Language in the workplace
This language course pays for itself three times over
Docomar
It sometimes seemed as if the Polish colleagues understood her. Yet later, that often turned out not to be the case. Two groups also formed within the company: a Dutch one and a Polish one. Eveline van Doorn from the Veenendaal-based company Docomar knew exactly how to handle it.
Docomar, an animal nutrition company that has existed for over forty years and has two branches in Veenendaal, is ambitious. And it intends to take good care of its Polish employees. That is why Eveline, daughter of owner Bob van Doorn, started looking for a solid Dutch course at the beginning of this year. Eveline: 'We started the preliminary talks with TopTaal in May. In September, we launched an intensive program for our six Polish employees. And with success, because we see improvement and the response to the lessons has been very positive.'
The response to the lessons has been very positive
To offer a high-quality customized program, TopTaal began with extensive questionnaires for the participants. What competencies did they have? What did they want to learn? Based on the responses, a curriculum was developed that aligned seamlessly with workplace themes and the students' learning ability. 'In the first place, we noticed that the Polish colleagues were sometimes afraid to admit they didn't understand something. They would say yes, but later you'd notice they had misunderstood an assignment. Afterwards, you'd find that things in production hadn't gone well. That's when we realized something had to be done about language proficiency.'
Great interaction
A second point of attention for Docomar was group formation. The Polish staff sought each other out; the Dutch did the same. However, management wanted to see more collaboration. 'We wanted to create a better atmosphere on the work floor, between the guys,' Eveline explains. 'TopTaal really lived up to expectations. The teacher has a genuine interest, and recently learned all kinds of technical terms herself during a tour of our factory. She empathizes and makes the course as practical as possible. This also created great interaction within the group. The teacher really stands alongside the group, not above them.'
When asked why Docomar invests so much in its people, Eveline is firm. 'You shouldn't just look at the expenses, but also at what it brings you. If you calculate it, mistakes probably cost us much more. This language course therefore pays for itself three times over. The guys have different levels, but they do pull each other along. The fear of speaking or asking for clarification has now disappeared. And you notice that motivation has increased. It is greatly appreciated that we are investing in better mutual understanding. The Dutch and Polish guys are slowly but surely starting to find each other more easily.'