The moment has come, after a long search abroad you have finally accepted a job offer! You celebrate this big with family and friends, who are immensely proud of you and especially very happy for you. But suddenly they ask you critical questions: 'How are you going to find a house?' Or, 'Do you actually know how healthcare is arranged in the Netherlands?' They ask this out of concern, you know that too, just as you know that there is a lot to be arranged before you can actually move. But you're not really worried: you've signed on with ENTER and the team there will do everything they can to give you a good start, as you've already noticed in the remote conversations you've had with the recruiter, talent manager and business manager.
Within ENTER we find it extremely important to help you wherever possible. We will assist you with your visa application, applying for a social security number or opening a bank account. We even have our own relocation officer to help you find a place to live in this heated housing market in the Eindhoven area. And if you want, we'll also make sure you can learn Dutch.
Cultural difference
Besides all these practical matters, however, you also have to deal with a cultural difference. Regardless of where you come from, as an expat you need great adaptability. This takes an enormous amount of energy in the first few months. Even the little things; think, for example, of speaking English all day when it is not your native language. This is one of the most frequently mentioned points I hear in the first weeks from expats in my team.
Not to mention the content of your new job and getting to know new people... There really is a lot involved in your new life as an expat and that is why we are so convinced that good guidance is crucial. We assume some assertiveness and independence, but when you arrive in a foreign country, it's nice to know you can come to us with all your questions.
And with results! For example, a major client of ours reports that our expats often start on an assignment stress-free because everything has already been taken care of! They are focused on the work and not distracted because they do not yet have a place to live or other practical matters still need to be arranged.
Father at the lunch table
Several of our international colleagues have also indicated that they like the fact that we often welcome the partner and or other family members. For example, they are welcome at our Friday afternoon drinks and on our annual day trip to the well known themepark the Efteling. And recently we even had a father of a new colleague over for lunch. He had traveled to the Netherlands with his son to see some of the country, but he couldn't miss a visit to us either. That way he could see who his son was going to work for and that gave him a pleasant and reassuring feeling. We focus not only on our own employee, but also on the partner and or other family members.
We now employ 18 different nationalities. That makes it important to show understanding and to really bring them into the Dutch "high tech" corporate culture, to expose differences and to let them land well that way. Curious how I do that? I will tell you more about that next time.