New organizational structure and remuneration policy for Roompot & Landal GreenParks

‘Starting from scratch’, is how Alrik Boonstra describes the intensive process that started in the spring of last year. After the takeover of Landal GreenParks by industry peer Roompot, the goal was to merge both organizations. The first priority was to properly manage the new design of both the organization and the remuneration policy. Starting with the offices, where a total of approximately nine hundred people work across Europe. Boonstra was assisted in both processes by Highberg.

The first question was what the ideal head office organization of the number 1 player in Europe should look like. This was followed by practical steps: redesigning the blueprint and all functions, setting up the job structure, merging the organizations and reorganizing on a European scale. And then the remuneration part still had to come. Boonstra: ‘We examined all Dutch employment conditions and developed a philosophy that fits our vision, mission and purpose. What kind of company do we want to be now that we have merged? Our goal is to distinguish ourselves in the labor market as the best employer in the sector and thus become a real magnet for talent.'

It was a complex task to harmonise two very different employment conditions packages into one new package for the Dutch organisation. Roompot emerged from a family business and had a somewhat less elaborated remuneration policy than Landal, according to Boonstra. ‘Roompot is a down-to-earth and enterprising organisation that is close to the holiday parks. With that culture, the company has been super successful over the past ten years. Landal was somewhat more structured in terms of HR instruments. You have a slightly stronger office feeling there, also when you look at the employment conditions.’

A completely new, transparent and flexible policy was designed to build the ‘organisation of the future’. This was followed by consultation with the Works Council, the necessary technical calculations and the elaboration on an individual basis. ‘Parts may change, but at the end of the day, it must of course retain the same total value for individual employees’, according to Boonstra.

De grootste uitdaging was volgens Boonstra nog het korte tijdsbestek. In niet meer dan negen maanden zijn de reorganisatie en de harmonisatie doorgevoerd, van strategie tot de laatste brief. Daarbij speelde Highberg een grote rol, aldus de CHRO. ‘Highberg staat ons met een aantal consultants terzijde en heeft capaciteit kunnen opschalen als dat nodig was en afschalen zodra dat mogelijk was. Zij doen dit project echt met ons, niet vóór ons. Het interne team is leidend, het team van Highberg sluit daar naadloos op aan. Zo zijn het ook de managers geweest die, onder leiding van Highberg en HR, de functies van hun teams hebben gewaardeerd. Heel belangrijk, want wij willen dit proces gebruiken om onze lijnmanagers en ons HR-team verder te ontwikkelen, hier leren we enorm van. De komende jaren gaan we naar verwachting hard groeien en blijven we veranderen. We hebben deze skill set in de organisatie nodig.’

Omdat er tempo gemaakt moest worden, was het volgens Boonstra ook handig dat Highberg best practices uit de markt kon aandragen. ‘Als je wilt opschieten, is het niet handig als je het wiel opnieuw moet uitvinden. Je wilt kunnen zeggen: geef mij het wiel dat het beste op deze kar past. Of noem er drie, dan kiezen wij het beste wiel.’ Dat ging in nauwe samenwerking met het HR-team, de directie én eigenaar KKR die betrokken was bij de integratie vanuit de raad van commissarissen.

For the employees of the offices, the changes are drastic, Boonstra realizes. That is why a lot of attention has been paid to communication. ‘Many colleagues are confronted with all kinds of changes and especially in a very short time. In such a process, you have to take everyone with you step by step. That is extremely important and also exciting.’ Together with the consultants of Highberg, various information sessions and walk-in consultations were first organized and then individual employment conditions proposals were made to employees. In the meantime, everyone in the Netherlands has a new employment contract, in the new legal entity.

The ambition is therefore to be the favorite employer in the sector. What is needed for that? Boonstra: ‘What people want is an organization with a goal and a position in which they can develop themselves, with clear career paths. Furthermore, good, market-conform remuneration is important, as is an inspiring and coaching manager. So you also have to work on the quality of leadership and on culture. We actually do that at the same time, because speed is very important in our sector.’

Once this transformation phase is behind us, construction can begin. Boonstra: ‘The new organisation of the offices helps to shape the growth and development of our company in the future. It feels like a sprint now, but ultimately it is of course a marathon that we run with all our colleagues. That requires a lot.’

First, actions will follow to position the Roompot & Landal GreenParks brand well in the (international) labour market. With the presence in various European countries, the workforce is becoming increasingly international, which is also interesting for attracting talent. Boonstra: ‘I have worked in many different sectors myself. As soon as I arrived here, I noticed what a fun and cheerful sector this is. Everyone is so strongly focused on giving the guests an unforgettable holiday. You can also see that atmosphere in the office.’ Boonstra himself has stayed at the holiday parks many times in the past year, sometimes privately and sometimes for business meetings. ‘That is always a party. You feel that that is where it really happens.’