Founded in Sweden with its headquarters in Switzerland, Tetra Pak, a global market leader for food processing and packaging solutions also has a home in the Netherlands.
“We protect what’s good and that involves our customers, our projects, our products, and our people,” says Tetra Pak HR representative Tiny Post.
Make it in the North had a chat with Post to learn more about how Tetra Pak is embracing its international workforce, particularly in the Netherlands.
“Whenever we have new joiners, they feel very welcomed here. We have new joiners from the Netherlands and also from countries all over the world. From Russia, India, and New Zealand. They come from everywhere!” she explains.
Founded in 1952, Dr Ruben Rausing started the company by creating an alternative to the glass bottles used for packaging and distributing milk. Together with Swedish engineer, Erik Wallenberg, he developed a tetrahedron-shaped paper packaging carton, inspiring the name of the company and marking the start of our ground-breaking contribution to the safe distribution of food around the world.
Employee well-being, mental health, and happiness a priority
Today, Tetra Pak benefits from its location in Heerenveen (Friesland) as it has customers in the region as well as skilled employees. Post describes Tetra Pak as a very people-minded company that takes care of employees.
“Their well-being, mental health, and happiness is a high priority for Tetra Pak,” she says adding that the company attracts many people passionate about their tasks that love to do their work.
“We are also very inclusive no matter your gender, race, or where you come from,” Post says.
Less of a rat race
The employees working at Heerenveen also find that this region of the Netherlands has a culture that’s rather down to earth.
“It’s also not as hectic as it is in the south and there’s less of that rat race feeling here. That’s what I hear that people find appealing,” according to Post.
“In the north of the Netherlands, there’s also a lot of activity going on in the food industry and especially in the dairy industry. So we fit in perfectly,” says Post.
However, there’s also a lot of remote communication in the company. Some employees have remote managers. The managers are responsible for onboarding so what will typically happen is that the manager secures the new hire a buddy that can guide them around. The company also created a digital onboarding programme consisting of videos about different aspects of the company.
Asked how she would pitch the company to prospective employees, Post says that it’s an innovative company that’s ambitious to constantly improve. Sustainability is also a big value and they’re looking into how Tetra Pak’s solutions can help the planet. Post also likes the HR policy as it manages to balance serving clients well and on time while also ensuring that employees have all the necessary tools to accomplish their work. There are also possibilities for visa sponsorship if this is required.
People interested in joining the Tetra Pak family should check out the company’s career page on Make it in the North. Alternatively, they can send an open application detailing their motivation for a position with Tetra Pak.
Interview conducted by Make it in the North Account Manager Annaléa Chatelier
This article is part of Make it in the North‘s company spotlight series that highlights Northern companies hiring internationals.
