CAPE group continues to grow. “We make the future happen” since March 2022 also across the border in Croatia. Our consultant Christian traveled to Zagreb for three months to familiarize ourselves with the CAPE culture and guide our new Croatian colleagues in this start-up phase. In the interview below, he talks about his experiences and daily life 1250 km away.
Why did CAPE take the step across the border?
Nowadays there is too much supply on the labor market in the Netherlands, making it difficult to find staff. In order to meet the high demand from the business community, CAPE Group started application processes in Croatia. With the aim of finding colleagues who can support the Dutch consultants with building software solutions in the software platforms Mendix and eMagiz that we often use. These application procedures have successfully led to 2 new Trainees Business Consultant.
It is the first time that CAPE is expanding the team with international employees. Because these colleagues need intensive guidance, I moved from the Netherlands to Croatia for three months. Four years ago I graduated from CAPE. I now work as a Medior Consultant and I am therefore the supervisor of our Croatian colleagues Maja and Tomislava.
Was it on your bucket list to work abroad for a period of time?
No actually not. I prefer consistency and regularity. I had to put some pressure to figure out where I stood before I decided to embark on this adventure. In addition, three days before departure I didn't know where I would sleep due to a miscommunication. That's why I chose a B&B myself within walking distance of the office before I got in my car at the beginning of April to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia.
What are the biggest differences between Zagreb and Enschede that you noticed?
The first day I noticed that the mentality is very different from the mentality in the Netherlands. Life in Croatia starts much earlier. I walk to the office a few minutes before eight in the morning. Then life on the street has already started. The supermarkets are already open at seven, the terraces are already full at eight and Croatia is at work.
Despite the fact that life starts so early there, the atmosphere is more relaxed than in the Netherlands. In Croatia they work eight hours a day, including half an hour of lunch. Where Croats sit together quietly and really take the time for lunch. In the Netherlands I noticed that sometimes having lunch, when you want to finish something, also happens quickly behind your laptop. So that's different here. Also because it is customary here to eat warm in the afternoon. You don't do that as quickly behind your laptop as in the Netherlands.
At four o'clock the working day ends and there are traffic jams. The first day I was really looking forward to this. I had started work at eight o'clock and at four o'clock sharp Maja and Tomislava were at my desk to ask how much longer I could go on, we would go out for dinner. Several times I have been the first to come in in the morning and the last to leave in the evening. When colleagues come to the office the next day, they ask if I have stopped working at all.
Are there any differences, apart from the work mentality?
Yes, another big difference is the opening times of the shops. In Croatia, supermarkets are open from XNUMX a.m. to XNUMX p.m., including Sundays.
And the weather… I was looking forward to the beautiful weather in Croatia before the move. Unfortunately, this was quite disappointing in my first weeks.
What is Zagreb like as a city and what is the environment like?
The city center of Zagreb is comparable in size to Enschede, while the city is home to 1 million inhabitants, so it is a lot busier in the city center. The environment is very beautiful. There are also several places on my list that I would like to visit in the three months that I am here.
One of these places is the Plitvice Lakes National Park, a two-hour drive from the capital. When my good friend and parents come over, I would like to take them to this National Park with its world famous waterfalls. On the way back home I would like to drive back along the coast of Croatia. That turns out to be very beautiful, with scenes where the series The Game of Thrones was shot, I must have seen that apparently.
How will the CAPE location in Zagreb continue when you come back?
After three months I will return to the Netherlands. Then it is the intention that a new colleague moves to Croatia for a few months. During the months of July and August I want to be in the Netherlands anyway. But if I really like the job of supervisor here, I may come back in September. CAPE Group has organized new application rounds in Croatia in which these new colleagues must also be supervised. And so we will continue to grow with CAPE in the coming months, also abroad.
