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A day in the life of: David Jansen, Head, People & Culture, Rotiboy Bakeshoppe

Avoiding the rush hour traffic certainly is a motivator for David Jansen, Head, People & Culture, Rotiboy Bakeshoppe, to get out of bed each day. He tells Priya Sunil about his agenda at work, his go-to 4pm drink, and why you may seem him yawning by 8pm each night.

Q What is the one thing that gets you out of bed every morning?

I am a morning person, even on weekends. What gets me up every day is looking forward to my morning coffee and skipping the morning rush hour traffic madness. If I wake up any later, I am screwed and just have to enjoy the traffic.

Q What's on today’s task list at the office?

Wow!!! There are tons of things as we slide into 2020 and have many exciting plans in place within the People & Culture agenda. The ones on my priority list now are performance appraisal, goal setting, and employee survey.

Q What can people expect when they receive a meeting invite from you?

Sharing some ideas for their feedback and when the time comes, the message is precise, easily understood and adaptive.

Q Coffee or tea - which is your go-to drink to power you through the 4pm slump?

Coffee. Coffee. Coffee. You know, I don't drink much water. Those were the days where I used to drink one cup of coffee every hour and I needed my coffee before I slept too. Well, this has changed now as I am trying to have less coffee and more water.

Q Who is your role model in or outside of work, and why?

Leslie Hayward, I reported to him when I was working at Shell Malaysia (during my early days when I was still learning the ropes). On most days, even during his busiest schedule, Leslie always found time to head table-to-table, just saying hello or having a short chat to engage and bond with everyone.
There are many other things that Leslie has done so well and, I must say, I am where I am today because of him.

Q It's the end of the long workday - what's your favourite way to end it?

I am always the early bird in the office and I strongly believe in work-life balance. I never hesitate to log off on-the-dot, rush back home to be with my lovely wife!

My favourite way to end my day is spending quality time with my wife watching Netflix on most nights. To us, 10pm is midnight, so don't be surprised to see us yawning at about 8pm or 9pm. Haha :)


Photo / Provided 

To all our CHRO friends across Asia: We'd love for a sneak peek at what motivates you, your favourite lunch menu, how you manage your time – anything that completes your day. If you’re keen to share, do reach out to Priya Sunil at priyas@humanresourcesonline.net.

Follow us on Telegram and on Instagram @humanresourcesonline for all the latest HR and manpower news from around the region!

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