Nijole de Jong is one such professional. With a background in recruitment and HR and extensive experience across both corporates and scale ups, she thrives in moments when not everything has been defined yet. Especially during times of change, she brings calm, clarity and connection between people and the organisation.
After completing her studies, Nijole naturally found her way into the world of recruitment and HR. Not through a carefully mapped out plan, but mainly out of curiosity: how do organisations work, and what do people need to find their place and thrive within them?
She started her career in recruitment, gaining experience at both a technical staffing company and large organisations such as Philips, ASML and NXP. During those years, she learned a great deal, about processes, growth and decision-making. But also about the pressure that can arise when speed and numbers take centre stage. The commercial side of recruitment increasingly felt uncomfortable to her. Not because she couldn't do the work, but because she found herself asking different questions than simply: how quickly can we place someone?
Gradually, her focus shifted. Away from the transactional side and towards roles that brought her closer to the organisation and its people. Corporate recruitment and HR roles gave her that space. She could observe more closely, think ahead and work together with managers and employees to build something that would last longer than a single placement.
In 2014, she joined NXP, where @Chrissy was her manager. That collaboration proved to be influential. They could challenge each other, share doubts and explore together what worked best. It wasn't a collaboration that simply ended when the role was over; the connection remained.
Over time, Nijole felt the need for more freedom and variety. She wanted to be closer to change and help organisations during phases when not everything had been defined yet. This led her to interim and freelance work. The variety of working with different companies, technologies and challenges gives her the energy to continually determine how organisations can best be supported.
Through Chrissy and the Successr network, their paths crossed again. This time, as a Friend of Successr. It didn't feel like a new step, but rather a natural continuation. The way of working, the trust and the freedom aligned well with how Nijole approaches her own assignments.
That connection became particularly clear during her assignment at SCIL. An organisation in motion, with changing leadership and an HR role that continued to evolve along the way. Nothing was set in stone beforehand. The assignment changed, just as the questions on the table did. For Nijole, that meant continuing to observe, staying aligned and continually reassessing where she could make the greatest contribution at that moment.
During that period, Successr was present without taking centre stage. Sometimes as a sparring partner, sometimes to think along about additional support, and sometimes simply by giving her the space to work independently. That balance worked for her. It gave her the freedom to do her work in a way that suited both her and the organisation.
What Nijole values about the Friends of Successr network is how natural it feels. You don't have to explain yourself or make things bigger than they are. There is a sense of recognition, because everyone knows what it is like to work on complex assignments. The contact is informal and based on equality.
For Nijole, the strength of collaborating through Successr isn't about one successful assignment, but about the continuity around it. Knowing each other, being able to rely on one another and continuing to grow together. That allows her to focus on what matters most to her: being there for organisations and the people who work within them, especially during phases when not everything is clear yet.
Do you work as a freelancer or interim professional and recognise yourself in Nijole's way of working?
Join the Friends of Successr network. We'd love to get to know you.