Personal guidance, professional succes
When he walked to his car after a very pleasant interview at TMC, Sjors Blomen received a phone call: an offer from another company he’d talked to a few weeks earlier. ‘It was a nice offer,’ Sjors says, ‘and although I had my doubts about the position, I felt like I couldn’t turn it down.’ Unfortunately, Sjors’ doubts proved to be justified, and when he started looking for a new challenge a year later, he got back in touch with TMC. This time, he grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
‘I talked to Maarten Guns, Cell Director of TMC New Product Introduction (NPI), in August. A month later I was given the green-light to start as Manufacturing Engineer at Philips Healthcare. It all happened very quickly, very efficiently, but it never felt rushed. Maarten took the time to discuss my preferences and ambitions. He advised me to follow my own instincts and gut feelings, and he stressed that my own satisfaction in my work was fundamental.’
"That sort of personal guidance really makes a difference."
‘A lot of potential new employers say this, of course. It’s a nice sales pitch. But TMC proved it wasn’t just talk: very soon after that first conversation, the company presented me with several opportunities, all of which were perfectly suited to my tastes and specialties. To me, it confirmed TMC’s commitment and proved I was on the right track.’
Sjors’ next step? Selecting the best option from all of these opportunities. It was an exciting process, which also involved some doubts and insecurities: ‘Does this project really challenge me? Do I really have the experience required for it? Maarten knows the companies he suggested inside and out, and he could answer all my questions. This helped me to get rid of my doubts quickly, so I could invest my energy in making the best decision.’
Around the same time that he started at Philips, Sjors also had his orientation day at TMC. ‘There was a diverse group of 26 new Employeneurs - male and female, young and old, Dutchies and expats. TMC guided us through an interesting, easy-going orientation program: we got to know each other, had something to eat and drink, and there were some assignments, which were fun and insightful. Throughout the day, a few experienced Employeneurs and board members talked about the company as well, for instance about Employeneurship and its five key principles.’
"TMC proved it wasn’t just talk."
Sjors is still enthusiastic about those principles - especially the one called YOUniversity: TMC’s one-of-a-kind programme for talent management, personal coaching and training. ‘For me, TMC’s YOUniversity truly embodies the company’s focus on personal goals – their attention to the talents, tastes and ambitions of every individual Employeneur, and their strong drive to help everyone become the very best version of themselves.’
Sjors has been working at Philips Healthcare for almost a month now. He is fully enjoying his project and the onboarding has been very smooth – in no small part thanks to the support he received from TMC NPI: ‘During these first weeks, Maarten and other TMC colleagues have sent me several messages: to wish me luck, to ask me how everything is going, to give advice, and to ask if I needed help with anything. I can feel the personal warmth behind it - it never feels like something they're contractually obliged to do. That sort of personal guidance, the eagerness to take care of the Employeneurs, to make sure they’re on the right path, really makes a difference. It makes me feel at home, makes me enjoy my work more - put simply, it makes me a happier and therefore better professional.’