"That's why I switched to ARC People."

Over the past few months, ARC People has once again been able to connect several experienced professionals in IT audit and risk. Why did they switch and how do they experience it so far? Anita van der Leeuw and Oscar Beumer explain their move.

Anita: I was trained at a Big4 (PwC) from the beginning of my career. There I learned a lot of competencies for the audit profession and saw a huge number of organizations in 15 years. 

Oscar: I worked as an accountant for about 10 years and then transferred to Randstad where I spent about 18 years in a variety of financial, risk management and internal audit roles.

Anita: When I did an open application with ARC People, because I wasn't yet sure what my next career step would be, I was quickly called back by Marlous, recruiter at ARC People, and she pointed me to the Senior Manager IT Audit & Risk vacancy within ARC People.As soon as I saw ARC's values, I knew this position was destined for me.

Oscar: I had been approached by Annemarie (recruiter from ARC People) for a position with a client, but after an initial conversation with this client, it was clear to me that we had a different view of how to treat people well and there was no match. This is how I did get into a conversation about the option of joining ARC People.

Anita: Very positive. Marlous was enthusiastic in our first telephone contact which also excited me. The first appointment was quickly arranged. When in the interviews with the partners I saw and felt that the communicated values were not just listed on the site, but that these values were also lived through by the partners, I immediately felt at home.  

Oscar: Very nice and open; it was never really a job interview but a first meeting. That human approach really appealed to me and that's what sets ARC People apart from the big corporate companies. Many of those companies are no longer growing and have no soul. People are hired for short projects and then thanked. The energy and growth of ARC People, from Sander and Marc, really appealed to me. 

Anita: As indicated, I learned a lot the first few years at PWC but after becoming a manager, I noticed that I had to adapt more and more to Big4 governance. This allowed me to be less myself. During an intensive coaching program with an external coach, I noticed that PwC and I had grown too far apart in terms of values: how to do business. There is too much focus on what the client asks, and less on 'what the client needs'. In the conversations with the partners (Marc and Sander), I noticed fairly quickly that they were more on the latter line: what is needed to solve the problem and how can we do that together, co-creation with the client, so that, when ARC People leaves, the client can continue to do it independently. 

Oscar: For me, three things are very important when choosing a job and business: 

Anita: My biggest mission is to help my clients grow and change.At PwC, my role was external IT auditor. The emphasis then is much more on testing organizations against the standard and making sure PwC as a firm is compliant with laws and regulations. In my current role at ARC, I help clients from my internal role (as Senior Internal (IT) Auditor) to identify gaps and advise the organization on how to solve these gaps most effectively and efficiently. This then leads to subsequent growth and change in the organization.  

Oscar: In finance, I missed the dynamics of a professional HR company.
I worked in the staffing world for quite a long time. I love the HR sector, the dynamics but also the challenges of a professional HR company. I love the pleasant hustle and bustle and being engaged with clients and candidates. 

Oscar: The first weeks were a lot of fun. The open contact, the quiz and the fun in the office. I have a very good feeling about it. 

Anita: After 5 months, I am very happy to say that the aforementioned values are at the forefront of everything ARC People does. Especially living through the value of long-term relationships is unique in my eyes. ARC People does not go for short-term profits, but is really fully focused on establishing long-term relationships with clients. This includes openness, honesty and clarity. These are also exactly my strongest personal values.  

Oscar: Largely already mentioned but still an addition. You notice that your coming is really appreciated: the reception was more than cordial and the cooperation so far is very nice. 

Anita: And above all, it fits with the expectations set beforehand. At ARC, I feel I can be myself and also be appreciated for who I am. I am much more in charge of my own success. 

Anita: Negative is a big word: at my previous employer, I had the opportunity to coach and mentor a large number of people every day. At ARC, I work much more with other professionals (who have a sea of experience). Occasionally I miss coaching young talent. The good news is that I will soon be coaching 2 new trainees and my goal is to expand that further in the near future. 

Oscar: No. I am very positive. We have the ambition to grow hard with interim (projects); we have a very nice and good team. We are working in a market that is growing very fast and we are the experts who are good at finding, binding and mediating A/R/C professionals. If we keep focusing on what we are good at, we can't help but continue to be successful and exceed our goals.