Randstad and TIAS win Best Executive Program Award
August 23, 2024 | 4 min read
“We are delighted and proud to have won the Brandon Hall Group Award 2024. This recognition not only reflects our hard work and team dedication but also our fruitful collaboration with TIAS,” said Karolien van Montfoort, Senior Manager of Global Learning & Development at Randstad, last Thursday evening, August 22, after winning the prestigious Gold award in the Best Executive Development Program category for the Senior Executive Program, known as SEP. This advanced global senior executive leadership program is designed for high-performing leaders from across Randstad worldwide. The SEP learning journey has been running for 25 years and boasts an impressive track record: many SEP alumni have advanced to leading positions within Randstad, including the Board.
Partnership with business schools
The SEP learning journey spans 12 months and is executed annually in partnership with Randstad’s Frits Goldschmeding Academy and business schools TIAS and INSEAD. TIAS, the main contractor in this collaboration, has been involved since the beginning. In 2009, INSEAD, a globally renowned business school specializing in executive education, joined the partnership.
TIAS InCompany
As a partner to Randstad in the co-design of SEP, at TIAS, Senior Learning & Development Consultant
Karen Bauer is responsible for the program design. Associate Professor Dr.
Roemer Visser is involved as the lead lecturer and Academic Director responsible for the curriculum of the program. Roemer Visser is also the Academic Director of the
TIAS Executive MBA, the #1 Executive MBA in the Netherlands, and #6 out of nearly 200 Executive MBA programs worldwide. Many Randstad leaders nominated for participation in the Senior Executive Program are former participants of the Future Executive Program, a
TIAS InCompany program for high-potential leaders. This program was co-created with Randstad by Senior Learning & Development Consultant
Iris Musters and Academic Director Professor Dr.
Filip Caeldries. Together, the FEP and SEP programs form a global leadership pipeline, an essential asset for a future-proof Randstad organization.
Tangible impact
Karen Bauer, who works closely with Senior Manager of Global Learning & Development Karolien van Montfoort, is proud of winning the award. “What’s special about SEP is its impact, both personally for the participant and business-wise for the company. The Senior Executive Program delivers tangible results. In the short term, this impact is primarily personal. SEP participants can immediately apply the knowledge and skills they’ve gained, leading to a direct business impact on the concrete business challenges participants work on in teams. Applying these new insights leads to measurable results. Additionally, in collaboration with Randstad, conditions are created that invite SEP participants to cascade their new knowledge and insights into their work environment.”
Increase in sales
In the long term, SEP has measurable impacts on concrete business results. “This also happens through the business challenges participants work on, under the guidance of Professor Dr.
Edward Huizenga of TIAS, who teaches strategy,” says Karen. Participants work on these business challenges with Randstad Leaders as sponsors and guides that drive these outcomes, such as the Sales Buddy business challenge. By developing and implementing a gamification app, participants were able to boost sales and consultant success, leading to a 3% market share increase in Spain and a 2% increase in the Netherlands, along with a 10% rise in customers and placements in the Netherlands. Another project undertaken by participants generated an additional $239,000 in revenue without increasing costs.
Higher promotion rate
Another significant tangible result from Randstad’s extensive measurements to understand the program’s impact is the significantly higher promotion rate (advancing at least one position within 24 months). For those who participated in SEP, this rate is 31.5%, compared to 19% for those who did not participate. “What I find most important,” Karolien explains, “is that the program develops our leaders to navigate both the changing organization in today’s dynamic world.”
COO Chris Heutink: “Fuel for leadership development”
COO and SEP alumnus Chris Heutink: “Randstad’s Senior Executive Program has been the fuel for leadership development for over a decade. In SEP, we cover topics like strategy, leadership, and culture, and in a group of 25 leaders, you can have a massive impact. We’ve worked with TIAS and INSEAD for years and are very proud of this excellent program.”
Adapting with the organization
“That’s also why we continuously evolve the program,” Karolien explains. “This year’s SEP edition is not the same as last year’s. We constantly assess what’s needed now and in the future. This is one of the program’s most important pillars. Because the Senior Executive Program adapts with the organization, our leaders are prepared for the next role within the company after completing it.” “In practice,” Karen adds, “this means we have annual discussions with Randstad’s Executive Leadership Team about the strategic agenda for the coming year and what this means for the learning needs and goals of the upcoming SEP edition. It’s a beautiful and equitable partnership. After so many years of co-creation with Randstad, we know the organization well.”
Top-notch content and design
For a learning experience that fully prepares SEP participants for the next step in their careers, TIAS combines top-notch content with a didactic design that incorporates a variety of learning formats. According to Karolien, this variety is another key strength of the program. Karen also emphasizes this: Thanks to the collaborative spirit and strong ownership demonstrated by Randstad leaders, SEP has become the most innovative InCompany leadership management program at TIAS,” Karen emphasizes. “Our partnership with Randstad empowers us to implement new work and learning methods , making the program not only rich in content but also educationally diverse. By embracing innovative simulations and personalized learning formats, we've created an environment where every participant can thrive. Whether excelling in academic analysis or preferring to apply knowledge in context, there's a tailored learning path that aligns with each leader's unique style”
Example of an Innovative Simulation
Giving back to society - Building a playground (youtube.com)
Participant-centered approach
The participant satisfaction score for the Senior Executive Program is 9.2. Karolien: “That’s a high standard, and it’s important that we maintain it, especially considering our core value of striving for perfection. But more importantly, I believe we must always keep the participant in mind. It’s not about ‘How can we create a prestigious program?’ Together with TIAS and INSEAD, we continuously look at how we can ensure that the participant benefits from it. That they become a better leader than yesterday, can rely on the tools from SEP, and can implement them in their daily practice.”