On a sunny Wednesday afternoon in August, we drink a fresh pint while having a good conversation at Café Kerkhof. The company of the day: Gert Geunens and Jonas Vermesen, Vermesen for friends. Both are System Engineers at Tricore, active at the service desk and part of our automation team.
Vermesen and Gert are true Tricore ambassadors. This is evidenced by Gert's quote:
“This is the workplace I envisioned when I graduated.”
Feel free to read on for more bragging, skills, and ambitions.
Vermesen, you received a permanent contract after your internship last year. How have you grown in your role?
Vermesen: At the beginning of my internship, I was involved in smaller projects. Then, as a service desk employee, I had to answer the phone and help customers. I never call at home. The calls were awkward at first. I was very insecure and didn't know what to say to the customers. That has improved a lot."
Gert, you have been working here for almost two years now. What do you like most about working at Tricore?
Gert: "The variety in my job, collegiality, and the atmosphere in the workplace. The atmosphere can be very relaxed, but also serious when it needs to be. And after a long workday, we still have a pint together."
Do you notice an evolution in your skills?
Gert: "My communication skills are better, and I can write scripts faster. In the beginning, I was still figuring out how to write certain lines of code. I had to figure out a lot. Now it almost comes automatically."
Is there a skill that you still want to develop?
Vermesen: "I want to further develop my specializations: email, security, and networking. I'm not a pro yet, but Tricore offers internal training and ensures that you can obtain certificates. That's all fun and interesting."
Gert: "At this moment, we are focusing hard on automation. Actually, that means: How do we ensure that customers have to deal with IT issues as little as possible and that our own colleagues don't have to keep putting out the same fires. And also: How do we solve a problem faster next time. We are already automating a lot, but I believe there is still much more to do."
"If we automate something for one customer, we can extend that to all our customers. That's a win-win situation."
Is the combination of service desk and automation team very valuable then?
Gert: "That's right. This ensures that we can respond quickly when issues arise. If we automate something for one customer, we can extend that to all our customers. It's a win-win situation. We proactively solve an issue by automating it, and as a result, we also receive fewer tickets and calls regarding that issue."
Vermesen: "We also use very good tools that are well coordinated. Our monitoring, ticketing, documentation, security features,... everything is well integrated."
Is there a moment when Tricore will no longer receive calls?
Gert: "I don't think so. (laughs) But we strive for as few calls as possible."
Vermesen, you just mentioned internal training. Who shares their knowledge within Tricore?
Vermesen: "I specialize in networking and email. Jonas Camps teaches networking, he is the network guru, and email is taught by Niels. Furthermore, we also have a platform where you can take training courses and earn certificates."
"Tricore cares about the job satisfaction of their employees.
So Tricore ensures that you develop your skills. How do Robin, Jonas, and Stijn take care of you?
Gert: "They all started where we are, so they know what it's like. They care about the job satisfaction of their employees. Additionally, they are willing to adjust if necessary. If someone makes a mistake, they don't break that person down."
Vermesen: "That's right. I once made a mistake and went to Robin. He said: That's not a problem. We'll solve that and next time you do it this way. You get error credit and advice on how to avoid it next time. You learn from that."
Gert: "And that also creates a good work atmosphere. If everyone feels at home, then everyone enjoys doing their work and the performance is better too."
If someone next to you has a positive mindset, you pick that up.
"If someone next to you has a positive mindset, you pick that up."
What have you learned from each other?
Vermesen: "I've learned a lot from Gert! Especially when I became part of the automation team. I knew how to work with PowerShell, but I learned the tooling from Gert. Gert is a bit of a wizard, you know. (laughs)"
Did you learn anything from Vermesen, Gert?
Gert: "Definitely! His knowledge of PowerShell is much broader than mine. By looking at it together with him, I've learned a lot. And Vermesen's joviality and kindness are contagious. If someone next to you has such a positive mindset, you pick that up."
If you describe Tricore to your friends, how do you do that?
Gert: "I always say: Tricore is the workplace I envisioned when I graduated. Everything is present for a pleasant work atmosphere. I also enjoy the contact with my colleagues and Robin, Stijn, and Jonas. When I talk about it with my friends, they think it's cool that I have such a bond with my 'bosses' because they don't have that."
Vermesen: "Nothing to add."
So you guys are going to stay at Tricore for a long time?
Vermesen: "As long as possible. (laughs)"
The interview with Gert and Vermesen was the third double interview that I (Raïsa from Mast Agency) conducted. So I have already been able to ask six colleagues questions about their employer.
I notice that people who work for Tricore always identify very strongly with the brand. They speak in 'we' when it comes to their employer. 'Our company', 'We stand for', 'We approach it this way'. When I asked how that came about, Gert said the following: “Tricore is a very transparent company. We really feel involved as employees.”
They feel one with the brand. It doesn't get any better.
Do you also feel the connection with Tricore after reading this interview?
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