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Learning organisation Group-f: “We grow our own experts”
A tight labour market, a rapidly growing organisation and a specialised business: these are, in a nutshell, the HR challenges faced by Group-f, a service provider in facilities management. According to L&D Manager Stefanie Van Steenlandt, the secret to overcoming these challenges is life-long learning. That is why she is transforming Group-f into a learning organisation. And as a JC200 training partner, Cefora-Cevora has an important role to play in this.
About Group-f
Group-f is a household name in the facilities management landscape. Not surprising as the Kontich-based company houses a service cheque business, a cleaning division and an aerial platform rental company.
About Cefora-Cevora
As one of Belgium’s largest training providers, Cefora-Cevora provides services to 500,000 white-collar workers in 60,000 companies falling under Joint Committee 200 (JC200). Cefora-Cevora is an initiative of the social partners ACLVB-CGSLB, BBTK-SETCa, ACV Puls, CNE, VBO-FEB, and their affiliated federations, UNIZO and UCM.
“For all our markets and segments, the tight labour market makes it difficult to find adequate staff with the necessary skills and competencies”, says Stefanie. “That’s why we grow our own experts, which we then also offer career opportunities within the organisation. Of course, this does require a significant and sustained investment in learning, both formal and informal.”
Training as a team building tool
Across all divisions, Group-f employs some 2,500 employees, including 130 white-collar workers in support services and management positions. Cefora-Cevora’s learning offer is a valuable resource for them.
“Our counsellors are all registered for ‘Customer-oriented communication‘,” Stefanie says. “And while the basic Excel and Outlook courses are perfect refresher courses for many office workers, all new managers must complete the ‘Survival kit people management’.”
On several occasions, Group-f also organised the latter training course as an in-company course. Stefanie: “In-company courses have an added value in that they have a team-building element to them. When colleagues from different regions and entities get to spend the day together to exchange experiences, they are at the same time expanding their internal network – a key requirement in an ever-growing organisation.”
“Getting our colleagues to learn independently,
both formally and informally, that is my ultimate goal.”
Learning to cope with pressure
As well as acquiring new skills and competencies, training courses help employees build their resilience. Stefanie: “I can’t change the hectic nature of our industry, or the fact that our teams have to be available to customers 24/7, but I can support my colleagues in learning to cope with that pressure.”
Here too, Group-f relies on Cefora-Cevora’s training catalogue, and on the courses provided by our numerous partners.
“Learning should be a continuous consideration for each of our colleagues.”
Selecting your own courses
Stefanie’s ultimate goal is to transform Group-f into a true learning organisation. Fully aware that she has taken on a big task… “Learning should be a continuous consideration for each of our colleagues.”
“We still tend to spoon-feed training courses in the form of mandatory learning packages”, she continues. “I want to allow them to select training courses of their own choice that are relevant for their current job or with a view to a next career step.”
Sven Goossens is an Operational Manager at Group-f’s aviation division. Brussels Airport has been his working environment for more than 30 years.
“Taking training courses boosts your self-confidence and empowers you.”
“During my appraisal, my manager suggested that I develop my coaching skills a little more. I immediately contacted Stefanie and signed up for a few Cefora-Cevora training courses. The online courses that I’ve now taken have been short and valuable, with a surprisingly strong group dynamic.
In the past, I tended to ‘wing it’ when coaching employees, but what I’ve learnt has made me more comfortable in that role. Taking training courses boosts your self-confidence and empowers you. Something my manager did not fail to notice.”
Supporting growth journeys
Growth journeys throughout the organisation are also on Stefanie’s to-do list. For the past year, she and her team have been breaking down every position into required sets of tasks and associated competencies. Each of these profiles then has a training offer matched to it.
“My ultimate goal is to get our colleagues to learn independently, both formally and informally“, Stefanie concludes. “Obviously, that will be combined with mandatory training courses aiming to continually raise the bar for Group-f as a whole. As you can see, the sky’s the limit within my department.”
Would you too like to invest in the growth of your company?
By enabling your employees to grow, you motivate them and strengthen your company at the same time. Cefora-Cevora can help you achieve this with training courses and guidance. Our training courses are prepaid by the employer contributions through the Social Fund of JC200.