Good practice - Team spirit at ITS
Within ITS, people are actively working to strengthen team spirit and team development, which contributes to a sense of recognition and rewards. An interview with Laura Hompus external link, who works at ITS' IT Academy, and Jan-Paul van Staalduinen external link, director of ITS, reveals how various initiatives contribute to these goals.
Social activities at ITS
Several events and activities are organized within ITS, one of which is the ITS Happening. This event, which takes place every six weeks, brings colleagues together in a hybrid format. Laura Hompus explains that the purpose of the gathering is not only to inform and inspire, but also to bring people together. It is both a moment where colleagues can present their projects and share ideas, as well as an opportunity to meet in an informal way. Jan-Paul emphasizes that this hybrid format, which is emerged due to the corona pandemic, has transformed the event into a kind of talk show with interviews, giving it a unique character and inviting encounters and exchanges.
In addition to the ITS Happening, the party committee, of which Laura is a member, provides a wide range of social activities throughout the year. These include winter drinks, BBQs, a Sinterklaas celebration, and even game nights with pizza. According to Laura, it is important for colleagues to meet each other outside the work environment as well. She states that it is essential that these activities contribute to the connection between colleagues, especially since many employees work from home.
Finally, Jan-Paul explains how the management team holds regular meetings where they openly discuss what is going on within the organization, what challenges there are, and how projects are being worked on. For example, this happens twice a week in the MT's day start in the ITS home base in the administration building, and Q&A sessions with the MT are organized where all employees can ask their questions, both substantive and personal. A guiding principle of the management team is to operate transparently. With the MT day start in the living room and the Q&A sessions, the MT wants to promote a culture of openness, where making mistakes and learning from them is discussable.
Team spirit in times of hybrid working
Jan-Paul emphasizes how important it is that ITS, with its 350 employees, organizes moments where people feel part of a bigger picture. At a time when we are working in part hybrid, a gathering like the ITS Happening and the activities organized by the party committee provides an opportunity to stay hooked on what is going on in the organization. Creating such moments fosters a sense of belonging, something Jan-Paul says is essential to maintaining fun in the workplace and strengthening the connection to the organization.
IT Academy: from technical skills to personal development
In addition to organizing social events, there is also a focus on both professional and personal development at ITS. Laura says that this manifests itself, among other things, in the way colleagues are given the opportunity to develop themselves through the IT Academy and the so-called 'so-much-you-can-learn' (SMYCL) program. Through this program, employees can participate in various training courses, ranging from technical skills to personal development, such as presenting, with no threshold. According to Laura and Jan-Paul, this training offer is essential for both the growth of the individual and the organization, as IT is a field that is rapidly evolving.
Sense of Recognition and Rewarding
Both Laura and Jan-Paul find it important to celebrate successes. Whether it is a newly implemented software or a successful project, attention is paid to the results achieved. This celebration is done not only through formal recognition, but mainly by getting together and having fun. According to Laura, the open culture created during the MT day start, among other things, along with the social activities and training opportunities, contributes to employees' sense of recognition and appreciation. 'The fact that there is attention to both the results and the people behind these results makes employees feel seen and appreciated,' Laura said.