Remuneration and personnel
Numidia is a “Great Place To Work”
In 2021 and 2022, Numidia took part in the Great Place To Work (GPTW) program. GPTW is an external company whose methodology helps companies assess whether their employment practices contribute to the well-being of the company and employees alike. By participating in the program, companies have a chance to certify themselves as a Great Place To Work. First, GPTW conducts an anonymous survey (Trust Index) with all employees of the company. In the Trust Index, GPTW measures how satisfied employees are on the following points: Credibility, Respect, Fairness, Pride and Camaraderie.
In addition, the company writes a Culture Audit on how things are done within the company. This audit addresses the following subjects: Trust, Meaningful Values, Effective Leadership, Maximizing Everyone’s Potential, Innovation, and Bold Leadership.
Numidia is proud to have been certified as a Great Place To Work in both years. Having said that, we also value the feedback of our employees on how we can further improve.
The Numidians
Our employees, “Numidians” as we call them, are our most valuable asset. They are the ones who purchase a product from a supplier, sell that product to a customer and arrange its transportation. Numidians make the difference for all of our stakeholders. Our task is to give our employees all the tools they need to optimize the experience of the supplier, customer or other external partner.
Stephen R. Covey once said, “Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.” Our employees reflect just that. You will see this in the variety of backgrounds, levels of experience, nationalities, and the many languages spoken within our company. That is why we don’t select a specific education or experience in our recruitment process (although, it is of course important to have a background in finance when applying for a controller position). Our selection process focuses more specifically on a person’s ambition, personality and skills like teamwork mentality, analytical strengths and attention to detail.
As stated above, Numidians represent many different nationalities. In fact, as of 31 December 2022, we had 23 different nationalities in total. That is something we are very proud of. We celebrate this diversity on our Cultural Day. Four times a year, we come together to highlight the home country of one of our employees by enjoying traditional food, music and learning interesting things about that country.
Because our employees come from so many different cultures, respect for those cultures is very important. We do not tolerate discrimination or any other undesirable behavior. That is why we have a policy in place to prevent and combat undesirable behavior both at the office and outside of the office, for example on social media. If, despite this policy, an employee experiences undesirable conduct, he or she can contact internal and/or external confidants. Confidants are trained to assist an employee by explaining their options and discussing possible solutions.
An employee (or anyone else connected to the company) who suspects illegal activity or misconduct can follow the whistleblower procedure. This procedure can be found in our Staff Handbook (or in our Code of Conduct for external parties), which is available online 24/7. The employee can choose to share their concerns with both internal confidants as well as external parties.
The picture below shows the statistics of our Numidians and our important locations (offices) as of 31 December 2022. 1
The number of Numidians is fairly divided between males and females. We also have a nice spread across age categories.
Since our founding in 2011, we have grown considerably in a number of ways. This is also true of the number of Numidians: between 2021 and 2022, our workforce grew by 6%. The graph below shows the number of employees at year-end. It includes: interns, seasonal workers and statutory directors. Agents, independent sales representatives and VCC employees are excluded.
The average number of FTEs employed is reported in chapter 5.
In 2022, we hired 24 new employees in total. The table below indicates the location, gender, and age categories of the new hires. These numbers show an employee turnover of 18.7%. (20 leavers / (83 employees 31-12-2021 + 24 new hires)).
Core values
We have five core values: Transparency, Reliability, Authenticity, Long-Term Relationships and Flexibility.
transparency
To underline the transparency of our open and direct culture, we have one work floor (per office) where we all work. All directors, managers, staff, interns and seasonal workers are on the same floor; there are no separate offices. Employees are encouraged to approach each other with questions and ideas, or if they need help. In person if possible, or via phone, email or Teams message if someone is not at their desk. There are also several meeting rooms available to sit and talk in private. Transparency also means that feedback is given on a regular basis. In addition, short- and long-term plans and goals are shared during quarterly information sessions that are open to all employees.
reliability
We say what we do, we do what we say, and we have the evidence to prove it (i.e. certificates). We keep the promises we make to our customers, suppliers, business partners and each other. We formalize personal goals and plans, and we review them twice a year. You can find more about this in "Reviews and Development."
authenticity
We make sure that all Numidians are heard. We value their opinions and views; in other words, we value their authentic selves. This is true for all employees: those who are still at Numidia and those who are leaving us. When an employee leaves, he or she is offered an exit interview with HR. There they have the opportunity to speak freely about their time at Numidia: the good things, but also the things that could be better. In this way, we gain insight into our areas of improvement. While the individual interviews are kept confidential, the overall results from multiple exit interviews are included in a report to the Board of Directors.
long-term relationships
We are in it for the long haul. In other words, we always strive for long-term relationships with our employees and our business partners. Honesty is the key to good relationships. That is why we conduct performance reviews twice a year. As part of the review, we also ask employees to review Numidia as an employer and to provide feedback on their manager and position within Numidia. You can find out more about the review process in the section "Reviews and Development."
In addition, we are not afraid of commitment: we offer employees an indefinite employment contract after only nineteen months, and we invest in our employees. Out of 88 employees, 25 (39.7%) have temporary contracts. All other employees have indefinite contracts. You can find out more about how we invest in our employees in "Reviews and Development."
We value good relationships; between employees and Numidia as an employer, but also among our employees. That is why we have the "Numidia Party Squad" to organize fun and informative events for Numidians around the world. To improve the bonds between our employees, we also organize an annual party in July. All employees, including those abroad, are invited to spend a week in the Netherlands. During this special week, they also undergo training and get to spend time with colleagues in person. In addition, directors pay regular visits to our Numidia offices abroad.
flexibility
If COVID-19 taught businesses one thing, it is that employees are flexible. Of course, we knew this already. We are not confined to a set of rules and measures. Instead, if there is a better way to do something, we do it. That is why we love good ideas. As a flat organization, we are agile and able to make changes quickly and easily, without having to navigate unnecessary bureaucracy.
Employees have the flexibility to work from home one or two days a week and to plan their own working day. Employees can start their working day as early as 7:30 a.m. and finish at 4:30 p.m. They can also choose to start at 9 a.m. and finish at 6 p.m., or choose any hours in between. We offer our employees 25 days of paid leave per year, along with the official holidays. If an employee wants to take additional days off, he or she can take them as unpaid leave.
Working conditions and terms of employment for all employees are covered in the Staff Handbook. But based on the results of the internal semi-annual reviews with all employees and the external research of Great Place To Work, we keep a finger on the pulse of what is going on among our employees, and where possible we improve the working conditions for them. In addition, we have an active Health and Safety organization (consisting of four employees) that also comes up with good proposals for improvement from time to time.
Salary and other rewards
Numidia uses salary scales. These scales are based on an individual’s position, responsibilities and years of experience. Salaries are paid at least once a month. All employee salaries are far above the minimum wage for each country. (In 2022, the minimum wage per country: Netherlands, EUR 1,756.20 gross per month, US, USD 7.25 per hour, Uruguay, 10,000 Pesos per month; Singapore does not have a minimum wage.) We follow the labor laws of the countries in which we have an office. In the Netherlands and Uruguay, the law requires us to pay our employees an annual holiday allowance.
pension
Numidia takes care of its employees and looks not only at the present, but also at the future. That is why the organization contributes financially to the pension plan in accordance with the local customs of its employees around the world. In 2022, all employees participated in the applicable plans that are facilitated by Numidia.
bonuses
Like most commercial businesses, we care about getting results. To incentivize employees, we celebrate their successes and share them through SharePoint. And when Numidia is successful, we reward our employees with an end-of-year bonus. We believe that when Numidia does well, our employees should also benefit. The amount of each individual employee’s bonus is determined by the following:
the gross margin of the company vs. gross margin budget of the company
if applicable, the individual trade results vs. individual trade budget
the employee’s individual performance
We also like a challenge. So in 2022, the management set an extra goal for the third quarter. That goal was reached, which meant that every Numidian was rewarded with the latest iPad.
referral bonus
We are always interested in recruiting new employees, which is why we introduced the referral bonus. Employees who successfully refer someone to Numidia – resulting in the hiring of that person – receive a referral bonus of EUR 1,000.
At the end of the year, we like to thank our Numidians for their efforts. So all Numidians (including seasonal workers and interns) receive the same end-of-year gift. In addition, we organize an end-of-year dinner so that everyone can enjoy each other’s company, look back on the past year and look forward to the new year.
Numidia strives to offer all its employees the same kind of benefits. Because local laws and customs differ by country, there may be subsequent differences in benefits. For part-time employees, the benefits are calculated pro rata when it comes to bonus entitlements and annual leave entitlements.
Reviews and development
Twice a year, every employee receives a performance and career development review. Within Numidia, we call them the mid-year review and the end-of-year review. There are some employees who are exempted from the standard review:
Board of Directors members (who instead have a personal review with the shareholders)
Employees who have recently joined Numidia*
Employees who have resigned (and who will have a more specific exit interview)
* New employees have a one-month evaluation and a three-month evaluation to discuss their progress and onboarding.
In October 2022, we sent out the invitations for the end-of-year review, which then took place in November and December. We have listed the number of employees who did not receive the invitations, and the reasons why, below:
Six were Board of Director members
Eleven had only recently joined Numidia and had their one- or three-month evaluation in the period October-December 2022
Two resigned
One was on sabbatical leave
numidia academy
As mentioned above, we strive for long-term relationships. That requires an investment. Through the Numidia Academy, we invest in the development of all our employees. The Academy starts with an onboarding program so that new employees can get to know Numidia. This consists of classroom introductions, e-learning courses and training on the job. Each new employee is assigned a tutor who will coach him or her in the basics. After three months, the onboarding program is finalized with the three-month evaluation. In the months thereafter, we further develop the skills of new employees with Excel, Power BI and communication training courses. Further down the line, employees participate in a negotiation training course, time management training, leadership training courses and account management training courses. Visits to trade fairs and business partners and participation in projects and Lean Belt activities can also be part of the Numidia Academy’s contribution.
Some employees may have individual requirements, such as needing to learn a particular language, assertiveness training or internal audit training. As we become aware of these requirements, we look at possible ways of addressing them.
In addition to external training opportunities, employees can also learn from each other. That is why we organize internal training courses on subjects like VAT and Health & Safety to keep employee knowledge up to date.
In 2022, our employees received an average of 36 hours of (fully paid) training per person. Male and female employees received an equal amount of training.
There are no clawbacks for the training courses in the Numidia Academy. For those with individual needs, alternative agreements can be made.
After some time (and training), an employee will naturally be ready for a new challenge. We encourage employees to express their personal ambitions, whether they are inside or outside Numidia, and we try to facilitate them by providing extra tasks, projects, training and Dutch lessons. If an employee is not sure where their ambitions are, we offer career advice through an external party, even if this might lead to the Numidian leaving us. In 2022, seven employees made a change within the company: some became managers, while others changed departments or locations.
Family
Numidia began as a family company and despite having grown considerably, that atmosphere is still alive at Numidia today. That is why a sense of family, in particular the families of our Numidians, are important to us.
In 2022, nineteen employees were entitled to (partially paid) parental leave. These employees had one or more children aged eight years or younger. Twelve of these employees were male, the other seven were female. Four of the employees entitled to parental leave (maternity/paternity/post-birth leave is not taken into account) took (partially paid) parental leave in 2022. Three of them were female, and one was male. All are still employed at Numidia. In 2021, one person took parental leave. He is still employed at Numidia. This makes the return to work and retention rate 100%.