Working at the most innovative laundry in Europe

Are you looking for a new job? Or simply curious about what it's like to work at Nedlin? As a dynamic family business, we are constantly seeking talent. Nicole Janssen, HR Manager, and Sanja Lageweg, Recruiter, explain how enjoyable it is to work at the most innovative laundry in Europe, and what opportunities there are for further development within the company.

What do you personally enjoy most about working at Nedlin?

Nicole: "For me, the best part is working in a family business. Nedlin is a highly entrepreneurial and ambitious company with a very flat organizational structure. It feels like a close-knit community. We work hard together, but we truly know each other. This creates a great atmosphere and dynamic."

Sanja: "You are visible here. Despite having 400 employees across three segments—Hospitality, Healthcare, and Industry—you're not just a number. We know you personally, and new employees receive good support. Additionally, Nedlin is a financially healthy company. We're even building a new laundry in 2021, which provides security and stability. If you perform well, there are always new opportunities for advancement. You can progress quickly here."

And when you look at the roles?

Nicole: "Every role within the organization is diverse. This applies to us in HR, but also to the people in the laundry. For instance, if you're a production worker on the clean side where the clean laundry comes out of the machines, you're not just handling laundry; you also see which customer it's for. You check the quality of the items, remove them from the process if they don't belong there, and together with your colleagues, you're responsible for a clean and safe workplace, for the atmosphere. You support each other. That's what makes it interesting."

Zijn jullie op zoek naar mensen voor specifieke functies?

Sanja: "At the moment, we are primarily in need of production coordinators and, to a lesser extent, production leaders. They are the backbone of the company. They handle the operational side while ensuring that production workers are well guided."

Nicole: "Our employees are spread across production, sales, transportation, and engineering. Additionally, we have administration and support functions such as HR and marketing. We are always looking for talent, across various fields."

How are new employees supported?

Sanja: "We have a thorough onboarding process. You get acquainted with the entire company and visit both locations in Hoensbroek and Elsloo. The manager of your department creates a training schedule for the first few weeks or months, depending on your role. Nicole and I also check in regularly. How are you settling in? Are there any challenges you're facing? This feedback is important to us."

Nicole: "For production workers, for example, we know exactly what knowledge and skills are required for each workstation. You'll gradually learn all aspects of the company. The same applies to coordinators. They start by working in all areas to understand the people and processes. We review progress weekly to plan the next steps."

Could you tell us about growth opportunities?

Nicole: "When opportunities arise within the organization, we always first consider internal candidates. We initiate discussions about the knowledge you'll acquire and whether you might pursue further education. We create a personalized plan and regularly review progress to determine the next steps. It's always tailored to the specific employee."

Sanja: "To illustrate, one of our employees, Amir, started in the laundry room 6 years ago (where the dirty laundry comes in). When the opportunity arose, he became a coordinator. Initially, he had a three-month trial period because it's a completely different role. He's been doing very well, and he's still learning."

Nicole: "Sander, the plant manager in Hoensbroek, joined us 11 years ago as a production worker. He has climbed the entire career ladder within the company. Another example is Andrea, who started 15 years ago as a junior account manager in Healthcare and has grown into a commercial manager. These are examples of people who fit well with the organization and have grown with the company."

What kind of people fit well with the organization?

Nicole: "Positive and entrepreneurial individuals. People who take initiative. Those who enjoy thinking about how things can be improved tomorrow and who are willing to get their hands dirty, regardless of their role. The laundry needs to be clean, even if there's a breakdown. We just keep going together until it's done."

Sanja: "We prefer working with people who are eager to develop themselves. Those who naturally take initiative and think in terms of solutions, even when the solution isn't apparent yet."

2020 was an extraordinary year. How did you experience it?

Nicole: "This year gave us the opportunity to pause and reflect on what we do. In the past, we sometimes threw people into the deep end, but we've learned that this affects quality negatively. It works much better to give people the attention they deserve.

Like the rest of the world, we faced something unreal in March. People were afraid. At the same time, we provide crucial services, such as laundry for hospitals. That process had to continue. We had many discussions on how to work safely. We made a significant effort to keep people employed because it provides stability and peace of mind.

Some employees transitioned to other sectors, for example, from Hospitality to Healthcare. This has increased mutual understanding between different sectors. Employees now experience the differences firsthand, which is great. We take care of each other more.".”

Nedlin is known as a socially responsible company. How do employees notice that?

Nicole: "For example, they see that we've started working on our linen package, or that we're becoming more efficient with energy and water usage. We communicate these initiatives. Additionally, we encourage every employee to use their personal sponsorship budget to support a local club, association, or charity."

Sanja: "Furthermore, we do a lot for our employees themselves. We provide fresh fruit twice a week, offer a smoking cessation course. Building connections during these times is challenging, as we can't organize events like Christmas lunches or New Year celebrations. Once we have the opportunity, our activities committee can resume, and we can gather together again."

What does the future look like for Nedlin?

Nicole: "2020 was undoubtedly a challenging year. Volumes in Hospitality nearly disappeared. However, we see a very promising outlook for all three segments. We're in discussions with potential new clients, and in February, we'll break ground for the new laundry in Elsloo. There's a perspective for further growth. This makes it even more exciting for current and future employees."