Work happiness as a shared mission

From first impression to sustainable growth

Within a growing ecosystem like Axelio, Recruitment and HR form an inseparable chain. Jessica stands at the proverbial front door; she is the first to speak to potential new colleagues. "My role is to discover who the person behind the CV is," Jessica explains. "Does someone fit within our unique culture and way of working? Will they truly be happy here? I want to tell a realistic and honest story from the very first phone call. Consultancy is fantastic, challenging, and flexible, but it also means traveling to different clients across the Netherlands. By being transparent about this from day one, you lay the foundation for a successful career."

Once the contract is signed, Rianne takes over to ensure that the promised growth and personal attention are also realized in the long term. Rianne consciously made the switch from a large corporate organization to Axelio. "I was looking for a more compact ecosystem where I can truly make independent decisions, take responsibility, and help build. There is a beautiful foundation here, but there is also plenty of work to be done. That entrepreneurship appeals to me greatly."

Growth begins with attention

Growth is a commonly heard term in IT, but Rianne and Jessica interpret this very practically. "For me, performance management is the backbone of HR," Rianne explains. "Giving people personal attention and helping them grow in the direction they want to go. But growth always starts with safety, perspective, and open communication. We are actively planting that seed now."

In the IT sector, project-based workload with tight deadlines can sometimes become overwhelming. Rianne tackles this together with the managers in a very mathematical way. "If a manager has twenty people in their team, we plan that very concretely. I literally calculate it with them: if you give everyone a quarter of an hour of real attention per week, how much time does that take in your schedule? By making those blocks visual and monitoring them, we ensure that the human aspect does not get lost in the daily hustle."

One Axelio, from Groningen to Nootdorp

With branches spread across the country (including in Veenendaal, Hengelo, Zwolle, Groningen, Nootdorp, and Bunnik), maintaining a sense of unity is a challenge that Rianne literally takes to the road for. "From day one, I said: HR is overarching, I am here for all of us and I am everywhere."

What Rianne notices during her rounds is the strong common denominator between the locations. "Whether you come to Groningen, Veenendaal, or Nootdorp: the same blood flows through the organization. The atmosphere is open, friendly, and incredibly driven. There is an immense amount of knowledge in-house." Jessica adds: "Since we fully transitioned to one Axelio at the end of last year, you can really see that connection growing. Colleagues are more often working at each other's locations, and initiatives are now organically arising from the employees themselves. That transcends all locations."

The onboarding program

To immediately immerse new colleagues in this Axelio feeling, we have a central onboarding program. While Jessica keeps in touch before the first workday, new employees are welcomed together on their first day.

"On the first workday of the month, all new starters gather at one central location," Rianne explains. "That day, we let them get acquainted with the organization through various presentations, a joint lunch, and we conclude with a pleasant gathering. This way, new colleagues feel part of the bigger picture from day one."

Your mission, your work happiness

As a closing question, we ask what work happiness personally means to them. For Jessica, it is simple: "Going to work with joy, gaining energy, and being able to be fully yourself. That is supported by mutual trust and a pleasant collaboration."

Rianne agrees. "My personal HR mission is to contribute every day, at a strategic, tactical, or operational level, to the work happiness of the colleagues. Ideally, we set up the processes behind the scenes so smoothly and efficiently that people don't even notice, but do feel that it works well. From my very first job interview, I have had the utmost confidence in this. Everything that was promised has been delivered from day one."

Still unsure about applying?

Jessica's advice is clear: "Just have an informal conversation with us. You only really get a feel for Axelio when you meet us in person. After all, it has to feel good from both sides. If you're excited to help build an ambitious company with immense potential in the market: the coffee is ready!"