11 years ago, Thomas started as an IT consultant at Randstad Digital. In those 11 years, he has known considerable growth: from on-site support over call-taker to second- and third-line support.
Meanwhile, he has been working as an ICT service delivery engineer at our client Proximus NXT for quite some time. Even there, he makes sure to always uphold the Randstad Digital values. Especially that of team spirit, for which he even received an award.
Thomas and his manager at Proximus NXT, Koen, are happy to explain the story.
learning to drive at my first assignment.
“I started here 11 years ago as an IT consultant. During my first assignment, I had to manage a Windows 7 roll-out on-site for a client. That meant I had to be on the road a lot, so that’s when I really learned to drive”, Thomas laughs.
“After that assignment ended, I started at Proximus via Randstad Digital, where I have grown significantly in my field. Eventually, I ended up in the team where I am still working now: the Proximus NXT networking team.”
Koen: “Proximus NXT is Proximus' new ICT subsidiary, where we focus on everything to do with IT services for enterprise customers. Think: customized IT solutions in cybersecurity, networking, cloud, AI …”
teamwork and transparency.
“We are very happy to have Thomas on our team”, says his manager, Koen. “Thomas cooperates smoothly with everyone and is always down to have a chat. Moreover, he is a real expert in his field and also eager to learn: if he needs extra knowledge for a particular project, he will go for a certification with full conviction.”
Thomas: “It is true that I attach great value to good cooperation within the team. Everything we achieve, we achieve together. The fact that we won an award for teamwork only confirms that sentiment.”
“I also find it very important to always be honest and transparent during my projects,” Thomas continues. “Even when I make mistakes. Of course, it’s not fun having to explain to the client that you made a mistake, but this is the only way to build mutual trust. Besides, making mistakes is human, so I don't think we should be afraid to admit them.”
the proximus award.
Koen: “Our team is on call during weekends because some of our clients need permanent support. That weekend, it was Thomas' turn. On Saturday afternoon, he received a call: our client's data center was unreachable because of a power outage caused by electricity works.”
“That's a stressful situation, and not easy to keep your cool, but Thomas managed to do so. He first conducted a remote risk analysis, but it soon became clear that all accesses had been cut off, and he was working completely blind.”
“Thomas did not hesitate and left for the client, even though this was quite a drive for him,” Koen continues. “On-site, Thomas went into problem-solving mode and eventually managed to bring all the systems back online in a controlled manner. Moreover, he stayed there until everything was also in order at the application level - even though, strictly speaking, that is not his job.”
“But it didn't stop there: Thomas and his team then drew up an analysis as well as an action plan to identify the root cause of the problem and avoid future problems. So it was only logical that our teamwork award went to the networking team!”
It is true that I attach great value to good cooperation within the team. Everything we achieve, we achieve together. The fact that we won an award for teamwork only confirms that feeling.
a true team effort.
Thomas: “The award and Koen's nice words are of course a great compliment, but I still want to emphasize that this was a true team effort. The moment I received the call from the client, I immediately involved the 2nd line engineer and our security colleagues. After the problem was solved, we sat down with the whole team to see how this could be avoided in the future.”
“Solving a problem of this scale and turning it into a success story only works if everyone puts their best foot forward. Teamwork really does make the dream work.”