City manager Tom Mombaerts has become a buddy: “It’s nice to see a new colleague blossom”

In Circet Alumni, a colleague tells the story of his or her training at the Circet Academy, in short and detail.

Who is Tom? 

• Professionally: Tom has been with Circet for six years and is city manager for Fifthnet. In Tienen and Leuven, he manages the fibre optic roll-out for our customer Proximus.
• Privately: Tom is single and shares his Landen apartment with his dog. In his spare time, you can often find him at dog shows in Belgium and abroad.
  
  

IN SHORT

• Training? Training programme to become a buddy for new employees
• His take-away? “The role plays made the training very interactive.”
• Score? 9/10
• Tip for those who want to keep learning? “We have a very open learning culture at Circet. So, don’t hesitate to take that step!”
  
  

IN DETAIL

First and foremost: what does a buddy do?

Tom: “Circet is growing fast, and we are proud of that of course. But it does make it more difficult for new colleagues to find their way quickly. Not everyone knows all their colleagues by name, like when I started here six years ago. That’s why buddies were recently trained to show new colleagues the ropes.

Worth knowing: as a buddy you don’t have to concern yourself with the newcomer’s job content at all. You are not necessarily part of their team. Your job is to make your new colleague feel at home, help with practical issues and lend an ear.”

Why did you follow this training?

Tom: “Across Circet we’re all passionate about our jobs and we all work super hard. But the teams are getting bigger and bigger. And we have to be honest: sometimes this goes against our openness towards new colleagues.

So, when I heard about the buddy system, I didn’t hesitate. I thought it was a great initiative to share our Circet values and culture with new colleagues. I applied and followed the training. The one-day training delivered by an external trainer took place at our offices.”

“When I heard about the buddy system, I didn’t hesitate.”

How did the training help you start as a buddy?

Tom: “We gained more insight into our roles and responsibilities as a buddy. Rather than interfere in the work content or planning of newcomers, for example, we should give them that feeling of home. As a buddy, you are there to create a safe environment for the new employee.

In addition, during role plays we practiced a number of less obvious situations that might happen to us a buddy. What we should not forget is that we are an additional point of contact and information channel for new colleagues. So, we can keep things light, casual and fun.”

“I really enjoy seeing new colleagues blossom and grow in their team.”

Who would benefit from this training most?

Tom: “Personally, I really enjoy seeing new colleagues blossom and grow in their team. But I would recommend it to anyone who has been working at Circet for a while and would like to commit to helping new colleagues learn the ropes. This commitment is therefore voluntary and completely selfless. And you must be willing to open yourself up, to maintain sufficient flexibility in your schedule to answer questions, and so on.”

Is there another course on your wish list?

Tom: “I am currently following a coaching course for managers. I also expect that there will be a follow-up to the buddy training in a few months. This will allow us to share our first experiences as fellow buddies.”