Some (Dutch) HR wisdom for helping teams grow

One of our newest colleagues traveled nearly a quarter of the planet to join our HR team. Ingrid Hamers took the leap of faith from the Netherlands to Dubai because, as she put it, “following my first meeting with Alex Lapirov, I was sold on the idea of UAVs, the company and the culture.” While we will post a full interview with her soon enough, here are 5 Dutch pearls of wisdom and tips from our HR manager:

1. Gezelligheid kent geen tijd. Coziness knows no time. Creating a cozy and comfortable work environment makes people want to be and stay there and come back. It goes both for equipment, culture, and policies – every little thing counts.
2. Opgeven kan morgen ook nog. You can always give up tomorrow. Unfortunately, HR has never been the powerhouse role, so many of our ideas and plans are bound to be deprioritized. But if you have the correct goals and believe in what you do, it’s a matter of time and work to get what you need.
3. Meten is weten. Measuring is knowing. As an HR professional, you should be able to measure what happens in the company and work with colleagues on improvements. It can be OKR or another methodology, but measuring and making educated decisions is essential. Oh, and avoid Excel as much as possible.
4. Het is zoals het is. Things are the way they are. As an HR manager, especially in a new company, it is essential to accept the objective reality. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive to improve things, but the first step toward improvement is always acceptance. Then we can go to work!
5. Men is nooit te oud om te leren. People are never too old to learn. After decades of HR experience, one thing always stood out: I must study to keep pace and help my colleagues. Whether it’s regulation, HR technology, or advancement in andragogy – learning is always a winning investment.

Do you have any good proverbs to share? Feel free to comment! Follow us on LinkedIn to stay current on the latest vacancies and insights into the managed drone industry.