Yannique Wentzel, people and culture manager at Reanda Netherlands, has always been passionate about embracing different cultures and people. She studied tourism management and went abroad as an Erasmus student. That was quite literally the start of her international journey.
When the norm differs
Yannique first went to Istanbul for the Erasmus student exchange. “I lived in a house with twenty-five people from sixteen different nationalities. It really opened my eyes.”
She followed up with a master’s in French and English in intercultural management in Paris, a year of working and travelling in South America, and settled in Buenos Aires for half a year where she learned Spanish. From there, she started looking for jobs in an international setting in the Netherlands and found Reanda. Drawn by the vacancy, Reanda’s diverse team, and the various entities Reanda has all over the world, her curiosity was piqued.
“I like learning from other people. I like it when things are different. That’s also how it works here at Reanda: we are all so different so the differences become the norm.”
“At Reanda we are all so different so the differences become the norm.”
Different cultures
Reanda is one of the few firms that has such an international employee base. “That distinguishes us. We have forty-nine employees from eighteen different countries and cultures.”
“My job,” Yannique explains, “is to make sure that people feel respected and feel heard. In a way I am a facilitator. You can’t treat everyone the same. Everyone comes from a different background.”
Moving to a different country is quite a big step and it can take some time to get used to the new culture. “We give our employees time and space to grow. I always explain to new employees that English is not our native language, for none of us actually. We’re all just trying to communicate with each other and it’s okay to make mistakes. Besides English, the language that connects the colleagues at Reanda is, of course, the language of audit. They speak audit.
“People speak their own language. They speak audit.”
We all live in the Netherlands and want to live here. That’s something that connects us as well. Which is why we don’t just facilitate office life. It’s important that we also help in people’s daily life. That includes offering lessons to learn the Dutch language. But it also means that we facilitate housing and accommodate their arrival. It’s exciting to move to a different country and we want to make everyone feel welcome.”
A sustainable relationship
With an international client base it’s important to have an understanding of working in an international environment. But what Reanda mostly looks for is to see if people have a connection with the Netherlands. “Meaning they are here with a partner or are looking to build a life here alone. We are looking for a sustainable relationship.”
Besides the international aspects of the job, there are also other qualities that stand out. “We are looking for curiosity. People who are willing to learn. But we are also looking for people who ‘measure their words’. We feel it’s a good thing when people stop and think for a moment, take the time to look for a specific word they want to use. Because in auditing, that’s exactly what they are doing: looking for specific things. It’s important to be accurate and to be precise.”
Admire and inspire
Personal growth is important at Reanda and included in the Reanda way of working: Inspiring employees to grow and admiring their growth. “It’s in the little things. Colleagues are working on their ACCA’s and that’s quite something. It’s not just something we expect, we like to celebrate with them.”
Besides growth, Reanda also likes to admire and celebrate their differences. “Last year we celebrated Diversity Day and everyone brought a different dish from their culture to work,” Yannique fondly remembers. “I think it was a good moment to understand we are all different and we can admire and learn from each other.”
Diversity and inclusion
To keep learning is something Reanda as a firm strives for as well. In order to make sure the work culture aligns with their values, Reanda signed the NBA covenant for diversity and inclusion. “Signing the covenant doesn’t just mean saying ‘we are diverse’. It also means that you have to take the next step in ensuring you are as diverse as you say you are.”
The NBA helps with that. Every four months the NBA hosts a gathering on a certain theme on diversity. Here people can speak to other professionals, learn from each other. “Last year it was about the LGBTQ+ community and the financial world.” Diversity is a topic that can’t be left out these days.
Yannique wants to continue to work on this: “After almost a year here at Reanda I can say that it is a very pleasant work place with kind people who help each other out. Moreover, the company gives me the opportunities to grow and develop within my field, as well as the flexibility to perform my work and find a healthy work-life balance.”
