From then to now: a career that grows with the organization
“My journey began at Info Motion through Wessel senior, who over the course of time has helped me not only professionally but also personally, and from that first conversation there was a click. That involvement and mutual loyalty have always remained important to me.
In the beginning it was a small organization with only two or three operating companies – once part of Domino Automatisering – and from there we experienced solid growth together: via IT-Staffing and the Staffing Group to what is now Circle8. I experienced that growth up close, and yes, that also brings growing pains. But precisely by learning, falling and getting back up, and, not least, by relying on our own strength, we as an organization have become better and better.”
The common thread: solutions, human work and fun
“Circle8 is part of my life. If you work somewhere between 40 and 60 hours a week, that has an impact on your life. But for me it's: I work to live, I don't live to work. That balance is important. At the same time I'm appreciated here for who I am and what I do. I get the freedom to contribute in my own way. And that gives satisfaction and energy. And that has motivated me to keep working at Circle8 for so long.
I am not a man of thick textbooks, I learn ‘on the job’. What I do is people's work. Always have been. A supplier has a problem, a customer has a wish – I connect and solve it. I already did that at the Air Force, where I had the nickname “fixer”. It's always about finding solutions. And yes, sometimes I move faster than the organization, but you learn from that too.”
Growth from within
“Circle8 has shaped me. Not only through the opportunities I have been given, but also through the people I have worked with. The conversations with the first owner have stayed with me. But also the feedback moments in which I learned to shift gears a little more calmly, to look back or to consult before I took action. My energy and positivity are my strength, but sometimes also a pitfall. I have grown in that.
What I appreciate is that you are encouraged here to keep thinking for yourself. You don't need to be motivated if you intrinsically already have that urge to build.”
Circle8 in transition: quality, not quantity
“Change is part of it, especially if you have ambitions. We want to stay at the forefront – in service delivery, but also in approach. That means that we will continue to develop. Besides the regular work related to new clients, the intention is that I will increasingly be working on strategic issues and on connecting the Netherlands with other markets, such as with our sister companies in Belgium and Germany.
But internally everything must be in order. KPI structures that work against each other? Nobody wants that. Processes must be supportive, not an obstacle. In “our profession” it's about proactivity, (personal) communication and accessibility – that is precisely our strength. And that's what I fight hard for.”
Pride, motivations and the future
“I am most proud of the fact that I have stayed true to myself. That I, together with others, have had the opportunity to build an organization that has grown and is still growing. And that I was not only a part of it, but truly made a contribution to it.
When we talk again in five years, I hope to be able to say that we as Circle8 have taken the next step: from a strong player in the Netherlands to a serious international player. With activities in multiple countries, but with the same culture of people-focused work, freedom and trust. And that I, as a connector, am still part of it.”
