On (the) T at…Arthur & Brent

For this edition, Cecile and Boudie took their trusted T-pot to building TY, the former glass laboratory. Nowadays a bustling place where Avular and various other innovative companies are located, brought together under the workspace concept MELT at Avular. Here they spoke with Kitty Wilgers, a driven entrepreneur with a passion for brand and employer branding.

What does your company do?

Kitty says: “From Den Bosch we started by helping technical companies make their brand attractive as a company and as a workplace. Because let's be honest: people want to work for a winner. Given the dynamics in and around Eindhoven, earlier this year we decided to expand and to house our headquarters at Strijp-T — right in the heart of technical and innovative activity.”

From the very first moment Kitty felt at home at MELT at Avular. “The vibe fits us perfectly. You can invite your clients here with peace of mind. The atmosphere is good, there is a lot going on, and there is an active, close-knit community full of techies.”

According to Kitty, communication and marketing in the high-tech sector are often overlooked. “Companies focus mainly on the technical content and forget to tell how beautiful and valuable their product is — and for whom they are attractive as an employer.
It is precisely in the ‘battle for talent’ that this is crucial. And certainly in the high-tech sector”

A striking example is the recent news that the new factory of LeydenJar, a new high-tech player that will soon establish itself on Strijp-T. “A fantastic development, but who is going to work there? And how do you tell the story that convinces people to want to work there?”

What is your role

As a partner and strategist in the field of brand and employer branding, Kitty focuses on the question: how do you present yourself as an attractive employer to your target audience? “It’s about finding your authentic story — the one that strikes the right chord and with which you set yourself apart from the rest.”

Strijp-T provides the ideal breeding ground for that. “It's buzzing here. Thanks to the close-knit and active community we get in touch with other companies quickly and easily. That helps our business enormously.”

Kitty likes to work with ‘warm’ networks and believes in sustainable relationships — exactly as she has experienced them here at Strijp-T so far.

Who and why do you want us to visit at (the) T next time?

Kitty doesn't have to think long about this question. “Drop by and see Floor Ruyten from Sara Robotics. They have a fantastic concept where robots are used to improve healthcare. They're a little further down in this building.”