Rowie Linssen

Can you explain to us what exactly the HR department does within PVH?"As HR, we actually deal with all matters surrounding staff. You can think of recruitment and selection, absence, assessment, training and salary processing. We support and advise the supervisors and coordinators in all sorts of personnel matters, and we are there for the staff if they have questions. 

I used to work for a recruitment and selection agency. There I was mainly involved in recruitment, but I found out that I actually like the broad HR field better. If you work for one organization you really get to know the people and you build up a bond with the employees, and that's what I found here at PVH." 

That sounds like versatile work, what does your day look like?
"Our working day actually always starts with processing all the exceptions to the schedule. We are in close contact with the supervisors about employees who are absent due to illness, for example, and we take care of the further processing of this. 

Then we get to work on our broad HR profession. Our work is indeed very diverse. There are almost 1400 of us and therefore no two days are the same. This is what makes it fun. For example, we approve employees' leave and help ensure that salaries are paid correctly. At the moment we are doing a lot of interviews with employees who have earned a PVH contract. This makes our job very enjoyable. We get a lot of energy from the gratitude and satisfaction of these employees. In addition, we simply have a lot of contact with the employees themselves. Offering a listening ear, answering questions and giving advice." 

What do you think is the most important aspect of an HR department?
"Finding a good balance between the organization and the employees while staying in touch with managers and employees as well. The employees are the strength of our organization, but each person is of course different. This can sometimes create difficult situations and we want to support the managers in this. We want employees to know that we are there to listen. The barrier should be as low as possible to ask us for help. If an employee wants to schedule a meeting, we try to do so as quickly as possible. That's what we want to focus on even more in the future, because it's the little things that make that difference."

So what do you find most difficult about your job?
"Bad news conversations. Disappointing people. I really don't enjoy doing that. You know what it is, your job is a big part of your life. I spend a lot of time at PVH. It's no different for our employees. Then when you have to have a bad news conversation about that work, it can have a huge impact on someone's life. That's just hard and I don't like doing that."

I'm curious to know what you think of PVH as an employer?
"Haha. Of course, as an HR, I'm part of the 'being an employer'... But I truly believe that we try to get the most out of it. I personally like an open, approachable, no-nonsense culture. When I walked in here four years ago, I experienced that immediately. Everyone is helpful and wants to achieve the best result for the organization. 

We also have to keep developing ourselves. We are growing as a company and everyone has to grow with us. That can be difficult, but I do believe that we try to give ourselves and everyone the opportunity to be able to do that."

Why would you recommend PVH as an employer to others?
"I think the size of our organization can often be overwhelming for people. Especially when you're standing in front of our building. Of course, we are also a big company, but you don't experience it that way in here. Right from the start I felt welcome. There is a culture here that makes me feel at home. The people who work here give me energy every day to get everything out of it. That is why I would recommend everyone to take a look at the possibilities we have to offer."