The faces behind Spikker Specials | Hans Schijfs

Through a newspaper advertisement, Hans ended up at Spikker Specials as International Field Sales. That last part was the trigger for Hans to respond immediately. “The moment I came across the ad, I had a sales position at a company in Zevenaar that was only nationally oriented. It was a nice job, but because of my education and previous employer I was used to traveling all over the world. In my job back then, even a little trip to Friesland was already far away. That was too limited for me.”

Working at Spikker Specials has it all

The start of his career began at Defence. There, from a young age, Hans was able to explore the world—and himself. And he says he still benefits from that: “Within Defence I worked with the Naval Air Service as an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer on board. I was in the operational unit, but we also had to carry out additional duties, such as office operations,” Hans explains. “For example, I was co-responsible for external communication. That mainly involved making phone calls and keeping in touch with the crew’s families. Those were more service-oriented tasks and that was new for me. I found it interesting to learn how to communicate, present, and convey my story. Toward the end of the 1990s it increasingly looked like the unit would be cut due to budget savings. That’s why I started thinking about my next steps. As soon as you leave Defence, the counter immediately goes back to zero. You have to start over, because Defence is a world of its own. That’s how I learned to deal with change, and I still benefit from that today.”

Good training ground

With a home-study course under his belt, Hans started exploring working life outside Defence. That initially brought him to an American company, where the match wasn’t quite there. “That, too, was a good training ground. After that I started in Zevenaar.” But ultimately it was the job at Spikker Specials that gave him the right feeling. “When I was hired at Spikker Specials, everything came together: technical, commercial, and international.”

A lot of responsibility quickly

With the plan to develop new markets, Hans came to work at Spikker Specials. That soon turned out differently than expected, because after two years his responsibilities within the company were significantly increased. “After two years, my colleague who was responsible for the major markets left, and we had to shift gears quickly as a team. My role changed: I became responsible for the key accounts and I was able to travel worldwide more often. That was mainly to build customer relationships. I did that for six to seven years.”

Different than expected

So the role Hans started with at Spikker Specials quickly looked different. And it didn’t stop there, he says: “At the time I reported to the Sales Manager, but after a while he left our team and a new turning point emerged.” Hans didn’t leave it at that and immediately took the initiative. “I took responsibility to continue together with the team and further develop sales.

Fall down, get up, and carry on

“Over the years I’ve felt that, despite the circumstances, I’ve still managed to keep standing tall. That’s also my strong point: I can fall down, get up, and carry on. It may creak, but it doesn’t break. That’s important in my role too,” Hans explains. Even though he was not originally trained for a sales role, it suits him perfectly: “It stems from a deeply rooted sense of responsibility. I’ve built a certain bond with Spikker Specials. It’s a great company with a stable future outlook; I’ve never doubted that. There is always work to be done. Nothing is self-evident, and I think that’s the right mindset.”

Close to a dream job

At his first interview at Spikker Specials, 22 years ago, Hans immediately felt it was a match: “I drove away with the feeling of ‘this can’t be true.’ I was very impressed. It’s a flat organization with a hands-on mentality. There is no complicated hierarchy and the atmosphere really appealed to me. The company isn’t too big, which means you can maintain a good overview, and it’s organized and tidy. And what I found most important, and still do: it’s a real manufacturing company. We make a tangible product—something concrete. And with the international aspect added, it was everything for me. This job comes close to what I had at Defence; that was my dream job. For me nothing beat Defence. Here at Spikker Specials I find a lot of that again.”

Freedom to develop

In addition to that, Hans also speaks very highly of the freedom employees at Spikker Specials get. “There’s a lot of freedom to shape things yourself. Do we want to move more in the direction of a particular market? Then we take it on. As long as you put effort into it, you get all the space you need. That’s also typical of Spikker Specials: everyone’s contribution matters. We do it together, as a team. That’s genuinely how I experience it. You’re allowed to find your own path, and when you have good arguments for it, people really listen to you.”

Not just numbers

Besides professional freedom, Hans also enthusiastically talks about the space you get as an individual: “There is room for the person themselves, even when things aren’t going so well. Then we also look out for our people. There are no numbers here. That attitude toward someone applies to everyone; whether you’ve just started working here or you’re the director. The door is always open. At Spikker Specials there is an informal atmosphere, but that doesn’t mean strong performance isn’t expected. Work hard, play hard.”

One team, one task

The team Hans works in is exactly how he would describe Spikker Specials. He says: “At the moment, our Sales Team consists of six people, including myself. In our team you need to be able, by nature, to deal with an organization that is informal and relies on people’s initiatives. If you want to know exactly what your task is within strict boundaries, then it’s not a fit. On the other hand, if it’s too much about showing off and you don’t want to be part of a team, then it’s not a match either. To achieve a great result and have fun, you have to do it together and allow each other to enjoy successes.”

Hans is here to stay

It’s clear: Hans is in the right place at Spikker Specials and has the ambition to go the distance until retirement. I’ve truly grown along with the company and I’m also a member of the Management Team. In addition, I think it’s important to keep developing, and I still see opportunities to further develop possibilities. In that respect, I can’t complain here,” Hans says with a laugh.

Next challenge

“Now the challenge is to conquer new markets, and that means making lots of new trips. I’ve been doing that traveling for 30 years now. It’s fun, but a hotel is a hotel and a plane is a plane. You see little of the destination. Still, each time it remains an adventure, hopefully with enjoyable visits to new contacts,” Hans explains. When asked what his favorite destination is, he has a clear answer: “I absolutely love Japan. There it doesn’t feel like work to me.”

After reading Hans’s story, are you just as enthusiastic about Spikker Specials and a role in sales? Then be sure to check out our vacancies page and discover everything about our open sales positions.