Recalibration BsGW
BsGW is an independently operating cooperative partnership of municipalities and water boards for the assessment and collection of taxes and WOZ valuations. Whereas the 28 Limburg municipalities and the water board previously carried out the levying and collection of taxes themselves, they decided a number of years ago to bring these activities together at BsGW. The consequence of this was that employees of the various municipalities received a new employer and sometimes even a new position, without having asked for it. This caused, in some cases, a mismatch in job functions.
BsGW decided to realign the organization and asked all employees to apply for two positions within the organization. With the help of a motivation scan and tailored coaching, the intrinsic motivations and personal qualities of employees were successfully identified. That sometimes led to surprising insights.
Tripling of the number of employees
"In three years the number of employees at BsGW has approximately tripled," says Rian Janssen. As advisor Development & Mobility at BsGW she is closely involved in the guidance of the new employees. "Because all the new employees did more or less the same work at their municipalities, some positions within BsGW were filled at a certain point. Especially for employees of municipalities that joined us last, there was less and less to choose from. As a result, employees ended up in places that were not necessarily their preference."
"Because the wish was to not only test ICT competencies, Circle8 also advised us to carry out a motivation scan (including the Big Five personality test). So that you not only map the hard skills, but also the soft skills of employees."
"Above all, the coaching program I followed has led me to stand more firmly in my shoes and to know better where my strengths lie."
Rian Janssen, advisor Development & Mobility at BsGW
The right people in the right place
In those early years the focus was on improving collaboration. After that BsGW decided to recalibrate the organization. Rian: “We wanted to get as many people as possible into positions where they feel comfortable and can develop. We had all employees apply for two positions within our organization, after which they justified their choice to a placement committee. We started with a pilot in the ICT department to find out what the (re)placement procedure should look like. We wanted to assess the competencies of our ICT staff based on the European Competence Framework standard (e-CF) and that’s how we ended up at Circle8. Because the wish was to assess not only ICT competencies, Circle8 also advised us to carry out a drivers scan (including a Big Five personality test). So that you map not only the hard skills, but also the soft skills of employees.”
Valuable insights
“I was pleasantly surprised by the accuracy of the results of the motivational drivers scan,” continues Rian. “Immediately I knew: this is so valuable, we should do this for all our employees. After, together with Circle8, we had drawn up an ideal profile for each job role, we rolled the scan out company-wide. The insights from this scan not only helped to get the right people in the right places, it also made many employees think — about what they really enjoy now and whether the ambitions they have fit their personality traits. In this way they gained more clarity on how they want and can develop further.”
“I now approach my work very differently”
Ook employees of BsGW themselves were also enthusiastic about the motivation scan. As an employee of the IT department, Marjan* was one of the first to be scanned and guided by one of Circle8's coaches. “I am one of the few who has experienced two placement procedures. Both in the old department and after two years in the new department. In the old department I – also thanks to coaching – learned a lot. After two years I took the motivation scan again and my Big Five clearly came out differently. Above all, the coaching trajectory I followed has led me to be more confident and to better know where my strengths lie. This is clearly reflected in the changed Big Five.”
”More appreciation for my work and work environment”
Most employees of BsGW were pleased with the valuable insights that emerged from the motivation scan and personality test. For a number of employees, the results also raised many questions, including Peter*.
“From my motivation scan it turned out that I was actually not so suitable for the position I aspired to. I found that extremely disappointing and I sincerely wondered whether I was still in the right place at BsGW. My coach spoored me on to look for a place that would suit me better. I looked around and also applied elsewhere, but I didn't really feel a connection anywhere. As a result I came to appreciate more what I had built at BsGW. In the meantime I'm really enjoying myself in my new role.”
* For privacy reasons, the names of the employees have been fictitious.
Motivation scan
A motivation scan maps the personal drivers of employees. It provides insight into the way people think and where they draw their energy and motivation from. The motivation scan that Circle8 carried out for BsGW also included the so-called Big Five personality test. This test, based on worldwide psychological research, describes a person's personality based on five character traits: extraversion, curiosity, emotional stability, adaptability and the degree of conscientiousness.
