What's it like to work at WesselinkVanZijst? In this interview series, our team members take you through their workday. What does it look like and what do they encounter? This time: Janneke Eberson, office manager – who recently celebrated her 12.5-year anniversary with us.

Hi Janneke, congratulations again! Take us along: where did ‘WesselinkVanZijst’ begin for you?

‘Pure chance: through an advertisement in the local rag. I hardly ever read it, but this one time I did. My eye fell on the vacancy for Co-founders Hans and MarcThey were looking for an office manager for two days a week.

At that point, WesselinkVanZijst had an external assistant who managed their appointments and handled finances. But after Mart was hired as first employee, they really wanted someone who was present in the office. We had a nice conversation and I was able to start quickly. In the years that followed, the company grew rapidly, and so did my hours. In 2016, I got my first colleague for the secretarial department. We are now a team of four.’

You've seen WesselinkVanZijst grow from a small group into an agency with over twenty professionals. In that sense, you now work at a *very* different company than the place where you once applied. How have you experienced these developments?

‘Here in the office, it's a ‘tradition’ that I'm the one who says it used to be much more fun. Although that's more of a joke now. You see, when I was the only one, I oversaw the entire administrative picture. I initiated things, arranged everything from A to Z, and handled the invoicing. When you work with others, you have to let go and coordinate more. I found that a bit challenging at first.

But in the early days, I was often alone in the office – Marc, Hans, and Mart were almost always out visiting clients. Now it's much more fun. And what I've noticed: almost all new colleagues who join us stay on.

I'm doing my best to make it feel like home here, to show interest. So that people really feel like they've ‘come home’ when they're at the office. On Fridays, almost everyone is here and we all have lunch together. It's always a day I look forward to: then the ‘family’ is all together again.’

Looking back at those 12.5 years, what are your highlights?

‘Then I immediately think of the Moving to our beautiful new building. The previous building had become much too small, and as a result, colleagues hardly came to the office anymore. Now it's a lot livelier again. I myself – except for back in the corona times – never work from home: I find it nicer to be among people and have my things at hand. And it's more practical for discussions, you just pop over to each other.

Our team trip to Berlin is also still etched in my memory. We took that trip when we formulated the company's future vision together. We finalized it in Berlin. Another highlight was SOM Festival, the event for environmental managers—and the farewell to Hans van Zijst—that we organized together with P2. The preparations were a lot of work, but it was so much fun to see the results on the day of the event. I’m also often in charge of organizing book presentations. And let’s not forget the team outings. From scavenger hunts to acting, drawing, and photography workshops: they’re always wonderful days when we all have a blast together.’

What does an average workday look like for you?

‘My days are full, but I often find it difficult to pinpoint exactly what I do. For example, I am Marc's right-hand person: I manage his calendar and email, remind him of tasks and appointments. I am also part of the management team. Furthermore, I handle various tasks that don't fall under anyone else's job description: from adjusting templates and coordinating events to liaising with the IT service desk.

Because I handle so much internally, I also hear and see a lot. This often provides tools to tackle other matters and make connections. And because I've been here for so long, I'm a go-to person for colleagues: ‘do we still have something of this,’ or ‘where can I find that?’

Until recently, I also organized our Open enrollment SOM training. That has become so much work that we have hired new colleagues for it. However, I am still organizing the training SSE Professional. Especially the personal contact with participants gives me a lot of energy. I plan intake meetings, organize get-togethers, and answer practical questions. I'm usually there on the first training day to welcome everyone and to help those who arrive late. It's great to meet people in person then.’

You recently became a co-owner of WesselinkVanZijst. How are you liking it?

‘When Hans retired, we as employees were given the opportunity to become shareholders. I knew right away: I just want to do this. I've felt a strong connection to the company from day one, so it was a logical step. Does it feel different? Not really, but I do notice that I look a bit more critically at financial decisions. You know, what it's mainly about for me: I have a passion for this company. I'm proud of it. This way, I'm even a little bit more.’

Finally, what do customers and colleagues not yet know about you?

‘I am a passionate painter and drawer: I've been taking classes for six years now. I most enjoy painting portraits. When WesselinkVanZijst celebrated its tenth anniversary, I made a drawing of each colleague working there at the time as a gift for Hans and Marc. I made a digital collage of those drawings and gave them the result.

Oh yes, one more thing: in all these years I've never called in sick. Only when I had to have surgery could I not work for a while, but otherwise I never get the flu or anything. I hope to keep it that way, of course!’

Working at WesselinkVanZijst

We are always looking for driven professionals to join our team. You will help our clients with issues that have a significant social impact. Want to know more? Email us at info@wesselinkvanzijst.nl or get acquainted with one of eleven people.

Office Manager

Janneke Eberson