Outlook on Human Resources
The Van Leeuwen organization consists of various international branches. We are a single global company with a local presence, whereby the Van Leeuwen-teams immerse themselves in the local culture and ways of doing business. Van Leeuwen – anywhere within this international network – wants to be, and of course remain, an attractive employer. We consequently provide employees with plenty of opportunities to grow and advance in their career and thus to work on their own development as well as that of Van Leeuwen.
Angelique van Gaans,
Corporate Manager Human Resources,
Van Leeuwen Pipe and Tube Group
‘I find HR to be a tremendously inspiring profession,’ says Angelique van Gaans, Corporate Manager Human Resources at the Van Leeuwen Pipe and Tube Group since July 1, 2017. ‘Stimulating colleagues to get the best out of themselves gives me energy.’ A key theme in her daily work is finding and committing sufficiently skilled colleagues. ‘Now that the job market is improving and it is becoming more challenging to find the right people for the right job, this is becoming even more important for Van Leeuwen.’
‘Van Leeuwen is developing rapidly, in part to be able to respond to the increasing digitization and technological and social changes. Some work processes and job contents are consequently changing at a rapid pace. It is important that we have and retain sufficient numbers of driven and expert colleagues in-house who are capable of flexibly keeping pace with these changes and who manage to keep their knowledge up to date. At the same time we are dealing with younger generations of employees who are not naturally inclined to stay in a single job with a single employer throughout their entire career.
You have to respond effectively to all of these developments.
To keep talent on board and attract new high potentials, our HR department started up various programs in 2017, including the creation of new, challenging development programs that we will be rolling out internationally. For example, in the area of leadership. We have since selected a training institute that will create these programs together with us, tailored to our needs and consistent with our group-wide strategy and core values. The first program will be initiated over the course of 2018. After this we will focus on designing training programs for other areas of expertise, such as sales, operations and finance.
At Van Leeuwen, opportunities are not only limited to high potentials. Employees who, after a number of years in the same job, want to do something different are given ample room to do so. Precisely because we are an international company, it is possible to make a lateral move in order to take on a new challenge. For example, in another department or with a different (international) branch. We would like to encourage all colleagues to seize the opportunities themselves if they want to do something different. We are open to this and where necessary, HR will provide guidance in finding a suitable new challenge.
The reason we consider this very important, is that the positive inflow and progression of employees within an organization ensures that they are challenged, flexible and motivated, and that they continue to learn. This keeps employees alert and engaged and the organization competitive.’
George Kubove,
General Manager,
Houston Project Office
‘Employees who feel welcome, who listen to each other and who trust each other provide for better quality.’
‘It has been almost a year now that I have been working as General Manager at the Houston Project Office and I really enjoy my work. We work together here in a small team of eight persons. Teamwork is one of our strengths and we are strongly focused on solving customer demands together. I consider this a characteristic of the Van Leeuwen culture and at the same time it is also very American. Together we bring even the most difficult jobs to a successful conclusion.
Of course as General Manager I play a role in stimulating teamwork. I consider it important for employees to feel welcome, that people properly listen to each other and that there is mutual trust. I am convinced that these ‘soft values’ ultimately benefit the quality of our work. I was in part hired to strengthen our position in the United States and to broaden our customer base. With a well-oiled team, the chance of success is high.
The international collegiality is an important asset as well. Colleague managers have shared their knowledge and experience with me on many occasions, thus enabling me to better deal with various complex challenges here in Houston. It is comforting to know that you can rely on each other in that way. This international cooperation is a powerful tool
in our business.’
Hawa Diallo,
Staff Member Inside Sales Project/Export,
Van Leeuwen France
‘This fast and service-oriented way of working at Van Leeuwen perfectly suits me.’
‘In 2016, I joined Van Leeuwen France as Staff Member Inside Sales Project/Export. Prior to this I worked for Vallourec, a large supplier of Van Leeuwen. Van Leeuwen is known as a leading distributor: one that adjusts itself to market developments in smart ways and that is highly focused on quickly finding solutions for its customers. This fast and service-oriented way of working perfectly suits me. It is one of the reasons I applied here two years ago. And I really like it here.
We work in a tight-knit and energetic team of ten persons at the office in Paris. We listen well to each other and the mutual trust is high. That makes for an enjoyable working atmosphere. This openness and team spirit is a reoccurring theme in other colleague branches and is a characteristic
of the entire Van Leeuwen organization.
What typifies us? Here in France we are above all known as flexible. I also hear this from our Van Leeuwen colleagues. If a customer is looking for a product we do not have in stock or that we never supplied before, we really do everything we can to deliver that product.’