Responsible for personnel at Blackwood's Dilsen site HR and Office Manager Tamara Verhaegen discusses the sites latest developments.
What is your role as Blackwood’s HR and Office Manager?
I joined the business six months ago and I am responsible for the entire personnel management of Blackwood Dilsen and the all-round office activities.
What does a typical day look like for the HR Manager at Blackwood’s Dilsen site?
I am always well-organised planning in advance but often plans change quickly.
The HR department here has to switch fast and change all the time, prioritising and adjusting accordingly to deal with whatever the day has in-store.
What current projects is the HR team working on?
We are a growing company so there are always different projects going on, the most important one for my department this year has surely been the launch of our corporate values.
Furthermore, we are trying to working on uniformity across the two sites, we want to make all documentation as uniform as possible aligning with the UK.
What challenges are you currently facing?
From an HR point of view, the growth of the business has presented a challenge.
We are always looking for motivated employees who share our company values and given the current economy it is not always easy to find the right person in the right place.
Furthermore, keeping all our HR-related policies up to date and in place is a big part of the job.
How are you overcoming these challenges?
I think the whole Blackwood team is behind our corporate vision and everyone is always positive and innovative. We have a very strong team of both shop floor workers and staff here in Dilsen and we are very proud of that.
Any final thoughts?
My first six months at Blackwood Dilsen have flown by. There has been significant investment in our people and our site. We have worked hard to manage the development and reduce any chaos – it has been a good start on a personal level to my Blackwood journey!
