Warm Welcome international

WWi makes you feel welcome at DAF

At DAF we are always glad to welcome new international colleagues, who come from all over the world. Think of countries like Brazil, the United States, India, Spain, etc. A new start in a foreign country means getting acquainted with new habits and customs and demands the necessary preparations. Thanks in part to 'Warm Welcome international', we can ensure that our new colleagues become familiar with and feel welcome in the Netherlands. 
Colleagues Aida, Rachele, Nina, Chitra and Sangheeta are the volunteers behind Warm Welcome international. They will be happy to tell you about the buddy program for international employees. 

Feel at home

Getting to know the Netherlands actually starts before the foreign employee arrives in the country. Aida explains: “As soon as we know that an international colleague is being hired, the buddy gets in touch and we send them the practical information they need about insurance, housing, medical care, etc. As soon as they arrive in Eindhoven, we contact them and ask whether everything is clear with regard to their first working day. Over lunch or drinks we go into more detail about the do's and don'ts and other information about cultural differences, for example. We want to make them feel welcome and to know that they are not alone.” Four of the five WWi volunteers come from foreign countries and so they know how important it is to have a contact person. “We don't know everything, but we do have the network to help new colleagues. We can also share a lot of our own experiences," says Aïda. 

Family 

"It is extremely important that the family of the foreign colleague is happy and that they feel at home too," says Rachele. “So we use our network to try to help their partner with things like finding a job and building up their own network. We introduce them to the kinds of organizations that can help them settle in.” 

A conscious choice for the Netherlands 

Manager Data Science and Engineering IT Europe, Nick Vasilius, came to the Netherlands from the United States. “A conscious choice. My wife and I had been here before on temporary assignments at DAF. We really enjoyed our time here. The architecture, the castles, the cycling, a safe environment for our children. We love everything that makes the Netherlands the kind of country it is. The network that WWi provides us with is very useful. And colleagues who can tell you how everything works in the Netherlands. From getting rid of your garbage to finding a babysitter. Just perfect. The WWi has also invited us to play a typical Dutch game called farmer's golf. I’m very curious!" 

• Aida Diaz Luque
• Rachele Rivas
• Nina Vollebregt
• Chitra Balasubramanian
• Sangheeta Nagesh

For more information send an email to: Warmwelcomeinternationalteam@paccar.com