Menu
When Thaair arrived in the Netherlands, a new chapter in his life began. After years of experience as a sales manager in Saudi Arabia, he had to leave everything behind and start over. “Even after completing my integration, it was difficult to find work. But I couldn’t just stay in the reception centre all day, I had to do something,” Thaair recalls.
Thaair grew up in Deir ez-Zor, Syria, and spent many years working in Saudi Arabia, where he eventually became a sales manager leading a large team. However, economic challenges and political conflict forced him to leave his company. His journey took him through Turkey before arriving in the Netherlands. It took nearly two years before he could bring his children to join him. During that time, he stayed in several reception centres. “We lived with several people in one room and had very little privacy. And because of COVID, there wasn’t much to do. It could be tough at times,” Thaair says.
After seven months volunteering in the canteen of the work development organisation WSD, Thaair was introduced to Hexspoor. Since October, he has been fully integrated into the warehouse team. “The job gives me structure, and I really feel part of the team. Everyone treats you with respect,” he says with a smile. “It’s nice to laugh with colleagues, eat together, and be yourself.”
Thaair is a hardworking and motivated colleague who enjoys the movement and variety of tasks on the warehouse floor. His favourite task? Order picking, walking through the warehouse with a scanner to collect the right products for orders. “Every day I learn something new about Hexspoor. That makes the work fun,” he says. Outside of work, he also builds relationships, for example at the gym with colleagues. A sense of belonging is important to him: “It feels like a family here, without any stress or tension. I really appreciate that.”
Yet Thaair also looks to the future. He wants to improve his Dutch and follow a part-time Management Business Administration course, with the hope of returning to a management role later. “This is a new beginning for me. I’m trying to rebuild my life,” he says.
Thaair is proud of what he has achieved, but above all, he is grateful for the environment in which he now works and lives. “I’m happy to be able to work here and to be part of this team,” he adds. His story shows how perseverance, learning, and the support of people and organizations can create new opportunities.
As a family-owned company, Hexspoor believes it is important to act responsibly in society. Together with the municipality and work development organization WSD, Hexspoor offers people with a distance to the labor market the chance to gain work experience and further develop their skills.
