How Info Support Guides Its Employees to the Next Step in Their Careers

Info Support is an innovative IT service provider and consultancy organization that develops and manages software for large clients. They highly value craftsmanship and development opportunities. Nanda Geleedst, who has been with Info Support for over 13 years as a Human Development Advisor, focuses on employee development and advises management and staff on HR-related issues. She is one of the facilitators of the Next Step program, with GITP partnering to shape and deliver social skill development.

The Next Step in Your Career

Nanda explains, “The Next Step program comes at a crucial development moment for employees. At Info Support, we primarily work in project teams. Some employees take the step to move out of the familiar project team and take on a more directing and responsible role as an architect or senior Way-of-Working (WoW) professional.” This new step requires different skills. While Info Support has its knowledge center with technical training, more is needed for a successful Next Step. Bas Barten, a trainer at GITP, is closely involved in the project: “GITP provides the soft skill training for the Next Step Program at Info Support. Think of social skills such as communication, advisory skills, personal leadership, organizational sensitivity, and time management.”

For Info Support, the importance of social skills is nothing new: “As long as I’ve worked here, we’ve focused on soft skills,” says Nanda. Three years ago, GITP took over from another party. “We revisited the content of the Next Step program. Important themes like stakeholder management have also been included in the new program, but we have also broadened the scope. It’s no longer just for architects but also for employees in other roles,” explains Nanda. “The big advantage is that participants also gain insight into the knowledge, skills, and issues of other roles.”

Participants of The Next Step

The program lasts one year, with about ten employees participating each year. “Participants are nominated for Next Step by their manager,” says Nanda. Then begins the extensive selection process. “We want to facilitate people, but we also want to ensure they have the capacity to handle the development. It starts with an interview with a senior architect/senior WoW professional, followed by a GITP assessment.” The assessment provides insight into whether an employee can grow to the required level of abstraction. This combined evaluation ultimately determines if someone can join the program.

Uitgebreide intakes: met een reden

Voor Bas geeft het uitgebreide intakeproces belangrijke handvatten voor de rest van het traject: “De resultaten uit het assessment geven de deelnemer inzicht in zijn/haar kwaliteiten en valkuilen. In een 1-op-1 sessie neem ik samen met de deelnemer de resultaten uit het assessment door. We kijken heel specifiek welke soft skills de deelnemer nog mag ontwikkelen en hoe dit bijdraagt aan de ‘next step’ die hij/zij wil zetten.” Neem een deelnemer die uit zijn assessment haalt dat hij wat assertiever mag zijn, om zo meer tegenwicht te kunnen bieden aan een klant wanneer hij advies geeft. “Ik kijk met zo’n deelnemer naar de situaties waarin dit speelt. Wanneer merk je echt dat je minder assertief bent dan je zou willen? En vooral: wat kost dat jou op dit moment? Hoe ziet het eruit als je assertiever bent? Wat doe je anders? En dus: wat wil je leren tijdens de trainingen”, legt Bas uit. “Vervolgens werk ik daar met hem/haar aan. Dat maakt de assessments heel praktisch en nuttig voor zowel de selectie als het ontwikkelproces!”

Detailed Intakes: For a Reason

For Bas, the detailed intake process provides essential insights for the rest of the program: “The assessment results give the participant insight into their strengths and weaknesses. In a one-on-one session, I review the assessment results with the participant. We specifically look at which soft skills they need to develop and how this contributes to the ‘next step’ they want to take.” For instance, a participant who needs to be more assertive to better counter a client’s advice. “I work with them to identify situations where they feel less assertive and what it costs them. How would they act if they were more assertive? What do they need to learn during the training?” Bas explains. “Then I help them work on that. This makes the assessments very practical and useful for both selection and development!”

Making a Real Difference

Bas appreciates not only the use of assessments at Info Support but also the participants’ reactions. “I’m always pleased when I see participants making real progress through the program. Recently, a participant mentioned that they are now better able to incorporate their feelings into situations and ask about others' feelings, leading to a better understanding and more effective conversations. That’s what it’s all about!”

Info Support continues to grow, and the potential of its employees grows with it. Nanda notes, “We already have four candidates for the next Next Step. We always have a full group each year.” However, the work doesn’t stop there as the program continues to evolve. Nanda adds, “We keep improving. Together with GITP, we constantly look at what we can do better, what this group or person needs, and how we communicate with management. We are genuinely working together to facilitate the development process as best as possible.”

Project Duration: 3 years

Learning Group Duration: 1 year

Number of Groups: 2 completed, 3rd group ongoing

Number of Participants: 10 per group

Learning Tools: Assessments, personal online learning environment

Trainer: Bas Barten