“This work makes me feel independent and confident”

At HANOS The Hague-Delft, it is not only about good food and good service, but also about opportunities for everyone. Jan Willem, chef of the kitchen and the Grand Café, and Mirjam, hostess, tell how collaboration with Werkse! Creates an inclusive workplace where people can grow. For Mirjam, that meant a new start and a job that suits her perfectly.

HANOS The Hague-Delft is a modern wholesaler. They are known for their great choice, good service and their social policy. The building was completely rebuilt in 2015. It looks neat and modern. Jan Willem is the boss of the kitchen and the Grand Café. He makes sure everything goes well in the kitchen. Mirjam is a hostess. She receives the guests in the restaurant and at events. Together they provide good food and drinks for the other employees and guests every day in a cosy atmosphere.

What people can do
Jan Willem says that HANOS is happy to help people who work through Werkse! Looking for work. “Work! Is an organisation that supports people in finding suitable work and we want to help people find suitable work. So that fits well together and that makes us happy,” he says. Jan Willem and other colleagues have been trained at Werkse!. There they learned to look at what people can do instead of what they can’t do. “That way of thinking is now also used at HANOS and that creates a nice atmosphere within the team,” he says.

The collaboration with Werkse! Started nine years ago via Werkwaardig, a network of inclusive employers in the region. In this network, companies look at what they can do for each other and how they can help people with a support request to find work. People who have already gained experience through Werkse! Can get an internship at HANOS. During a trial period, it is checked whether they and the work fit together. If all goes well, they get a permanent contract. This way has been working well for years and many people have been given such a great opportunity to get to work.

Employees with a support question
Giving equal opportunities is an important part of how they treat employees at HANOS. Jan Willem: “About ten percent of the 380 employees have a support request. This percentage has remained roughly the same for years, mainly due to the good cooperation with Werkse!”. Employees who via Werkse! Start, receive the same treatment as all other employees, there are no separate rules. The only thing that is done is the buddy training. In this way, HANOS employees can help the new employee learn the tasks and get used to the workplace. All employees are open to their arrival and see everyone as a colleague. And that goes very well. “For example, there is someone with a slight intellectual disability who is one of the best employees and has now received a permanent contract” Jan Willem gives as an example.

He certainly recommends this collaboration to other companies. “Work! Is clear, understands who fits in with HANOS and knows who we are looking for”. A big advantage of HANOS is that it has 26 different departments. If someone does not feel quite at home in one department, there is often another department that does suit him or her.

Learning new things
Mirjam looks back with great pleasure on her start at HANOS via Werkse!. “I saw that opportunity as a nice step towards permanent employment and as an opportunity to grow further”. Before joining HANOS, she worked as a hairdresser and hostess in a hair salon. There she had a lot of contact with customers and was always busy. “It’s exactly the same with HANOS. I start in the morning in the company restaurant, where I bake pistols and croissants. And I also work as a hostess in the Grand Café and at events”.

Mirjam feels good in the team. “Everyone is patient and explains everything clearly. I have already learned a lot of new things, such as coming up with the ‘Bun of the Week’, making cappuccino and other coffees and guiding colleagues in making the sandwiches”. At events, she learns a lot about food and dishes, such as making tasty appetisers for the guests. She likes that she is given more and more responsibility and that she can learn new things.

For people who are hesitating about using Werkse! To work, Mirjam says it’s good to just try it for a week. “I also found it exciting at first, but the work at HANOS immediately turned out to be fun and varied”. She thinks it’s important that Werkse! Helps you find work so that you can also do fun things with your own salary, such as going on vacation or buying something nice. “Because of this work, I feel independent and confident”.