Podcast Interview with Marion van Happen, CEO of HeadFirst Group: Balancing career, family and me-time
Podcast Interview with Marion van Happen, CEO of HeadFirst Group: Balancing career, family
As a working mother, you know that finding the right balance between career, family life and personal time can be an ongoing challenge. It is inspiring to learn from successful women who manage to achieve this balance admirably. In a podcast episode by Danja Lekkerkerk, our CEO Marion van Happen was recently interviewed. Together they discussed her impressive career and how she combines it harmoniously with her private life.
This episode offers an intimate look into Marion's life and is packed with valuable insights about achieving a successful career as a woman, balancing work and personal life, ambition, family life and the importance of personal time. Here are some key lessons learned from Marion:
1. The Art of Balancing: Marion reveals how she manages to combine her top corporate position with her family and personal time. She explains how she consciously makes time for every aspect of her life.
2. Energy Management: As a versatile woman with various responsibilities, Marion shares her secrets for effective energy management. She shows how she divides her energy between her various roles.
3. Dealing with challenges: Marion discusses the challenges she faces and how she overcomes them. Her resilience and determination are inspiring to any working mother.
In addition, Marion shares valuable career tips, including the importance of clear positioning, expanding your network in a friendly way, inspirational leadership and communication styles best avoided as a woman.
Marion van Happen is an inspiring example of a woman who leads her career and personal life in a balanced way. Her story shows that it is possible to be successful in both business and motherhood. Want to learn more about Marion's journey and the insights she shares? Then listen to episode number 48 of Danja's podcast at this link.
Our works council was born!
Our works council was born!
At HeadFirst Group, we have experienced remarkable growth in recent years. Our "family" has grown to over 450 colleagues, and with this growth it became clear that it was time for an important new step: the establishment of a Works Council (OR).
An exciting election day
When we made the announcement that we wanted to form an OR, we were overwhelmed by the response. Several colleagues applied to become members. This enthusiasm showed that our employees are strongly committed to our organization and willing to actively contribute to its future. An exciting election day followed, with a large proportion of our colleagues casting their votes. In the end, nine members were elected to represent our organization.
Proud of our OR members
We are extremely happy and proud of this group of colleagues who will volunteer their time to make our organization even better. The OR members will be an essential link between our employees and management. They will contribute ideas and advice to ensure that the voice of the employees is always heard. The OR members will also build a bridge between our various offices, which is why we have deliberately chosen a delegation from all locations.
We look forward to what the future will bring with our new OR on board. Together we are going to make our organization even stronger.
Florine Onderwijzer is part of the Next Leadership 50!
Florine Onderwijzer is part of the Next Leadership 50!
Thursday, Sept. 28, was a special day, as the annual Next Leadership 50 list of 2023 was presented by MT/Sprout. This list is a celebration of the Netherlands' greatest management talent under the age of 45. A unique moment for HeadFirst Group, because this was no less than the fourth (!) time that someone from our organization was included in the list. After Han Kolff (2010 & 2014), Marjolein Slappendel (2014) and Marion van Happen (2019) it is now Florine Onderwijzer's turn to be part of this inspiring group of professionals!
The meeting to mark the announcement of the Next Leadership 50 was a great experience. We heard inspiring stories from other Next Leaders, including Tessel Jarigsma, Simone van Neerven, Mark van Baal and Sanne de Laat-Koevoets. It was an opportunity to network, learn and be inspired by the accomplishments of other leaders. If you're curious about who, according to colleague Florine, the other 49 leadership talents of 2023 are, you can check out the full list here. It's an impressive group of people all contributing in their own way to positive change in the world.
All next-generation managers were asked what they do differently from the generation still in boardrooms today. Without a doubt, the most frequently mentioned answer: 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐭 𝐯𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐝. 𝐇𝐞𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐦 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭. Florine said, "𝘉𝘦𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘫𝘯𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘻𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘣𝘪𝘫 𝘵𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘷𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯." The growing importance of value creation in a broader social and environmental context is a trend we should all embrace. We can no longer pretend that only financial results matter; we must take responsibility for the world around us.
Florine feels honored to be on this prestigious list. "It is a recognition of my commitment and dedication as a leader, and I would like to thank Marion Van Happen, Marjolein Slappendel and Han Kolff for their unconditional support and trust. Leadership, innovation and the balance between technology and humanity have always been topics that my heart desires. It is a passion that I pursue daily in my work. I look forward to continuing my journey as a leader and seizing new opportunities to contribute to positive change. I look to the future and the opportunities ahead with enthusiasm. Together we can shape the world of leadership and innovation and make a positive impact on society and the world.
Want to read more about Florine's vision for leadership? Then look here >> https://mtsprout.nl/ranking/next-leadership-50-2023/persoon/florine-onderwijzer.
Afterglow of sun, beach and delicious party
Afterglow of sun, beach and delicious party
In the second week of September it was time again: HeadFirst Group's Summer Party. If you know us a little bit, you know that our parties are always something special. This time the festivities took place at an external location, namely at Papa's Beach House in Hoofddorp, and we can say with certainty that we all enjoyed one of the last days of summer.
With our feet in the sand and a refreshing cocktail in hand, colleagues from different labels, locations and departments were able to socialize with each other. Colleagues were even flown in, for example from Romania. It was a time to meet each other again and toast the highlights of the past six months. Before we sat down to dinner, the barbecue was lit and delicious salads were prepared. But the best was yet to come.
We were treated to great live performances! Soulm3n enchanted us with their musical talent, followed by the amazing Jeffrey Parmentier. And as icing on the cake, the Raddraaiers closed the evening. It was another night to never forget, but luckily you don't have to rely only on memories - we have a great aftermovie to relive the feeling!
So, are you ready to be part of these amazing parties? Then check out our job openings soon and who knows, maybe we'll see you at our next party in December!
Thanks to MyCademy, we can always offer our people appropriate learning experiences
Thanks to MyCademy, we can always offer our people appropriate learning experiences
Since 1995, HR-tech service provider HeadFirst Group has been a knowledge broker between independent professionals, suppliers and clients with the aim of allowing professionals to excel in their work and clients to use their expertise without worries. Joke de Graaf, responsible for HR & Organization, tells why HeadFirst Group chose the MyCademy Learning Experience Platform and what the platform and the cooperation brings them.
Learn every day
HeadFirst Group has experienced explosive growth in recent years. In about five years we went from 70 to almost 500 employees. Such growth brings with it a transition among employees, but also clients now expect more from us. This means, among other things, that we have grown from generalist roles to more specialized roles. We also invest in the growth of our talents, which increases the bond with our organization and stimulates internal flow, which in turn is important for further innovation and growth. Not for nothing is one of the core values of HeadFirst Group: 'Learn every day'. Making mistakes is allowed, as long as we learn from them. Continuous improvement is the norm.
Learning Experience Platform
About two years ago we started working with MyCademy's Learning Experience Platform, the training platform we internally call "HeadFirst Group Academy. In this learning environment, all our employees can follow (online) trainings, virtual labs or bootcamps. It is very flexible and employees can choose what suits them, in terms of content, form and time. Every month the platform is supplemented with new training courses and other learning materials. What is also very valuable is that we can create learning paths and with this we can also offer internal training courses online. A special learning path has been created, specifically for HeadFirst Group, with all the things we focus on, such as customer relations, design-thinking, agile working and time management.
'In our view, such an advanced learning platform is a basic requirement for an organization like ours.' Joke de Graaf
Appropriate learning experiences
To encourage people to use the platform, we made it part of our onboarding process. During onboarding, new employees receive a separate session in which they become familiar with the platform. Moreover, we actively involve executives in the learning process of their team members. We generate monthly reports that give executives insight into progress. This allows them to see how much is being learned by their team members and whether additional support is needed somewhere. It gives executives concrete data to use during one-on-one meetings and feedback sessions. If employees need a specific training or course, they can search the database for suitable solutions. If there isn't one, we can always turn to MyCademy, so we can always offer our people appropriate learning experiences.
A partner who thinks along in all areas
MyCademy 's L&D team helps us with challenges around training plans and development goals, for example. We can also use their expertise when it comes to getting our employees to truly embrace learning. We especially interact with Martine Broekman, their manager of Learning & Development. She is enormously helpful, always thinks with us and she is also very nice in her contact. It's nice to have such a proactive partner. For example, when we introduced our core values, MyCademy helped us think about which training courses fit well with them. And early this year, they held a number of sessions for our managers. These not only addressed how we could further stimulate learning in our teams, but MyCademy was really curious about how they could improve their solution even further. There are many learning platforms out there, but MyCademy's Learning Experience Platform is not just another learning platform. MyCademy offers a combination of a smart learning platform, extensive training offerings, daily support and is truly a partner in knowledge development.
Source: MyCademy
Head of HR & Organization Joke de Graaf on current HR topics
Head of HR & Organization Joke de Graaf on current HR topics
Every year, our content partner HRcommunity organizes the HRtop100 event, which this year took place on March 23. HRtop100 gives extra attention to topics that play a role in society and affect HR. Together with experts and HR leaders they discuss these topics. HRcommunity rewards leaders and organizations that lead and inspire with an award, in three categories (Sustainability, Diversity & Inclusion, People Development). For this edition, we were a partner of the event, which meant that all nominees were interviewed at our headquarters. These videos were used in the battle to win the Category Awards.
Issues on topics such as D&I, people development and sustainability were also discussed with Joke de Graaf, Head of HR & Organization of our organization. Curious about her vision? Then watch the video >> https://youtu.be/6UeSNPdH60o
Source: HRCommunity
Annual Report: HeadFirst Group as an employer
Annual Report: HeadFirst Group as an employer
Our annual report for 2022 has been presented. We had a successful year on all fronts. We welcomed new clients and once again succeeded in helping more professionals - independent and employed by our suppliers - find valuable assignments. The new brands in our group found their niche. And to top it off, we were named a Great Place to Work.
We developed tremendously as an employer in 2022. We opened our new, state-of-the-art and energy-neutral headquarters in Hoofddorp and also improved our location in Rotterdam. We focused on making a place that could easily compete with home. And it worked. We had no problems with employees struggling to find their way back to the office after Covid-19. That said, we still facilitate hybrid working and encourage an optimal work-life balance.
Fully in line with our core value 'Connecting People', in 2022 we invested a lot in connecting our own people. We organized parties in our own HeadFirst Group Theater, various teambuilding activities and an end-of-year 'Roaring 20's dinner'. To optimally support our employees in circumstances when things are unexpectedly less good mentally, we entered into a partnership with OpenUp. This gives our colleagues easy access to a qualified psychologist, with whom they can discuss all kinds of issues, small or large, private or work-related.
All of this was greatly appreciated: in 2022, we were officially certified as a Great Place to Work (GPtW). This was a great recognition of who we want to be as an employer. In the GPtW survey, our employees rated us highly on the themes of fair treatment, diversity & inclusion, responsibility and independence within the job. We are enthusiastically working on the areas for improvement that emerged from the GPtW survey.
Curious about all our Facts & Figures on HR? Check out this dashboard: (pg. 43 & 44 from the annual report)
Do you join the next world of work?
What does HeadFirst Group stand for? Why do we do what we do? And what do we want to achieve? We kick off 2023 with the answer to these pressing questions: join the next world of work!
Purpose is the moral foundation of the company. It guides how we conduct ourselves, how we act and the decisions we make. In short, who we are and how we do our things. Whereas we had a lot defined and described around our strategy in 2022, our Home Run program revealed that it was not felt sufficiently. By establishing our purpose, we put a perfect layer on this strategy, making it live for everyone inside and outside the organization. Together, we set one ultimate goal that is clear to everyone. This is the only way we can work toward success. With all our locations, departments and colleagues.
The search for our purpose
A project team with colleagues from (almost) all teams got the chance - with the help of marketing agency Energize - to flesh out what HeadFirst Group stands for as an organization and how to describe our common purpose. And because there is no lack of team spirit within HeadFirst Group, it was important for us to kick off the purpose together. We did this in a festive way with a dinner, for which all colleagues came together at headquarters.
We are ready: Join the next world of work! We are proud to take you into our purpose through this fantastic video.
The world is constantly moving and changing faster and faster. Technological, ecological, social and political changes have an impact on the labor market, for professionals and the way we organize work. At HeadFirst Group, we believe that continuous change is the only constant here. Together with our fast growing network we strive for one common goal: a transparent and balanced job market, without prejudice, in which organizations and talent are perfectly connected. At HeadFirst Group, we are driven and constantly challenge ourselves to improve the job market for professionals.
Join us!
Meanwhile, more than 350 passionate colleagues contribute in his or her own way to this common goal. Will you join too? We are always looking for talent 'to join the next world of work'. For example as a Contract Manager or Agile Test Engineer. Take a look at our vacancies and apply immediately!
Look back on the past year with us
Look back on the past year with us
2022, a special year for HeadFirst Group. We welcomed a new CEO, flew through our new headquarters, gained dozens of colleagues and invited our families. Of course we celebrated beautiful moments together, with the Roaring 20's dinner as the resounding end of the year. We look back on the past year with pride and look ahead to a fantastic 2023.
HeadFirst Group continues to grow
At the beginning of the year, we moved into a brand new headquarters in Hoofddorp. After months of preparations, the building was ready for colleagues to work - physically and hybrid - and of course this was celebrated with a grand opening. And because we could shout our pride from the rooftops, we shared unique flyingpictures.
Another important moment was the arrival of Marion van Happen as HeadFirst Group's new CEO. Her goal: to create the perfect balance between tech and touch, making work for our colleagues even more fun. Besides Marion, many more new colleagues started this year. Not only in Hoofddorp, but also at our seven other locations in the Netherlands and Belgium. They were able to start immediately with all the necessary knowledge and skills through the completely renewed onboarding process. And these are not the only expansions, HeadFirst Group added no less than two organizations to its portfolio: ProUnity and StarApple Group.
Team building & celebrating successes
Cooperation is important at HeadFirst Group. On the shop floor and beyond. For example, we achieved our first sports victory with our own team HeadFirst Group during a friendly soccer match against AJAX | Only Friends. Sweating was also frequently done in our own gym. Fortunately, this year we were also allowed to come together physically in other ways, which led to many team outings.
Organization-wide, we also find it important to celebrate our successes. In 2022, for example, we reached the second spot of the Flexmarkt Turnover Ranking Top-100 for the third time in a row and were named FlexTopGroeier in the "MSPs and intermediaries" segment. But we had even more to celebrate! We introduced the Lean methodology to streamline and simplify our processes to create the ideal balance between tech & touch. We also welcomed our new virtual colleague Sam who already supports multiple teams so that our colleagues can use personal contact at times when it matters. On top of this, HeadFirst Group was added to the list 'Soonicorn Club of the Netherlands Tech 2022' naming only the most promising Dutch tech startups. Later in the year, we reached the magic number of 20,000 professionals working through one of our labels.
Connecting people
Our headquarters provides the perfect setting to organize various events. This year all colleagues were allowed to invite their family members during the 'Family Day', where activities were organized for young and old. We repeated the aforementioned opening party at the end of the summer during the Indian Summer theme party. Of course the biggest event in the history of HeadFirst Group could not be missed. For the first time all our external relations came together during the official HeadFirst Group HQ Housewarming 'Connect in the chaos', to which every colleague contributed his or her part. We closed the year together during the dinner full of Roaring 20's theme in which we looked back on the past year and looked ahead.
We like to look back together at what we have accomplished. We have summarized this in this video. How proud we are of what we have achieved as a team this past year and are excited to make 2023 even more fantastic. Next year we would like to welcome new talent again, so that the organization can continue to grow. Would you like to be part of that, for example as a Contract Manager, Field Manager or DevOps Engineer? Then take a look at our current vacancies and apply immediately!
Hear who knocks there? St. Nicholas party HeadFirst Group
Hear who knocks there? St. Nicholas party HeadFirst Group
For many children the most wonderful time of the year, St. Nicholas. The excitement, presents, meetings with the Santa Claus and to top it all off, celebrating Christmas Eve. Also at the HeadFirst Group headquarters Sinterklaas came by. What a successful morning it was!
Because of the children, this time of year is automatically also an exciting period for many (grand)parents, so also at HeadFirst Group. Watching the Sinterklaas news every day, sneaking around, and enjoying children dancing and singing to all the Sinterklaas songs. At HeadFirst Group we also like to make this a special moment. That's why we organized a Sinterklaas morning at our headquarters.
Party at HeadFirst Group
The theater at our headquarters was completely transformed into the Sinterklaas atmosphere. This year a real theater show was organized about the mystery of the lost laces. All children - and (grand)parents - were on the edge of their seats during this show. People danced along, sang, but there was also excitement about whether the mystery would be solved. Of course Sinterklaas and the Pieten also paid a visit, although this was still exciting for some children. After a festive morning, all children went home - tired but satisfied - with a chocolate advent calendar in their pockets. It was a fantastic party!
Now that St. Nicholas is out of the country again, it's time for the rest of the festive month. Beautiful Christmas, New Year's Eve, and into the New Year together! Do you want to be part of this too? You can! We are always looking for new talent. Take a quick look at the current vacancies.