15 February 2024
Steffie Zwinkels' journey at AAE in Helmond began 6.5 years ago, as an HR intern. She recalls that her first days at AAE immediately felt like a warm bath. Steffie describes this feeling like a safe base where you are stimulated to learn and continuously work on your personal development through countless challenges and opportunities. Steffie plays an essential part as an HR consultant in creating a people-oriented corporate culture at AAE. She’s excited to share with you what makes her job at AAE so special.
Steffie: "From my very first day at AAE, I felt the warmth, togetherness and equality that characterize our organization. Here it truly doesn't matter whether you are a project manager, mechanic or planner, everyone is equally as important," she says smilingly. "That culture of equality and respect is something I really appreciate to this day."
Everything revolves around our people
What makes working at AAE so unique to Steffie? "Everything revolves around our people at AAE” she explains enthusiastically. She continues: "As you can imagine, it is very special to work in an organization where people are at the center. Especially for an HR advisor like myself. At AAE, we don't look at performance in a traditional sense. We focus on individual ambitions and the well-being of employees and how we can facilitate them throughout this." She continues: "If an employee struggles with long-term illness, or wants to pursue a new path within AAE, we look at how we can help that person in a tailored way. We go for it as a team and go the extra mile to make it work."
Workplace happiness as a top priority
Steffie elaborates on the many initiatives AAE takes to promote employee well-being and development. "Workplace happiness is our top priority here," she stresses. "We encourage our employees to continue to develop themselves, both professionally and personally. Whether that’s through career guidance, corporate social assistance or by offering training and courses. At AAE employees get all the support they require to grow. Want to take a mindfulness training course in order to reach the goals you want to achieve? Go for it! And there’s more where that came from! For example, one of our employees might face some financial challenges., If that’s the case we can pair them with a social worker. So workplace happiness goes beyond just the shop floor. That shows how AAE is more than willing to invest in people outside the mainstream."
Continuous development
Next, Steffie talks about the high number career development within AAE. Steffie: "A big number of employees develop their career at AAE. We make career advancement plans and offer opportunities to employees who are looking for a new challenge," she explains. "We strongly believe that when someone is a good fit for us, we find the right path for that person. The possibilities are endless here."
At the same time, AAE is actively working on growing it’s ‘learning organization’ culture where continuous growth and development form the foundation. Says Steffie, "This applies to employees, to students and even to young children, With a focus on creating an environment that encourages learning and personal growth. The ultimate goal is to leave a mark of quality and dedication on those who have worked at AAE, while the organization proceeds to invest in continuous development. That’s how we make a positive impact on the world and remain a leading player in the market."
Curious about the stories of Steffie's colleagues? On this page you will find more blogs here.
