It’s a busy period in Hire Abroad’s life —our launch is set for April, and there are a lot of things to do. We checked off our to-do list by visiting ten agencies in the Netherlands last week. Here’s a quick recap of the trip!
Employment Agencies Welcomed Hire Abroad Team
Staying in touch with our employment agency partners is essential for several reasons. First, we need to ensure that all of their needs are heard and met, and that all necessary information is conveyed to them to find the best candidates.
Our connections with some of the agencies go way back, while other cooperations are fairly fresh. Either way, it was a great experience for everyone involved, and we were pretty happy with our visit.
Points of Discussion
During our stay in the Netherlands, we talked about the latest trends in the recruitment market and discussed the estimates for this year.
A majority of candidates are interested in working abroad during spring, summer, and autumn, which is also when companies need workers most. It comes as no surprise to hear that January and February were slow for the recruitment of flex workers, but this year, it was slower than usual. What we heard from our partners is that demand will grow as we approach spring this year, and they will be looking for more foreign workers.
Although the energy crisis makes companies more cautious not to overhire, they are still looking to increase diversity and recruit more with internal recruitment agencies, which is great news for everyone.
In addition, we also talked about the current challenges in international recruitment and how to solve them.
As it turned out, one of the biggest challenges is confirmation speed. Sometimes, candidates will have to wait for longer before receiving the message that they’ve got the job. This means it will also take them a lot longer until they relocate and start working, even though employers usually look for immediate hires.
Another challenge is finding the best potential candidates for specific employers, evaluating them, identifying areas for improvement, and understanding the best course of onboarding.
At the end of the day, Hire Abroad works with both employment and recruitment agencies to perfect the candidate journey for the satisfaction of all parties that participate in the process. The talks were productive and beneficial for everyone!
We Had High Expectations — The Employment Agencies Met Them
Coming to the Netherlands to talk business filled us with some high expectations for the upcoming year, and we must admit: We were not disappointed.
The agencies were more than willing to show us inside their factories and warehouses, and we could see the workers firsthand and talk to them.
Some of the workers we spoke to were recruited by our partners, and they shared positive and inspiring stories. They were satisfied with their accommodation, working hours, and conditions. Overall, they quickly grew accustomed to life in the Netherlands.
Our team talked to Ivan, for example. He works in Herleen, the country’s southernmost part. Ivan says that he got into direct contact with the agency right after his arrival and immediately got hired as a part of the driver team. After some time working with the agency, he relocated his wife and their baby to the Netherlands as well.
To make it easier for the workers, one agency organised a training centre that helps them get familiar with the job for a few days before they start. This is a nice buffer zone for the international workers, especially the ones who have yet to have hands-on experience with work and have never been in the Netherlands, as they have a chance to get some basic training before the work starts.
Enjoying the Netherlands
We had a busy few days and have done most of our team building in our rental VW T-Cross (luckily, we got this spacious car and not the cheaper option we initially booked), driving around the Netherlands. Some of the meetings were official, while the others were hangouts over dinner where we talked business and simply enjoyed some time together.
We also managed to catch up with Johan, our CEO, who’s been spending some time in the Netherlands, and together we saw the windmills and ate a lot of great food. We can officially say–we got the best out of this visit to the Netherlands.
We came home tired but happy with everything we’d achieved.
Making sure that only the best employment and recruitment agencies join Hire Abroad is our priority, and we look forward to similar visits and touchpoints!
Stay tuned with Hire Abroad and expect more updates about the launch. If you want to ensure you join us in the first wave, schedule a call with our team so we can onboard you early!
