How being an expat enriches your life
They both studied business at VU Amsterdam. And they both know life as an expat. Nadine Gronert lived and worked for ING for two years during her traineeship in the Philippine capital of Manila. LeeYen Tan came to VU Amsterdam from Singapore and has been a Global Learning and Development specialist at DSM for four years. She is also a podcast host of LearnFM in Singapore.
Author: Aafke Jochems
Nadine Gronert
Nadine is twiddling her thumbs on her first day at work in Manila. Alone, at an empty desk without internet access, in a gigantic office building. Her American manager doesn’t arrive until the afternoon and none of her Filipino colleagues help her get started. No introduction round or onboarding programme as in the Netherlands. The first culture shock of many that will follow. But Nadine had never wanted to miss her expat years: ‘An amazing time.’
Before Nadine started a traineeship at ING, she worked at a start-up with a focus on agile working. When she got the opportunity to work at ING in Manila for an agile transition project during her traineeship, she seized it. ‘Let's go,’ Nadine thought. ‘I'll just see how it goes and I’ll be ok.’ Flight, visa and accommodation for the first months were arranged by ING. ‘Filipino and Dutch cultures are like day and night’, Nadine explains. ‘In the Netherlands we are pro-active, we think along with others, we anticipate. In the Philippines, you have to talk at great length to get things done. Explain as explicitly as possible what needs to be done and when it needs to be finished. Everyone says yes, but if you're not clear, it doesn't happen. I have now gained an understanding of why this is the case. Erin Meyer's book The Culture Map helped me with that.’
After Nadine worked in Manila for five months, she became head of the payments department. The challenge was huge because the department had a seven-month backlog. She was also a young, foreign woman leading 100 locals and at 1.81 meters tall she may have come across as physically intimidating. Yet, after a year and a half, she managed to make it the best performing department. ‘I have tried to create a more informal atmosphere. A team that not only looks at performance, but also has an interest in each other, through the layers of the hierarchy. I did my best to pick up some of the language. ‘Hey friends”, were my first words. My pitfall was that I always wanted to go too fast.’
Looking back on her years in the Philippines, beautiful memories come to the surface. ‘Filipinos are incredibly cordial. I miss the trips to nature, but I'm glad to be done with the traffic jams and the political games. Was it all worth it? 100,000% yes! Because of the expat years, a huge mirror has been held up in front of me. I am now more aware of who I am as a Dutch person.’
LeeYen Tan
With a binder full of diplomas and certificates, LeeYen traveled to Heerlen for her job interview at DSM. In Singapore, such a binder is very important. There she had already had several jobs and therefore several job interviews. She ended up in Amsterdam because of her Dutch partner whom she met in Singapore. ‘No one asks for diplomas and grades at Dutch companies,’ LeeYen says. ‘I also didn't get any personal questions, for example whether I'm married, whether I want children. In Singapore, it’s not allowed according to the law, but it happens anyway. I feel more respected here as a woman.’
LeeYen used the help of her network in her job search, and that's how she came across the position at DSM: ‘The Dutch are happy to help you and they expect nothing in return. I wasn't used to that.’ However, there are also things that LeeYen sometimes still has trouble with, such as colleagues interrupting each other during meetings. It still feels rude to her. In the Asian culture in which she grew up, you let others speak. But if she lets colleagues do that here, she can simply never get a word in. The Dutch continually interrupt each other and there is often no pause to jump in. However, she can appreciate the Dutch directness: ‘You know where you stand, there is no hidden agenda, and you will not be surprised.’ LeeYen was very surprised about the work-life balance in the beginning. When she had a job at a casino company in Singapore, she worked extremely long hours, nobody looked out for her as an employee and she would not have even thought about calling in sick. ‘At DSM, I was once urged to take a day off when I was not feeling well. In Singapore, that’s seen as weakness. And you only go home when the boss goes home as well. Here, your well-being comes first; holidays are respected. It changed my mindset.’ Of course, there are also things she misses from Singapore: the hot food and not the scant sandwich meals during lunch meetings and making spontaneous appointments instead of planning everything far in advance. ‘Still, I recommend the expat life to everyone. It broadens your horizons, and you get to know yourself better. I've realised that I only want to work at a company like DSM -- one that does good for the world. I have become a lot more assertive, dare to do more, and set my boundaries. I can be more myself.’
