16 January 1989. Ever since that day, Hilde has been a permanent member of Cleaning Masters‘ cleaning team. With 35 years of service within the company, she is one of the masters with the highest number of years of experience. We visited Hilde, now active on the site of our client Atlas Copco, for an interview.
Mother-daughter bond
We go back to 1988. Paul de Schutter founds Cleaning Masters, the first division and the beginning of the family business that has grown into Multi Masters Group. The beginning of a great journey, but a few months later also the beginning of Hilde’s story within Cleaning Masters. “At the time, my mother had been working as a team leader for Paul de Schutter’s company for years, first another firm, then Cleaning Masters. She advised me to come and work there, which I eventually did.”
“We do much more for the environment now than we used to. For example, we now clean with ecological and organic products much more often.”
And meanwhile, Hilde is still a master in her field. A career of 35 years with the same employer is a long time. But why exactly has she been a member of the Multi Masters Group family for so long? “Everything always runs smoothly, there are never any problems. Suppose there are problems anyway, I know they will be discussed and solved immediately.”
Evolution
In those 35 years of service, Hilde saw her job in the cleaning sector evolve. “Before, you had to clean a lot more by hand. Today there are a lot more scrubbing machines. The fact that you get to work with them does make the job a lot more fun. Before, as a cleaner, you might have had a bit more time than now, but thanks to the scrubbers everything goes faster.”
Hilde also sees a positive, ecological evolution compared to when she started. “Currently, we are doing much more for the environment. We now clean often with ecological and organic products.”
Happy with the job, even after 35 years of service
At the Atlas Copco site, Hilde works with Facility coordinator Sandra. A collaboration that goes well. “Very well in fact. She wants everything to be in order, which is logical of course. But she has also been a team leader herself, so she can judge very well how to react to certain situations.”
“I feel good at Cleaning Masters. I would like to stay here until my retirement.”
Hilde herself was also offered the position of team leader by Multi Masters Group. “I was offered that job once, but I didn’t take it. I know myself and my character, I would sometimes stick too much to all kinds of rules. That stress is not for me. I would like to keep cleaning, as it is now.”
Good at Cleaning Masters
Asked if she had expected to work for the same employer for so long, Hilde responds convincingly. “I am not the person who moves from one place to another. I feel good here and I would like to stay here. You can always go somewhere with your questions, I have no complaints. I feel really good at Cleaning Masters. I would like to stay here until I retire.”
