In this video, Jacqueline Zuidweg shares her experiences with staff as an entrepreneur. More than 20 years ago, Jacqueline hired her first employee when she received a major assignment from the municipality of Amsterdam.
If you hire an employee, it is important to make it clear to yourself in advance where your liability lies if the cooperation does not go well. It is best to ask a lawyer about this. In order to ensure that the cooperation with your employees is successful, it is first important to communicate well. Only an entrepreneur who is genuinely interested and involved with his or her employees creates motivation for work and loyalty to the company. This creates loyalty from the employee, which also benefits you in bad times. If it is necessary to say goodbye to an employee, good communication is also central here. If an employee wants to leave the company, he or she must be able to discuss this with the entrepreneur. Conversely, the entrepreneur must state clear reasons if he or she wants to fire an employee.
Jacqueline also experienced what it is like to have to say goodbye to a large part of the staff. In 2011, budgets for debt assistance were cut and fewer routes were reimbursed by municipalities. Zuidweg & Partners reorganized, keeping the company only half its original size.
Today the staff of Zuidweg & Partners is a mix of all age groups, starting with very young people who are still at the very beginning of their career to very experienced people over 50. These groups complement each other perfectly with their individual view on things , their experience and insights. Around half of the employees have a permanent contract while the other half are employed on a flexible contract. This allows Zuidweg & Partners to respond quickly to changes. We are also supported by partnerships with freelancers.