The Proposition: 'Practical work must be valued more highly if we want to keep enough hands at work now and in the future'

ARTICLE

Hanneke Tax, Tuesday 25 February 2025

138 sec

In the tree nursery industry, a lot is invested in automation, so that less manual labor is needed; finding enough people is indeed difficult. However, the work will not become hands-free anytime soon, so the involvement of practical people remains necessary. What happens if we value practical craftsmanship more highly and express that appreciation?

Mariëlle Gooijaers, Photo: Sharon Schouten Photography

MARIËLLE GOOIJAERS, Talentboom:

'Courses can enhance practical skills for the job, such as pruning or operating machinery'

Practical

'I think you should not always look at the level of education, but at the people and the skills they have. Education tells a lot about what you have learned, not about who you are or what you can do. Of course, there are also professions where a certain education is necessary. But for some positions, especially in practical work, you can learn a lot through courses, such as pruning or operating machinery. You should do what suits you and what makes you happy; that is more important than a diploma.'

Collaborative Thinking

'In the tree nursery industry, it varies by type of business whether a lot of manual work can be replaced by automation, but practical work will still be needed in the coming years. I think companies in the sector pay a lot of attention to hiring people who fit the company, without looking at diplomas and thinking in terms of "low" and "higher" educated. Entrepreneurs and business leaders generally think along and are open to helping people with what they need to perform their tasks well.'

Eelco Nell

EELCO NELL, De Jong Plant, Boskoop:

'We prefer people without diplomas who enjoy the work over the opposite'

No Diploma

'Young people who want to do practical work are always in demand. A diploma is not always necessary. At De Jong Plant, we also hire young people for whom things have not gone well at school, due to motivation or because they find it difficult. We prefer people without diplomas who enjoy the work over the opposite. There are plenty of tasks they can do very well, such as loading plants, driving forklifts, and preparing plants for orders. We offer varied work and ensure they work with the group. Because if you enjoy the work, it encourages you.'

Flourishing

'We appreciate employees for their dedication. It does not matter whether they do practical work or are in sales. It's about appreciation for the employee as a person and for what they do. This also includes financial rewards or, for example, doing something fun together occasionally. When people enjoy their work, you see them flourish and sometimes they even finish their school or, for example, take a course. And it is stimulating to continue developing further.'

Frank van den Bergh

FRANK VAN DEN BERGH, IBN Nurseries:

'Important for satisfaction is "Vitamin A": attention for the employee'

Qualities

'We work with a different group of employees than most companies, namely people with disabilities. They do unskilled work with us, but they deliver good work. You see that these people have qualities that we value and for which we have suitable work. This makes the employees satisfied with their work. Important for satisfaction is also "Vitamin A", as we call it, namely attention for the employee. Recently, we had an anniversary party for someone who had been with us for twelve and a half years. The honoree apologized for being late that day: he was there a quarter past seven, fifteen minutes later than usual. While we actually start at eight. That shows how high the motivation is.'

Dirty Hands

'We recently had an employee satisfaction survey, and our nursery scored the highest compared to our other disciplines. This is partly because we have good continuity in the work: with us, it's not rush or standstill, but just steady work. And we prioritize quality over quantity, so we do not create work pressure. We hear from people that they are comfortable and like to stay with us. Inconveniences such as dirty hands and prickly plants are gladly accepted by them.'

This article was previously published on March 11, 2025, on the website of Boom In Business.

Talentboom

De Jong Plant BV

IBN Kwekerijen

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