At Mediahuis, inclusivity, diversity, and a healthy work-life balance are important and are at the core of their employer branding. Nathalie Vercammen, HR Talent Manager, and Martine Vandezande, HR Director, share their insights on how Mediahuis creates a stimulating workplace where employees can be themselves and are given ample opportunities to develop.
Nathalie started her career at one of the companies within the Mediahuis group after earning her Master’s degree in Applied Economic Sciences. She began working as a staff member in New Media. She quickly found her way into the HR department and now focuses, in addition to talent acquisition and talent development, on onboarding, employer branding, and diversity & inclusion (DEI) projects. Martine, with a rich background in communication sciences and HR, is the HR Director for Belgium and the Mediahuis Group. Together, they provide personal insights in this article into Mediahuis' company culture and values.
Both agree that the media industry fascinates them. “The dynamics and social relevance of the sector keep us sharp and engaged,” says Nathalie. Martine adds: “At Mediahuis, I can be myself, surrounded by diverse and critical thinkers. That makes the work exciting and inspiring.” This passion is reflected in Mediahuis' culture, where collaboration and innovation are central.
As you might expect from the media sector, it is a fast-changing, dynamic industry. “Mediahuis doesn’t stand still; a lot is changing, and quickly. It’s an organization with great ambition, yet it has a warm, human culture,” says Martine. “The focus is on ‘working together’ and on the human aspect.”
Collaboration, in fact, is one of Mediahuis’ corporate values, alongside effectiveness, innovation, agility, and customer orientation. “Our values must be more than just words; they must be visible in our daily practices and processes,” says Martine. These values are actively incorporated into the recruitment, evaluation, and performance assessments of employees. “We focus not only on results, but also on living out the company's values.”
Mediahuis Academy
Mediahuis places a strong emphasis on employee development. “Our internal Academy offers a wide range of training courses and workshops, focusing on both professional and digital skills, as well as personal growth and well-being,” says Nathalie. The Academy, which began in 2015 as an internal initiative to keep up with digital transformation, has now evolved into an international Academy functioning across the various brands and entities of the Mediahuis Group. Mediahuis operates in Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, and Luxembourg.
COVID-19 gave a huge boost to the Academy’s growth. “Suddenly, everything had to go online,” says Nathalie. “Everyone had to learn how to work and collaborate using digital tools and systems, but the Academy also became a way to bring people together, to create connections, and to build a community.” During this unique COVID period, more focus was placed on topics such as ‘leading remote teams,’ ‘managing stress,’ ‘well-being & vitality,’ and more.
Across its countries, Mediahuis boasts a large pool of more than 4,600 talented experts. “Within the Academy, we try to unlock this wealth of knowledge and expertise and stimulate knowledge-sharing among colleagues,” explains Nathalie. “All this knowledge and content is made available through our shared digital learning platform, where everyone can learn whenever and wherever they want.”
“When you start working at Mediahuis, you have a wealth of tools and training at your disposal. What’s great is that, thanks to the Academy, you immediately become part of an international community of expert colleagues in your field, where you can go with all your questions and challenges,” adds Martine.
Work-life balance
In the media sector, things can get intense. Meeting deadlines, keeping up with rapid changes, and digital transformation are all part of everyday reality. That’s why a healthy work-life balance is a key focus at Mediahuis. There are plenty of opportunities to maintain this balance, such as hybrid working, flexible hours, and generous vacation and flex days.
“We regularly measure and discuss employee satisfaction and workload in order to take targeted action. Our employees can also always speak with our confidential advisors, prevention officers, or coaches,” explains Martine.
Moreover, the Academy offers training and support in areas such as vitality, resilience, and stress management.
Employer Branding
For Mediahuis, employer branding is a way to attract new talent and retain current employees, but it’s not an end in itself. “It’s about authentically representing who we are and what we stand for,” explains Martine. “It’s about who we really are, not who we want to be. The inside of the organization must match the outside. It’s nice to show videos of what it’s like at Mediahuis, but it has to be genuinely reflected on the inside as well. Otherwise, you’re not authentic.”
“Mediahuis focuses on employer branding through various online and offline initiatives,” adds Nathalie. “We share videos and stories from our own employees, we participate in relevant external job and student events, we organize internal student events like the Summer School, and we establish partnerships with organizations such as Hijabis at Work. In this way, we aim to broaden our talent pool and connect with new and diverse audiences.”
Diversity and Inclusion
D&I is part of the larger sustainability program at Mediahuis, called IMPACT. Mediahuis strives to integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into its daily processes and company culture through various actions and initiatives. “In recruitment, this translates into regular audits of our recruitment communications, training on inclusive recruitment... We also establish partnerships, such as those with Hijabis at Work, Onbeperkt Jobstudent, and Passwerk, to reach talent that we might otherwise find harder to access,” explains Nathalie. “We try to measure how we’re doing on inclusion through surveys. Everything starts with listening.”
Of course, there are still challenges at Mediahuis in this area. “In 2022, we launched All-in@Mediahuis.be as an internal brand, we sharpened our DEI goals, and we try to contribute to that ambition through various initiatives and actions,” says Nathalie.
Culture change takes time, and we still have steps to take, but we’re moving in the right direction. It’s important that D&I becomes a collective responsibility within the organization, actively involving all colleagues. “We realize it’s a process; it’s not a quick fix,” explains Martine. “Looking back over the last two years, we are seeing results. We can see a shift happening among our leaders as well.”
Youthlab
Every year, Mediahuis offers traineeships in its newsrooms, called Youth Lab. It gives young people a unique opportunity to gain experience within Mediahuis. “It’s an intensive one-year program focused on training, coaching, and building a strong network,” says Nathalie. Young people have the chance to work and be part of one of Mediahuis' newsrooms, and they also have the opportunity to visit offices both domestically and internationally.
Youthlab helps Mediahuis reach a younger, more diverse audience and discover new talent. “It’s also a great way to learn from the trainees, share knowledge, and foster cross-pollination,” says Nathalie. “The Youthlab participants bring fresh ideas and new topics to the newsroom that are popular with a younger, more diverse audience.”
Future vision
In the future, Mediahuis sees diversity and inclusion as a natural part of its operations. “Our younger generation is already diverse; it’s up to us to ensure that inclusion becomes the standard,” says Martine. Mediahuis aims to be a reflection of society, with a focus on connection and mutual understanding. “We want to move from a focus on diversity, meaning differences, to a focus on equality, connection, mutual understanding, and respect,” concludes Nathalie.
This article was written as part of a partnership between Mediahuis and Hijabis at Work. With Mediahuis' support, we are working towards an inclusive labor market.
