How do you choose a logical next step after college? Practical tips from Felicia
How do you choose a logical next step after college? Practical tips from Felicia
Felicia Semedo Correia is a Junior Contract Manager at Staffing MS (part of HR-tech service provider HeadFirst Group). The path to this was not necessarily obvious. Felicia studied fashion and then worked at a bailiff's office. "It is not easy to choose your career path when you find out that your education and first job do not sufficiently match your wishes and skills. But when you stay true to what you can do and like, you always end up in the right place in the end."
Felicia always had the talent to make clothes, but what she didn't know is that when she chose to study fashion, it also came with a lot of negativity. Young designers' designs were often stolen and she also found out that it was mostly a polluting industry, something she still feels strongly about. The fashion industry was in conflict with her values, which complicated the choice of what to do next. "Eventually I ended up at a temp agency, through whom I started working at a collection agency. I was able to advance there and that was an important reason for me to choose this. It ended up being a nightmare, to say the least. What I get hot about is helping people, but the debt collection world is pretty "strict. People were not people, but numbers. We were mainly looking at people's wallets, whereas I wanted to help them."
Helping people
Felicia chose to go to Cape Verde for a while. When she returned, she knew for sure that her future job should focus on being able to help people. "When I entered Staffing MS, I found that I could actually do this. Whether it's login issues or making sure professionals turn everything in on time so they can get paid, it doesn't matter. Whatever it is, you can really add value."
Skills that fit your job
In addition, it was important to Felicia that she be able to multitask in her job, because she does this well. However, Felicia also calls telephone communication a required skill. "Talking to people on the phone requires patience and understanding. Sometimes someone even asks: how do you make an exclamation point? You still have to be able to keep calm in such situations."
At Staffing MS, Felicia primarily communicates with clients. For example, she makes sure professionals can submit hours on time. "But sometimes we also support Staffing MS consultants, which means I help with extensions, new rates and intakes that can be scheduled. It's a very versatile job, in which you have to be administratively strong."
Tips from Felicia
Felicia has an important tip for people who are searching in what might be a logical next step for them. "Really try to look at yourself. What can you do and what makes you happy? And then find a job with that. For me, this was in the fact that I could communicate well and wanted to help people. I started looking for that in a job and that's how I ended up here."
Felicia is in her place at Staffing MS. "The team feels like a family. When you're not feeling well, I've never been afraid to point it out. People are understanding and genuinely help you. I never had that at my previous job because I was afraid of being judged for it.
Tips from HeadFirst Group:
Choosing the first steps in your career can sometimes be tricky. Whether you have just completed your education, are looking for a new job or are just starting to think about your career path, sometimes you just don't know where to start. We'd like to share some tips to get you started:
1. Get informed
Spend time researching your options and learning about the different career paths out there. Talk to people already working in those fields, read industry news and visit social media pages and groups affiliated with the field.
2. Make a plan
Once you have done your research and have a better overview of the field and opportunities, create a plan with your goals. This plan should include the steps you want to take to achieve your desired career, and it should include a timeline with when you want to accomplish what. Importantly, you should also look at your skills. What skills do you master and what really energizes you? Include this in your plan and your final choice.
3. Take action
It can be tempting to sit back and wait for the right opportunity to present itself, but don't be afraid to really look it up. Approach potential employers, network with people in the industry and don't be afraid to apply for jobs that may not be a perfect fit or may not seem logical.
Are you also curious to know what your strong skills are and if this might suit a job as a Contract Manager? Take the test and find out!
Of course, there is also the possibility to spar with us about your next step. Please contact us. We are happy to think along with you!
Back to the 70s with the 'Disco Classics Reloaded' party
Back to the 70s with the 'Disco Classics Reloaded' party
For one evening we were back in the 70s with the disco hits of the time. At the end of April all colleagues from our various locations came together to party, dance and toast in our own theater. Completely transformed into a true disco club, our colleagues walked around completely themed. Flared pants, glitter suits, sequins, wigs and especially lots of color. It was a party to remember! Want to get an idea of what kind of company parties we organize? Then be sure to check out our aftermovie!
Handy Excel functions that will save you time and work!
Handy Excel functions that will save you time and work!
Where would we be without Microsoft Excel? Excel is the powerful spreadsheet program that helps financial professionals in particular. But that same accuracy and precision is also necessary in many other professions, in some it is even an important competency. So too within the role of Contracting Consultant at HeadFirst Group. Excel is also much more than just a tool to create figures and (financial) reports. Besides the standard functions Excel offers numerous other applications that far exceed the basic functionality and the possibilities of Excel are endless. Do you want to work more efficiently in Excel so you have time for other things? We have some practical tips for you.
Infinite possibilities in Excel
In Excel you can keep track of all sorts of things that you can then run numerous calculations on, if necessary. This makes collecting, checking and correctly entering data much easier. You can use Excel not only for financial purposes, but also for various other activities and activities the program offers numerous useful functions that make life a lot easier, regardless of your position.
For example, it is useful for keeping track of your personal finances, preparing budgets, planning a vacation, managing inventory, analyzing data for research and creating charts and tables for presentations. No doubt there are many more super handy applications with Excel to think of. And also useful to know is that there are lots of (free) templates online, for example for creating a content calendar, task list or checklist.
Which Excel functions are not commonly known but still useful to know?
Many people have made Excel's functions and features their own. There are plenty of tricks in Excel that not everyone knows, but are beneficial to know. In our opinion, these are five very powerful features.
Tip 1: Ready-made tables
If you have put your data into Excel and you want to change the formatting, you can do so quite quickly and easily by choosing 'Format as Table' in the Home tab. Then you can choose an appropriate layout that you like. If you later add rows or columns, the layout will automatically be changed. In addition, such a ready-made table includes a handy filter function that lets you quickly find the information you want. If you still want to change the layout, you can do so at any time.
Tip 2: Quick cell formatting
Are you already using keyboard shortcuts? Useful for applying formatting options to cells, for example, without having to open a dialog box. For example, use Ctrl + Shift + & to add a border to a selection (cell) and Ctrl B makes the contents bold.
Another handy thing to know: by default the cell property 'text' is used, but often you want to change it to, for example, a date, currency or a number. Use Ctrl + Shift + $ to add currency with two decimal places and Ctrl + Shift + ! for a number with two decimal places. Ctrl + Shift + % displays a percentage as an integer. Unfortunately, there is no keyboard shortcut available for setting the cell type as "account number" (but there is via Cell Properties > Number > Special).
There are lots of keyboard shortcuts you can use in Excel. Check this out: handy keyboard shortcuts in Excel.
Tip 3: Make a choice list
Making mistakes is human, and so are typos. To avoid typos in data that returns frequently, you can create a pick list. Write down the data you want to recur as choices in a column. Then select the cells where you want choice options. Go to Data Validation under the Data tab. Set the validation criterion to List. An icon will now appear next to the input box under Source. If you click on it, you can select the selection options. An arrow will appear next to the cell, allowing you to select from the drop-down list you just created. Handy!
Tip 4: Quickly add dates
It may seem a bit redundant, but we still find it a handy shortcut: to insert the current date use Ctrl + ; and with Ctrl + Shift + ; the current time. There is another handy shortcut: use Ctrl + Enter to copy the cell value or formula from the active cell to a selected range.
Tip 5: Transpose
This feature, often overlooked, can rearrange matrix data. For example, if you have a matrix with names in the first column and cost items in the second column, but you want a matrix where the names are displayed as rows and the cost items are displayed below them, you can cut and paste the data again to a different layout. If a large range is involved, then the transpose function is many times faster. Use this function by entering "=TRANSPONEREN(A0:A0)" with the desired cell range in the parentheses.
Why do you need to be able to work with Excel?
You can save yourself a lot of time both privately and at work by working with Excel. Having the right Excel skills will make you employable for various types of jobs. Mainly, we see that working with Excel is a crucial skill for workers in the modern world.
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)
HeadFirst Group looks back on first iftar
HeadFirst Group looks back on first iftar
We have 450+ colleagues working within our organization, with everyone being different. Different looks, preferences, beliefs, opinions, culture, and more. This is something we embrace as an organization by dwelling on different holidays, among other things. From a group of colleagues, the idea was raised to organize an iftar to reflect on Ramadan which started on March 22.
An iftar is the meal consumed during the fasting month of Ramadan right after sunset. A special moment that a group of colleagues enjoyed together. With delicious food and good conversations, where Muslims and non-Muslims interacted with each other about Islam and Ramadan. Thus, our colleagues learned even more about each other and about each other's cultures and beliefs. It was an inspiring and above all enjoyable evening! This certainly tastes like more.
A good and varied lunch at our headquarters
A good and varied lunch at our headquarters
A sumptuous buffet of healthy smoothies, sandwiches or flavorful coffee and fresh tea. That's what we do it for! At HeadFirst Group we think it's important that all colleagues can enjoy a healthy and varied lunch. But not only that! Our new caterer 'Leo' is present from 09:00 to 14:30 so you can get different thanks or something tasty throughout the day. For this purpose, the first floor of our headquarters has been completely transformed and furnished for the buffet and coffee bar since Monday, February 6.
A sumptuous buffet with a smoothie, sandwiches or a cup of coffee. That's what we do it for! At HeadFirst Group we find it important that all colleagues can enjoy a healthy and varied lunch. But not only that Therefore, since Monday, February 6, the first floor of our headquarters is completely transformed and decorated to our new lunch buffet and coffee bar.
So what can I think of?
In the morning, you'll find tasty croissants, muffins and snack bars in the restaurant. When lunch starts at noon, there is a colorful salad buffet, several fresh sandwiches and a tasty soup, among other things. And, because it's best to spoil ourselves after a hard week's work, Friday is snack day! All this from fresh and honest products for a reasonable price. In short: something for everyone! All this is provided by our caterer 'Leo'. Every day all colleagues come together to relax around lunch. This allows for productive work in the afternoons.
Have you become curious about the range of our restaurant and are looking for a new challenge? Then have a bite to eat during an interview for one of the following vacancies soon!
Our goal is to grow into one of the best employers - Joke talks about HeadFirst Group's ambitions
Our goal is to grow into one of the best employers - Joke talks about HeadFirst Group's ambitions
There it is. The certification that confirms what Joke de Graaf, Head of HR & Organization, has known since her arrival five years ago: HeadFirst Group is a Great Place To Work. "Work happiness and fun are at the top of our priority list, because colleagues make our organization. That's why we are constantly looking at how we can make it better, nicer and safer for them. The certification is confirmation that we are on the right track!"
Why is the certification so important for HeadFirst Group?
"Of course we can say that we are a good employer, but with this certificate we can really demonstrate and radiate what employees experience and feel. The independent employee survey uses the Trust Index to measure trust, pride and pleasure. It is extremely valuable that, in addition to the total score, we also have insight into the results for all HeadFirst Group brands and the various departments."
In your opinion, why are you a Great Place To Work?
"We really look at the individual. What do you need? What talents do you possess and how can we give you the space to continue to develop? Because we believe that when our employees grow and improve, we as an organization do the same."
"A great example of this is the Lean program we started last year. Under the name 'Home Run,' several colleagues worked in groups on improvement projects within our organization. Different responsibilities, opportunities to work out new ideas and collaborate with other teams. In this program we saw colleagues grow in their roles and with the improvements they brought, so did the organization. Very cool to see! We also offer our employees the opportunity for further development through our own HeadFirst Group Academy and run more training programs for our employees. For example, we have started a leadership course for novice managers."
What are you most proud of within HeadFirst Group?
"Several things! For example, our energy-neutral headquarters is something I'm really proud of. We can offer so much for our employees here, such as cool events in our own theater, a fully equipped restaurant for a nice breakfast or extensive, healthy lunch and of course ergonomic (flex) workstations."
"We also bring great initiatives. For example, in 2022 we set up a Diversity & Inclusion task force, which is committed to a work culture where everyone feels free, valued and safe, as well as able to be themselves. We also pay a lot of attention to vitality and mental health, including offering unlimited support through the platform OpenUp and an in-house gym where employees can exercise for free. These are elements that I find very important in an employer."
What is the next step now that you have the GPTW certification in?
"Obtaining it every year and, of course, scoring higher and higher! We have now achieved the certification with a Trust Index of 72%. A percentage to be proud of, but again, we always want to improve. Our goal is to grow into the top 10 best employers, which is what we will be working on with Great Place To Work in the coming years. I look forward to working with my colleagues to create a plan to make our organization an even better place to work. With one of our core values - Learn every day - in mind, I take on this challenge with great enthusiasm!"
Would you like to experience working at a Great Place To Work for yourself? Check our vacancies and find the position that suits you perfectly. Want to know more about HeadFirst Group as an employer or a vacancy? Please contact Preciosa Borger, our Corporate Recruiter on 06 - 25 23 50 33 or werkenbij@headfirst.group. We like to think along with you!
Sterksen celebrates 20 years
Sterksen celebrates 20 years
We did not let Sterksen's 20th anniversary go by unnoticed. In 2022, an activity was organized each month to work toward December 2, the day Sterksen was allowed to blow out 20 candles.
The past years were full of adventures, successes, new talents and challenges. Without a team full of motivated and specialized colleagues, we could never achieve this milestone. Therefore, we felt it was important to work towards Sterksen's "birthday" throughout the year. Think of nice surprises at the office, such as massage chairs, scoop ice cream, chocolate milk with whipped cream during working hours. But certainly also the necessary parties. Like a barbecue with live music for all colleagues, their partners and children. We also organized a cocktail party on a hot summer day, where Lead RPO Consultant Naveen delighted us with delicious drinks as an accomplished cocktail shaker. And in October, of course, only one kind of party could take place: an Oktoberfest including German Schlager music.
So under the guise of "birthday treats," founder Donald Derksen dealt out big time. Since Sterksen would not be the same without him, he also deserved to be put in the limelight. That is why a group of colleagues behind the scenes was busy working on a very special gift. A unique painting by and for Donald, which of course got a prominent place in our Breda office.
Just a few days later, we celebrated - to top it off - our anniversary with a smashing party in Roaring 20's theme. A great time to celebrate together, reflect on the past years and certainly also look ahead. Because we are ready for the next 20 years!
HeadFirst Group is 'Great Place To Work-Certified'
HeadFirst Group is 'Great Place To Work-Certified'
Enjoying going to work, having confidence in the organization and being proud to be part of this fast-growing HR technology service provider and platform organization. We continuously work on these three pillars so that every colleague who works with us recognizes and experiences these feelings. We are extremely proud to have received this affirmation with the Great Place to Work certification as of January 2023.
Great Place to Work helps organizations create a workplace culture that maximizes credibility, respect, honesty, pride and camaraderie. They do this through the Trust Index™, the employee survey. Only organizations that, among other things, have a score of at least 70% on this Trust Index may bear the title 'Great Place To Work-Certified'. HeadFirst Group will be one of the lucky ones for at least the next year!
Joke de Graaf, Head of HR & Organization at HeadFirst Group: "Being a good employer is of course not just about organizing fun parties and providing lots of facilities, although of course it helps. According to Great Place to Work, trust is the key to being a good employer. They offer a methodology that provides guidance for building it. A culture of trust fueled by meaningful values and facilitated by effective leadership. This is why we participated. HeadFirst Group wants to be a good employer and create an environment where everyone wants and can use their potential. This is not only good for our employees, but also for the organization. After all, it increases the innovative power within the organization which in turn leads to growth."
Are you curious about concrete examples? Then read the stories of several colleagues here. They will gladly take you through their experience with HeadFirst Group. Would you like to work for a great place to work? Check all our current vacancies here!
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!