Some positions are hard to fill. That’s why APG asks employees to tap into their networks and recommend qualified candidates. There’s a referral bonus in return, but more importantly, it often leads to a great match. Roy Meevissen and Dries Beerts share their experience with the program. As Roy points out: “A good match starts with transparency.”
Roy has been with APG for nearly six years and is part of the storage team within ITPS. When a colleague left, a position opened up for a senior storage specialist. “We couldn’t fill the role internally because it’s such a specialized field, so we started recruiting externally. When I shared the job opening, I hoped some experienced candidates in my network would respond.”
Dries, a former colleague of Roy, saw the vacancy on LinkedIn and was immediately interested. “I called Roy to ask about APG, the department, and the work. I already knew APG by name and had always heard positive things from former colleagues who joined the company.”
Roy gave Dries a detailed picture of APG’s culture. “Our previous employer was a small commercial company—this is completely different. Especially the pace—things can take longer because there’s a lot of coordination. That frustrated me at first, so I wanted to prepare Dries for that.” That honesty paid off. “Roy really helped me get oriented,” says Dries. “It’s different here, but decisions are more thought through. You actually get the time to research and set things up properly.”
Collaboration and success
The match turned out to be perfect. “We wanted an experienced professional to join our five-person team,” Roy explains. “And we definitely got that with Dries.” Now they’re working together again, just like before. “We know exactly what to expect from each other,” says Dries. “And it’s great that Roy understands what I mean when I come to him with questions about the organization or the work.”
For Roy, this wasn’t the first time he referred someone through the program. “The first candidate I referred no longer works at APG,” he says. “That was unfortunate, but it taught me how important it is to give someone a clear picture of how we work and what the culture is like. It really has to fit both ways.”
The referral bonus was a nice extra for Roy. “I just bought a new car, so the money came in handy,” he laughs. “But it wasn’t about the money. It’s just great to bring in someone who truly fits through your network.”
Will you use your network too?
Roy and Dries’ experience shows how valuable it can be to leverage your network for APG—not just for the organization, but for the team and the new colleague as well. Do you know someone who would be a great fit for APG? Check out the open positions and take advantage of the referral program.