VodafoneZiggo (VZ), a leading telecom provider in the Netherlands, is finding innovative ways to tackle workforce challenges while creating opportunities for individuals with disabilities and barriers to employment

Pim Brouwers, the company’s Diversity & Inclusion Manager, has been spearheading efforts to transform tasks into opportunities, proving that inclusivity can drive efficiency and improve the bottom line.

Redesigning Roles to Maximize Value

One of the first breakthroughs came from VZ’s network operations team. Field technicians, known as builders, were responsible for disconnecting cable connections when customers cancelled their subscriptions. While critical, this task—referred to as “closing”—didn’t require the builders’ technical expertise. Recognizing the inefficiency of using highly skilled (and costly) workers for this task, Pim’s team restructured the workflow. They carved out the “closing” tasks into a standalone role, creating a new position: Closing Mechanic.

Today, 10 individuals with disabilities or other employment barriers are successfully employed as Closing Mechanics. The business case is clear: this restructuring reduced costs, as these tasks no longer rely on expensive technicians. Instead, they are handled by dedicated employees whose skill sets perfectly match the job requirements.

Boosting Efficiency for Field Technicians

Another success story emerged from the daily routines of VZ’s network technicians. Technicians often need tools, materials, or equipment that might be unexpectedly required or accidentally forgotten. Returning to the warehouse to retrieve these items cost valuable time—anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.

Pim and his team identified inefficiencies in three key areas:

• Restocking materials at local warehouses,
• Logging inventory use, and
• Delivering missing materials to job sites.

These tasks were repackaged into a new role: Compartment Manager. Now, four individuals manage stock at local sites, ensuring materials are available, properly organised, and accounted for. This allows technicians to focus on their core tasks while improving workflow. All that’s needed for these roles is basic math skills and a driver’s license. The result? Happy technicians who can dedicate their time to what they do best, and cost savings for VZZ.

Streamlining Ground Scanning

Another game-changing opportunity came with ground scanning, a regulatory requirement for new digs to detect issues like soil pollution. Previously, this task was handled by highly skilled engineers. Through Inclusive Job Design, the team identified scanning as a task that could be performed by individuals without formal qualifications, as long as they were accurate and responsible.

The result? Two full-time positions for Ground Scanners were created. This adjustment freed the engineers to focus on complex, high-value tasks while ensuring compliance with regulations.

Inclusive Job Design: A Win-Win Approach

VZ’s inclusive job design strategy shows how rethinking workflows can benefit businesses and employees alike.

By identifying tasks that can be reassigned or streamlined, companies can:

• Reduce costs by aligning roles with the right skill levels,
• Improve employee satisfaction by allowing skilled workers to focus on their expertise, and
• Create meaningful employment opportunities for individuals often excluded from the job market.

For VodafoneZiggo, these changes aren’t just about social responsibility—they’re a smart business move.

As Pim Brouwers puts it, “It’s about recognizing untapped potential, in people and in processes, to create real value for everyone involved.”

Pim adds: “In general, it is noticed that there is a stronger cohesion within the departments where employees with a disability are working: there is more willingness to help each other. Also, all these employees are very loyal to the work, their colleagues and the organisation. They all are of proven added value with a positive financial business case for the company. Pim is very proud on their results up until now and continues to create more and more chances for those people that need that extra hand to enter the labour  market.“