A day in the life of: Mathijs, your People Development coach

Mathijs has been working at Partner in Compliance since 2018. He now works as a coach for our employees who work on assignments for clients. Mathijs can hardly be found at the office in Haarlem. He drives to different office locations daily to check on our people and keep contact with clients.

What does your day look like?

I am on the road quite a lot. Every day I visit different clients to keep in touch with our people who work there on our assignments. I walk around the workplace and ask how they are doing. They approach me if they have questions or run into something. We find it important to give our people personal attention to maintain the connection with Partner in Compliance.

How has your career progressed so far?

After graduating from Business Administration at the Dutch University of Applied Sciences (HBO), I started working at Partner in Compliance as a TM analyst. After 1,5 years, I got the opportunity to step into a coach position in Team People Development. It’s not the most common career path within Partner in Compliance. Many analysts grow into team lead and then project manager or consultant. My switch to coach is a different way of growing. I see it as an advantage that – from my time as an analyst – I have a good understanding of how things work in practice on an assignment, what you might encounter, and what you might need as support. I am there for my colleagues. I surely see this step as enriching for myself.

What are the work activities of a coach at Partner in Compliance?

I guide new employees during their probationary period. After that, I monitor their development and performance throughout the assignment and give them regular feedback. Formally, this is called the performance management cycle. For all employees I coach, I create a development plan, which I put together with them. Periodically we have a progress discussion. And finally, or perhaps most importantly, I am their first point of contact for all types of questions.   

Which quality of yours shines out in your role as a coach?

My approachability and quick responses. I appreciate a relationship of trust.

What motivates you?

Being in touch with our people is the best part of my job. If they run into any problems with an assignment, they will contact me. I am, in fact, the link between our people and Partner in Compliance. It motivates me that I can help people and keep them connected to our organization. That goes beyond project work itself. Organizing fun events such as a Friday afternoon drink or a pub quiz, or participating as a company team in the Dam to Dam Run, certainly helps in creating a strong connection. And everyone needs some relaxation next to all the hard work, myself included.