Caring & daring
Strike
the balance
We encourage employees to stay balanced and healthy and to occasionally take a step back to clear their minds. For instance, our employees can take a sabbatical – an opportunity which is regularly seized.
When employees are dealing with impactful life events, we find it important to support them. Our external coaching programs, BoFit and ProudMom, provide extra support in moments of need. And through flexible leave arrangements, we can give employees the space they require. We have a special peer-to-peer coaching group called ‘Moms in consulting’, in which mothers exchange experiences about how to keep the right balance between work and private life. It has inspired the fathers to set up a group as well.
Agata Michalaszek
Manager, Financial Services
How does IG&H help you strike the balance?
Last year was truly incredible for me, as my daughter was born in April. At the same time, becoming a mom has given rise to many new challenges – especially because I want my performance at work to be in line with my ambitions. IG&H offered me to participate in the ProudMom program to new moms, which was very helpful. The program consists of several meetings with three experts: a personal trainer, a nutrition specialist, and a coach.
Could you tell more about the ProudMom program?
The holistic approach of ProudMom helps boost energy and deal with new situations. The nutrition specialist assisted me in composing my diet after pregnancy, and I’m still getting guidance. As I already received training from Mom in Balance, I could swap the meetings, which meant I was allowed to use my personal training hours for an extra coaching session.
Bring nature in
We believe in the importance of connecting with nature, as it increases our health and well-being. For our new Utrecht office, we’ve chosen a biophilic design. By bringing nature in we create a healthier, more natural office space for our employees. True to our ambition to become a carbon neutral company, we have made the office energy friendly and are installing solar panels on this roof as well. Outside our office, our apple trees and beehive provide us with nature’s goodies.
Remon Balster
Manager, Insurance & Banking
What made you decide to take a sabbatical?
Co-workers who returned from their sabbaticals with amazing stories and pictures got me curious. So, I seized the opportunity and went traveling with my girlfriend for a few months. We wanted to visit a combination of countries so we would experience different things: we took 15 weeks off and went to Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.
How did your experience your travels?
Looking back, I think two elements made for a great experience: traveling to amazing countries (50%) and having time to reflect after the first few years of my career (the other 50%). Although it took us some time to stop thinking about work, we eventually let go of everything. The abundance of time allows you to reflect on what does and doesn’t give you energy, what you don’t want to do anymore, and what you’d like to do more of. When I got back, I noticed I was much more relaxed than before. It made my job easier and improved my consultancy work – both in terms of the content I create and the relationships I build. We’ve nearly run out of savings, but I wouldn’t have wanted to spend them on anything else. And I think I’ll be thanking IG&H forever for giving me this opportunity.