SPECIALIST MAGAZINE FOR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF ABRA

MAY 2017

ReLocateYEA

R 9

, ISS

UE

1

Hotel Highlightsthe movings and shakings of the hotel industry

Winning the Talent War attracting and retaining fresh blood

Twenty First Century Pandemicdealing with burnout in the workplace

MEMBERS’ NEWS N SOCIETY PAGES

YEAR 9, ISSUE 2MAY 2017

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Edito

Hotel Highlightsthe movings and shakings of the hotel industry

Winning the Talent Warattracting and retaining fresh blood

Twenty First Century Pandemicdealing with burnout in the workplace

Members’ News

Society Pages

2

3 - 4

6 - 8

9 - 11

12 - 13

14 - 15

WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS FOR THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT

EDITO

cover image: istockphoto.com

editorial: Fiona Klomp LiseLottetenVoorde ElizaMareePower

SubscribetoReLocate,thequarterlypublicationbyvzwABRAabsl,onlinevia:www.abra-relocation.com

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LastyeartourisminBrussels,andBelgiumbyextension,sawanexceptionallow.Largelyblamedtoterroristattacks,the20%dropinoccupancyrateshittheBelgianindustryhard.Butotherfactorsplayedaparttoo:fromtheadventofhomestaynetworkstotheexplosivepopularityofthesharingindustry,gettingaheadofthelatestinaccommodationmeansunderstandingtheprocessesbehindallthisclevermarketing. Weexploresomeofthemost importanttrendsinshort-andlong-termstays.

Of course it’s not just the accommodation industry that is seeing an importantshake-up. Millennials and young professionals are making their voices heardthroughouttheentireworkforce,leadingcompaniestoreviewthewaysinwhichtheyattractandretaintheirtalent.ReportsbyBNPParibasFortisandMercerlookatwhatmotivates youngprofessionals to relocate andwhat practices to put inplaceinordertoretaintheirloyalty.

You’dbehardpressedtoignoretheattentiongiventoburnoutinthemediatheselastfewmonthsandyears.Atanestimatedannualcostof4billioneurostooureconomyandwith long-termabsenteeismon the rise, this is aworrying trend.Withjobinsecurityarealityformany,highexpectationsfrombothemployerandemployee,andtheneedtoalwaysbeavailablethroughemailandsocialmedia,thepressuresofeverydaylifeinthetwentyfirstcenturyarestackingup.Butwhatisburnout,whoisultimatelyresponsibleandwhatcanwedotocounterthedamningeffectsofitweask?

Fromattractingandretainingtalenttowherewehousethemandhowwekeepthemsaneandsafe;thisissueisallaboutthepeople.Wehopeyouenjoytheread!

Isabelle Prémont

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the movings and shakings of the hotel industry by ElizaMaree Power

Hotel Highlights

2016 was without doubt a difficult year for the hotel indus-try, with Brussels most definitely taking the biggest knock and occupancy rates plummeting by more than 20%. This was largely attributed to terrorist actions and in a smaller part due to the rise of the likes of homestay networks such as AirBnB. Not being one to dwell on the past, ReLocate looks toward a bright and shiny second half of 2017 which by all accounts will be an upturn kind of year for the hotel industry. We bring you all the wonderful concepts of the future of hotels, how the hotel industry is going to reshape itself to keep up with the competition, and what we can expect in the year to come.

Going back to the roots of good old customer serviceWhat has been lacking in the era of online reservations,selfcheck-inandquiteanumberofAirBnBinteractions, isaprominent levelof face-to-facecustomerservice.This isakeyelementofthehospitality industryandthepower itwieldsisnottobeignored.Itmakesthedifferencebetweenrepeatcustomers,solidreputationsandcanbethedecidingfactorintourist’schoices,aswellasthoseguestsprovidingasteadyincomeforhoteliers:thefrequentflyer.ThuslyweareseeingachangeinAirBnB’sapproachwithExperiences.NotonlyareAirBnBhostsableto letyouexperiencetheirhometownbylettingouttheirhouse,apartmentorroom,theycanliterallyplayhosttovariousexperiencesthatwillenrichyourjourneyandensureyouengagewithyoursur-roundingssuchasa trufflehunt,anaquatic interactionorasolidfavourite:winetasting.Incompetitionwiththisnewfunctionality from AirBnB, hotels that distinguish them-

selvesfromthepackbydeliveringqualitycustomerserviceeverytimeandensuringuniqueattentiontodetailwillbethewinnersinthemonthstocome.

Pod HotelsBasedontheconceptofCapsuleHotels-whichwereorigi-nallydevelopedinnoneotherthanthespacepoorOsaka,Japan - by stripping away unnecessary amenities hotelsmakebestuseoflimitedspace.Providingtheguestaplaceto sleep,washandof course logon.Mostpodhotelsarewholly on the grid, offering in-room climate control, pre-check-inviewingpreferences,breakfastorderingandmostimportantlymood lighting.Thesepodhotelshavecomealongwayfromthe ideaofsleeping inafibreglassboxandtherearemoreandmorepodhotelspoppingupinthemostcrowdedofcities,offeringthisstateoftheartin-roomtech-nologytodistractfromthelackofspace.Manypodhotelsalsoofferfantasticcommunalareassuchascafés,vapebarsandevenhottubs,encouraginggueststoditchthepodandinteract.Most recently, the vision of “cross-pollinating” isstartingtosurfacewherenon-podhotelsintegratepodsonthe ground floor. A further example of this type of cross-pollinationfollows…

Hotel meets Student DormitoryFusingluxuryshort-staywithstudentstyleaccommodationand then topping it offwith long stayoptions, thesenewhives of communal activity are popping up in every uni-versity city across the globe.Balancingout their high-endguests,who are usually a seasonal treatwith the reliable

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sourceoffunds,thatlong-staystudentlodgerensuresthesehotelssomestayingpower.Alsoboastingstunningcommu-nalspacesthatencourageguestsofallbackgroundsto in-teractandexchangeideas,workspacesareakeypartofthebuildandarenotjustlimitedtoadesk,achairandaWiFicode.Thesehybridhotelsencourageworkshops,gatherings,lectureseriesoranareatojustcontemplate.Forthe“stayawhile”guesttherearecommunalkitchens,bicyclesforhire,laundryroomsandagenuinefeelingofhome.

Smart HotelsWe’veheardofSmartCities,SmartRoadsandevenSmartParking.It’snowtimeforSmartHotels.WhenwetalkaboutSmartHotelsimagesofGeorgeJetsoninspiredgadgetsandgizmosflashbeforeus, thewholeroompoweredbyataponaniPad.That’snotwhat’sbeingreferredtohere.Smarthotelsaremoreabouttheintelligentuseofspaceandtheabilitytoplugaguestintothelocalinformationgrid,mak-ingbestuseof realtimedataandthereforeprovidingtheultimatestay-notforgettingallthisatanachievableprice.In theUSespecially the riseofmobileworking isopeningupspaceonceusedforofficesandnowproviding the hotel industry with thebare bones of urban chic hotels. Mil-lennialbusinesstravellersarenotafterfivestarluxurylikeourbawdyancestorswere, they are looking for pared-backdécor,anauthenticexperienceandtendtoshyawayfromover-the-topbrandingandsuperfluouslogousage.

Dynamic PricingAsallonlinebusinessesareexperienc-ing, those that canofferdynamicpric-ing (alsoknownastime-basedpricing)seeincreasesintheirprofitsandbetterutilisationoftheirproduct.Dynamicpricingisthereal-timeadjustment of rates basedon supply anddemand.Hotelsconductthemajorityoftheirbusinessonlineandcantakeadvantage in occupancy fluctuations, seasonal changesand employ dynamic pricing structures to offer competi-tive rates thatmeet the ever-changing demand.We haveseendynamicpricingworkforotherindustriessuchastheparking industry (basically hotels for cars) with incrediblesuccess.Thistypeofrevenuemanagementstrategycanbeuniquely precise, changing rates daily or hourly based onsophisticatedtechnologyandthetrustyoldinternet.How-ever,hoteliers-betakenote:thiskindofpricingstrategycanalienatecorporateguestsbyrestrictingnegotiationsoncor-porateratesasdynamicallypricedroomscanworkouttobemoreexpensivethantheagreedcorporaterates.

Add-ons and up-sellsIt’sdefinitelytheperksofahotelthatmakeitstandoutfromtherest,andrefiningtheskillofprovidingguestswiththeextraoptionthatwillmaketheir tripunforgettablewillbeonetowatchforin2017.Hotelswillhavetoworkharderin2017toensuretheirestablishmentofferstop-notchloyaltyprogrammes,whereguestsdon’thavetospendafortunetoearnonemeaslypoint.The fact thatAirBnBhas launchedTripsisaclearindicatortohotelsthattheyneedtobeplay-

inghost to theirguests in themostgenerousmanner. It’snotjustaboutabedandashoweranymore.It’saboutpro-viding a complete travel experience. Organising bespoketours,workshops, localeventsandenablingguests to feelas thoughtheirhostcity is theircity,all important factorsinprovidingatotalguestexperience.Especiallywithonlinebookings,orhotelsthatuseappsforreservations,thetrickhere istoensurethatthepotentialguest isnotdistractedbyarainbowofeventsandservicespriortotappingintheircredit cardnumber.Patientlywaitinguntil the reservationismade,theguestismorelikelytoaddoncethebookingissecureastheycanbedistractedduringthebookingprocess.Add-onssuchasabottleofchampagneorabreakfastbuf-fetmaketheguestfeelspecialandtakesadvantageofallahotelcanoffer.Packagesarealsocrucialtothistrend,andhotelscanbeascreativeastheyliketoenticeguests:freeairportpickupsforthosebookingonweekdays,freeconcertticketsforguestsbookingforperiodsinadvance,orfreedin-nervouchersatthehotelrestaurantforabookingofthreeconsecutivenightsorlessaregreatexamplesofcreativein-centives.

Servicing the Local CommunityAninterestingnicheinthemarketthathotelsdon’tusuallylatchontoaretheservices they canprovide for the localcommunity. Hotels are usually viewedas places for out-of-towners, only forthosevisitingtheareaandgonewithinafewdays.Atrendtolookoutforisthemobilisationofservicesthatahotelcanoffer their next-door neighbours: thiscan be as simple as holding packages,oradvisingon thebestplaces in towntoeat,drinkandbemerry.Thereareaplethoraofservicesthathotelscanof-

ferlocalresidentsandweanticipatethat2017willseeho-telsbecomingcommunityhubsmorethantheyhaveeverbeenbefore.

Travel agents are making a comeback!!Yes,oncetheinternettookoverweturnedourbacksonthelocaltravelagentandpiecedourownjourneystogether,justaswewanted.However,wedidn’t realise just howmuchhardworkthatwouldbe.Onlinetravelagentsaremakingacomebackandshowingusjusthowmuchexpertiseisin-volvedinorganisingthat“onceinalifetimetrip”ormakingthat tricky connecting flight work. The overwhelming op-tions available nowadays are often toomuch for the not-so-well-seasoned traveller.Dowe losetimeordowe loseeuroswhendecidinghowouritineraryshouldlook.Theex-perttravellerwhohasbeenthereanddonethatallbefore,ismorelikelytobelookingforuniqueexperiencesthataresometimesoutoflayman’sreach.Let’snotforgetalsothatitisquiteoftenaboutwhoyouknowintheindustryandtravelagentscanbeafantasticwaytosecureanexclusivepriceonawellresearchedandfussfreetrip.

Whatever type of stay you’re after, there truly is something for everyone. Be sure to look up our outstanding accommo-dation providers by visiting: https://abra-relocation.com/member-by-business/

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MAY 2017

attracting and retaining fresh blood by ElizaMaree Power

Winning the Talent War

Evolution is key to just about everything, and it’s not lim-ited to the natural world either. In business we need to evolve to stay ahead of the market, to develop new trends and to keep the lifeblood of a business flowing. Most im-portantly, we need to know how to evolve our business practices to retain our most precious present employees, and to attract future employees, filled with fresh energy and new perspectives.

Theideaof“work”and“workingspaces”ischangingrapidly,andabusinessneedstokeepabreastofwhatattractsnewstaffandwhatkeepsthemcontenttoensuretheirbusinessstaysafloat.

ReLocatebringsyouanamalgamationoftworeports,bothentailinginformationcrucialtotheattractionandretentionofstaff.Thefirstreportbeingasurveyonstudentsandyoungprofessional expats by BNP Paribas Fortis, understandingthemotivationsbehindtheirwantorneedtorelocatebasedon their jobprospectsgivesbusinessesan insightonhowtopositionthemselvestoattractthebeststaff.ThesecondreportisaGlobalTalentTrendsStudyfromMercer,aninno-vativegroupthatusesanalysisandinsightsascatalystsforchangewithinorganisations.Theirreportdetails thestepsemployersneedtotaketoensuretheyareretainingthebestemployeesandexplainshowwearemovingforwardintoan

eraoffiercecompetitionbetweenbusinessesfortalentlikewe’veneverseenbefore.

Looking back: what motivates students and young professional expats to relocate? - BNP Paribas Fortis

Understandingwhatmotivatesstudentsandyoungprofes-sionalstoupsticksandmovetheirwhole livestoanothercountry is key in attracting thebest talent. Knowingwhatthedrivingfactorsbehindtheirdecisionsareenablescom-paniestoputinplacethemosteffectiverecruitmentcam-paignsandattractiveemploymentpolicies.“Millennialsarethedrivingforcebehindthiscontemporaryintra-Europeanmobility,withmoreandmoreyoungexpatsinEuropeseek-ingnewacademicandprofessionalexperienceselsewhere,”statesSalvatoreOrlando,HeadofExpatriatesatBNPParibasFortis.DespitebigchangesinUKandAmericanapproachestoimmigrationthesepastmonths,theprofessionalmarketinEuropeisstillopentovastlevelsofmobility.Thesurveywas executed by the Think Young think tank, founded in2007andfocusesentirelyonyoungpeople,providingdeci-sionmakerswithhighqualityresearchonkeyissuesaffect-ingmillennials.

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Motivation to Relocate - most specifically to BelgiumStudentsJustoverhalfofstudentspolledstatedthatthemainreasonfor leaving their home country and relocating to Belgiumwasdependentontheopportunityofferedbyuniversityorschoolintheirhomecountry.Afurther39%citedexperienc-inganotherculturewasenoughforthemtowanttoleavehome.Learninganewlanguageordevelopingexistinglan-guageskillswasthekeyfactor inmotivating39%ofthosewhoresponded.Thefinaloutstandingmotivatingfactor instudentsdecidingtorelocatetoBelgiumwasthattheyfeltthatthemovewouldhaveapositiveimpactontheirCVandwouldtheninturnmaximisetheircareeropportunities.

Young ProfessionalsTheresultsofthissurveyonyoungprofessionalsaremuchmoredefined,with amassive80%of respondents statingthatthemovetoBelgiumwaswhollybasedonthecareeropportunities here. Half of those surveyed cite personaldevelopmentasadrivingfactor intheirdecisiontomove.Whilemotivations such as learning another language, thestandardoflivingorqualityoflifeandindeedevenfinancialreasonsareway furtherdownon the list.AndreaGerosa,founderofThinkYoung sees the clarity in the results: “It’sameaningfulmove, driven not by the desire to have funbutbythewillingnesstolearnmore,improveskills,anden-hancecareeropportunities.”

What does this mean for employers and educational institutions?Employersandeducationalinstitutionshavethehardtaskofpre-emptingstudentsandyoungprofessional’scareeraspi-rations,andensuringthattheyprovideclearopportunitiesforcareerprogression.

Educational institutions need to ensure that the coursestheyoffercontainthelatestcurriculumdevelopments,andthat these are transferrable should their studentswish tochange track – as studentsoftendo.Universities and col-legesshoulddotheirbesttoattractthebestteachingstaffthatemploymodern teachingmethods thatarealso triedand tested. It is also important to offer awide variety ofextra-curricular programmes where students can employtheirtalentsinamorepracticalenvironment,gainingthemvaluableexperiencefortheirfutureintheworkforce.Schol-arships also ensure that students from a wide variety ofbackgroundsaregiventheopportunity to learn,providingthelearningenvironmentwithavarietyofopinionsandper-spectives.

Employerscanusethisinformationtoenticethebestyoungprofessionals to their organisation. Providing potentialyoung employees with clear paths of career progressionthroughwell thought-outorganisational structures, allowseachemployee the chance to climb the ladderorexploreotherareasofthebusiness.Progressionisn’talwaysup, itcan be left or right, and when employers offer flexibility,suchassecondmentstootherdepartments,orotherloca-tions– thiscanbethedeciding factor forayoungprofes-sionalfullofenthusiasm.

Looking forward: what practices can we put in place to retain the best talent? - Mercer

There’snodenyingthat2016wasatryingyearinmorethanonearea.WiththeuncertaintyfacedbytheBrexitvote,thebigchangeinAmericanpoliticsandconstantconflictintheMiddleEastitiscrucialthatcompaniesshifttheirfocusontotheirworkforce,tocareforthehealthandwellbeingoftheirstaff.Technologicaladvancementsarealsohavingamassiveimpactontheworkplace,howwework,whereweworkandhowwecanbalancethatwithenough“downtime”areallchangingourviewoftheworldofwork.Ontopofallthis,Mercerreportsthat92%ofemployersexpectanincreaseinthecompetitionfortalentthisyear.

According toMercer, these are the top sixways inwhichtheyfeelcompaniesaregoingtorespondtothesenewchal-lenges:1.Attractingtoptalentexternally2.Developingleadersforsuccession3.Identifyinghighpotentials4.Buildingskillsacrosstheworkforce5.Supportingemployees’careergrowth6.Increasingemployeeengagement

Four trends to watch for in 20171. Growth by designIt’sallabouttransformingthe internalstructureoforgani-sationsandensuringthatthe“peopleagenda”isnotover-looked. InMercer’s Global Talent Trends Study they statethat 93%of organisations are gearedup for a reorganisa-tioninthenexttwoyears.Thosewhoaren’talreadyinthethroesofredesignmaybeleftbehind.

2. A shift in what we valueIfanemployeefeelsundervalued,itislikelythattheiroutputwilldecreaseandtheywilleventuallylookelsewherewhendecidingupontheirprofessionalfuture.Mercer’sstudyre-portsthat97%ofemployeeswanttoberecognizedandre-wardedforawiderangeofprofessionalcontributions,notjustsalestargetsorfinancialresults.Therewardsemployeesareseekingarenotjustfairandcompetitivecompensation,theywantmoreflexibleworkoptions,theywantopportuni-ties togetpromoted, theywant leaderswho set cleardi-rection,aswellaspeersthatwillchallengethemandhelpsetthetoneforthefutureofthecompany.Knowinghowtorewardemployeesiskeytoholdingontothem.

3. A workplace for meWhenanemployee feels that theyarenot justanumber,theyaremorelikelytoproduceworkofahigherqualityandalsomorelikelytostaywithinyourorganisation.Beingabletopersonaliseyouremployees’experiencewillbringsignifi-cant advantages to youroutput and staff retention levels.Oneway for your employees topersonalise theirworkingexperience is to introduce flexible working options. Mer-cer’s study showed that the majority of employees wantmoreflexibilitywithintheirroles,howevernotallorganisa-tions are as flexible as their employeeswould like. 1 in 3

NOVEMBER 2016

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employeesindicatedthattheyhadrequestedaflexibleworkarrangementinthepast,howevertheywereturneddown.Furthertothis,1 in2employeesexpressedsomeconcernthatworkingpart-timeorremotelywouldnegativelyimpacttheirpromotionopportunities.There is clearlymoreworktobedonehere.

4. The quest for insightCompaniesarecollectingmoredata frombothcandidatesand employees than ever before, Mercer questions howthisdatacanbebetterusedtogainactionableinsights–wedon’tseemtobeusingthedatatothebestofitsabilities.Mercerstatesthateventhoughmanyorganisationsaroundthe globe are collecting data, very few are able to trans-late the data into predictive insights. Just 1 in 4 are abletoproducebasicdescriptivereportingandhistorical trendanalysis. Looking forwards, predictive analytics – such asidentifyingwhichemployeesarelikelytoleave–wouldbeincrediblyvaluablehoweverlessthan35%ofHRleadersareabletoprovidethisinformation.

It is an excitingtime for the employmentmarket.Organi-sationsareredefiningandredesigningtheir internalstruc-turesandtheresultswilleventuallybeacompleteoverhaulofemploymentandworkingeneralasweknowit.Concur-rently,employeesaredemandingmoreoftheiremployersandthemorevocaltheyarethebetter.Themoretranspar-entemploymentprocessesareemployeescanbeassuredofabetterfitwithintheorganisationandemployerswillthenbenefitfromloyal,happy,engagedandsteadyemployees.

Workplaces are becoming not just a placewherewe feelobligedtoshowuptowithincertaintimeframes,theyaremorphing into fluid and flexible spaceswhere our talentsarenurtured,ourcontributionsarevaluedandweworkto-gethertowardsafuturethatweareallcontenttobeapartof.

Read the full reports: BNPExpatSurvey:http://bnppf.be/2qLVlnhMercerTalentTrends:http://bit.ly/2nKwHGe

TOP TIPS TO WIN THE TALENT WAR

• Promote a contribution culture where everyone feels welcome to give input;

• Focus on the “whole person agenda”, including health and wealth benefits;• Define exciting career paths for a

positive impact on retention;• Take a chance on non-traditional talent who have potential but not experience;

• Mitigate risk by building a diverse port-folio of skills and a culture of innovation;

• Create a sense of belonging that resonates with your diverse workforce.

dealing with burnout in the workplace by Lise Lotte ten Voorde

Twenty First Century Pandemic

First coined as a term in the seventies, over the years burn-out has not just become widely recognised, but has rooted itself firmly into our society. To give you an idea of the pandemic proportions it has taken on, the Japanese and Chinese even have terms for ‘death-by-burnout’, caused by the alarming rate of suicides due to stress. It’s easy to blame the employer, but often times contributing factors are not necessarily within the company’s control. Tack-ling burnout instead means maintaining a careful balance between the professional and personal.

Sowhatexactlyisburnout?Stress.Plainandsimple.Stressinitselfisn’tnecessarilyabadthing:afterallit’soneofouroldest survival instincts. It is importanthowever that thegoalisclearandattainableandthepersonfeelssupported.Stressonlyturnstoburnoutwhenavarietyoffactorsbuildup over a long period of time, creating an imbalance be-tweencapacityandload,withnoendinsight.

Amatchburnsbrightbeforeitburnsout,andsimilarlyaper-sonwithburnoutwillhaveputalotofpassionandenergyintohisorherwork.That’stheupside.Italsomeansthere’salotof‘self’involved,withemotionalexhaustion,cynicismandafeelingoffailureintheendwhenthat‘self’ isn’tre-wardedeverynowandthen.

Causes and EffectsFor a longtimeburnoutwas ascribed topersonality only.It’s true that certain characteristics make a person moresusceptibletosufferingfromburnout.Interestinglyenoughthe majority of these characteristics are what makes thecandidatestandoutforthejobinthefirstplace.Charactertraitssuchasastrongsenseofresponsibility,perfectionism,idealism,notwantingtodisappoint,needingtofeelusefulandeasilyofferinghelp,areallhighlyattractivetoanem-ployer.Balancetheseouthoweverwiththecharacteristicsthatarelesseasilyspotted,suchastroubleaskingforhelp,introversionandaninclinationtodepression,andtheneedtosafeguardacarefulbalancebetweenahealthyamountofstressandunmanageablepressure becomesmoreobvious.

Whereworkaholismwaswornlikeabadgeofhonourbackinthe80’sand90’s,todaywearestartingtorealiseitisnotthebasisforasustainablelifestyleintheslightest.Thereareanumberofreasonsforthisparticularswingofthependu-lum,mostnotablythefactthatwenolongerfeelincontrol.Wedon’tdecidetocomeinfirstandleavelastbecausewewanttohitthatsalestarget,butbecausecut-backsmeanwehavetodothejobofthreeothers.Addtothisanincreasingexpectationtobe“alwaysswitchedon”anditbecomeseasytoseehowworkrelatedstresscanspiraloutofcontrol.

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Researchersagreethatchangesinsocietyaccountforalargepartoftheproblem.Theflexiblejobmarketcreatesuncer-tainty;thebalancebetweenworkandprivatelife,especiallywhenworkingpartnersalsohavetotakecareofasickfamilymember;(too)highexpectationsfrombothendsofthejob;anincreaseinemotionalloadandopennessaboutstressontheworkfloormeanwecaneasilybecomeoverloadedtothepointofnotbeingabletofunctionanymore.

Workable WorkDespiterecent legislationdemandingthatemployershaveaclearpolicyinplacethatprotectsworkersfromstressandburnout,only15%ofFlemishcompaniesactuallyhaveone.Or,inthewordsofneuro-psychologistElkeGeraerts:“Thiscenturyholdsalotofchallenges:changingwork-processes,technologythatsurpassesourmentalcapacity, theunder-miningofsocialstructures.Self-knowledgeandself-empow-ermentarenecessaryforsurvival.”

Researchby theFlemish Stichting InnovatieenArbeid shows that in 2016 a paltry 51%ofemployeesontheFlemishjobmarkethadajobthatearnedthequalityseal‘werkbaarwerk’(workablework).Thismeansajobthatdoesn’t cause undue levels of stress, over-straining or illness, that is interesting andmotivating, that offers opportunity to learnand develop, and that leaves enough roomforfamilyandprivatelife.

Hitting the WallBrussels-based psychologist Ioana Cirstea shares herthoughtson the subject. “Iused towork forabankand Icurrentlytreatalotofpeoplewhoworkformultinationals.Inoticemoreandmorepeoplearesufferingfromburnout.Afterthefinancialcrisisitgotworse.Thecrisiswasusedasanexcuseforreorganisation.Companiesconcernsforprof-itsdominated,meaningnonewhires,causingtheremain-ingemployees todo theworkof threeothers.Employeeshit awallwhen theydon’t feel recognised for theirwork.Theyaretired,disillusioned,disappointed,haveasenseofinjusticeand feel helpless because they feel their voice isnot heard bymanagement. People need encouragement,acknowledgmentorevenaraiseinsalary.Thebottomlineis:peoplefeelfacedwithabigmountainandbecomedemo-tivatedwhenthey’renotseenaspeople.”

Expats, high risk demographic?TheobviousquestionwithinthecontextofReLocateis:areexpats at an increased risk of burning out? After all, thepressure isonwhenanemployerhas investedsomuchinbringingyouover.WeaskedpsychologistIoanaCirstea,whoseesalotofexpatsinherpractice.

“I’man internationalmyself. I leftRomania thirteen yearsagotostudyandliveintheNetherlands,Spain,theUSAandBelgium.InternationalpeopleingeneralareaspecialgroupandIlikeworkingwiththem,wesharesimilarities.Itishelp-fulforthemtoseesomeonewhocanrelatetotheirprob-lems.Ofcourseit’snotdifficulttofindinternationalclientsinBrussels,”shelaughs.

“It’s important to understand that culture shock can hap-pentoanyone,nomatterhowshortthedistancemovedisperceivedtobe. Missingyour familyand friends, the (of-tenextensive)travelling,... Internationalpeopleoftenlackalocalsupportsystem,thenetworkofpeoplewhocanhelpthem(bothinandoutsidethejob).Theyeasilyfeelisolated,especiallywhenthere’salanguagebarrier.Visaandworkingpermits also causea lotof insecuritywhen theyare tem-porary. Ingeneral the complexity ishigher forexpats,butanyonecansufferfromapressureoverload.”

Yet expats are ambitiouspeople,whichmakes thembothresilientandreceptive.“Theysethighobjectives,theywanttosucceedandarewillingtogogreat lengthstodoso.Atthesametimetheyaremorealoneinlife.Workbecomessoimportant-it’swhattheyhavehere.Soyes,maybetheyareathigherriskforburnoutorotherstressrelatedproblems

as they will probably not stop, even whentheirbodygivesthemsignals,becausetheyhavelessoptionsthanlocals.It’snoteasytochangejobsunlessyoualsowanttochangecountrywhichisanadditionalstressfactor.”

Nevertheless,Cirsteaseesasolution,includ-ingforexpats:“Talk!Lookingforadifferentjob shouldbeyour lastoption.Peoplewhoare suffering from burnout aremore nega-tive, both about themselves and theworldaroundthem.Forinternationalsthepossibil-ityofhavingtogohome,afailure,addsevenmorepressure. Itwouldbegreat if compa-

nieswouldpromote jobmobility insteadofhavingpeoplestuckatthesamepositionforthreeyears.”

It’s the system, stupid! Why all parties involved should make an effortYoucanovercomeyourburnout,butifthesystemdoesn’tchangearoundyou,there’salargeriskofithappeningagain,especiallyifthecauseswerepredominantlycontextrelated.Sowhatcanwedo?Howcanwestartburningwithpassioninsteadofburningout?Governments,employersandem-ployees share equal responsibility. The good news is thatthetaboosurroundingburnoutisbreakingdownnowthattheproblemhas,quite frankly,become toobig to ignore.Belgiumacknowledgingthisbymeansoflawin2014isanimportantstepforward.

Butmoreisneeded,ideallyintheformofawarenesscam-paigns,aburnoutpreventionplanforeverycompany,bet-ter access to cheaper psychological help (psychotherapyisn’trecognisedasmedicalhelpinBelgium,makingitveryexpensiveandpatientsoften feelasenseof shameaboutneeding this help), and lots of training for individuals, in-cludinglearninghowtobeabetterworker.

As individuals we have to make an effort too, which in-cludesaskingforhelpwhenyouneedit,butmanagementcanhelpagreatdeal, startingby takingburnoutseriouslyandinstallingapreventionplanthatmight includeprovid-ingaclear jobdescription foreverynewtask theflexible,multi-available employee gets; providing space and time

Long-term absenteeism is on the rise, mainly due to psycho-social factors.

One in three employees experienced work related stress the previous year.

Estimated yearly cost: 4 billion euro.

PAGE 11

GMFCFacility Management

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From our end of tenancy cleaning service to specialist technical services, GMFC provides bespoke solutions that fit the unique needs of your home and family.

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for tasksthatneedsilenceandconcentration; teambuild-ingactivitiestostimulateasenseofcommunity;noemailsover theweekend; respecting breaks; nap-rooms; holdingmeetingsstandinguptokeepthemshortandeffective;au-tonomy;challenge;support;feedback;addressingdifferentskills;offeringdevelopmentoftalentsandskills.“Skillssuchasmindfulness,presence,active listening,andrecognitionandacknowledgementofemotionsaretheveryskillsthatencourageteamwork,connectionwithcolleagues,andrec-ognitionofcommonpurpose,”theInstituteforHealthcareExcellencewebsitetellsus.

The Psychologist’s View“Formethereweretimeswhenitwasverydifficult”,IoanaCirsteasharesherpersonalexperience.“EventhoughIhadnicecolleaguesandjobsecurity,beinganemployeeinbigcompany was notmy calling. Fortunately, I found peoplewho understoodmy difficulties and I was able to changejobs.”

“ForEuropeanslifeiseasierbecausetheydon’tneedavisaetcetera. This encourages working abroad and meetingother likemindedpeople.” To companies she’d like to say:“Theintakeisveryimportantbecausethefirstmonthisdif-ficult,help isneededwithpaperwork,registration.Onthejob itself I suggest coaching, training,whatever is neededforasmoothjourney.Peopleshouldn’tbethrownintothejobbuthaveafollow-up,amanagerwholistenstotheem-ployeesanddoesn’tminimizeproblems,whoseesthemas

persons.Within the company freedomof expression, lesscompetition,doingthingstogether,talkingaboutthechal-lengesofthejob,shouldallbenormal.”

Sheadmits itwon’tbeeasy. “Onepersonbyhimself can-notfixthis.Theemployeecanplayarolebuttheproblemisrelatedtothewaytheworkisorganised,theculture,themanagementstyle.”

Does this mean it’s unhealthy to work far from home?“Movingaround isbecomingmorenormal.As longastheworkisrewardingandtheexpatenjoyswhatheorshedoesit’sfine.Tostayinyourowncountryandnotlikewhatyoudoisn’tmuchofanoptioneither.Instead,workingabroadcanbeglamorouswhenyoustartoutandticksthoseall-im-portant learningandexperienceboxes.Althoughoncethehoneymoonperiodisoverrealitycansetinwithabump,”Cirsteaconfesses. “Butyoufindways toadapt.Toanswerthequestion, I don’t think it’sunhealthy to liveandworkabroad,onthecontrary,Ithinkitopensnewhorizons,youbecomemoretolerant.Livingandworkingabroadisenrich-ing,butnoteasy.”

Sources: ∙ElkeGeraerts,‘MentaalKapitaal’,Lannoo,2015www.bettermindsatwork.com∙presentationbyProvikmo,partofADMBpreventie:www.admb.be/nl/provikmo∙ThankyouIoanaCirstea!|coach-psychologist.eu

Expats in Brussels Guide 2017 out now From relocation service providers to long and short termaccommodation and moving services to a practical over-view of themost important players in the utility industryandwhatdocumentationtoprovidewhenregistering, theExpats inBrusselsGuide is fullofessential informationonlivingandworkinginBrussels.Availableasafreedownloadoraprintedguidefromoneoftheirtrustedsuppliers.

www.expatsinbrussels.be/en/

•In need of information about emigration to the U.S.,

Canada, Australia and New Zealand? Join the VIW information day on the 23rd of May!

Onthe23rdofMay2017, the foundationFlemings in theWorld(VIW)organisesanopeninformationdayaboutemi-grating to the United States, Canada, Australia and NewZealand.Informationsessionsaboutvisaregulationsandin-surancepolicieswillbeinterspersedwithtestimonialsfromfellowcountrymenwhoemigrated to these countries andwill share their experiences with the audience. After thegeneralexposition,thefloorisopentoaninformationmar-ket,wheretheaudiencemembersarefreetotalktoexpertsin allmatters concerning visa, insurance,moving options,mothertongueeducation,U.S.tax information,andmore.The sessionswill beheld inDutch. Formore information,contactVIWatinfo@viw.beorvisitthewebsite. www.viw.be

•

Altair Global’s HR Management Events

From the IBIS Mobility Conference in Cannes to the HRManageroftheYeareventinBrusselsandthe“IamExpat”fair in Amsterdam,AltairGlobal is actively organising andsupportingeventsforHRManagementin2017.AltairGlobaldoesthistoanswertheneedtheyencounterinthemarkets.

Next up in their events calendar is the CIPD AnnualconferenceinManchesteron8&9November2017.Tofindoutmore,please contactWalterVermeerenor follow thenewspageontheAltairGlobalwebsite.

www.altairglobal.com/news/

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MAY 2017

Laura Petitpré joins Expatica as their new Marketing and Sales Consultant

Expatica is delighted to announce its new Marketingand Sales Consultant for Belgium and France,Miss LauraPetitpré.AsaFrenchlady,bornandraisedinParis,shehasnow settled into life in the Netherlands. After a previousexpatriation toHungary she certainlyhas an internationalmindsetandisopentomeetingnewpeopleandexchangingstories and ideas. Laura looks forward to connectingwithyouatthenextABRAevent.Youcanreachherbyemailinglaura.petitpre@expatica.comorbycalling+31(0)235128940. www.expatica.com

•

“To pee or not to pee”

Brussels is known for its peeing statues. We all knowManneke,tosomeextentJeanneke,buthowaboutZinnekePis,thepeeingdog?Hehasbeenpeeinghislifeawaysince1998 on the corner of Chartreux and Vieux Marché auxGrains.Once the river Senne flowedhere. Justwhere thecity was founded. The expression Zinneke represents thewordly and multicultural character that makes Brusselsunique.

YawnSleep Apartments and sculptor Tom Frantzen cameupwiththeideatomakeT-shirtstosupportalocalcharity.For €24,99 youwill not only be supporting a good cause,youwillalsoownthecoolest“musthave”ofsummer2017.To get yours contact YawnWorld on Facebook, Instagram,write toe@yawn.world or stopbyour concept storeandreceptiononrueduVieuxMarchéauxGrains65.

www.yawn.world

Renovations at Radisson Blu Astrid Hotel in Antwerp

On March 1st 2017, the Radisson Blu Astrid Hotel inAntwerp started renovating the entire hotel, one floor atthetime,includingall19full-serviceapartmentsuites.Theapartmentswillberenovatedduringthesummermonths.A new lick of paint, updating the furniture, sanding thewoodenfloors.Attheend,thespaciousresidencesstillofferaseparatebedroom,a living roomandadiningareawithkitchenette.Duringtheworks,thehotelremainsopenforallguests.Formoreinformation,pleasecontactLoesColpaerton loes.colpaert@radissonblu.comorvisitthewebsite.

www.radissonblu.com

•B-Aparthotels expands to the Netherlands

After opening B-aparthotel Kennedy in The Hague a yearago,B-aparthotelWestgatewillopenendofsummer2017as part of the great business and entertainment complexVen-Amsterdam. B-aparthotel Westgate will comprise 50accommodations. Contact Camille Kaddour for furtherinformation on ckaddour@b-aparthotels.com or visit thewebsite: www.b-aparthotels.com

•Bogaerts International School opens new campus

Starting next September, Bogaerts International SchoolwillbemovingfromitscurrentcampusinWaterlootonewpremises located on the prestigious Domaine Latour deFreinsat555RueEngeland1180Brussels.Theschoolscaterstostudentsaged2.5to18andoffersboththeInternationalBaccalaureate(IB)andCambridgeprogrammes. www.bischool.com

•St. John’s wins European Central Bank competition

TheSt.John’ssenioreconomicsteam,madeupofgrade12studentsAkari,Casper,Brendan,JustinandNicolas,haswonthe prestigious European Central Bank (ECB) GenerationEurocompetition!St.John’shasanexcellentreputationinthiscompetition,havingwontheeventin2013,finished2ndin2012and3rd in2015. Inthefinal,thefiveteams,fromSpain,Greece,SloveniaandFrance,eachhada20-minutepresentation needed to predict and justify the governingcouncil’sdecision-making,followedbyquestionandanswersessionwiththepanel.ThejurythendeclaredSt.John’sasthewinningteam.Readthefullreportbyvisitingtheirblog:

http://bit.ly/2qKfgq0

NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS PAGE 13

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ISF International Daycare to open newcreche facility in Tervuren

ISF opened their first international creche in December2016 as a dedicated and purpose-built facility within theexisting Pre-school and Primary sections at ISF WaterlooInternational School. InMarch 2017, following decorativerenovationstoconvertthebuildingtotheISFcrechestand-ards,anduponreceivingthelicensingandapprovaloftheFlemish government agency Kind en Gezin, the latest ISFDaycarefacilitywilllaunchwithplacesforover50childrenagedfrom6weeksto3years.Formoreinformationemailisftervuren@isfdaycare.orgorvisit www.isfwaterloo.org/daycare-creche-tervuren/

•Linking schools and communities

Schools do not exist or operate in isolation. They aresmall communities themselvesbutmore importantly theyform part of larger communities. At the MontgomeryInternational School (EIM) in Brussels all stakeholders,including administration, teachers, parents and students,were involved in an endeavour to collect funds forchildreninMoldavia. DP1studentstogetherwiththeaidand support of the rest of the school worked diligentlythroughout the year to raise funds for this project. Apartfromteachingourstudentsaboutdifferentsocialrealities,thisprojectencouragedthemtobecreativeandproactive.The culminationof this projectwas the trip to the villageofHorodiste-RezinainMoldaviaattheendofMarch2017.

www.ecole-montgomery.be

•New Website for BBF

with online booking module

JustafewshortweeksagoBBFhadthepleasureinlaunchingitsnewwebsiteontheworldwideweb.Apartfromthefactthatthisisaresponsiveandmobilefriendly,themajorassetisthatvisitorscanbooktheirapartmentonline.

Sending inquiries to our sales team is still possible, butcorporate buyers and relocation agencies can now securetheirbookingsinadvancethroughtheonlinemodules.

www.bbf.be

•New Website for GMFC

GMFC isdelighted to letour readersknowthat theirnewwebsiteisupandrunning.Findalltheirfacilitymanagementservicesandmorebyvisiting:

www.gmfc.be

ABRA Member Meeting - Thursday 8th December, 2016

TheDecembermeetingofABRAwasheldontheafternoonofThursday8DecemberatTheInternationalSchoolofBrussels,Kattenberg19,1170Brussels.LeeFertigandDavidWilligofISBintroducedtheschoolanditsprogrammes,andwewouldliketothankthemfortheirkindhospitality.GuestspeakerProfessorBarneyJordaanofVlerickBusinessSchoolspokeonresolv-ingdifferences.Anengagingpresentationthatexplorednotonlyhowwereacttoproblems,butalsoshowedattendeeshowimportantitistoviewasituationthroughtheotherperson’seyesinordertobetterunderstandandresolvepotentialconflictsituations.Formoreeventphotographsandtoputnamestofacespleasevisit the ABRA website.

PAGE 14

MAY 2017

PAGE 15

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Coming to work in a country with 3 languages is your choice

Banking, financial and/or insurance offer subject to acceptance by ING Belgium (or, where appropriate, the relevant insurance company) and to mutual agreement. Terms and conditions (regulations, rates, key information documents for investors or savers and other supplementary information) available from any ING branch or on www.ing.be. ING Belgium SA/nv – Bank – avenue Marnix 24 – B-1000 Brussels – Brussels RPM/RPR – VAT : BE 0403.200.393 – BIC : BBRUBEBB – IBAN : BE45 3109 1560 2789. Insurance broker registered with the FSMA under the number 12381A. Publisher : Inge Ampe – Cours Saint-Michel 60 – B-1040 Brussels

We will do our utmost to guide you financially. Moving to Belgium ? ING offers all the banking and insurance services you need in your own language, even before you arrive.

Call us on +32 2 464 66 64 or surf to ing.be/expat

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