From Trainee to Payroll pro
Maria Kærgaard Ptak is a familiar name at the Azets office in Herlev, Copenhagen. Not only because she is an exuberant and skilled employee, but also because we have been lucky enough to have her in the company for a full 10 years. When she is not renovating her house or planning her wedding, she is a senior payroll consultant at the Nordic payroll team in Denmark.
- I started in Azets as a trainee, and started studying in the evenings after one year of employment. I got a degree from CBS in accounting and finance and had a plan to start working as an auditor or accountant. After two years in various departments at Azets, I understood that payroll was my calling. I felt an immediate motivation to do payroll as correctly as possible, and that’s been very rewarding.
And now, with a whole decade in the bag as an Azets'er, Maria can safely say that she has been part of a long journey in the company.
- In the past, we sat down and typed in everything ourselves! Now we have automatic processes for the most part, which saves us a lot of manual work and eliminates typing errors. This allows us to focus on things that provide more value. In addition, we have stopped printing completely. We will never do that again.
It’s fun explaining the Danish salary rules for international customers
- What is exciting about working with a Nordic salary is the opportunity to work with people across national borders. After all, we don't just deliver a service, we work in teams as close colleagues! It is largely about optimizing, collaborating, and helping them to understand. Having a happy customer is what matters to me. And it can be a lot of fun to explain the Danish salary rules to Swedish customers, for example - the differences are actually quite big in some places and can be easily mixed together.
- We use Azets Cozone a lot across national borders, which makes it all easier for both parties. Although there are different laws and regulations in each country, the software and reporting systems are the same everywhere. Everything is online and it works very well internationally. We are investing more and more in streamlining more across the Nordic countries.
We are like a family - and you don’t switch out your family just like that
Maria has just turned 30, but has still managed to mark 10 years of employment at Azets. It is no secret that Azets has many employees with long seniority, and Maria is clear about why she chooses to stay at Azets.
- There are many things that make it meaningful to work at Azets. It’s exciting to work in a company that is developing and far ahead in terms of technology. Compared to other service providers, we are far ahead in terms of standards. We have client specific procedures that work well. I have good colleagues, I feel heard, the working environment is great, employee-focus and keeping-employee-benefits.
- My everyday working life is also flexible and I find that I can decide for myself how it can look - of course in line with the payroll wheel of my clients. I have been on-site quite a bit and love being out with the customers. When I need to concentrate on specific tasks, I'm either at home or in the office, and I love having the freedom to decide for myself. I know there are many other workplaces that are not as flexible, so I don't take it for granted. I do not believe that the grass is greener on the other side. We are like a family - and you don’t switch out your family just like that.
Not afraid to challenge
- I also feel that my opinions and views are perceived as valuable. After all, I have been employed here for quite some time, and know that it’s also important to challenge the management and the company. To move forward, we all need a little "push", and I'm not afraid to say how I think we can do better, and what it takes to hold on to the good people. It’s important to feel heard, and I feel that I am.
As a homeowner with a wedding on the horizon, these are busy days for Maria. We are grateful that Maria continues to spread both joy and correct salary for our Nordic payroll customers, and cheer on her drive and good efforts to constantly make us better.