Meet Erna
Meet Erna
How did you get into Hospitality?
My parents had a village house and in the village house we had a lot of parties going on. I have helped organizing all the parties from an early age. I don't know any better. I still think the Hospitality is fantastic. Every day is a challenge because of the many different people. I feel very satisfied when everyone leaves with a big smile.
How does a day at your work look like?
I am the breakfast manager and I also help a lot with banqueting, lunch groups and at Cambuur. Very varied and therefore also all-round. What I like the most is the breakfast. I manage the team and spend time in the kitchen myself. When everything is going well, from orders to the schedules, I have achieved my goal. I used to work many evenings. I now have a completely different schedule.
When I was hired, my biggest challenge was to pimp the breakfast, and I succeeded! I get a lot of compliments, I'm very proud of this. In addition to work, I am also studying a nutritionist. When I have completed this, I want to continue with the weight consultant training. In the hotel we also have regular sports buffets. I like to delve deeper into this and apply it right away.
How did you end up at WTC Hotel Leeuwarden?
12 years ago I worked on Vlieland for 6 years at 't Badhuys and Strandhotel Seeduyn. So I already knew WestCord. It was a step for me to opt for breakfast, but the innovative concept and management convinced me. It's also nice to have some free time in the evening ;).
On Vlieland, it has mainly stayed with me that Mr Westers himself regularly assisted in the operation. When it was busy, he also quickly rolled up his sleeves to help. This made an impact on me. Now the company is much bigger and different, but the management is still very involved. Even when they come here they always have a chat.
How do you experience the working atmosphere within the hotel?
I want to enjoy going to work and so far this has happened every day. We are a team within the hotel. I have a lot of contact with the other departments and we help each other where necessary. Everyone is very collegial. We are seen and listened to when we run into something. As a manager I can also be strict, because I want to keep quality high. I am also ambassadors of 'surprise your one team'. Within WestCord we have a calendar with different topics. We organize many small things for our colleagues. Such as an ice cream on warm days, sports days, fun outings and there are also tasty snacks to share on theme days. I get all the freedom for this and I like to organize this. Good for team bonding!