Loes Bakker, HR and coach at Tally-ho: “I have a different job every day, at the same company”

What does she enjoy most about her work? Loes Bakker, HR and coach at fashion retailer Tally-ho, does not need to think for long. “I derive real happiness from the in-depth coaching conversations with our managers,” she says. “They can even move me to tears, especially when things fall into place.”

She also mentions her freedom. “I use Mondays as a focus day for ongoing matters, email and inspiration for personal development. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, I am on the road visiting our stores. Sometimes by appointment, but I usually drop in spontaneously.” Bakker relies on her intuition in this regard. “I will think to myself: I need to stop by there now. Then I will hear: ‘Oh Loes, I was hoping you would come’.”

“This freedom is possible because of the solid trust I receive from Barbara,” Bakker explains. “I love not knowing where I am going when I get in the car in the morning.”

From a “gap year” to a 25-year career

What was intended to be temporary grew into a 25-year career. Bakker graduated from the Modelyceum and then started studying commercial economics, but she stopped because she did not enjoy it. She started working at Tally-ho to help with a store opening. “The idea was to complete that year and then look for another course. Ultimately, the company became my education.”

Bakker progressed quickly: first as assistant manager in Alkmaar, then manager of a large store and later of other branches, such as the one in Bergen. “That was a real challenge,” she recalls. “I was a young girl then, leading a huge team. I was immediately given that trust.”

The word trust comes up again as Bakker talks about ten years ago, when her role at the company changed again to her current one. With young children and fewer working hours, she noticed she could no longer be a manager in the way she wanted. She requested a meeting with Van Leyen and explained what was bothering her. “Barbara said: ‘To me, you are Tally-ho. What do you want?’ That gave me so much confidence and made me feel seen.”

They decided that Bakker would supervise the managers. “It was an organic development. The role as HR and coach arose from a need: something I would have wanted myself as a shop manager.”

Freedom and frameworks

Bakker now supervises Tally-ho's 15 managers. She does this not from a position of control, but primarily as a coach and sparring partner. Being open to what is happening and responding to it immediately characterises her way of working. “I'm really just winging it,” she says modestly, immediately adding: “It's mainly about constantly sensing what is needed. Seeing where needs lie and offering that.”

At Tally-ho, managers have a lot of responsibility and autonomy. They are responsible for their own store and team: from recruitment and selection to progress meetings and evaluations. Bakker deliberately leaves these tasks to them and “is there for them when needed”.

The freedom that managers are given also translates into initiatives on the shop floor. The annual Green Week is an example of this: a sustainability week organised by the stores themselves, together with local entrepreneurs. “For example, during the last edition, the store in Alkmaar was transformed into a yoga studio on Sunday, complete with a tasty smoothie.”

Bakker: “I hire the managers and I know what we want at Tally-ho.” What types of people fit in with us? “It has to be genuine: pure. When the match is there, a lot of things happen automatically. It just flows,” she says. Of course, there are also frameworks. Guidelines are laid down in the employee handbook, but the culture is mainly based on shared values.

One of those values is sustainability, an important pillar for Tally-ho. “Not just in Barbara's purchasing of clothes or the organic groceries,” Bakker explains. “I translate sustainability into a sustainable relationship with the managers – and especially, that they have one with themselves.”

At Tally-ho, the separation between work and private life is important. “I believe that people should be truly free outside of working hours. When they are at work, we expect them to let go of their private lives as much as possible. A practical rule, for example, is that employees do not use their phones on the shop floor. This creates more peace and focus, which contributes to the bigger picture.”

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Person behind the manager

For Bakker, good HR policy is inextricably linked to the person behind the manager. Every January, she reviews with her managers where they are and where they want to go. This year, they created vision boards with personal ambitions. “Not goals for the business, but really for them as people,” she emphasises.

And where does the need lie in 2026? According to Bakker, personal development is at the top of the list. She also sees a clear need for connection: sparring with colleagues, reflecting together and sharing experiences. “That is on the agenda again for the coming period.”

How important are people to Tally-ho? According to Bakker, they are the core of everything. If employees are not feeling good about themselves, you see that reflected in the results, she says. “It works the other way around too. Someone who feels good about themselves radiates that to the team and ultimately to the customer.”

Bakker believes in the power of continuous dialogue and “shining a light on challenges”. “If you keep talking to each other, solutions often come naturally,” she says. “When you make that time and attention for each other, you really feel that you are doing it together.” This is how connection is created.

“Attention and trust, I always come back to that,” she says. “That is really the foundation.” It is also her tip for other professionals and organisations. “When you give that, something good almost always comes out of it. Attention and trust are welcome everywhere and with everyone.”

According to Bakker, leadership is also about being creative in team building and daring to make changes, she emphasises. “If you think: hey, this is not flowing quite right – and you move a colleague from one team to another, for example, and you see that it suddenly works better… Those are the beautiful moments that make me very happy. It is almost like playing sometimes.”

“Sometimes it is a bit of a search again,” she continues. “After the store opening in Amsterdam, I really had to see: where am I needed most right now?” As the organisation grows, the amount of time she has per employee also changes. “Then I look again: what can I put on hold and what can I delegate?”

“I think the Tally-ho team is powerful. We really run it together,” Bakker emphasises. According to her, there is no shortage of retail staff. “I have a list of people who want to work for us,” she shares. “A sales representative recently asked me how that is possible. I think it is about creating a pleasant workplace and the atmosphere you establish. People stay for a long time on average.”

Continuously in motion

On to another 25 years? “As long as I am enjoying myself,” Bakker beams. “Whenever something becomes too routine or something is missing, I look for new knowledge or a different approach. I recently completed a course in body-oriented therapy because some employees find it difficult to put their feelings into words.”

That renewal – the dynamic nature of her work at Tally-ho and that of the fashion sector – is precisely what gives Bakker so much energy. “I have a different job every day, at the same company.”

“Everything is constantly in motion and I enjoy that immensely.”

Besides all the liveliness and bustle, Bakker also enjoys moments of stillness, she says in closing. “Consciously enjoying what is there and what you have already achieved – that is something I would like to pass on to others. Rest and space often provide the most beautiful insights.”