Conference Matters 141

STAFF NEWS

for your international conference VGF ensures financial security

Postillion uses

personality tests for more diverse teams

You want to organise an international conference in the Netherlands - but what if there are fewer participants than expected? And how do you finance the start-up costs? The Pre-financing & Guarantee Fund foundation (VGF) is here to help. For over 25 years now, the VGF has been providing congress organisers with cost-free and interest free loans of up to €90,000. For start-up costs, but also to cover any losses due to low visitor numbers. The VGF then acts as a financial guarantor for you. The Pre-financing & Guarantee Fund foundation (VGF) has been taking care of conference organisers for over 25 years

value for the applicant, regardless of whether or not it leads to a job at Postillion Hotels. They gain insight into their own preferred behavioural style, which is valuable in itself.” Four main personality profiles The DISC model has four main personality profiles: dominance (D), influence (I), steadiness (S), and conscientiousness (C). Using a series of questions, an applicant is tested on two axes: fast pace/easy pace and task-oriented/people-oriented. Based on their score, the applicant is classified into one or more main personality profiles. MapsTell has enriched the DISC model by adding a visual layer: the World of Difference. The axes are placed over a map with cities, mountains and rivers, where personality profiles are further elaborated. MapsTell offers an interactive alternative to lengthy assessments about the differences between the main personality profiles.

traits the team doesn’t have”, explains Erik-Jan Ginjaar, General Manager of Postillion Hotels.

Postillion Hotels has expanded its application process with a personality test using the DISC method. The hotel chain wants to select vacancies based on the behaviour of future employees in order to put together more diverse teams. Employers usually select candidates based on certain skills. The major advantage of the DISC method is that it provides an indication of how an applicant behaves in a team. The personality test is part of the first round of every application. By investing in the application process, Postillion Hotels expects to be able to better assess whether applicants are suitable for vacancies and whether their personality profile complements the other ones within the teams. “The functioning of a team determines the success of a department, and research shows that more diverse teams perform better. In the selection process, we tend to prefer character traits that we recognise in ourselves or within the team. The trick is to select people with character

Intrinsic motivation The DISC test helps Postillion Hotels put the right people in the right place within the right team. This way, the company wants to optimise the functioning of the teams and create a working environment in which employees can be themselves. “We don’t just want to attract good employees; we want to retain them. This requires a working environment and team in which there is room for different qualities and personality styles. This makes employees feel comfortable, and they remain intrinsically motivated in the workplace,” says Ginjaar. Happy working relationship “I really see this addition to the application procedure as the basis for a happy working relationship between the new employee and the employer, Postillion Hotels. The test also has

Together, we will ensure that you can confidently organise a successful and financially healthy conference!

www.vgfholland.nl info@vgfholland.nl + 31 (0)70 370 57 05 More information

Over 25 years ago, the VGF was initiated by the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC), the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, and some twenty organisations in the Dutch conference industry.

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