Office Olympics: Freshheads
And the winner of the 'Office Olympics' trophy is:
Freshheads
What's it like to work at Freshheads? We ask Fee Schakenraad, service designer and digital strategist at full service digital agency Freshheads. If you're thinking, "Huh, Freshheads?" right now, listen up. This company is a master at making small, cool ideas big and accelerating innovations at new and existing companies. They also specialize in building marketplaces and making them über successful (think: freelance platform YoungOnes). They are from Tilburg, but with clients all over the country. Fee: "I always thought: after my studies I'll move to the Randstad. I worked in Rotterdam for a few years but the desire for Tilburg remained. At Freshheads I found my second home." Her role in the company? To ensure that what they invent and create for the client also optimally connects with the end users.
Is Freshheads the rightful winner of this trophy?
"I think so, haha! Here you can be who you are and become who you want to be. I get freedom and trust here. There are great colleagues, nice and fun drinks, and lots of opportunities to grow. That freedom has to suit you, though. It means you take responsibility yourself and make sure things get done. For me, that's a perfect match, anyway."
Okay Fee! What marks do you give Freshheads?
Clients and jobs: 9
"What I find incredibly cool is that we work together with our clients. With them we form a team, all eyes focused on one digital service or one mission. Together we discover what the solution should be. I've worked with clients such as the Safety Region Midden-West Brabant, Interpolis and the Van Abbemuseum. Very diverse, in other words. We always work in multidisciplinary teams with developers, designers and data analysts. So during the work I also learn a lot from colleagues and customers."
Culture and colleagues: 10
"Recently I won the very first Bami Award from Freshheads. Super cool! For this award you nominate colleagues or teams that have done something awesome, or that you just want to put in the spotlight. So it was a real honor for me to get it. This is also typical of the culture at Freshheads. We work here with mega friendly colleagues who love bamischijven (a typical Dutch treat). Some are busy, others quiet, there are athletes, people who love a good drink and everything in between. Everyone is open and has my best interests at heart. Very nice!"
Working hours: 8
"The working hours are flexible. Whether you start early one day and a little later the next, it doesn't really matter. For example, I sometimes start at 8 o'clock, and then I take my time in the afternoon for lunch. Delicious! It's important that you make arrangements with the people you work with. But that always works out well."
Drinks and trips: 9
"Where should I start? We have a lot of drinks and parties. When we have successfully completed a job we celebrate it with the client. Every Friday there is a tradition we call '15 minutes with a beer'. This is the perfect opportunity to share a great project, a study or just a great vacation with colleagues. After your story you will be whistled at: a sign of pride, haha. There are also annual outings with all Heads, and there is a budget for doing something with your own teams. Super important, I think. If you know the person behind the colleague, you immediately enjoy working together even more."
Opportunities for advancement: 9
"If you want to develop yourself, Freshheads is the place to be. I have developed myself in behavioral changes, thanks to a training course I could do. Everyone has a free budget to spend. You can take Spanish lessons from that too, if you want. If you go over budget, but can indicate that it is relevant to your work, a lot is still possible. For example, a number of our developers will soon be attending a conference in Amsterdam together. Very cool by the way: the knowledge I gained during the behavioral change course, I later shared with colleagues again through a workshop."
Wanna know more about Freshheads? Check this link
Text: Iris van den Boezem
Video: Fabel Film