Same goal, different needs
I joined Van Lanschot Kempen in mid-2019 specifically to work on the project to merge the employment conditions of Van Lanschot and Kempen, focusing first on the Dutch entities. The goal was to integrate, modernise and simplify them, supporting us to act as one. The new employment conditions enable us to collaborate, while still acknowledging and meeting our differing needs as individuals. This flexibility is given by the various diversity-conscious policies we’ve introduced, including a flexible budget to spend on benefits of our choosing, financial help with childcare for full-time working mothers, being able to work part-time prior to retirement, and supporting short-term care leave to look after loved ones.
Now that Van Lanschot Kempen’s employment conditions have been revamped in the Netherlands, my role as a compensation and benefits specialist has shifted towards doing the same for our offices in the UK, Belgium and Switzerland. I’m very excited to continue improving Van Lanschot Kempen’s employment offering and aligning this to the needs of our colleagues.
One thing I learnt during the pandemic was that a lot of colleagues actually appreciate being able to work from home, myself included. For me personally, it’s meant that I’m better able to focus, and my work-life balance has improved significantly without having to spend three hours commuting every day. Although there are clear benefits, I still miss being able to have spontaneous chats over coffee with my colleagues.
Alexandru Tebeica – Reward & Performance Adviser