The Randstad Award 2017 for most attractive employer goes to DEME. The Belgian dredging, hydraulic engineering and environmental group has also received a Lifetime Achievement Award based on the result the company has obtained since 2009 in the Randstad Employer Brand Research.
DEME fulfilled virtually every top three of the criteria that determine employers' attractiveness in the Randstad survey. That is unique in the history of the Randstad Employer Brand Research.
“We assume that everyone in our company is an entrepreneur at his or her level” - Hans Casier, HR Director at DEME
The most attractive employer among Dutch-speaking respondents since 2009 and Belgium's most attractive employer this year: Alain Bernard, CEO of DEME, could hardly be anything but enthusiastic. “This is very gratifying recognition of our years of hard work to make both our business activities and our employer brand attractive.”
DEME's score therefore really is exceptional. With one exception, the company features in the top three of all the criteria that determine employers' attractiveness in the Randstad survey: job security, reputation, stimulating job, financial soundness... This is unprecedented in the history of the awards, according to Randstad.
“The fact that we are doing well financially is no surprise. DEME has low debt and healthy capital and reserves”, explains Alain Bernard. “But we're also a growth company. We're continually recruiting new colleagues. That's good for the labour market and the economy. It's great to see that being reflected in how the public judges us in terms of job security.”
fascinating jobs with a future
DEME expects employees to take control of their career.
“We assume that everyone in our company is an entrepreneur at his or her level”, says HR Director Hans Casier. 'We update people's knowledge, provide training and the opportunity of progressing easily into other roles.”
At DEME, technology and innovation are high on the agenda, without overlooking sustainability and corporate social responsibility. 'We were already building offshore wind turbines 15 years ago. Today, that has evolved into tests with underwater turbines for tidal energy generation', says COO Theo Van De Kerckhove.
According to HR Director Hans Casier, the innovative and sustainable approach definitely has an effect on the working atmosphere within the company. 'Our people have fascinating jobs in which they can develop their potential, with good prospects... That's very good for engagement in the organization.'
solving problems together
CEO Alain Bernard sees partnerships and team-building as the company's main assets:
“We share ideas with our customers and act as their partners. That is a unifying element of our corporate culture.”
'And crucial to our employer brand', adds Hans Casier. 'The faster new employees adopt those values, the better they perform in their job.'
Together with the CEO, he hopes that the dual Randstad award will bring its own rewards. 'This year, we are looking for over 200 new employees', is the hopeful conclusion.
more than one in two Belgians wants to work at DEME
Just over 51 in every 100 people who are familiar with DEME as an employer want to work for the company. That result means that DEME wins the 2017 Randstad Award for most attractive employer. In its survey, Randstad consulted 11,000 Belgian students, employees and job-seekers between the ages of 18 and 65.
jobs @ DEME
disclaimer
Randstad vindt het als grootste human resources-dienstverlener van het land belangrijk om op deze blog arbeidsmarktgerelateerde onderwerpen vanuit verschillende invalshoeken aan bod te laten komen. Dit wil niet zeggen dat we automatisch de standpunten onderschrijven van de specialisten die in onze publicaties het woord nemen.