Cliché breakers Nan and Maarten

How long have you been working at DNS Belgium? 

Maarten: 'It’s been 20 years now. I relocated from Halle to Leuven and was looking for an employer nearby and a role that matched my capabilities. I came from a larger company (Colruyt), where I was mainly involved with industrial automation.'

Nan: 'I came from the retail world 8 years ago and was making a conscious decision to do something completely different. Making a new start was important for me. DNS Belgium had an interesting vacancy at the time and things clicked immediately with the colleague who interviewed me. However, it had been a long time since I had applied for a job!' :)

What made you choose this job?

Maarten: Back then, with just 11 people, DNS Belgium was still quite a small organisation. The difference with Colruyt, which currently has 33,000 employees, was massive. I like a structure where decisions can be made quickly. And domain names were fairly new at the time. That’s what appealed to me.

Nan: The human aspect was the main reason of my decision. From the good conversations I had with them came an opportunity in which I could still grow. And they were also clearly looking for someone capable of taking on a renovation project. It sounded creative and entrepreneurial, which was something that suits me.

DNS Belgium is a non-profit business with a flat organisation structure. What does that mean for people who have ambitions to grow in their career?

Maarten: There certainly are opportunities to grow. They give you the room you need to explore and expand your talents. But there aren’t very many managerial roles. So climbing the hierarchical ladder may be a bit limited here. That’s mainly because our organisation isn’t very big. People with a more commercial drive or ambition thrive a little less easily here, as growth in our services is not the focus.

Nan: What Maarten says is right, you can grow horizontally just fine here. Job crafting is a fact at DNS Belgium – and I’m an excellent example of it. I started in a finance role, but after a while Philip asked me to help shape our HR policy. I didn’t feel comfortable about that until I had the necessary HR training behind me. And I was given that opportunity.

You define your own career pathway here and are given time to evolve based on your own interests. Because we don’t have many managers, we expect active self-leadership from every colleague.

How important are growth and responsibilities for you?

Maarten: They’re important because you must enjoy doing your job. Things you love doing evolve. And then it’s good to look together at ways of aligning the content of your job with your changing interests. 

Nan: Growing is important. I enjoy experimenting and working on new things, such as S3. It’s important to me that I get to do HR, but I realise it can’t become more than that. And that’s okay by me.

What are the biggest advantages of a flat organisation for you?

Maarten: There’s a better throughput of information and this exchange simply makes things happen faster. And there is no political game-playing or jockeying for position. You can be direct with each other, which helps create an informal culture. 

You simply notice there’s little hierarchy. So in most discussions, the position you hold in the company doesn’t matter. But apart from that you’re both listened to and heard. 

Nan: You work together as equals here, even with your supervisor or the general manager. They act as a sounding board, while you yourself work autonomously in complete confidence. There’s simply a lot of flexibility: you can set your own agenda or get involved in working groups and committees. Everyone here can suggest new ideas. These are then assessed by various colleagues, regardless of their managerial position. That’s why new ideas get a quicker start here.

How has your role developed over the years here?

Maarten: Philip has encouraged me to take up new positions and I have had the support of my manager and colleagues to make choices that have not always been straightforward: 3 years ago, for instance, I stepped down from my managerial position to take on Research & Development within DNS Belgium. 

So I was encouraged to invest in growth and self-development. There’s an annual training budget of 5,000 euros, which creates opportunities to upskill or find inspiration and attend conferences.

Nan: In my case, I managed to switch to HR because I went on a number of HR courses and was supported by an external HR consultant, Kathleen. She is still a sounding board for me today.

What initiatives does DNS Belgium organise to encourage growth and self-development?

Maarten: We’re given the freedom to choose which courses we want to follow. In practice, most people opt for content-led training. But HR also organises workshops in-house dealing with soft skills and wellbeing. So as an employee, you get to choose from a very diverse range of courses. 

Nan: I totally agree. We focus on personal development, as well as on initiatives that encourage mutual cooperation. Our latest workshops have revolved around connecting communication, sociocracy, inspirational coaching and so on. Colleagues can also start working on a PDP (Personal Development Plan) at any time, in conjunction with HR: we help to select courses based on interests, strengths and ambitions.

Do people have prejudices against IT or non-profit organisations? 

Nan: Yes, there are a few. Some people think that a non-profit organisation pays poorly. And perhaps some people also think in stereotypes: an IT company is mainly full of ‘Sheldons’ or nerds (from The Big Bang Theory). In any event, I can safely say that I have many fascinating, helpful and driven colleagues, as well as a salary package that’s in line with the market.

What energises you at DNS Belgium?

Maarten: Working with other organisations, such as KULeuven and SIDN, but also with interns. I also feel appreciated. The fact that R&D has been made a full-time position for me is clear recognition of my abilities. And I also feel that I am strongly involved in the organisation itself. There’s plenty of consultation and every colleague can have an impact on what we do. But you do have to make it happen yourself. 

Nan: Implementing new initiatives, such as the cafeteria benefits plan, for example. And things such as my participation on committees. For example, I handle the HR committee in which each department is represented by one colleague. Every voice matters in the committee and it’s a good place for new ideas to find an entry point. I also like receiving gratitude from colleagues. For example, when I open the door to someone for a conversation after 5 pm, the thank you I get is worth so much afterwards.