Michiel Nelissen and Niels Billen have been colleagues at Tricore since December 2021. They have known each other longer, which we can tell from the nice vibe they have together and the comments they give each other in between. They both come from Bilzen and once worked for the same employer. Tricore facilitated a reunion. And now they spend eight hours a day together in the office again. Sometimes a little more than eight hours, when Fifa and beer are involved. Michiel has been working for Tricore as a Project Engineer since December 2021. Niels started in the same position in November 2020 but has since taken on more responsibilities as a Project Manager.
We met with these two men at the Cambrinus in Hasselt. Over drinks, they told us everything we wanted to know about their careers at Tricore.
Niels, you have been working for Tricore since November 2020. How has that been for you?
Niels: "It's a bit of an adjustment when you start as a Project Engineer at Tricore. Our approach goes much further than that of most other IT companies. Unforeseen circumstances in a project are not solved with quick fixes. We don't just ‘quickly throw in a new server’. We (re)assess the entire IT infrastructure and adapt it to the needs of the client. We have a standard way of working that we implement. That means more work. At first, I had to figure out a lot ‘How do I tackle this?’. There were so many trees that it sometimes became a big forest. It's challenging, you have to show passion and demonstrate that you know how to get things done."
Did you feel the same way, Michiel?
Michiel: "Yes, it still is. It's a very different way of working because you have to do much more at once and think about more things than just ‘That server is going out, this one is coming in, we transfer everything and it works.’. In terms of hardware, this can be an improvement for the client, but it's just a limited solution for the IT issues your client has."
Niels: "You can compare it to organizing a party in your garden for ten people or suddenly hosting three stages at Pukkelpop. (laughs) There's a lot more that needs to happen at the same time. The advantage is: once the project is delivered, the client experiences a lot fewer problems in the future."
"Our way of working is also scalable. If a company of ten people expands to fifty people, we don't suddenly have to reinvent the entire network. It's just a good structure that's ready to grow."
Niels, you get more responsibilities as a Project Manager. How has that been?
Niels: "Robin, Jonas, and Stijn want to focus more on the development of the company itself. They wanted to leave the planning of project plans and the follow-up of projects to someone else. I had already indicated that I would like to do this. At this moment, we are still in a transition phase. It’s still a bit of a search for all of us. It’s a growth process. We are trying to approach it structurally so that everything remains scalable internally."
You are a close team. Michiel, how was it for you to start at Tricore in such a group?
Michiel: "I started together with Gert Geunens, and it actually went very well. We were immediately part of the clique. The smooth onboarding also made me feel welcome right away."
What makes you excited to go to work in the morning?
Michiel: "Mainly the variety. I can be working on something different every day if I want. That is a huge asset for me. And the atmosphere at work, that obviously plays a role too."
And Niels?
Niels: "A bit the same. And atmosphere, indeed. In the afternoon we play a Fifake, that’s always fun too. That hour of lunch break with my colleagues is always a good way to de-stress."
Is there another skill you would like to learn?
Michiel: "I would like to gain more knowledge in the fields of network and security. I like to carry out everything independently. I want to be able to do a lot. I still have many questions about this topic. So I am very motivated to learn more about it."
Niels: "What is also nice is, if the schedule is a bit quieter, you can use your work hours with us to learn. It doesn't all have to be billable hours. As long as it adds value for Tricore. But it really isn't that quiet very often." (laughs)
Michiel: "If you take that much leave, no way."
Niels: "It's my first leave of the year. Taking a day off for a hangover doesn't count."
Niels: "When I look at my new role as project manager, I would like to learn more about people management. In the long term, it might become a bit less technical and more human for me. For example, managing people the right way, that's something I don't know much about yet and want to grow into. And also time management… I can sometimes lose myself in something, for example in scripts."
Niels, what do you think Michiel is good at?
Niels: "Losing in Fifa." (laughs)
Michiel: "You've never won against me!"
Niels: "You can give Michiel anything. Something new, for example something we don't know from a product yet. If you tell him ‘Figure it out.’ he will do that. He is very good at figuring things out independently. Michiel is a hard worker."
Michiel, what do you think Niels is good at?
Michiel: "Niels has a lot of experience in different things. His general knowledge is very broad. His scripting and automation is impressive I must say."
You are still looking for a new colleague, how would you convince that person?
Michiel: "I would say that it is accessible here. Tricore is a close-knit team, but you are warmly welcomed and immediately part of the family. There are also great growth opportunities, just look at Niels. You can specialize or generalize, you can go in any direction depending on where your interests lie. And even if you don't know where your interests lie yet, you can search for them afterwards."
Complete the following sentences…
A team building is successful if…
Michiel: "A bit of sawing and chatting, a beer on the side."
Niels: "Robin who gets things going… Actually, every Friday is a team building for us."
My favorite place in the office is…
Michiel: "The relaxation area. There you can let off some steam, a moment of rest in between everything. We can also ventilate, brainstorm,... It is also the only place where everyone thinks along about one problem."
Niels: "Yes, ideas are born in the relaxation area. Sometimes good things come out of there."
Michiel: "Next level nerdy."
Niels: "For me, my favorite place is my desk. I can really get into the zone with some good music on. I prefer a fairly deep substyle of house or techno. I once played that in the office and everyone thought we were underwater… It didn't really catch on."
My morning starts well when…
Niels: "When I have had my coffee with a shot of espresso. Just black. When that is gone, I am approachable." (laughs)
Michiel: "I am actually a morning person. I don't need coffee to wake up. It starts well when I have a nice schedule set up. It doesn't need to be more than that."
On Friday we drink…
Michiel: "Hapkin."
Niels: "It depends for me… Usually Duvel."
Michiel: "Yes, you always Duvel."
Niels: "Yes, that's how it starts, and then usually something else follows."