The journey to good work at Albert Heijn: Patrycja's story

The promise to make good work available for everyone is the common thread in everything we do at Carrière. At one of our largest clients, Albert Heijn, we see every day how much impact we create together. Right there, in the middle of the dynamic workplace, stories emerge that show what meaningful work truly means. Not as a slogan, but as something we bring to life every single day.

With our series good work at Albert Heijn, we bring these stories to life. We share growth journeys of colleagues who once started as temporary workers and through dedication, talent and the right guidance, progressed into leadership roles. This time the spotlight is on Patrycja, branch manager at Albert Heijn Online in Eindhoven.

Eleven years ago, Patrycja moved from Poland to the Netherlands. In Poland, she completed her studies to become a midwife, but it was difficult to find work in that field. Her boyfriend was already living in the Netherlands at the time. The plan was temporary: work, save money, and then return to Poland.

She started her career in the Netherlands working at a laundromat. Not long afterwards, she became pregnant and their plans changed. Together, they decided to stay in the Netherlands and bought an apartment. During that period, Patrycja worked as an order picker at another major supermarket chain. After a year and a half, she made the switch to Albert Heijn Online in Eindhoven, where she worked as an allround employee for three and a half years.

From order picker to branch manager
While working at Albert Heijn, the collaboration with Carrière began. Patrycja was approached with the question whether she was interested in a role as planner or recruiter. She was immediately enthusiastic. A formal job interview followed, and she got the job. In 2022, she started as a junior planner at Carrière.

Two years later, she progressed to senior intercedent. During the same period, she took part in Carrière’s talent programme, an internal development track for employees with growth potential. The focus was on self-awareness, leadership, communication, and making an impact within the organisation. “What I learned during the talent trajectory still helps me in my daily work,” she says. “I learned a lot about different conversation techniques and leadership styles. I now apply those every day as a branch manager.”