Meet Jenna
"Everyone at Action has the same goals. That connects us."
Jenna Bishop, Learning & Development SpecialistAbout Jenna
The internationally oriented German-American Jenna Bishop was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. She even had to complete her Master's in Educational Sciences at home. Luckily, about two years ago she was finally able to take that much-anticipated step of living with her partner in Amsterdam and finding her first real job there.
Did you know about Action when you applied?
"Action's huge in Germany, too, so I knew the store well. No matter where you go on holiday in Europe, you'll see the blue and white logo everywhere! But I didn't know much about the company itself. What surprised me the most during my first days at work was that everything's so internationally oriented here. Many different cultures can be found here too. This is especially important to me, given my dual heritage."
What do you do as a Learning & Development Specialist?
"At Action, we believe it's important that our people can continue to learn and develop. We have a huge number of courses, workshops and e-learning courses that store and distribution centre employees and staff in the office can take, either in person or through our learning management system. As a Learning & Development Specialist, I research where the learning needs are in our organisation and find the best way to meet them. For example, I look into whether we can do something with an e-learning course, an information page or hands-on training.
I'm currently looking into whether our mandatory training courses – such as in the area of first aid or fire safety – are in place in each country. This is quite a challenge, as the legislation in the countries in which Action has stores can vary quite a lot. Luckily, I'm not scared of a challenge and I'm aware that I may make mistakes. What's more, making mistakes is really the best way to learn in my experience."
"What surprised me the most at Action was that everything's so internationally oriented here."
You didn't start out as a Learning & Development Specialist straight away, did you?
"That's right. I started out as a People Development Administrator two years ago. After that, I moved into the role of People Development Coordinator and eventually a Learning & Development Specialist in a relatively short space of time. Learning and development are my driving forces. At Action, they see the value you add, the growth you can create and give you all the opportunities to develop further. For now, I look forward to exploring my role as a specialist and seeing how I can continue to shape my growth path."
What do you like most about your job?
"Working with people. Getting to know colleagues better, and connecting them to each other or pointing them towards the right training. I'm a problem-solver and get energy from diving into something and supporting people. With so many stores in different countries and cultures, a standard way of working doesn't often work. That means a large part of my job involves listening to the wishes and needs of the different countries, making compromises here and there and, above all, ensuring that everyone's on the same page."
What's your experience of the work culture at Action?
"I find the Dutch directness, which Action has really made part of the company's DNA, particularly refreshing. In Germany, we beat around the bush. In one way or another, that immediacy pushes boundaries, makes everyone think big and want to be the best version of themselves. This is particularly evident at the end of the year, when everyone goes the extra mile before Christmas to make sure the year ends well. Everyone here has the same goals. And that connects us."