Sebastian van der Heijden
"As a Business Analyst, I connect practical and technical goals."
Sebastian van der Heijden | Business Analyst
Seven years ago, through a connection at the gym, Sebastian van der Heijden joined HeadFirst Group as an IT intern. After his graduation internship, Sebastian got the chance to take up his permanent position as Business Analyst and carry out his research. He has now been enthusiastically fulfilling this role for over five years. "IT has become a the backbone of the organization, we can make great innovative strides as a result."
Connecting factor
In his role, Sebastian finds the perfect balance between tech and touch. "I am in frequent contact with colleagues about their wishes and current practices in order to improve processes, but I also know what can be realized technically," Sebastian explains. As a Business Analyst, he translates organizational goals into technical, bite-sized blocks so developers can work with them immediately. "I see how a change comes into its own in the organization," Sebastian explains. Sebastian finds connecting and translating the most fun, but also the most challenging part of his role.
Growing organization
That the role of IT is crucial within HeadFirst Group is also reflected by Sebastian in the almost tripling of the number of IT colleagues. A growth he sees very positively. "We are now a multidisciplinary team with four different roles: Front-end and Full Stack Developers, Business Analysts, Designers, and Managers. Together we work on multiple projects simultaneously, in which we complement each other," Sebastian explains. In addition, he is increasingly hooked up with strategic meetings. "Because of my knowledge of both the business and technical side, I know what is possible and what information the team needs."
After working compulsorily at home for a long time due to the corona virus, Sebastian found that he quickly found his place again in the office. "Moving into the brand new headquarters certainly helped with this. Cool workplaces and of course sociability with colleagues," Sebastian explains. Being present in the office also makes it a lot easier to keep abreast of developments in different departments. Sebastian finds it a great advantage that hybrid working is standard at HeadFirst Group and he can choose where he wants to work that day.
"Not only has the organization grown tremendously in recent years, but also the trust in the team. As a result, there is a lot of freedom for your own initiative within and outside your own team."
Continue to develop
In addition to his role as Business Analyst, Sebastian dedicates himself to colleagues and the organization through the "Power-Up Club. Together with 12 colleagues, they work to strengthen the connection with the organization and ensure that colleagues feel heard. "We are a sounding board for new ideas and organize activities such as a Movie Night in our own theater," Sebastian says.
Whereas Sebastian - in addition to his daily work - now focuses mainly on a project or change, he also sees an opportunity to grow into an overarching role. "We work through the scrum methodology and I would like to be able to look at long-term goals as Product Owner. At HeadFirst Group I get - through the training platform HeadFirst Group Academy - the opportunity to take courses and obtain certificates for this purpose. With this I really hope to be able to make this step in the future," concludes Sebastian.
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Roos Jonker
"The great thing about this, you know it's right. Why does anyone else recommend an organization?"
"The great thing about this, you know it's right. Why does anyone else recommend an organization?"
Roos Jonker | Teamlead Invoicing
Roos Jonker got in touch with a HeadFirst Group employee through a shared acquaintance. "The big advantage of this, you know it's right. Why does anyone else recommend an organization?" says Roos. Fortunately, her hunch turned out well, she has now been working for the organization for 4.5 years as an Invoicing specialist and now as Teamlead Invoicing.
Opportunities through growth
From the day Rose entered the organization, growth was the common thread. New clients, independent professionals and suppliers chose to work with HeadFirst Group. Mergers also caused HeadFirst Group to expand. More and more labels - including Myler, Staffing MS, Between and Sterksen - became part of the whole, bringing new colleagues with them. Roos did not experience this change as tedious, on the contrary. "Growth means opportunities. So I've had quite a few during my career here. For example, I was chosen as a buddy for every client who transferred during various migrations. A big responsibility, but one I gladly carried."
Continuous improvement
"Growth also allows you to see what leaps have been made, and there certainly are. With each billing run, things improve and more is automated. That gives space to focus on other things and your own growth," Roos explains. Continuing to develop yourself is encouraged from within the organization using its own learning platform, HeadFirst Group Academy. This contains hundreds of different courses and trainings that colleagues can make use of.
"I love the peak workloads in Finance. The rush you get when you get it all done is one of the reasons I enjoy my job so much."
Work atmosphere
Rose describes HeadFirst Group as a nice and personal employer. "It's a big organization, but it doesn't feel like that. You're not just a number. Also, if you are flexible, so are they. If you work hard, they also go the extra mile for you. In addition, the culture is very open. I do not experience any threshold to go to the management, for example. Everyone is very approachable. That makes it a nice working environment for me."
Will you become Rose's new colleague?
We are always looking to strengthen our organization. Take a quick look at our open positions!
Sem Overduin
"HeadFirst Group is a friendly club of hard-working people. I am confident that we will shape public affairs in the right way."
Sem Overduin | Public Affairs Officer
Studying and at the same time applying his knowledge in practice, that appealed to Sem Overduin. On the soccer field he got into a conversation with former colleagues about a possible assignment in the field of public affairs at HeadFirst Group. "These colleagues indicated that there were a number of issues I could help with. Since I was almost finished with my studies, I thought it would be very interesting to gain some work experience already. I then started with a research design, looking at the development points for HeadFirst Group in the area of public affairs," says Sem.
Public Affairs within the organization
For HeadFirst Group public affairs is a relatively new concept, but not for Sem: "During my studies I came into contact with this field several times and during one of my internships my interest in it was really triggered. I find the interaction between stakeholders in politics, political-social changes and the way policy is created in the Netherlands very interesting. It is especially fun to be allowed to think along in how this is then translated to business." Sem therefore sees his role as a nice challenge: "Public affairs means that I keep an eye on what is going on within politics and how you have to take this into account as an organization. The next step is to influence policy and decision-making processes. We also put topics and issues on the agenda of political and social stakeholders. A good example is the balanced labor market act (WAB), which came into effect on January 1, 2020. This is much talked about in The Hague and has an impact on the services of HeadFirst Group. We also have the ongoing discussion about the DBA Act and recently the Borstlap committee came up with a report full of proposals and recommendations. A lot is happening, and therefore I follow the developments, advise the organization and see how it can convey its opinion and experience to politicians."
Advance
After the investigation, Sem fortunately did not take leave yet. HeadFirst Group asked him to lay a foundation for the public affairs officer position. "Little to nothing is being done now with public affairs, and there is no one yet who focuses solely on politics," Sem explained. "I actually find this very interesting and think it's good to be visible in politics as a market leader, and to profile yourself on issues that are relevant to the organization. Important choices are made in The Hague. As an organization, you have to be aware of these in order to identify opportunities and threats in time. Furthermore, it is good to have someone in-house who understands how policy is created and how the government system works. After all, it is becoming increasingly complex."
"HeadFirst Group is getting bigger and bigger and therefore important to have a say and think in politics. Conversely, politicians need information from the market to make policy."
Incentive employer
Sem joined HeadFirst Group by chance, but is really enjoying it. "I have a lot of respect for the organization and the trust they are giving me to fulfill this new role. Surely this shows that it supports its employees and wants them to develop. I am very grateful to HeadFirst Group for the flexibility so that I could gain this experience alongside my studies. This gives me a head start in the work field," Sem said. He also likes to let these positive experiences grow even more: "Public affairs is currently still at zero, or in its infancy. Now is the time to change that. That is sometimes pioneering and I am very much looking forward to getting started. Whether I will continue with it afterwards and develop further in the field of public affairs? I am not sure yet. At the moment I am still being challenged every day and we have really taken off!''
Will you become Sem's new colleague?
We are always looking to strengthen our organization. Take a quick look at our open positions!