"At Sterksen, it's about much more than work - the most important thing is fun."
"At Sterksen, it's about much more than work - the most important thing is fun."
As a recent graduate, it's always a bit of a search for the next step. What are you going to do when all options are open? For Amber Lambregts, a great opportunity came her way: to continue working at the same organization where she did her graduation project. Below you can read how she came to this choice and what she thinks of it so far.
How did you end up at Sterksen?
"I was approached by a fellow student of mine. He told me about the nice atmosphere and the possibilities available. Soon I was at the front door of the monumental building in Breda. During my intake interview and application process, I became very excited to complete my graduation project at Sterksen. Now since last summer I have graduated and am in permanent employment at Sterksen."
What made you stay?
"I got a good picture of the organization during my internship. My graduation project consisted of researching how the different business units within Sterksen could work better together. My colleagues were very helpful and involved, allowing me to apply research methods such as focus groups and a Sterksen (world) café.
The nice thing about this was that as a result, many steps had already been taken by the colleagues themselves to strengthen cooperation. For example, different business units sought each other out more often and involved each other more in ongoing projects. The fact that everyone is listened to, there is a lot of room for personal input, and of course the great colleagues have ensured that I stayed on after my studies. The many fun outings organized to enjoy together besides work also contribute to this. "
What does your role now look like within Sterksen?
"I stepped into the role of corporate recruiter. My colleagues within Sterksen are an expert in the recruitment field, so I find it very instructive to get started here and gain experience. However, I did want to find colleagues for our own organization so that I stay in touch with HR. I really like it so far and am very much in place within Sterksen. Everyone is extremely helpful and there is room to make mistakes. That is especially nice for me - as a newcomer to the job market. After all, I expect to learn a lot here and develop myself as a professional."
Would you like to join the Sterksen team? Then take a look among our vacancies.
Join the next world of work
Join the next world of work
The next world of work - a theme that indicates how advanced technologies are reshaping the way we work. We are currently in a world where technological advances and human connectivity are increasingly important. As an HR-tech service provider, our ambition is to lead the journey into this new world of work.
This includes an appropriate digital roadmap of technological innovations. Therefore, last year several projects were launched to shape this progress. In our inspiring live tech event "Up Next," we provide quarterly updates on the projects currently in full swing. The third edition of Up Next was marked by the completion of several projects and thus the going live of new platforms and systems, focusing on the customer experience.
So we were taken through the process of implementing improvements in various systems, based on the Kaizen method. Even good processes can be made even better. But how can we specifically improve our services? This became concrete in the explanation of the customer journey. With certain tools we gain insight into the entire customer experience. The foundation of the customer experience is set.
It also highlighted a special moment we are now moving into. Indeed, with the launch of our new platform Striive, our digital strategy is taking concrete form. This is not about the platform itself, but what it can solve for the user. A platform like this can create a lot of added value. With our Partners & Professionals services, for example, we make complex technology seem easy. And that is precisely what we want to create for our users: convenience!
Do you also want to make a difference in the new world of work? Then take a look at our vacancies for all open positions within HeadFirst Group.
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!
"HeadFirst Group is an enthusiastic, ambitious and fast-growing organization" says new CFO Marjolein Slappendel
"HeadFirst Group is an enthusiastic, ambitious and fast-growing organization" says new CFO Marjolein Slappendel
Since June 1, Marjolein Slappendel has been the new CFO within our organization. In the first weeks, Marjolein mainly spent time getting to know the various departments and colleagues within our group. She wanted to get a picture of what is going well, where there is potential for improvement and what steps will be taken in the coming period.
In her own words, Marjolein's expectations of the potential of our organization have been far exceeded. "HeadFirst Group is an ambitious and fast-growing organization with very smart driven people. I am proud to be part of that now. It is a wonderful challenge to be responsible for the further professionalization of the business units finance, operations, quality and legal in order to further strengthen the basis for our growth ambitions."
"There is a driven atmosphere in the organization, making huge strides. We are constantly moving and that is also what suits me. I have always worked in departments where the adrenaline was regularly high. It suits who I am."
What's next on the agenda? "When I came in, a clear strategy toward 2025 was already mapped out: to become the market-leading, international HR tech service provider. This requires continuous improvement from us. Right now, the main focus is on digitizing our business. Automating where we can, so that repetitive things can go away from our colleagues, allowing them to focus more on contacting our clients. Something that fits completely with our aspiration: tech enables touch. For our finance and operations department this is very interesting and there are still good further steps to be made in this."
Marjolein looks positively on her first months at HeadFirst Group and can't wait to see what the further optimizations will enable us to do next. Do you want to contribute to these improvements and think and work on the future of this organization? Then take a look at our vacancies.
ChatGPT, AI and robotics will be showcased at our internal digital release event
ChatGPT, AI and robotics will be showcased at our internal digital release event
As an HR-tech service provider, we are working hard to create "The Next World of Work." A transparent and balanced labor market, without prejudice, in which organizations and talent are perfectly connected. To realize this, we are taking huge steps in the field of technology. Not only because it fits within our digital roadmap - becoming the number one tech platform - but also because we are convinced that with technology we provide a better service. Tech Enables Touch.
Technological developments are following each other ever faster. ChatGPT, AI, robotics: these are just a few examples that we use to the organization's advantage. To bring and keep all colleagues up to date on this, we organize a special tech event "Up Next" every quarter.
Technological developments within our organization
During this event, colleagues from different departments climb the stage for an update on current projects. Using our semicircular projection screen, the coolest developments are shown. For example, our Data Manager showed a new self-developed benchmark tool. This has been made available on our smart matching platform Striive and allows professionals to easily see, for example, what an average rate is for a data analyst.
Next, our Recruitment Manager showed the results of our virtual assistant Benthe. This robot helps our recruiters enter applications, giving them more time for personal contact with suppliers and professionals. She also reduces repetitive work, which makes the work a lot more fun for our colleagues.
Furthermore, our development team is also busy with technological improvements for contract management. The goal: to reduce the contract management flow from several days to 15 minutes. Ambitious? Certainly. But not unachievable with the planned improvements.
With two editions already in our minds, the next one is scheduled for October. We are again counting on a packed program with updates of new cool technological developments. Will you be there next time? Then take a look at our vacancies. For a sneak peek you can watch the video below.
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
Customer engagement: everything for optimal customer engagement
Customer engagement: everything for optimal customer engagement
Good customer engagement is important for any successful business. When, as a company, you ensure optimal customer engagement, it says something about the extent to which you respond to the needs of your customers and how you maintain contact through the various channels. If you have a lot of customer contact, as for example in the role of Contracting Consultant at HeadFirst Group, then you have a decisive role in this. Therefore it is good to know what customer engagement means, how you can increase the involvement of your customers in the contact and which skills are useful in this process.
What is customer engagement and why is it important?
Customer Engagement is the degree to which customers feel engaged with your company. When customers feel valued and understood, they naturally become more engaged. This is a big advantage because it actually pays off: even a small 5% improvement in customer retention can lead to a profit increase of more than 25% (Bain & Company research). Moreover, the more often customers interact with your company, the more insight you gain into their needs and you can better respond to them. This, in turn, can result in strong and long-term customer relationships.
What are practical tips in this area?
So to build a good relationship with customers, it is important to actively engage them, get to know them better and provide them with an optimal experience. How can you ensure this optimal customer engagement? Here are the tips:
1. Provide different contact options for your customers, such as phone, email and live chat and minimize wait time.
2. Always send a receipt with reference number and contact person to let customers know that their query is being processed.
3. Customers want to be helped immediately, so have questions handled immediately by the right person to avoid wasting time.
4. Keep a record of all communications and mail a summary to keep the customer informed of actions taken so they feel valued.
5. Exceed customer expectations and regularly check their satisfaction.
6. Inspire customers and offer new ideas to strengthen their loyalty.
7. Thank customers on various occasions, such as invoices, visits, birthdays and holidays.
8. Recognize that the customer is always right and make every effort to resolve any problems.
9. Deliver what you promise and show that you are willing to go the extra mile.
10. Ask relevant questions to understand their needs and build a relationship of trust.
What are the most important skills within customer engagement?
Finally, here are some skills to consider if your role involves frequent contact with customers:
1. Technology skills: with the rise of artificial intelligence, chatbots and other technologies, it is important to be familiar with these tools.
2. Personal interaction: while automation and self-service options are important, you must be able to provide personal interaction when needed. Show empathy, resolve complaints and support customers in complex situations.
3. Problem solving and creativity: you must be able to come up with creative solutions and solve problems quickly and efficiently. You must be flexible and able to adapt yourself to different situations and customer requests.
4. Communication skills: you need effective communication skills, both written and oral. You must be able to communicate clearly and concisely and be able to understand and help customers regardless of the communication channel chosen.
5. Customer orientation: it goes without saying that you must have a strong customer orientation. You must understand customer needs and expectations and work proactively to provide the best possible experience.
Customer engagement is incredibly important for any business to be successful. It's all about building strong customer relationships, showing appreciation, keeping promises and sometimes even exceeding customer expectations.