Online welcome meeting for missions worldwide

Feeling at home

‘We want to give new colleagues at the missions – like their counterparts in the Netherlands – a central and informative welcome so that they quickly feel at home, get a solid grounding, understand how BZ is organised and feel part of the ministry,’ Henny says. ‘This is what the central onboarding programme is about. Job-specific onboarding of course takes place at the mission itself.’

Programme

The programme of the online welcome meeting is similar to the physical welcome day in The Hague, which has been held since 2023. The working language is English. Because of the different time zones, there are two sessions per 24-hour period: in the morning for staff at missions in the eastern hemisphere and in the afternoon for those in the western hemisphere.

Various missions have contributed content to the programme. We also work with staff from the Diplomatic Missions Department (HDPN) and the Locally Employed Staff Council (LESC).

‘Taking part in a welcome day online requires different skills from the participants, so we’ve shortened the programme and made it as interactive as possible,’ Henny comments. ‘We start by introducing the new staff to BZ’s mission, vision and organisational goals, and we discuss worldwide working and intercultural experiences.’

Structures and systems

‘The information about BZ’s organisational structure and the mission network are particularly important for new mission staff to understand how the Ministry works. We also explain the Dutch political and administrative system and typically Dutch concepts like the ‘polder model’, and give a who’s who of the Dutch government. In plenary meetings we discuss important topics like civil service professionalism and 1BZ,’ Henny explains.

Sharing experiences

Several local colleagues share their own experiences with the new staff. They also give more information about the Locally Employed Staff Council (LESC), which represents the interests of about 2,300 local staff working at Dutch embassies, permanent representations and consulates worldwide.

Network

In break-out rooms topics such as vitality and health, diversity and inclusion, information security and integrity, and learning and development are discussed. Besides exchanging knowledge, the online event also allows participants to become acquainted with other new colleagues in the region. It’s valuable to be able to exchange ideas with other ‘newbies’ who may run into the same questions at work.

Technical support

‘Our partner Shared Business provides the technical support so that everything online works smoothly. They arrange the internet link, the audio and the break-out rooms, and also deal with any technical issues. This enables us to focus our full attention on the content of the welcome meeting’, Henny says.

Positive reactions

‘The participants’ responses are positive. We take the suggestions from their feedback forms into account when we prepare and organise the next online welcome meetings, so we’re continually improving the programme. The response from managers at the missions has been positive, too. They’re pleased that ministry headquarters is also focusing on central onboarding for colleagues at the missions.’

Suggestions are welcome

‘I meet a lot of BZ staff in my job and I feel good when they go home happy. We’re always pleased to receive suggestions about improving our welcome meetings. We’re committed to helping every new member of staff be as ready as possible for their new job at BZ and to making them feel they belong.’