Does this personal involvement stem from the company’s familial nature? Guy Frans: “The concept of ‘family’ can be interpreted in all kinds of ways, of course. Personally, I experience that family feeling through the high level of trust placed in employees here, as well as the solidarity that exists. Just like in a real family, everything has a longterm focus at Ceusters. The working environment has to be sustainable – both in a human and ecological sense. That’s why we made an explicit commitment to drastically reduce CO2 emissions, water consumption and
office waste, for example. Something we were already doing long before it became ‘sexy’, by the way. Simply because it’s a healthy way to do business. We’re also convinced that future employees will attach increasing importance to efforts like this.” Sophie Van Oers: “We consider it important for our offices to be as green as possible, both with plants in the office and with the necessary green space outside. It creates a sense of mental peace and invites movement. Similarly, having art on the walls leads to mental expansion, as it were. Combine that with a Sports Challenge,
Immorun race for real estate professionals or cocktail shaker workshop – together with engagement in social projects – and you have a sustainable working environment that always provides the necessary oxygen.” Guy Frans: “A pleasant working environment that supports strong collaboration is the reason why so many initiatives emerge here without anyone directing them from above. During the lockdown, we noticed that we missed each other very much. This certainly shows things aren’t that clinical here in the office.” (laughs)
CEUSTERS HQ - ANTWERP
Local and horizontal Ceusters has about a hundred employees who are spread out across various locations. Doesn’t that make it difficult to create a shared ‘Ceusters feeling’?
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CEUSTERS
| HR: Ceusters DNA
Guy Frans: “Our local presence is fantastic for our clients, but it’s also very nice for employees themselves. Why waste hours in traffic when you could be at work in no time? And get back to your family just as fast afterwards? It makes people work more efficiently, and it makes them happier.” Sophie Van Oers: “Especially for young parents, this isn’t an unnecessary luxury. We actually picked our branch locations together with our employees. Work-life balance really isn’t just an empty concept at Ceusters. Proximity applies not only to our connection with clients, but also to our employees. The way we work together mirrors how we deal with our clients.” Guy Frans: “Despite the fact that we work in different offices, there’s still a shared Ceusters DNA. But in order to create that ‘community’ feeling, you
naturally need to be present everywhere on a regular basis. Although we’ve partly grown organically, there have also been acquisitions and mergers. Which is why it’s important to get to know each other well and ensure everyone feels good in the large Ceusters community. It’s essential to invest the necessary time in this. I can safely say that human resources have become increasingly important for our organisation over the years. Of course, Ceusters is literally connected through the family DNA of Ms (Ingrid) Ceusters and her son Axel. But all employees also figuratively contribute to that DNA.”
Which profiles are you looking for, apart from the right skills? Sophie Van Oers: “Ceusters has a high retention rate. Our employees are not just anonymous numbers on a spreadsheet. The company is built on strong individuals who form a close-knit team in a highly diversified workplace. Age and gender don’t play any role in that.”
Guy Frans: “Trust only functions if it works in all directions. An open and horizontal way of collaborating makes swift decisions possible. It’s all about ownership, consultation and support. Those values are what makes us stand out from our competitors. We need to feel like someone fits in with that philosophy. Hire for attitude, train for skills, as we say. All our employees get the opportunity to take relevant training courses. Which means your own career at Ceusters can take different turns. And if people do decide they want a change, you want them to have had a really good time here, right? Who knows, we might be working together on a subsequent project in their new position and company… This too ties in with our long-term philosophy.” Sophie Van Oers: “The point is that everyone should be able to develop professionally in the best possible way. Supporting lifelong learning is how you ‘stay in shape’ as a company. No matter which way you look at it, your people are your most important assets. And the way in which our people work together also reflects how we deal with our clients.”
