Go Netherlands! At Siemens, feedback culture is a good fit

  • Career Center
  • Le 20 mai 2022

Kim Bouwmeester
Talent Acquisition, Siemens - The Hague
 
Kim is responsible for the recruitment of management, technical and sales specialist positions for Siemens Netherlands. She is also involved in international projects related to leadership, assessments, and diversity. Kim shares some first-hand advice about the job market in the Netherlands.
 


Siemens is a 175-year-old technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, mobility and healthcare. The secret of its longstanding success throughout the years is linked to its agility to transform itself, selling parts of the company when it is no longer on top of the wave, but making  sure to take care of its employees in the process. Siemens has proved not to fear change, getting rid of the core business when necessary. The company is known worldwide for things it no longer does or are no longer its core business!

The work culture

Our corporate values are safety, compliance, sustainability and transformation. We have an entrepreneurial DNA; we question everything and do not take anything for granted because Siemens is continuously evolving.
Dutch is the working language in The Hague office as most clients are Dutch. There are international departments like the data centre, where working in English can be possible however, speaking Dutch is very important.

My advice & top tips

Feedback culture is a good fit for Siemens. We are data oriented with an engineering culture; we love facts and very direct feedback. We Dutch can be brutally direct and honest, which is very efficient! It is important to learn to receive constructive feedback in our group.
My tip would be to constantly ask for feedback. If you need help let HR know. If you think you are worth more and you want a raise, let us know. Nobody will come to give you a salary raise or praise for your great job if you don’t ask for it.
As a recruiter in a tech company, I notice that women do not apply to a vacancy if they do not meet 100% of all the requirements in the job description; they doubt themselves way too much. I would like to encourage women to dare to go for the opportunities!

Myths & realities

We do actually cycle to work!
Hierarchy is quite flat in the Netherlands however Siemens, as a German company, is also very influenced by this work culture and it is more hierarchical.

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