Pascal de Vries is 47 years old. He started at HCA Apeldoorn when he was 19 as an assistant and now works as Production Team Leader. “Working hard is important, but it is certainly just as important to enjoy your work. Without having fun at work and with your colleagues, you won't keep up the hard work for long.’’
Can you describe your work day at Holland Colours?
Early in the morning, I start with a tour of the team, see how everyone is doing. Then I sit down with the Planner, we see what is possible with the people we have, the urgency, and the orders that are there. After this, we have a team leader meeting, where we look at how much staff we have, whether there are breakdowns in machines and what orders there are. I then communicate this back to the guys in production. Apart from that, I am busy in production myself. I walk around all day and jump in whenever there are questions or challenges.
Which 3 words do you think best describe HCA?
Diverse, Development, and Appreciation
What role does teamwork play in your daily responsibilities?
A very big role. Because of the work and the products we make, it is very important that we function as team players together. Because there are different sections in production, good communication is indispensable. The team knows each other and each other's work well, so communication between them can also be good.
How do you encourage teamwork and trust in each other?
By communicating in a way that you, yourself, want to be treated and by respecting each other. Respect and communication are two important values for good teamwork. I do my best to ensure a nice atmosphere in the workplace. I talk to everyone every day to see how things are going. Because of this, I know everyone very well. Besides, most of the guys have been working here for a long time, so I know their situation well. I don't divide people and find it important to be open to new developments within the team.
How do you experience the atmosphere in the workplace?
In one word, good. Like many production staff, I have been working here for a long time and we have a lot of mutual appreciation and fun together. I know everyone very well because I make time for everyone every day, so I know what situation they are in. I want to create a safe environment for everyone on my shop floor where everyone feels comfortable and dares to speak up. There is a lot of appreciation within the company and the work. I notice that this appreciation really allows you to grow within the company. I started as an assistant, then production employee, all-round employee, team leader, and have now progressed to production team leader. Hard work is really rewarded here.
Question from Maroesja: Where does your passion come from?
I think it's hard to say where my passion comes from. I believe that you just have to try something. That's the best way to find out what suits you. I will advise everyone to always try something new, it can always be disappointing but then you know it's not for you. I tried the work here at HCA and I have been working here for 30 years now so it definitely worked for me!
Which question would you like to see answered in the next interview with another colleague?
How do other colleagues at Holland Colours promote having a close-knit team?
