What is your experience with B-Synergy?
B-Synergy is a great company to work for. They have a very progressive, flat structure and as an employee you are exposed at all levels with little to no hierarchy in between. It offers some unique experiences like the bi-weekly BBQ where we do non client stuff that can be anything from a fussball or pinball tournament, an internal workshop or presentation on new or interesting IT subjects, jamming music or just discussing geeky or other stuff over a Belgian beer at the bar.
What has B-Synergy done for you?
B-Synergy has enabled me and my family to relocate to the Netherlands. This was a big thing for my family. My daughter is now off to university in Maastricht after successfully completing her schooling here. B-Synergy has also given me the opportunity to dabble in other technologies like Java, C# and Flutter. I also acquired a decent knowledge of how some parts of SAP work under the hood.
What is the difference between working in South Africa and the Netherlands?
In principle, the work that we as IT engineers do is the same or similar, apps are apps, wherever you are. This makes the transition easy and simple in terms of the work. You will probably eat a lot more cheese.
Do you think B-Synergy is flexible? Why?
B-Synergy is extremely flexible in many ways. You can really grow in the areas that you want. They are not shy to take up new technologies if it fits their customers’ needs. You are expected to be able to work independently without a lot of supervision. At an employee level, they are also very flexible with how transparent the business is (we get a full financial review every quarter) and HR is almost invisible.
What does someone from South Africa need to know about working in the Netherlands?
It is a great country to work in and relax in. Getting settled will be a mission, so have some backup plans in terms of your household while you wait for your stuff to arrive. There is no loadshedding so planning your workday is a lot easier. Be prepared to revisit discussion and decisions several times - the Dutch have a way of doing a lot of talking and rehashing. It is something they are so proud of, they gave it a name: polderen. It does help to bring clarity, but can catch you off guard. Be prepared to spend some time on public transport - the trains and busses work very well and are extensively used for business and leisure travel. While the bureaucracy works very well, there is a lot of it.
