Azets is lucky to have a wide specter of different nationalities and personalities on board – and one of our bright colleagues is Francisco Esteve from Elche, close to Alicante in Spain. He sought an adventure, and ended up in Oslo, and lucky for us, he found his way to Azets! Now Francisco works in the international payroll department and handles payroll tasks for ADP clients all over the world.
No time for boredom
After completing his bachelor studies in Business in Spain, Francisco set his sights on adventure. Coming to Norway, he started his journey working at a clothing store while the pandemic took its hold and learned Norwegian in his spare time and have worked in a lot of different places. Azets became his home away from home in September 2024. He’d heard that payroll work could be hectic, and found it fit his ambitions perfectly.
“It’s been a fantastic experience. I like it when a lot is happening, and I don’t even have time to be bored. Everyone’s so friendly. Been working mostly at ADP, along with a lot of international colleagues, and I’ve always felt welcome there.”
Supportive colleagues were important
Working with the payroll system at ADP has been an interesting journey for Francisco, with main tasks involving registering employees in the system, ensuring everything is correct, and adhering to Norwegian regulations. It's crucial to be well-versed in the laws here, which can be quite different from other countries, especially regarding payroll, sick leave, and vacations.
“My amazing colleagues were incredibly supportive as I adjusted to my role at Azets, and having a team to back me up was crucial while learning how to do new tasks.”
While he handles some Norwegian accounts, Francisco’s primarily work is with international clients. ADP is a major player in payroll services, and Azets assist them, especially when clients have a few employees in Norway and many more abroad. Most of the communication happens in English, which makes things easier when Francisco juggles such a diverse clientele.
Fun to experience international work cultures
Francisco explains that navigating work cultures across different countries can be quite an adventure. With experience from working in Spain, the US, and now Norway as well, Francisco appreciates the job-security and all the opportunities that Azets offers.
“A nice thing about working in Azets, is the flexibility to work from home that brings the possibility of visiting my family in Spain when I needed”.
Francisco continues with another culture difference, which is that Norwegians are more careful in their choice of words but know how to have a good time and share a great sense of humor. In Spain, it's more common to be direct and straightforward. Americans take it a step further, being extremely extroverted and outspoken.
Tennis, music and socializing
Living in Oslo, what Francisco loves most about working at Azets is the flexibility it offers.
“With my family in Spain, it's crucial for me to have the time to visit them, and the mix of office and home office makes this possible. Azets is incredibly inclusive, and I've built great friendships with my colleagues, making office days something to look forward to.”
With his fiancée being from Kristiansand, he’s learned most of the Kaptein Sabeltann songs, and in his free time, Francisco used to be the vocalist in a band. Music is a passion for Francisco, but the current priority is coaching tennis to adults and kids aged 10-15. He’s also the president of the "personalklubben," at the Oslo office which keeps him quite occupied.
At Azets, we are incredibly fortunate to have Francisco as part of our team. His journey from Elche, Spain to Oslo, Norway has brought a lot of experience and energy to our international payroll department. We're thrilled to have Francisco with us and look forward to seeing him continue to thrive and contribute to our dynamic team.