Column Nadia: ‘We've found nice follow-up jobs for two people' (UWV Website)
UWV website – Nadia van den Heuvel (40) is, in her own words, ‘fanspastic’. She’s the owner of design business Ictoria, a company where people with impairments can develop themselves, and move on to other companies. In this contribution, Nadia tells the story of how she recently helped two people find a nice new job.
Ever since I was young, I’ve seen the world very differently from most people. Whereas those around me are often overcome by grumpiness because the weather happens to be bad, I actually always see something positive. Because if it rains, you can put on your rain boots and you can just dance in the rain. If you look at life with rose-coloured glasses, there’s always something to celebrate.
This month we’ve got a lot to celebrate as well. We found nice follow-up jobs for two people through Ictoria. I am then sometimes asked the question: ‘Aren’t you going to miss those people immensely then?’ The answer to that is a resounding ‘yes’, but for them, it’s a great opportunity. They generally improve financially, then they even earn more than I do! That way, they can nicely take me to the terrace for a nice glass of wine, for which they then get the bill, of course. Because you just pay Nadia in bottles of wine. In other words: bottles of cosiness.
Why is it that things work out so often? That people finally get a great job through Ictoria? My explanation is that we always provide tailor-made solutions by focusing on people. Together with my UWV contact relationship manager, it can sometimes be quite a treasure hunt to find out where these new contenders can get a suitable position.
With all the new rules and regulations, sometimes you can’t see the wood for the trees, and you depend mainly on the commitment and goodwill of the people around you. But my team at Ictoria has been lucky to have this aforementioned contact relationship manager. She knows us well, and knows what we need. She also knows that we are very reliable, and always put the candidate first.
We’ve also got positive experiences with several municipalities. Sometimes they go outside the normal frameworks and put the candidate or potential colleague centre stage, as a result of which many people have already found a nice place.
Does this always go so well? No, unfortunately it doesn’t. Some people just make you a bit itchy. They don’t yet have a sledge hammer in their toolbox with which to knock down all the pidgeonholes in which they have put people. Sometimes you have to explain to a professional how to do their job. That can be frustrating at times.
But I started above on a positive note. I am a firm believer that you should always start and end on a positive note. So what else is positive? So there are people we work well with and others can take an example from. To facilitate people in the best possible way, we will always have to act on the basis of their abilities and expertise. Only then will you generate quality of life through sustainable employment. Because sustainability does not just mean throwing something in the bottle bank, it goes beyond that.
Read the original piece on the UWV website.
