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Personnel issues and organisational structure
As a service company, the calibre of personnel is integral to the success of our business. The adoption of the motif, ‘Where People Matter’, in 2004 is not solely an external message; it underlines our commitment to our own staff and emphasises the important role they play in Vedior’s development.
We take great care in recruiting and retaining skilled recruitment consultants who not only have expertise in general employment and staffing issues, but also have particular knowledge of the niche sector in which they operate. In order to maintain its market position, it is important that Vedior provides its staff with stimulating career opportunities as well as an enjoyable and productive working environment. As a result of the Board of Management’s 2004 strategic review, Vedior is committed to invest more in our people and become the employer of choice in our industry.
Vedior is also keen to play its part in improving the professional status of recruitment. In July 2004, Select Appointments became the first recruitment company to gain Australia’s prestigious Best Employer award. In the Australian market, Select has pioneered an independent national qualification offering recruitment consultants the opportunity to complete formal qualifications directly related to employment services and recognised against a national standard.
The relative autonomy of Vedior’s operations provides our employees with a unique entrepreneurial environment. Vedior has a flat management structure to enhance communication and minimise corporate overhead. Local management teams retain a high degree of autonomy in the day-to-day running of their businesses including hiring, pricing, training, sales and marketing. Such a structure enables them to respond quickly to market trends in a fast moving industry.
The average number of full-time internal employees during the year increased from 11,424 in 2003 to 11,905 in 2004 as a result of acquisitions and to maximise opportunities as existing markets improved, most notably in the US and UK.
Vedior operates a small corporate office given the decentralised nature of the Group. The average number of full-time corporate employees in 2004 (including the members of the Board of Management) was less than 50. The majority of corporate staff are based at the Group’s headquarters in Amsterdam but, given the nature of the Group’s global network, some corporate personnel also operate out of offices in St Albans in the UK, Zurich in Switzerland, Adelaide in Australia and Paris in France. |
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Where Ana Isabel matters...
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“My relationship with Vedior is one of continuous cooperation. Whenever I need an answer regarding a labour question, the reply is given immediately or as soon as possible. Of all the recruitment companies in the market, this is one which offers better conditions to its workers.
The location where I currently work is the Caixa Económica Montepio Geral in the role of Assistant. Here, I experience support and cooperation among the temporary workers of Vedior, as well as among the client’s own employees. My work is different each day because our objective is to respond quickly to customers’ questions. Some queries are dealt with in writing in response to messages and emails sent by customers. I also take care of ‘Webchat’, where we place online answers to the most commonly asked questions regarding the scope of our products and services.
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I am responsible for a particular business area where my function is to help clarify issues and ensure that all pertinent operations in that area are effectively concluded. Finally, I also have a more technical function, where I help to resolve access difficulties to the Bank’s website. Thus, I can contribute to the development of Vedior’s relationship with the Bank as well as the relationship of both of them with me.”
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