Maaike’s growth story: “I didn’t choose payroll, payroll chose me.”

From permanent role to versatility as a payroll consultant

Maaike started her career in HR mainly on the soft side, where she immersed herself in recruiting technical profiles, but soon felt she had a particular interest in the hard side, and more specifically payroll. “It may sound cliché, but I didn’t choose payroll, payroll chose me. Social legislation and labor law are so fascinating and extensive that I had no choice but to bite into it,” Maaike says.

As a payroll employee in a permanent role, you work for one employer and become seasoned in company-specific programs and tools, the labor regulations according to company values and standards, and the joint committees established. “In my role as a payroll consultant, the big added value is to explore the profession from different angles of a company’s landscape. You get to work in different business environments, come into contact with blue and/or white-collar employees, learn to work with all kinds of payroll systems and you have to learn to engage with different company visions. This ensures that my job remains really exciting and challenging, no matter which environment I end up in,” explains Maaike.

More than numbers

As a payroll professional, you are the filter and do the final check before employees are paid. But payroll is about much more than salaries and numbers. “Analytical capability is a very important skill as a payroll professional. You have to be able to dissect complex information into smaller parts, recognize patterns and draw conclusions based on facts and logic,” explains Maaike.

Making the switch to a role as payroll consultant at TriHD, has already allowed Maaike to take many great steps in her career to further deepen her knowledge of payroll. “To date, I have already had the opportunity to complete 4 projects. These range from projects in which I, as a payroll employee, was responsible for the monthly payroll closure for 600 employees in 2 joint committees to calculations of end-of-year bonuses, ecocheques and vacation entitlements for both white-collar and blue-collar employees in 10 joint committees. Or think of monthly payroll closures for 5 different countries at an international company, where I also had to do the transfer of various bookkeeping files to the finance department. Supporting audits also came up a number of times. The opportunities to learn as a payroll consultant are literally endless,” adds Maaike.

Maaike: “What gives me the most satisfaction in payroll? Closing a payroll month as flawlessly as possible. I am also energized by many different facets within payroll, such as the fact that it is a task-oriented function in which you have to be able to find the reasoning behind calculations, deliver them correctly and explain more complex calculations, bring efficiency and implement optimizations. So my answer is: Yes, payroll is definitely much more than just numbers.”

Innovation and knowledge sharing in a changing HR landscape

Innovation is another important topic within payroll. Automated payroll systems can perform routine tasks efficiently, but for exceptions, regulation changes and personal circumstances, human evaluation is key. “Although payroll systems can be automated to some extent, human intervention remains essential. The balance between automation and human expertise also ensures accurate and flexible payroll processing. The fact that we must continue to focus on innovation is a given within our field, but we must never underestimate or minimize the ability of the professional,” adds Maaike.

In a constantly evolving HR landscape, it is essential to keep up-to-date with the latest legislation and to apply it correctly. “In Belgium, drastic changes are often announced months to years in advance, but as a payroll professional it is important to stay interested and actively seek out novelties. Surrounding yourself with the right channels and networks allows you to learn from each other and makes it almost impossible to miss major changes,” says Maaike.

Surrounding yourself with the right channels and networks and seizing opportunities to learn from each other, that’s what we make sure of at TriHD. Maaike: “I am really proud to see and feel, based on the various projects and work environments, that as a professional I have sufficient baggage and knowledge to bring assignments to a successful conclusion. The fact that I can rely on a strong network within TriHD definitely contributes to this as well. If I feel that I still have a blind spot of knowledge in a certain area or my interests would take a different turn, I can always reach out to that network and training courses are offered, for example, to further develop my skills.”

A strong network

A good start is half the battle. And a strong network is the icing on the cake. “From the introductory meetings with TriHD, it quickly became clear that they know what they are talking about and have a very capable internal team. Regardless of the project, you are never alone. In addition, as a consultant at TriHD you have a very good work-life balance, with flexibility and mutual trust. Professionals who want to make an extra effort or explore certain ideas are encouraged, both within and outside their project, to grab these opportunities with both hands. The pitch I heard during the introductory interviews about coaching, development and customized training is something they live up to at TriHD. If this doesn’t convince every HR professional, I don’t know what will,” Maaike summarizes.

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