Yes! We Connect is international: Belgium.
Flemish fries, picturesque cities, craft beers….We’re off to Belgium! In this blog you get to know more about our colleague, our southern neighbor: Kelly. Where does she live, what does she like and what opportunities does she see for Yes! We Connection in the Belgium market.
Although Belgium is quite close to the Netherlands and we even speak the same language, there are many cultural differences between us. In the past Yes! We Connect has been working for clients in Belgium, but we didn’t really have a presence in the market. With Kelly as our partner in Belgium this has changed. She really knows the market and the people. And that is important. To support Kelly in her activities we have to engage her in everything we do.
The past few months Kelly has been working intensely with the Dutch Yes! We Connect team on several projects. She enjoyed a mix of smaller onboarding events on the one hand, and bigger yearly company events on the other hand. Sometimes she participated as a matchmaker, sometimes as a presenter/facilitator. Kelly: ‘What a joy it brings to help people create an enriched and enlarged network within their own company. It thrills me that we let the participants discover the simple things they have in common with their colleagues and to help them find each other to work in a more efficient way.’
With the Yes! We Connect team (Kelly on the far right).
Kelly lives in in Mechelen - one of the hippest, coziest, charming cities in Belgium - as she says herself. Fun fact: last year, their mayor, Bart Somers, received the title “Best Mayor in the World”. Kelly: ‘When I am not visiting customers, colleagues or facilitating events or trainings I process my administrative to do’s at my new desk at home or I take my bicycle and go and install myself in one of the trendy lunch cafés or coworking spaces in Mechelen.
Embarking on an extremely exciting journey
These days Kelly meet lots of new people, creating an interesting network of fellow-freelancers and potential customers. She is visiting potential customers in order to understand the customer’s needs and in order to make the Belgian companies aware of the YWC programs and tools. Her HR background is really helpful to be able to immediately start thinking with the customer during the first encounters.
Kelly: ‘Many Belgian companies are aware of the existing “War for Talent” and the burning topic of “Retention – How to keep employees on board for at least a couple of years?”. I hear and read a lot about employers emphasising the importance of an interesting/exceptional “Employee Journey”. At the same time, I think that many companies have good intentions, but lack a thoroughly-built custom-made employee-journey program, that truly contributes to the existing needs of today’s (new-generation) talents. Too often, I realie that budget-wise, this is not a priority pillar to invest in. That is why we have decided to organise a Masterclass Onboarding for HR and L&D Professionals. We give them the opportunity to experience how a YWC-partnership can help them creating an unforgettable Employee Journey.
Kelly presenting at a Yes! We Connect event.
Masterclass Onboarding in one day
In the masterclass, participants get closer insights on the ROI of a sustainable and smart Onboarding Program. How will this install a deeper connection between company and new-hire? How do you tie these new-hires to your company by offering them an intense internal network, from day one? How will you build a business case in order to convince your management of the necessity? How will you involve the right stakeholders in your project? We will also facilitate the exchange of ideas and help these professionals create an extraordinary first three months-journey for new employees in their organisation. Frank and Kelly will be hosting the Masterclass Onboarding in 1 Day in Brussels on the 19th of September. A great way to make the most of the collaboration!
If you know anyone in Belgium who’s maybe interested in us or has contacts like HR managers or communication specialists that would be interested in our tools to connect at work, please share this blog with them! Do you want to know more about us or get in touch? Click here.
In the meantime, check out our social media channels for more updates and news about YWC goes international!