Welcome to BZ!

To establish a good, centralised onboarding programme at BZ, a BZ-wide steering group was set up in autumn 2022. Mirella van de Noort, head of the Academy for International Relations, is involved in the steering group. She explains: ‘When I started at BZ four years ago, there was no centrally organised introduction to help you get to know BZ. But it’s important to have one, because the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is such a large organisation. New members of staff want to know what goes on at BZ and what their role is. We also want to inform them about important topics like diversity and inclusion, integrity and vitality. We want to make sure that new colleagues feel at home right away and have all the information they need to get started.’

Monthly welcome day

HDPO first looked at how other ministries and organisations have set up their onboarding programmes. ‘We presented our findings and then the Senior Management Board tasked us with establishing a central onboarding programme. We’re also looking at decentralised onboarding at the departments and missions, because there are many differences in the ways various parts of the organisation go about this.’ Adopting a centralised approach included streamlining the information provided to new staff members and organising monthly welcome days.

On these days, around 50 new colleagues from all departments are brought together, creating an opportunity to share information with them and enabling them to connect with one another and with the organisation. The new staff members also meet either Secretary-General (SG) Paul Huijts or Deputy Secretary-General (PSG) Carola van Rijnsoever, who will tell them about the importance they attach to 1BZ and outline BZ’s political and international context. They also discuss current issues at BZ, such as the recent report on racism. Either the SG, the PSG or the Director of HDPO, Reina Buijs, will attend the oath/affirmation ceremony.

Several colleagues also come and talk about their work. Mirella: ‘Anyone can read about what we do, but if the Director-General for International Cooperation, someone from the consular department or the Ambassador for Women’s Rights and Gender Equality tells you about the cases they’re working on or the negotiations they’re taking part in, the work we do at BZ really comes to life. There’s also plenty of opportunity to ask questions.’

Interaction and networking

After a group photo, it’s time for some personal interaction. The group is split into smaller groups, and colleagues from various departments talk to them about how they deal with subjects like vitality and health, communication, learning and development, diversity and inclusion, integrity, and a safe and supportive working environment.

The day finishes with drinks. The steering group believes it’s important for staff members to have the opportunity to network with colleagues from other departments. ‘BZ is a large organisation. Whatever subject you’re working on, you’ll usually need input from several different departments. It’s handy to know who can help you and how to contact them.’

On the basis of feedback from participants and speakers, improvements are continually made to the whole onboarding programme, including the welcome days. ‘At first the programme was too full, and we were mainly presenting information. It’s much more interactive now.’ The participants in the basic training programme for new policy officers take part in the welcome days too. ‘We are 1BZ, and it’s good to show it this way.’

Getting to know your employer

Mirella says there has been a very positive response to the whole onboarding programme, including the welcome days. Sandra Forster agrees. She took part in a welcome day in early March. She had already been working for BZ through an employment agency for almost a year, but was taken on permanently on 1 March as a budget administrator with the Financial Service Organisation (FSO). She assists various regional departments that don’t have their own controllers with financial administration tasks, such as drafting contracts and handling payments.

She says this central welcome day has added value. ‘It was great to network with people of all ages and backgrounds and with widely varying jobs.’ Sandra agrees with Mirella: in order to feel at home, you need to get to know the whole organisation. ‘My work relates to just a small part of BZ. I like knowing what else my employer does and how the organisation views certain subjects.’

The information shared during the morning was interesting too, says Sandra. ‘The speakers talked about things you have to take extra care with as a government employee. Take working on your laptop outside the office. If you leave it lying around somewhere by mistake, it can have serious consequences for a government organisation.’ She also liked the interactive nature. ‘It wasn’t formal at all – and I’d been afraid it would be. I really liked getting to know my employer better this way.’

Expanding the onboarding programme

The steering group wants to welcome new staff members at the missions in a similar way, says Mirella. ‘We’re discussing this with representatives of missions from all over the world. An online welcome day might be an option. We also want to give the various networks the opportunity to present themselves, such as Out There, Bind, VerYBZ, FEE and the new network for staff members with disabilities and/or neurodiversity.’ A new onboarding coordinator is being appointed to ensure this process continues to run smoothly in the future.

The steering group helps with decentralised onboarding too, for instance by sharing best practices with departments. Sandra’s onboarding within her team went smoothly. ‘My colleagues drew up a programme for my first two weeks, in which I got to know my team, the systems and my job. Then I was assigned a buddy to help me. Thanks to my helpful colleagues, I really feel at home at BZ.’