Damen Shipyards

As a rapidly growing family business, maintaining well-structured HR processes is essential for Damen Shipyards to sustain innovation and deliver quality in the international market. Lotte van Mourik, Global Talent Manager at Damen Shipyards, shares how the Talent Intelligence Portal from GITP aids in achieving these goals.

Lotte Romijn van Mourik states, “The tools have allowed us to speak the same language regarding competencies, which has immensely improved the quality of our recruitment and appraisal conversations.”

With 11,000 employees worldwide, of whom 3,000 are based in the Netherlands, we are a significant global player in shipbuilding. It's a rewarding yet challenging market. For us, this means continually seeking new growth markets, improving internal processes, continually innovating, and maintaining our focus on quality. It's logical that we align our HR agenda with these goals, emphasizing standardization and employer branding.

Talent Intelligence Portal
The customized Talent Intelligence Portal from GITP includes 24/7 available cognitive ability tests and personality questionnaires. It serves multiple HR functions, including recruitment, onboarding, training, and talent development, sometimes extending to 360-degree feedback. The portal has greatly improved the quality of both recruitment and performance appraisal conversations, providing focused discussion points and a unified language that enhances communication within the company and globally.

Development Opportunities
Damen Shipyards places great importance on employee loyalty and engagement. The company strives to offer ample development opportunities for its staff. A biennial evaluation of strengths and weaknesses is insufficient; continuous investment in personnel, alongside good leadership and quality delivery, is crucial for a successful business. The HR tools in the Talent Intelligence Portal support these goals by facilitating ongoing employee development.

International Expansion
Currently, many Dutch subsidiaries utilize the portal's tools, but Damen Shipyards plans to expand this to international locations. The company critically evaluates the tool's added value for various recruitment and development needs. For example, the portal is more relevant for top-level positions rather than for operational staff on shipyards. This distinction is evident in its current use at a Damen Shipyards facility in Romania.

Why choose GITP?

• Strong tools for enhancing employer branding
• Highly focused recruitment and development discussions
• A universal competency language that can be applied worldwide