A look into the future with Margriet Spijker and Paul Haarhuis

WHAT'S GOING ON?

Paul: There are almost too many things to mention! Take, for example, the tight labor market and the opportunities this offers for target groups such as status holders. We see it as our task to get this target group to work in a sustainable way. Our clients are also open to this. A great example of this is the collaboration with UPS in Venlo, where we welcomed no less than 140 status holders to tell them more about working at UPS. Less than two days later, a completely new team was ready for a new UPS DC.

 Margriet: Even when it comes to innovation and technological developments, we have not stood still. Last year, we invested heavily in the development of effective tools. Think of the 360-degree tour we offer to give temporary workers insight into their new workplace. Physical tours are no longer necessary as a result. Temporary workers also have to travel less, making it easier for them and resulting in less CO2 emissions. Not only was everything developed for the temporary employment team, but also for the clients of our label Persoonality, who now, for example, work with JOP, 'Your Online Personnel Manager'. This platform supports clients in the sustainable employability of employees. JOP provides tips on attracting and inspiring employees, among other things. This is just one of the ways we, together with our clients, give substance to good employment practices.

 Paul: And what about the rating tool we developed?! Not only can our clients indicate their experiences with our temporary workers, but it can also be the other way around. We find the opinion of our temporary workers incredibly valuable because it is important that they realize that their opinion really matters. Additionally, it is valuable information that helps us further optimize our services.

But we also think along with our temporary workers in other ways. For example, we actively support the FiKks initiative of the ADG Dienstengroep, of which Timing is a part. Of all households in the Netherlands, 20% are dealing with problematic debts. FiKks is a platform that helps people with their finances to prevent financial worries.

 Other examples of great initiatives with which Timing supports its clients and temporary workers are: GoodHabitz, 100% Werkzaam, and Employer Branding.

 

PROUD AS A PEACOCK!

Timing is continuously developing. We keep optimizing our services, we keep innovating, and we want to support our temporary workers and clients as best as possible. To achieve that, Timing introduced practical and innovative tools, and behind the scenes, a lot of work is being done on even more beautiful developments. But what are these two directors most proud of now?

Margriet: What am I most proud of when I look back at 2016 and 2017 so far? That we are able – and continue – to maintain the pressure on innovation to be able to participate with an eye to the future. We also made a clear choice by focusing on the 'doers' in our society, and we have been able to show that well in deeds recently. And of course, I am proud of our employees!

Paul: We can mean more and more for our temporary workers and tailor our services as best as possible to their wishes. We ensure that we are always ready for our temporary workers with new work, different work, and deepening in work. Initiatives such as the rating tool can contribute to this. We understand that it is not always easy to indicate that you are dissatisfied; the rating tool lowers this threshold. 

 

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

We continue to develop and innovate. Of course, we don't do that just like that; we do it from a clear vision on CSR.

Margriet: We really focus on sustainable employability, both with our permanent employees and our temporary workers. We mainly work with people to ensure they get a good (multimedia) CV. An education has a shelf life of two years. A completed education will soon say something about the basic level and basic knowledge of our temporary workers. For the future, it is important what you have learned, what you have applied, what your ambition is, and where you want to go. Then questions follow, such as: which jobs and projects match these talents and competencies? Ultimately, we want to move towards a digital coach for temporary workers that indicates what is needed to take the next step in work. It's about smart systems and making connections based on collected data. We are making significant strides in that!

Paul: Platforms will help us to help people find a job more easily, quickly, and sustainably. The target group with a distance to the labor market, for example, will have more opportunities to gain easier access to the labor market.