good terms.”
Besides a pleasant working environment, you mention safety as an important factor in feeling at home. How does the VanDrie Group contribute to this?
“You can interpret safety in two ways. First and foremost, it is about feeling safe, free and trusted in your workplace. If for some reason that is not the case, there is always sufficient scope to approach someone. These could be your colleagues or your manager, or you can ask one of the two confidential advisers for help. There is also SpeakUp, an anonymous hotline within the VanDrie Group, which can be reached online or by phone via voicemail. We encourage people to play an active part in ensuring their own safety and that of their colleagues. If they identify something, even if it doesn’t directly concern themselves, we want them to alert us to it. The VanDrie Group values a family culture, and we, as a subsidiary organisation, also embrace this.
We encourage our employees to keep developing. This is also perfectly possible within your own position.
“In addition, you have technical safety. Various protocols have been drawn up in accordance with the Working Conditions Act and the RI&E, the risk inventory and evaluation. The prevention officer monitors compliance with these. In meetings, employees are made aware of their safety and their responsibility concerning it. For example, every Monday there is a short session with operational staff, in which they are updated on the importance of using personal protective equipment, ATEX guidelines (gas and explosion hazards) or machine safety, among other things.”
Offering an appropriate salary is also part of good employment practices. How do you take care of that?
“In terms of salaries, we follow the collective agreement for grain processing companies. All employees are therefore certain to receive an appropriate salary and conditions. The pay scales are transparent for everyone who works here. Through discussions, we show employees where they stand and where they can grow. We also have good fringe benefits and each year, we review the scope that exists within the working expenses scheme, for example, for a bicycle plan.”
Are you able to influence well-being and health of your employees?
“We make people aware of the importance of taking good care of themselves. In the company canteen at Navobi, we offer healthy meals and occasional snacks. We make sure the healthier choice is also affordable. Fruit is available to everyone free of charge. Besides healthy eating, sufficient exercise is important. We offer a weekly bootcamp class.”
“A good work-life balance is also part of a healthy lifestyle. We recently commissioned a number of surveys among staff, in which they were asked questions on topics such as workload, discrimination and mutual communication. Using the anonymous results from those surveys, we hope to get a good idea of how employees feel in our company. Where necessary, we will put measures in place to improve things.”
Fruit is available to everyone free of charge. We also offer a bootcamp lesson every week.
“Finally, we are in touch with a number of external coaches who can help our staff progress in a variety of areas. These coaches can be viewed as a communication trainer or as a social worker for companies. If someone faces an insurmountable problem in their work, including for psychological reasons, we offer help. We have already successfully provided programmes of assistance of this type on a number of occasions. Good employment practices involve more than simply offering a good salary.”
Where do you think the future challenges in terms of HR lie for the VanDrie Group?
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“The biggest challenge is in the labour market. Fortunately, turnover among our staff is low. Nevertheless, it has become considerably harder to find new people in recent years. Vacancies remain open longer than they used to. In the past, there were times when we received more than 100 responses to a job vacancy, but nowadays, we have to look for candidates with a magnifying glass. For that reason, we enlisted the help of specialised companies. We have actually maintained a good working relationship with a number of employment agencies for many years. For that matter, a scarcity of candidates on the labour market has never caused us any real problems.”
Finally, what other message would you like to share with the employees of the VanDrie Group?
“To make sure you feel comfortable in what you do. I am conscious of that myself. My work requires energy but also gives me a lot in return. As long as the balance is positive, you are fine. If not, you should let us know and we will help you.”