Rotterdam in development

R O T T E R D A M I N O N T W I K K E L I N G | 2 0 1 8 109 when this situation was in balance, but that window was very short. We have always maintained contact with the candidate, even in times of economic hardship. Continu also plays a social role,” Aisa emphasises. “We don’t only offer guidance to people with high potential; we also help people who have experienced setbacks (for example in times of crisis). We can offer them new opportunities too, and we are happy to take advantage of our network on their behalf. Finding just the right challenge, as well as the gratitude of both the client and the candidate, is a part of this field that we are all enthusiastic about.” The work requires interpersonal knowledge and the ability to work well with people. Aisa: “You’re there at a very important point in someone’s life, so you have to have a good idea of whether the work really suits the candidate. It is essential to be able to ask the right questions. It is very often not the question the candidate actually asks, but rather the underlying question that matters.” INVESTMENT Continu began as an intermediary focused on the construction industry; for some time now the company has also been active in the infrastructure and industry branches. Thanks to the investment made over the years by Continu’s various advisers, both the client and candidate networks within the construction industry have remained very stable. In the Capelle a/d IJssel branch, the Construction department has been staffed for several years by four ladies. Clients value the fact that they have a single point of contact, and the permanent core of the construction team in Capelle a/d IJssel more than satisfies the clients’ wishes in that regard. The knowledge of the various parties, built up over many years, as well as the network and expertise are very well received, and mean that the team are true specialists in their field. It is noticeable that today’s construction expert is gradually becoming a different person from the expert of a few years ago. Aisa sees the field developing visibly: “You can see that different skills are required today, not just construction skills. These are skills and competences such as integrated cooperation, communication and transparency. The change in this kind of competences is important for us: we have to be constantly aware of what is going on in the construction world and keep a good eye on developments. We do that in many ways; we organise meetings ourselves, for example about the Building Information Model (BIM) methodology, the consequences for the kind of construction expert required in today’s industry, or shifting the maintenance of the corporate world towards contracting. At the branch in Capelle a/d IJssel we bring diverse people together, and that generates a great deal of knowledge. This also helps us fulfil our role as intermediary in other areas than simply bringing clients and candidates together.” You’re there at a very important point in someone’s life, so you have to have a good idea of whether the work really suits the candidate.