From Competency Language to Corporate Values at De Bijenkorf

De Bijenkorf, a well-known department store chain in the Netherlands, has a long-standing partnership with GITP, spanning over ten years, to enhance talent development among its employees. A recent initiative in this collaboration is the development of a specific competency language that reflects De Bijenkorf's values.

‘Our competency language is based on the competency language of GITP. We have been working with it for years, both in talent development and in recruitment and selection. Recently, we took it a step further: to embed De Bijenkorf's values into the organization, we adapted the competency language so that the competencies could also be translated into values for each role. Additionally, we linked example behaviors to each role.’

‘A (digital) assessment from GITP is a standard part of the recruitment and selection process at De Bijenkorf'

Geert de Vries,
HR Manager at Service Office and Central Bakery of De Bijenkorf

Example Behavior for Colleagues

When someone is well-suited to their position, they exhibit certain example behaviors for their colleagues. This way, their colleagues know what they are already doing well and what steps they need to take to further grow in their role. We have recently started using these values in our performance and appraisal cycles. A recent employee engagement survey revealed that awareness of De Bijenkorf's values among employees has significantly increased. They are much more engaged with these values, which strengthens both internal cohesion and De Bijenkorf as a brand.

Talent Management

"We also use GITP’s HR tools in the Talent Intelligence Portal for talent management. Consistent use of these digital tools makes employees' qualities visible, allowing us to understand why one employee performs better than another. Our HR managers and recruiters are certified by GITP to interpret the assessments and provide feedback to participants. All leaders at De Bijenkorf are now accustomed to GITP assessments being a regular part of the recruitment process for new employees.

Why Choose GITP

• Linking Competency Language to Corporate Values
• Assessments for Optimal Recruitment and Selection
• Career Development with Online HR Tools