I’m challenged to develop myself

4 questions to Liesbeth @ Nedap Staffing Solutions

I’m Liesbeth Wijers, and I work at Nedap as a software developer and product manager. That means I’m involved in software development, but also in matters such as what kind of software to make, what does it have to do, who are we making it for and how can we make sure it meets the customers’ and users’ needs.

Why did you decide to work at Nedap?

At Nedap, you have the freedom to decide how to achieve your own goals, while working together. That’s great, of course, but also places you in a predicament. The reality is that if you can’t manage to get something done, nine times out of ten it’s your own fault. You, therefore, realise your limitations very quickly, but you’re also supported in addressing these issues and developing yourself. Being continually challenged in this way is why I decided to work at Nedap, and I’m still happy about that decision six years later.

Can you describe a typical working day?

My daily work varies greatly, but I usually work here in Groenlo. The first thing I do when I arrive at work is grab a cup of coffee. Then, I attend a stand-up meeting with my team. We discuss what everyone has done, what they’re going to do and any problems they might come across. Following this, I may discuss the details with my colleagues, like something they’ve encountered regarding the users and what we’re going to do about it. Sometimes, customers visit us, and I’ll give a presentation about our products and try to find out what exactly they’re looking for.

What do you want to achieve at Nedap?

During my time working at Nedap, I have learned that, besides enjoying software development and making sure that products are user-friendly, I also really like other, associated aspects. For example, how do you decide what customers you want to serve, and how can you best serve them? In other words, the marketing aspects.

Other things that interest me are how organisations work, how people work together and how this can be guided. I’ve noticed that I’ve been constantly challenged and supported during my career at Nedap, and that’s something I’d like to develop too. This way, I could support my team, so they can all develop and exploit their talents in making great products together for our customers.

What does no one know about you?

What you might not expect from a software developer is that, although I really enjoy developing software, I don’t like sitting at a computer all day. When I get home from work, I quickly put my computer away and get down to enjoying some cooking, knitting or gardening; anything that doesn’t involve looking at a computer screen.