What does Joost find essential in his work? That it matters. And when both technology and the human aspect come together, he’s truly satisfied. HR systems hold no secrets for him. He enjoys making complex things simple for both users and administrators. So simple, in fact, that he becomes unnecessary. And that’s something our clients really appreciate. Meet this HR-tech expert!

Joost, who are you and where are you from?
“I was born and raised in Zwijndrecht and I’m 39 years old. I moved to Utrecht twenty years ago to study and I live there to this day. I studied information science, which is more about the human side of IT. It’s a nice mix of technology and people.”

Definitely a nice mix, so then Popay is the perfect place for you. How did you find your way here?
“After I graduated, I started with the Dutch Social Insurance Bank. I was one very small link in the chain working on a very big project. That’s where I met some of the people from Popay. When that large project was in danger of being shelved, I realised I needed something different. I wanted to do something that mattered. At Popay, they were looking for people with my profile and the smaller scale appealed to me. Not to mention the culture: no-nonsense and no beating about the bush. If you commit to doing something, you need to know you can do it. I started there in 2016 and I still feel right at home.”

So it was a good move! What is it that you do exactly at Popay?
“Officially, I’m a Technical Human Capital Management (HCM) expert. Simply put, I work with HR systems. Mostly from a technical angle, but with an eye for content and the human aspect. It’s impossible for me to think about the right technology without understanding the picture it fits into. That’s why you’ll sometimes hear me asking critical questions that have nothing to do with the technology. I enjoy doing that and it helps me figure out the technical solution customers need.”

Sounds interesting. What is your average work day like?
“We have two clients that I go to every week at their office. And once every few weeks, I spend some time with Pim at their office to work on a joint project. On the other days I work from home, which I think is a nice mix. Every workday is different. I research the customer’s requirements and explore how to translate them into a technical solution with staying power, for now and into the future. In the process, I have regular consultations with all the stakeholders. Another part of my job that I enjoy is creating easy-to-understand screens. I like to make difficult things easier to understand.  That’s how we make huge, complex HR systems simpler and more accessible for customers.”

So is that also how you empower customers?
“Yes, definitely. I like to make things user-friendly so that any employee can work with it. Whether it’s for requesting leave, joining a bicycle scheme or requesting a salary change, the system needs to be easy to operate. I like to make myself redundant at some point. So that the IT people in an organisation can take control of what we’ve created. That’s why I make it as easy as possible not only for the users, but also for the administrators.”

That’s great! So what defines you here in your work?
“I always try to be open and honest. Making mistakes is human, I make mistakes too. Whenever that happens, I always try to make sure a customer understands why something went wrong. This fosters a sense of understanding and helps keep me on my toes and avoid it the next time around. I see that people appreciate that.”

So open and transparent, then. Apart from these pleasant working relationships, when do you feel a sense of satisfaction?
Not quickly enough. As a techie, you always want to push to achieve 100%. But the last 20% often takes 80% of your time, so that’s not always feasible. Although I prefer to keep on hammering away so it can be improved even more, I’m also able to say okay, ‘good is good enough’. Sometimes you can feel satisfaction and make a huge difference with just a small change. I’m very pleased when that happens.”

Does that make customers the happy too? What is the biggest compliment you have ever received?
“The biggest compliment is when I come into a client’s office every week and always get a warm welcome. That means they’re glad I’m there. Even if I’ve been going somewhere for years, I’m still bringing something to the table there.”

And what do you want to mean to your colleagues? How do they view you?
“I’m also an open book for my colleagues. I try to be the kind of techie you can have a conversation with. Everyone has their own roles and responsibilities. My contribution comes from my perspective and expertise. Colleagues are always welcome to knock on my door if they have a question. The atmosphere is good, we know what we have to offer each other and complement each other well. There’s also a click on a personal level. We really enjoy having a good laugh together. That’s also important.”

So the atmosphere at work is great. What else gives you more energy?
“Making a big impact with small tweaks. But also when we’re working on a complex issue and the light bulb suddenly goes off in my head. Then I can see that little dot on the horizon, the light at the end of the tunnel. Then I think ‘now here we go’. Even if it’s a lot of effort and hard work, we know we will succeed. The best moment of all is when people start using our product. That’s very satisfying. It’s what you do it all for.”