When you receive a bag of taxpayer money, you must spend it wisely, believes Arjen van Vliet. He is the project manager of the National Education Program (NPO) at Utrecht University (UU) and invests the money in catching up on growth, development, and social cohesion among students. He explains how and why.

Every educational institution in the Netherlands has received funds to address disparities and improve the well-being of students. How do you decide what to do with such a bag of money? "At our institution, everyone could submit a plan, after which we distributed the funds. Part of it went towards halving the tuition fees for this academic year. Personally, I looked for an easy way to give students more insight into themselves, so they can use that knowledge when seeking employment. If they wish, they can also receive coaching and training."

Do they have a need for that?

"Many students want to do a traineeship. Often, this includes a self-analysis as a baseline. If you're not fortunate enough to do a traineeship, such a self-analysis is also valuable. Perhaps it will help you pitch yourself better. The recent period has not been easy for many students; they have some catching up to do in terms of growth, development, and social cohesion. We want to create the best opportunities for those who will enter the job market."

How did you choose TMA?

"I compared multiple providers, and TMA was the only one that did not require us to conduct interviews. What we wanted - and received - is a platform for students to gain self-insight through the talent analysis, exercises, and tips. Those who want more depth can also participate in online sessions to learn how to use TMA when applying for jobs."

Was it difficult to get your colleagues and the board on board?

"Not really. A, you know that many people enjoy tests, and B, the TMA Talent Analysis is a good test. And then the fact that you can do it anytime, anywhere, and if they want to discuss the analysis afterward, that's also possible. Seven years ago, I set up Career Services at UU because we receive a lot of money to invest in education, but at the time, there was less attention on the period after graduation. While you want to educate well, you also want alumni to find good jobs afterward. So, it's nice if you can do something to ensure they land in the right place quickly."

How was the concept received by the students?

"We've just started, but within two weeks, we already had 400 completed analyses. That's fast. I expect it will slow down a bit because the students are fully focused on their theses now, but it will pick up again in the summer. The feedback is positive; students say they enjoy taking the analysis and appreciate being able to easily share the results with others via the share button. I also hear that they find it helpful that the report provides them with different words to describe themselves, making them stand out during a job application process."

What else do students gain from it?

"It's a low-threshold way for them to gain more self-insight and thereby be better prepared for the job market. The first step - filling out the TMA Talent Analysis - is digital. Then they can immediately, or later, work with the insights they gain. They can always view their own report. So, even if they're only ready for coaching and training on a certain aspect in six months, we can still help them with that. We now see that the students who have attended a first online session - where they receive explanations about their report - also attend a second session - where they learn how to apply the findings when job hunting."

You've also done a talent analysis yourself. Were the results surprising or as expected?

"The analysis aligns pretty closely with how I see myself. For example, I'm quite goal-oriented, which allows me to get a lot done. On the flip side, my pitfall is that I don't always involve everyone well in the process. Another clear finding was that I have few internal drivers to lead. I was a manager for a long time, but I already knew that I didn't derive the most energy from leading. Developing something, expanding and innovating it, and thereby fostering connection, that suits me. So, I'm definitely in the right place!"

Want to learn more about personal talent development? Contact Hein Piller de Bruijn at hein@tma.nl