Objective Insights Aid RAI Amsterdam in Building a New Organization

A Sudden Halt

For several weeks, various TV news reports mentioned a mysterious new virus spreading through different cities in eastern China, but that seemed far away. The HISWA has been a well-known event for all water sports fans for years. In 2020, the 65th edition started on March 11. A day later, the exhibition reopened at 10:00 AM, only to close again two hours later. The mysterious virus from China had reached the Netherlands, and on March 12, the country went into lockdown. HISWA was literally evacuated, and at 6:00 PM, the doors of the RAI closed. "Those doors haven't really opened since," says HR Manager Bianca van den Oever. "Events at the RAI, as we know them, have not resumed. Testing, vaccinating, and our own reorganization have been the biggest 'events' this year." When the lockdown began in March, Bianca's world changed dramatically. "It's best compared to a Formula 1 car going at top speed, and suddenly the engine stops, and no one can fix it. Our organization went from 250 to 0 in a day without anyone knowing how long it would last or what the year would look like." The RAI Amsterdam did not sit back and accept defeat. "That's not our style. We are about tackling and solving, organizing and fixing. We've been doing this for 125 years. We've survived the Spanish flu and two world wars, so we can handle this too. After the initial paralyzing shock, you get moving again and see what is possible. Maintaining contact with our clients and partners was the most important. This provides insight into market conditions, and together with clients, you often come up with creative solutions. It's no surprise that this COVID-19 pandemic has given a boost to the development of digital events and conferences."

First Contours of a Reorganization

As time passed, it became clear that reopening RAI would take a long time.

"We noticed demand was there, but as long as we couldn't open, nothing happened. We were stuck in a cycle of planning and replanning events. This phase required a lot of energy and motivation from everyone." The HR team started thinking about scenarios for prolonged closure early on, working with management, the board, and the works council to develop detailed reorganization plans. Ultimately, more than 30% of jobs were cut, hitting hardest in departments handling daily event operations. "From the moment we knew a reorganization was inevitable, we followed three paths: the reorganization itself, supporting the remaining people and teams, and ensuring we had the right people in the right roles when we reopened."

Objective View, Human-to-Human Conversation

The reorganization process proceeded quickly and smoothly. "We started preparations in May, the advisory request was ready in July, and we informed the staff in mid-August. We deliberately opened the RAI for two days to bring everyone together in a place that is so important and dear to all of us. We trained managers on how to conduct the conversations, and we made aftercare available during those days and afterward."

During the reorganization, many roles changed, and new functions emerged. As HR, we took this opportunity to objectify the decision-making process for placements by employing strategic talent management and looking toward the future. We utilized GITP's digital tools combined with insights and explanations from their consultants. As Bianca indicates, objectification was a key driver for using assessment tools, but introducing management to the value of an objective view on talent was another deliberate choice for this approach. "What we received from our management was that the high level of transparency in making certain decisions was highly appreciated. Assessments provide insights, leading to different and often better conversations than relying solely on intuition. Employees felt that the assessments, reports, and personal feedback were experienced as a gift rather than a suitability test. This reinforced my belief that digital tools combined with good human-to-human conversations have the greatest impact."

The RAI also didn't waste time on the assessment and placement process. Within four weeks, everyone completed the assessment trajectory. Placement conversations took place in September, and by October 1, the new organization was a reality.

The strategic talent management approach aligns well with another strategic HR theme: REIS, which aims to preserve the family culture of the RAI while placing more emphasis on collaboration and results. REIS stands for Result, Own Responsibility, Innovation, and Cooperation. REIS also includes values and competencies, which are now being translated into leadership profiles.

Full force HR

How does the RAI view the future? "We really need to ride this out until we can reopen. The signals are positive, and I mean that we will certainly organize trade shows again where people meet, and there is a strong need for this, perhaps even more than before. Additionally, our digital solutions are increasingly finding their way to our customers. So yes, there is still music in the RAI, but when we will hear it again is not yet clear. Until then, we work with smaller teams and often have to give it our all. For instance, everyone takes turns serving as hosts at the test and vaccination centers at the RAI. This fosters camaraderie and reinforces the sense that the location remains important. We are currently looking at which roles are scarce and needed now but also when we reopen. We have initiated an internal mobility project, but we will eventually need to attract talent from the market again. I hope we get so busy that we face a capacity shortage and that we can ramp up to full force at 250 kilometers per hour again. Covid-19 has truly empowered HR, both as a strategic partner and a practical 'do club.'"