This article was written and published by: Crowe Foederer.
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How do you get engaged employees? It is a question entrepreneurs often struggle with. Geert Buskes, owner and director of Effecty in Horst, Limburg, asked himself the same question years ago and decided to take a completely different approach than usual.
An unlimited number of vacation days, access to all company data and the possibility for each employee to advance to the position of final manager. Sounds like a utopia? Then be sure to read on, because at digital marketing agency Effecty, this is everyday practice.
Unconventional Approach
30-something Buskes is aware that his approach is unique, but he is also convinced that it is the way to acquire engaged and happy employees. “My approach is not suitable for every company, but if I can inspire or help some entrepreneurs with my vision, I already like it.”
Behind his philosophy is a mountain trail he has climbed. Buskes started his company 10 years ago. Before that, he had worked as an independent consultant since his college days. He started out designing and developing websites, but then digital marketing emerged. “That came at exactly the right time, at the beginning of my career. I threw myself fully into it and was soon an inquirer for entrepreneurs.”
The young independent also shared his knowledge as a guest lecturer and co-author of a marketing book, but that was not enough for him. “I wanted to gather other inquisitive and ambitious people around me to form a team that works intensively together. That way I can make more impact than on my own.” Effecty was born and grew into a company with now 27 employees and more than healthy profit margins. “I was never really driven by the financial result. Of course I am responsible for the survival of the company, but money is less important to me personally. It is a means to continue doing what I want to do.”
Debbie Huijs
HR Consultant
Not Happy With Rules
Two aspects are essential for the entrepreneur though, personal growth and freedom. Those became quite compromised when he followed the advice he received from fellow entrepreneurs while growing his business. “They said, ‘You need to create a management layer,’ and, ‘You need to establish procedures and rules.’ I tried that, but it didn’t make me happy. I noticed that the freedom and challenge of entrepreneurship drained away with it. I got further away from my team instead of closer.”
He decided to take a different approach. As an avid reader of philosophy books, he thought deeply and came up with the following hypothesis: “If I want employees to be as engaged as I am, I must give them what I have myself. They must have access to the same knowledge and resources.” It was the beginning of a new corporate culture. One that is averse to conventions, but has been and continues to be experimentally tested. Buskes doesn’t introduce anything lightly. Parts of his approach always start as pilots to try new things more often. These are evaluated before they take effect permanently. Sometimes this also means that an idea dies.
Switching Off and Focusing
The pilot project of unlimited vacation days remained. “That came about because I like to travel myself. I used to pack my backpack and head out for a few months, into the mountains. Nowadays I do that less often and for less time because I have a young family. But the principle of switching off completely and focusing on your inner self when you need it makes me happy. Then I thought, ‘Others might want that, too.’” “People declared me crazy. The general tenor in business is that such an arrangement is abused. I experience just the opposite. Employees think carefully about using it. The conditions for taking time off are: being able to prove that the company, customers and colleagues will not be inconvenienced and making sure that everyone has been consulted. So there is careful coordination until everyone is okay with it.”
“My approach is not suitable for every business, but if I can inspire or help some entrepreneurs with my vision I already like it.”
It doesn’t just have to be vacations. It also happens sometimes, for example, that someone takes time off because a new game comes out on that day. Buskes is an avid gamer himself and understands something like this. “I believe in authenticity. That everyone should be able to be themselves. That’s when you are happiest. Playing sports in nature, for example, is important to me. Sometimes I stop at two in the afternoon to go running and work through the evening. I express that then, too.” He finds it easier to distance himself from his business since he knows others care about it, too. This gives him time for other things, such as putting his two-, three- and four-year-old children to bed. “I basically do that every night. I also have a weekly day for the kids. On average, I work 32 hours a week. People sometimes think that’s weird being self-employed, but I don’t care. Maybe they secretly want this themselves.”
In addition to unlimited vacation days, the young entrepreneur introduced other things that caused raised eyebrows among many managers, such as full insight into the company’s figures, a participation scheme and the opportunity for everyone in the company to advance to their position.
Giving Happiness
This is no empty promise. As an example, he gives an intern who became a co-owner within three years. At the moment, two employees are undergoing a coaching program to develop into final managers. It all fits into his philosophy of giving people more responsibility and trust. “Employees are also allowed to have some opinion about my salary and the car I drive. When the accountant comes, some sit there and I put everything on the table. At many companies this is unthinkable. They think employees can’t handle this. But I have discovered that if you give people exactly the same information and knowledge as you have yourself, they can make good decisions based on this.”
Buskes is happy to help others grow. Meanwhile, he is also working on a new challenge. “The company, the team and I have become better and happier because of this way of working. I wish the same for other entrepreneurs. I want to show them what is possible. With my new company Affecty, derived from affection, I am going to focus on this.”
Inspired and want to exchange views with Geert? Then be sure to get in touch!
