Think of the corona era and you get where Topgeschenken.nl’s rapid growth came from. In the ensuing lockdowns, people began sending each other bouquets and other gifts. Companies encouraged their employees by sending them presents and packages. Many new clients were added, especially in the business segment, the largest market for Topgeschenken.nl. “Corona has done us a great favor.“, says HR manager Natalia van Schie.
Van Schie joined Topgechenken.nl two and a half years ago. At that time, the company employed 65 people. A tipping point, according to Van Schie. She set up an HR department and laid the foundation for an in-house human resources policy. She now has a permanent colleague in her department and the number of employees has just about doubled. Now 115 people work at Topgeschenken.nl. “Especially in the past year, we have grown strongly. That applies to our IT department, which is of course the heart of the business for us as a web company. But also for our colleagues in product development who are working on expanding the assortment. We have also taken on more flex workers who we can deploy during busy times, especially in logistics and customer service. Actually, we have grown very evenly; all departments have gained people.”
A Direct Match with Highberg
Time for a flexible, future-proof job and salary structure. “Until now, it was all a bit of a guessing game. We really needed a clear system and benchmarking options,” says Van Schie.
They brought in Highberg to help. “From the first meeting, we knew: this is the right fit. No vague language, just a down-to-earth approach that suits us. We’re practical people. It also helped that Highberg works not only with large corporates but also has experience with startups and scale-ups. They understood our needs and welcomed our input.”
The process went smoothly. It began in March and was scheduled to finish in Q4, but the rollout was already completed by September. Since then, managers have been trained on the new system, and sessions with employees are underway to explain the changes.
Flexibility is Essential
For a fast-growing company like Topgeschenken.nl, flexibility is critical. The job and salary framework needs to accommodate new roles as the company evolves.
“We can’t predict how fast we’ll grow or what roles we’ll need. So we didn’t want a rigid system set in stone,” says Van Schie. That’s why the departmental columns in the job framework have room to add new roles later.
There’s another reason to build in flexibility: in today’s tight labor market, companies must go the extra mile to attract certain professionals. That’s where salary flexibility comes in. “Overall, we’re still doing well with recruitment. But IT talent is scarce, we’re all fishing in the same pond. So it helps to be able to approach people individually.” They’ve now built in headroom to offer up to 110% of the highest salary level for special cases.
“On the other hand, the market can shift again. That’s why we’re also exploring the option of offering such higher pay temporarily.”
Higher Salaries
The changes take effect on January 1st next year. Everyone will be placed into their “new” roles with the corresponding salary. Many employees will see a pay raise, Van Schie says. “Not everyone, some were already on a very good salary. But especially employees at the lower end of the pay scale will see a significant increase. And that’s what I’m most happy about. These are the people who will immediately feel it in their wallets, it really makes a difference for them.”
