On April 17th, not only the usual aroma of morning coffee filled Veolia’s Budaörs office, but also the sounds of children. On this year’s “Show Me Where You Work!” day, kids started gathering as early as 8 a.m. in the basement dining area, where they were greeted with pogácsa (Hungarian scones) and the promise of an exciting day ahead.
The program began at 8:20 with a short welcome and a few words about accident prevention—because safety comes first—then came the moment that made the event official: the participants signed their first “employment contracts.”
Secret agent in the house
Not long after, Tibi the secret agent—HR SAP support colleague in civilian life—appeared and entrusted the youngsters with two special missions. The first: to pay attention to every little detail throughout the day. The second: to deliver a package to the target person, who was none other than Rita, one of Veolia’s employees, celebrating her birthday that day. The packages were hidden in different parts of the office, and to retrieve them, the new “employees” had to solve passwords with the help of our undercover colleagues.
The mysteries of the offices
Veolia staff awaited the children at four locations with exciting tasks:
- Nárcisz Botyánszki introduced the steps of travel planning with a country-finding game.
- Lívia Lizicska initiated the youngsters into the secrets of waste management.
- Bence Böröcz guided them into the world of IT security: password management, internet safety, and there was even time for a little game.
- Tomi Rigó talked about fleet management: they learned about traffic regulations, what it takes to get a driver’s license, and how someone gets a company car.
As an extra surprise, György Palkó, the company’s President and CEO, also opened his office to the young visitors.
From station to station
Participants then took part in four different stations, each with exciting tasks. Immersed in the world of HR, they had to select a candidate for a wizard master position during a fairy tale hero casting. The chosen character was played by János Kupsza, a Veolia employee—naturally in costume and with a bit of magic (which, during the interview, even turned a few people into frogs).
On the energy track, children learned about different types of energy in a playful way, got a glimpse into the operation of the Pécs power plant, and could even try out the work of a dispatcher. Others participated in tasks at both ends of the line, where they called each other from two meeting rooms using classic landline phones, entertaining themselves and others with black-and-white yes-no duels. Those who weren’t on the phone could even write their first CV.
Afternoon adventures
In the afternoon, new adventures awaited the enthusiastic employees: some of the children took a trip to the nearby BudaörsHő boiler house, where they got a close-up look at the daily life of a working boiler. As the venue’s capacity was limited, the visit was done in two groups: while one explored the boiler, the other enjoyed the good weather in the garden, picnicking, playing badminton, cards, and enjoying their time outdoors.
By the end of the day, everyone was pleasantly tired—children and adults alike. Feedback showed that the program was a huge success; participants had a great time and enriched themselves with new experiences and lots of knowledge. The satisfaction indicators speak for themselves, so there’s no question that Veolia’s “Show Me Where You Work!” day will continue next year as well.