A supportive working environment: Laurens’ story
A good work environment is one designed to lower the weight on one’s shoulders. Where the necessary tools are readily available to help you defeat your daily challenges. Where colleagues automatically pitch in when the need arises. For Laurens, Kuehne + Nagel is that place.
About 5 years ago, Laurens stumbled into a logistics career which turned out to be a great fit. He enjoyed the hands-on nature of the warehouse work, and appreciated the team work required to run the operations. With his natural leadership skills and motivation, it was only a matter of time before he started leading his own team. While he couldn’t wish for a better job, Laurens felt like something in his work environment was lacking. “I often felt like I was dealing with all challenges on my own”, he explains.
As the weight on his shoulders increased, and Laurens felt like he couldn’t bear it much longer, he found a new opportunity at Kuehne + Nagel. Although he applied for a role with fewer responsibilities, it wasn’t long until Laurens was encouraged to take the next career step. “Coincidentally a training for new foremen started around the same time as I did, and they offered me to join to get to know the company, the people and the way of working”, he explains.
In the training, which prepares natural leaders for the position of foreman, Laurens realised how much more pleasant working can be with the right framework in place. “The available tools at Kuehne + Nagel alleviate the daily challenges. Things like the 5S audits, belt projects, and even the meetings with supervisors and foremen make working a lot more enjoyable. People are also always ready to help out when they can.”
Today, you can find Laurens in our warehouse as supervisor where he steers a team of more than 30 people. As a people manager, he aims to convey these values of mutual support to his colleagues because “you’re only just as strong as your team!” Equally important as a supportive work environment, is one that recognises and invests in talent. “One of the reasons I joined Kuehne + Nagel are the development opportunities. The foreman training is a good illustration of that, but there are many more ways to develop your skills here”, Laurens exclaims.
Do you want to discover your development opportunities? Then check our open vacancies in our Career Portal: https://jobs.kuehne-nagel.com