Sun, 17 May 2026 06:50:55 +0200 Sun, 17 May 2026 06:50:55 +0200 ContentFeeder 2.0 What to Keep in Mind  1. Don’t Sign Anything Right Away  If your employer presents you with a settlement agreement (VSO), take your time to review it carefully. This is a legally binding...]]> Thu, 13 Mar 2025 10:11:23 +0100
Scammers are getting smarter. They now use well-known company names and logos to appear more credible. Recruitment scams are becoming more common as a result. Unfortunately, we also receive reports of scam messages in the name of Together Abroad. This mainly occurs through WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, and Instagram. Certainly not our intention! Are you in doubt about a message you received from us? Check below for what to do in case of agency fraud or spam through WhatsApp and other social media channels in our name.

We want to...]]> Fri, 13 Oct 2023 20:53:50 +0200
Global mobility has become increasingly common in today's globalized economy. Pursuing an international career can be a rewarding experience, but it can also bring significant challenges, particularly for accompanying spouses. One of the most significant challenges is the impact it can have on their spouse's career.

Many spouses have established careers, professional networks, and support systems, which they leave behind when moving to a new country. This can be particularly challenging for those who have invested years of time and effort into building their careers and establishing themselves in their chosen field. Moreover, giving up a career can have significant...]]> Fri, 05 May 2023 15:43:53 +0200
"Beyond the Employee: Why Including Spouse Career Support in Relocation Discussions is Crucial for Success"

Relocating for a job can be a daunting task, not just for the employee but also for their spouse/partner and family. However, too often, companies only communicate with the employee about the relocation, leaving the family to endure the brunt of the move. This approach can lead to increased stress, anxiety, and reduced productivity, ultimately affecting the employee's job performance.
Involving the spouse/partner and family in employee relocation discussions is crucial for a successful move. It provides an open, yet confidential forum for the family to...]]> Fri, 05 May 2023 14:43:15 +0200
Empowering Knowledge Workers: Why Outplacement is Vital for Career Transitions

In today's rapidly evolving job market, career transitions have become a common occurrence for many knowledge workers. Whether it's due to changes in the industry, restructuring within a company, or personal growth aspirations, navigating a career transition can be both exciting and challenging. To ensure a smooth and successful transition, outplacement services have emerged as a vital resource for empowering knowledge workers.

But what exactly is outplacement? And why is it so crucial for knowledge workers? Let's delve deeper into this topic and explore the benefits of outplacement in empowering knowledge...]]> Thu, 13 Apr 2023 09:59:13 +0200 If both parties are in agreement and want to come to an end of the working relationship, the transition fee does not have to be given to the employee. The legislator granted freedom for the parties to make other arrangements which could mean providing the employee with a higher or lower compensation. Employers could also provide a study or...]]> Fri, 20 Jan 2023 15:13:07 +0100 How to talk about your experiences in an interview The interview process can be daunting, but preparation and practice can go a long way. One of the most important things you can do to prepare is to think about your prior experiences, which will help you to answer many of the most common interview questions. These are what make you unique and qualified for the job, and it’s something recruiters will focus on heavily when determining whether or not you’d be a good fit – so you need to be able...]]> Mon, 07 Nov 2022 12:06:48 +0100 MIX & MATCH VOLUNTEER JOB FAIR
Interested in volunteering? Then come visit booths with local non-profits that are eager to work with
volunteers and do not require Dutch language fluency, and mingle with fellow internationals!

Join Volunteer The Hague project and dozens of the local non-profits on Thursday, 6 October for a Mix &
Match Volunteer Job Fair, taking place from 11:30 to 14:30 at The Hague Humanity Hub City Centre!
Mayor of The Hague, Jan van...]]> Mon, 12 Sep 2022 13:56:29 +0200 Each year, about 1.2 million people experience workplace harassment, such as bullying, discrimination and (sexual) harassment by colleagues or supervisors.
Employees, who have been victimized, report in sick more often than an average of seven days per year. Besides the personal suffering for those involved, it will cost employers loads of money. TNO research institute calculated that it costs employers about 1.7 billion euros per year.

Unwanted behaviour is sometimes visible, but often involves subtle remarks or behaviour that is offensive. Awareness was raised in the campaign through posters and radio of situations such as the exclusion of colleagues, unwanted massages and...]]> Tue, 30 Aug 2022 09:22:43 +0200     Undutchables HR Event: Creating Passionate Professionals       Thursday, June 16th       Undutchables invites you and your colleagues to join us at our annual HR event on Thursday the 16th of June. After 2 years we are back with the latest edition of our annual HR Event. This time the theme is passion. How can you create passionate professionals in your organisation? An afternoon filled with interesting speakers who are passionate about their work. Come and join...]]> Tue, 31 May 2022 14:16:25 +0200
Why the tightness is not caused by the ageing of the population
The ageing population is often blamed for the current shortage. But is that really true, wonders Geert-Jan Waasdorp. Ageing is part of the explanation, but certainly not the cause. But what is? Why the shortage is not due to an ageing population
When looking for an explanation for the current personnel shortages, people often mention the ageing population. This argument comes up again and again. And I don't know how often you see a security guard or hospitality worker aged 50-plus (or even older), but ageing is certainly not an issue...]]> Tue, 31 May 2022 08:50:36 +0200
Apply for paid parental leave at UWV

As of August 2, 2022, employees will have the option of receiving benefits during 9 of the 26 weeks of parental leave. For this, the employer must submit an application to the UWV, after which the agency pays the benefit to the employer.

Legally, parental leave is currently unpaid. The Paid Parental Leave Act (WBO) (article) ensures that as of August 2, 2022, an employee can take nine weeks of parental leave for each child with benefit from UWV, provided that this leave falls within the child's first year of life. The same system...]]> Tue, 17 May 2022 12:17:02 +0200
After two long years of pandemic restrictions, we at VTH are thrilled to announce that we're finally holding in-person events once again! For our first event, we'll be holding our popular Mix & Match Volunteer Job Fair on Thursday, 19 May! Join us to meet representatives from local NGOs and service organizations, meet fellow expats so that you can expand your social and professional circles, and learn important tips about the job market and volunteering from our guest speakers. Space is limited, so visit the event page to learn more about the event and register:

MIX & MATCH VOLUNTEER JOB FAIR
Interested...]]> Mon, 02 May 2022 11:55:24 +0200   You are invited to join our Expert Talk webinar:
  “Post Covid Dutch & European Employment;
Legal Trends and Necessities"
  Presented by Alain Camonier –Founder and joined owner of Pallas Employment Law, Michelle Maaien – Attorney at Law at Pallas Employment Law & our own expert Emmanuele van Houdenhoven - Collard - Sales & Recruitment Manager of Undutchables.   Register here Is 2022 really "the year of the employee"? In the current candidates' market, higher salaries, sign-on bonuses and permanent contracts, appear to be the latest Talent Acquisition...]]> Mon, 04 Apr 2022 12:50:34 +0200 Your contract or CAO states exactly how much you earn. You agreed with this with your employer when you started working. We call this your gross salary. But that amount is not what you get paid at the end of the month; that is your net pay, and it is always considerably...]]> Tue, 22 Feb 2022 17:15:47 +0100 We are going German! Join our German Candidate Week February 21st - 25th
(Scroll down for English text)

From DACH to DUTCH. Erfahre wie du bequem von deinem eigenen Wohnzimmer aus in den niederländischen Arbeitsmarkt einsteigen kannst. In der Woche vom 21. Februar veranstalten wir Online-Informationsveranstaltungen, die von Deutschsprachigen für Deutschsprachige entwickelt wurden. Freue dich auf einen spannenden Austausch mit unseren Experten! Sie werden u.a. über folgende Themen sprechen:

• Niederländisches Arbeitsrecht

• Einen Job in den Niederlanden finden

• Kulturelle Unterschiede zwischen Deutschland und den Niederlanden

Die Veranstaltung finden auf Deutsch statt und bieten dir die Möglichkeit auch andere...]]> Tue, 15 Feb 2022 15:56:52 +0100 Paid parental leave in the event of birth before 2 August 2022
On 2 August 2022, the Paid Parental Leave Act will enter into force. From then on, employees can take parental leave with a benefit from uwv. This can also be an option for employees whose child was born before 2 August 2022. 

An employee is entitled to parental leave of 26 times the working hours per week per child. From 2 August 2022, a benefit from the UWV can be received for a maximum of nine of the 26 weeks of parental leave. This benefit must amount to...]]> Tue, 08 Feb 2022 12:27:26 +0100
Within this tight labor market, it is important that a potential candidate immediately becomes enthusiastic about your vacancy. If your vacancy text does not emphasize what you are looking for, you can quickly lose candidates. It has also become even more important in this day and age to write inclusively. After all, you want to try to grab the largest possible target group. In this blog, we give you 5 tips & tricks for writing diverse, equal, and inclusive vacancy texts.

Jargon
This may be an open door, but this part is often underestimated. If you have a lot of knowledge of...]]> Mon, 29 Nov 2021 15:25:44 +0100 Are you facing redundancy as an Expat or International in the Netherlands?
It’s not an easy situation if you suspect you’re about to be made redundant, or if you already have been. And so ‘now what?’ is the foremost thought running through your mind. Change is coming for you and maybe for your family, and transitions aren’t easy or straightforward. The challenge is always insufficient planning to prepare you mentally and tactically with the right blend of skills and knowledge.

That’s why outplacement services are all about creating a real, actionable plan for you that helps you secure the next move in...]]> Mon, 11 Oct 2021 16:43:42 +0200

We are going French! Join our French Candidate Weeks

Une escapade en France… en restant aux Pays-Bas. Vous y trouverez croissants, baguettes et macarons ! Durant la quinzaine du 27 Septembre au 8 Octobre, nous organisons un rendez-vous de l'emploi pour les francophones, par des francophones. Vous pourrez écouter des leaders d'opinion et des experts qui partageront leurs connaissances sur des sujets tels que : Les différences culturelles entre la France et les Pays-Bas Le CV aux Pays-Bas Le droit du travail néerlandais ou encore, Comment utiliser LinkedIn efficacement Cet événement se déroulera entièrement en français et vous y rencontrerez d'autres...]]> Tue, 21 Sep 2021 15:26:31 +0200 On Forbes.com a very nice, recognizable list of 14 things that characterize successful people. Where do you recognize yourself?

What do successful people do?

1. They know when to go on with something and when to stop. Some things never work out. And sometimes all it takes is a different approach or a little more perseverance. They make the right choices in time.

2. They do more than is asked of them. Success is only achieved by adding value to others. The more you do this, the easier it becomes.

3. They don't think failure is a problem. The route to success is never...]]> Mon, 12 Jul 2021 16:32:42 +0200
Everyone has a little voice in his or her head. A voice that can say nice and unkind things. Sometimes it helps you but unfortunately it can also undermine you. How do you make sure you keep saying the right things to yourself? What habits make you more confident? How can you easily and in a fun way increase your self-confidence? Great questions with 7 great answers....

1. Compare yourself to yourself
Why compare yourself to someone else? No one in the whole world can be better you than you are yourself. When you don't compare yourself to anyone else, you become...]]> Mon, 12 Jul 2021 09:52:24 +0200 Work and home cannot be separated: go for tailored work happiness

Happiness is receiving increasing attention in science and in the workplace. For example, the multidisciplinary research and knowledge institute EHERO (part of Erasmus University Rotterdam) conducts applied scientific research on work happiness within an alliance of leading organizations in the service industry. Within this alliance Erik Bemelmans supports the participating organizations in the design and guidance of happiness interventions that measurably enhance (work) happiness among employees. We asked him, "What is involved?"

But first: why is there so much attention to work happiness these days?
Erik: "That's almost impossible to sum up...]]> Wed, 23 Jun 2021 10:09:20 +0200

5 tips for being less hectic

Does your work sometimes resemble a madhouse? Your company needs to grow, processes need to improve and we have high expectations of each other. But in the meantime working through all kinds of physical and virtual distractions is quite difficult. We get stressed, the work doesn't get done in the expected time and before you know it you open your laptop in the evening or at the weekend. Unintentionally, your stress seeps through to colleagues, the client, your family and friends....

Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson describe in the book "It doesn't have to be...]]> Wed, 23 Jun 2021 09:55:30 +0200
The unemployment rate drops to 3.3 percent in May

In May 2021, 309 thousand people were unemployed. That is 3.3 percent of the labor force. On average over the past three months, the number of unemployed fell by 10 thousand per month. The number of employed persons decreased by an average of 4 thousand per month over the past three months. This is according to the CBS on the basis of new figures. UWV registered almost 250 thousand current WW benefits at the end of May.
In May, 4.1 million people aged 15 to 75 were without paid work for various reasons....]]> Thu, 17 Jun 2021 10:06:20 +0200

Frequently Asked Questions about Outplacement

Have you been told that you may be laid off or have you been laid off in the meantime? Then outplacement may be something for you. The purpose of outplacement is to help employees who have been dismissed, or who are threatened with dismissal, to find a new job.

Why outplacement?
Due to the rapidly changing economy, companies are forced to adapt quickly. An employee is no longer in the right place faster than before. Outplacement ensures that this employee is guided to another job which is a good solution for both parties.

How does outplacement work?
In outplacement a...]]> Thu, 17 Jun 2021 09:48:58 +0200

What do stress and burnout mean? What is stress according to you?

Janet Mulder starts the master class with this question to the participants. All kinds of answers pass in review, including: wanting more than you can handle, an imbalance in your energy, too much tension, loss of control, a shortening of the fuse but also a form of alertness and in itself a healthy stimulus.

With these last additions the participants hit the nail on the head. We tend to interpret stress negatively, but it also has all kinds of positive functions. For example, it provides focus and structure and it...]]> Thu, 17 Jun 2021 08:56:53 +0200

From quality logos and recommendations by others to statements like "only 1 left! Numerous influencing techniques tempt you every day to make certain decisions. Last September, we attended a seminar where, among others, persuasion guru Robert Cialdini shared his principles for convincing others. We picked up 10 tips that everyone could use:

Tip 1: Use expert opinion
One of Cialdini's principles is authority. If an authority or expert says something, we tend to believe it. See if you can support your viewpoint or opinion with a testimonial or statement by an expert in that field. Can you cite scientific research that supports...]]> Tue, 15 Jun 2021 16:03:56 +0200
How do you leave a good impression, for example at a job application or at another important meeting? Professor of social psychology Roos Vonk wrote a book about how first impressions work and how people try to make a good impression. We picked out 10 practical tips to help you make a good impression.

The 10 tips

Tip 1: Understand how people make a first impression
In most cases a first impression is made automatically, without thinking about it. For example, we quickly know whether someone is confident or shy, spontaneous or closed, friendly or unfriendly, impulsive or indecisive. We deduce these things,...]]> Tue, 15 Jun 2021 15:52:45 +0200
Working from home, the changing nature of interviews, and hiring. Interviews taking over from group interview exercises and challenges. it will be harder possibly to hire the people who best ‘fit’ if you cannot see them in person, and pick up on nonverbal communication over video calls.

The alarm goes off. It is time to get up and make your journey to work. You take the walk to work, where you stop for coffee, open up your computer and there you are, ready for your 9 am meeting with the team! This routine will of course now be familiar to millions......]]> Mon, 14 Jun 2021 15:01:04 +0200
You need to go through a few steps to get a job. First, you have to send your CV and hope that it is attractive enough for recruiters. If all your experiences and profile management can attract attention through your CV, you are chosen and called for an interview, but this is where the headache of many people begins.

Nervousness, anxiety, unpreparedness, many negative things can separate you from your long-dreamed job. Beyond your qualifications and skills, getting the job depends mainly on how you behave at the interview—what you do, what you say, and how you say it.

It...]]> Mon, 14 Jun 2021 14:44:25 +0200 How to start an international career

If you came to this website and are reading this article, you are probably looking for a job outside your home country and looking for an international career, right? Building an international career abroad is a long-term process that can bring you many great experiences, benefits and personal satisfaction. However, it also demands hard work and complete dedication.

International careers do not just happen. They are planned carefully and built up over a while. It is a fundamental fact that international employers want you to have an international experience before sending you to work...]]> Wed, 28 Apr 2021 12:46:20 +0200 Proposal paid parental leave through House of Representatives

A majority of the Lower House has endorsed the proposal for the Paid Parental Leave Act. Among other things, the bill provides that employees can receive nine weeks of parental leave benefits starting in the summer of 2022.

The proposal for the Paid Parental Leave Act is the elaboration of a European directive for a better work-life balance for parents. The Netherlands must incorporate this directive into national law by August 2, 2022 at the latest. That date seems feasible, now that the House of Representatives has agreed. However, an agreement from the...]]> Wed, 28 Apr 2021 09:57:16 +0200
As of July 1, 2021, statutory vacation days accrued by employees in 2020 will, in principle, expire. The employer is required to alert employees to that expiration date and give them the opportunity to still use the vacation days.

If the employer does not inform the employee in time or is unclear about the expiry period (infographic), the employee retains his right to the unused statutory vacation days after the expiry period. In that case, these statutory vacation days will only become time-barred five years after the year in which they were accrued, just like the statutory vacation days. This...]]> Tue, 20 Apr 2021 15:12:25 +0200
Imposter syndrome: how can employees and employers deal with it

Have you ever doubt your skills or you constantly feel you are not good enough at work? Well, if the answer is yes, you might have imposter syndrome. This is the name given to a behavior pattern where people doubt their success and accomplishments despite strong evidence to the contrary. They have an internalised fear of being exposed as a fraud.

Research reveals that imposter syndrome is related to anxiety, depression and low self-worth, and it has a negative impact on wellbeing through stress, anxiety and feelings of isolation, inhibiting...]]> Tue, 13 Apr 2021 08:18:26 +0200
Female representation and gender inequality at work

Gender inequalities persist in social and economic life around the world. OCDE (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) says that young women have more years of schooling than young men, on average. However, women are still less likely to engage in paid work. Gaps widen with age, as motherhood typically has adverse effects on women’s pay and career advancement. Women are also less likely to be entrepreneurs and are under-represented in private and public leadership.
According to the European Comission’s website, women remain underrepresented in the labour market. 67% of women are currently in...]]> Thu, 01 Apr 2021 16:09:03 +0200
Outplacement or redundancy services: why it is so important?

We live in a time when the modern job market is more complex, competitive and accelerated. It is an environment that is constantly evolving and constitutes a new and frequent job market. As a result, employees now need outplacement support that is more responsive, timely and personalized, provided by experts who can provide flexible and results-focused support.

Outplacement or redundancy services are a great way to support employees who are facing a career transition, especially in these extraordinary times when many people left without a job due to the pandemic.

Outplacement...]]> Wed, 24 Mar 2021 10:59:52 +0100
Coronavirus and the effect on the labor market in the Netherlands

The whole world has been facing the COVID-19 pandemic for one year. To contain the virus, the ideal is to avoid people from leaving their homes, and this implies in close stores, shops, restaurants, bars, and, when possible, making them work from home. However, the closure of all these places reflects both on the economy and unemployment and possible hiring, and such as many other countries, the Netherlands also faces this impact of the coronavirus on the labor market.

Figures released by the Centraal Bureau van Statistiek (CBS) revealed...]]> Mon, 22 Mar 2021 09:55:23 +0100

Getting ready for your Future Proof Job

From Career Transition
Feel supported during the transition and focus positively on your next career step.

To Your Future Job
Together we find and secure the right opportunity, quickly and effectively.

By Having Expert Support
Get direction in an increasingly complex and fast-paced job market. Our outplacement services are built around your needs with your own Expert Career Coach.

Surviving the storm and riding the perfect wave

1.PERSONAL INTAKE
We have the experience and flexibility to build a tailored outplacement solution that works for you. Personalised, flexible, results focussed and fit for the modern...]]> Mon, 06 Apr 2020 15:25:14 +0200 ...]]> Sat, 27 Feb 2021 16:44:34 +0100

If an employer receives an unsolicited CV of a suitable candidate from a recruitment agency, this does not automatically mean that the employer may not approach the candidate directly. This is evident from a recent ruling in which the court rejected the agency's claim for compensation.


The employer, a logistics service provider, had posted a vacancy on its website. A recruitment agency sent the employer an e-mail that it had a suitable candidate. The employer expressed interest. A week later, the agency emailed the candidate's resume to the employer and, shortly thereafter, the cooperation agreement with the terms and conditions....]]> Tue, 16 Feb 2021 10:30:05 +0100     It's a big week for Undutchables.
They are turning 25! On February 5th they celebrate their 25th birthday and they would like to take this time to
thank you for your continuous support. You’re a part of our journey.

A company's history tells its story. For Undutchables, on their 25th anniversary, they want to invite you to relive Undutchables' history by sharing a few glimpses of the past 25 years. Curious about how it all began? Read about our story here.

Celebrate with...]]> Mon, 01 Feb 2021 13:46:52 +0100
Working in 2021: what will that look like?

Because of the coronapandemic, our way of working looks completely different than it did a year ago. But to what extent are these changes permanent? If corona is on its way out, what will working in 2021 look like? Will we all go back to the office or will working from home be here to stay? And what will the workplace of the future look like? We outline 2021 in six trends and developments in working.

1. We will continue to work at home (in part)
Last summer, the KiM (Netherlands Institute for Transport Policy...]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2021 12:54:24 +0100

You are invited to join our Expert Talk:

"Practical Agile Methodologies to realize your 2021 business goals with your (remote) team"

Presented by Jo Gelok- Change & Program Manager and owner of RedValue & our own expert Marjan Stoit- Sales & Recruitment Manager at Undutchables.

2021 is closing in. Despite the unpredictability of these times due to COVID pandemic, you are probably busy with your plans for 2021. But since everyone is still working remotely and this seems to stay this way for a large part of the new year it might seem challenging how to get everyone in your...]]> Thu, 03 Dec 2020 14:26:36 +0100
Deeknemen niet meer mogelijk, trajecten zijn vergeven
GRATIS LOOPBAANONTWIKKELINGSADVIES MET OVERHEIDSSUBSIDIE

Gratis loopbaanontwikkelingsadvies met overheidssubsidie

Bent u op zoek naar een andere baan en weet u niet wat uw competenties zijn, waar uw interesse ligt en wat uw kansen zijn op de arbeidsmarkt?

Heeft u een Nederlands BSN-registratienummer? Dan is deze gratis Loopbaanontwikkelingssubsidie voor jou mogelijk.

Via de Nederlandse leersubsidie kun je vanaf 1 december 2020 een gratis coachingstraject volgen.
De subsidie wordt heropend voor 50.000 mensen.

Intake en arbeidsmarktscan
Het programma start met een telefonische intake en een arbeidsmarktscan. In de telefonische intake bespreken we uw situatie en wat uw vraag is.
U ontvangt een online vragenlijst...]]> Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:59:51 +0100
Adzuna's City Ranking 2020:
The best cities for jobseekers

St Petersburg has been named the best city in the world for job-seekers, followed by Vienna (2nd place), Moscow (3rd place) and Frankfurt (4th place)
Utrecht ranks fifth in the international rankings as the best Dutch city for jobseekers, beating cities such as Rotterdam (6th place), Eindhoven (11th place) & Amsterdam (17th place).
Most work is available in Moscow, New York, St Petersburg and London, with between 100,000 and 250,000 vacancies per city.
Jobseekers looking for...]]> Mon, 30 Nov 2020 18:38:01 +0100
Not available all spots taken.
Free Career Development Advice with government subsidy

Are you looking for another job and don't know what your competences are, where your interest lies and what your chances are in the job market?

Do you have an Dutch BSN registration nr? Then this free Career development Advice subsidy good work work for you..

Through the Dutch learning subsidy you can follow from 1 December 2020 a free coaching program.
The subsidy will be reopened to 50,000 people.

Intake and labour market scan
The program starts with a telephone intake and a labour market scan. In the telephone intake we discuss your...]]> Fri, 27 Nov 2020 16:17:43 +0100 SURVEY : Expat partners are an untapped source of highly-skilled labour

A survey of people who moved to the Netherlands to be with their partners who either lived or were posted here shows seven in 10 gave up their career or business to relocate. And despite claims that the Netherlands has plenty of jobs for international workers, almost seven in 10 said not speaking Dutch was a problem when trying to find a job.

‘Even though the official work in all the tech companies is done in English, the culture within the organisation compels you to learn Dutch or else...]]> Sat, 21 Nov 2020 11:21:20 +0100
On Monday 28 September, the cabinet announced in a press conference in connection with tightened coronary measures that the limited capacity test will not be introduced in the Tozo 3 on 1 October 2020. The capital test will in any case expire on 1 April 2021. This means that entrepreneurs can apply for Tozo 3 for the period from 1 October 2020 up to and including 31 March 2021. For the period from 1 April 2021 to 30 June 2021, a new application procedure will follow for Tozo 4. Read the Kamerbrief HERE
The Cabinet realizes that municipalities have been preparing...]]> Thu, 08 Oct 2020 13:42:20 +0200 You are invited to join our Expert Talk webinar: Diversity on the workfloor; How to make sure your female applicants make it to the final cut

Presented by Wendy Broersen - CEO and Founder of Superwomen Academy & our own expert Marjan Stoit - Sales & Recruitment Manager at Undutchables

Register here

We all would like to see more female applicants and make sure there are female professionals on the short list. But how do you do that? In this talk Wendy Broersen addresses all phases of the hiring process and beyond, to highlight what you can do to make...]]> Mon, 07 Sep 2020 15:08:45 +0200
Can’t seem to find your dream internship in the FMCG industry? So many questions appeared, such as “Is my academic background good enough” or “Do I need to speak a foreign language?” These concerns should not stop you from landing on an amazing internship in FMCG. However, pre-requirements do mess with applicants’ minds but don’t worry. Let me ease your concerns by tearing these pre-requirements apart, as a recruitment intern at Henkel

Your spirit matters!
Of course, you are worried that people might have better academic backgrounds, results, or skills. However, at some companies like Henkel, it does not matter...]]> Tue, 21 Jul 2020 16:01:56 +0200
Webinar: The consequences of Covid-19 on the Dutch labor market and what you (as job-seeker) can expect by Undutchables
The Covid pandemic has impacted practically every aspect of life. And this is no different for the Dutch Labour market. During this webinar we will touch on aspects that were influenced by Covid-19 with a focus on the Dutch labour market. We will go into details on what onboarding looks like now and our predictions for the future. We will also share some inside scoop on how our clients are adapting their business in response to Covid-19.

Another focal point will be...]]> Wed, 15 Jul 2020 18:36:52 +0200
Reading time : 5 mins

Now it is time for all of us who navigated this pandemic safely, to face new challenges that awaits us. COVID19 changed all our lives in ways than we can imagine. I began this year in HR by focusing on building critical skills and competencies to meet the digital disruption that was widespread. However, COVID-19 drove an unprecedented transformation in business and ways of working in a very short period of time. The way we lead people, the way we manage our workforce and the tools have to be changed now. In this brief post,...]]> Wed, 17 Jun 2020 18:16:23 +0200
In a recent lawsuit in Amsterdam, a verdict was reached that an employer may not halve an employee’s salary because of the coronavirus crisis. The employer in question had done so because the compensation received through the NOW scheme was too low to pay the full salary.

The employer involved in the lawsuit, who runs a restaurant in Amsterdam, found himself in financial trouble as a result of the coronavirus crisis. In March, he applied for compensation through the NOW scheme and received 60% of the wage bill of January 2020 as monthly compensation. He responded by paying all of...]]> Tue, 09 Jun 2020 10:46:03 +0200
Student with side job eligible for income support through TOFA scheme

TOFA New scheme for flex workers
There will be a scheme for flex workers: the Temporary Bridging Scheme for Flexible Workers (TOFA). The TOFA is intended for employees with a flexible contract, who have (almost) no income and cannot receive a benefit due to the corona crisis.

Minister Koolmees of the Ministry of Social Affairs has directed the UWV to implement the temporary scheme for flextime workers, called the TOFA. This scheme allows flextime workers who have had at least €400 in income in February 2020 to apply for...]]> Tue, 09 Jun 2020 10:36:54 +0200

Dismissal on probation
How does the trial period work?
The probationary period is a short period at the beginning of an employment contract in which the employment contract can be terminated immediately by both the employer and yourself. There is only a probationary period if this period has been agreed upon in writing.

Duration of the probationary period
The maximum duration of the probationary period that can be agreed depends on the length of your employment contract. For example, the probation period for an open-ended employment contract may not exceed two months. Even if there is a fixed-term employment contract...]]> Mon, 08 Jun 2020 08:48:55 +0200
People searching for a job are not very creative when it comes to completing their LinkedIn account. Strange, because they describe themselves as specialized and focused.And there itimmediately goes wrong: for almost everyone. The site with business profiles published its annual list of most frequently used words with which users define themselves.

According to LinkedIn this shows the difficulty of making a ‘significant profile’. Many people use standard terms, resulting in the following top ten empty phrases: specialized, leadership, focused, strategic, experienced, passionate, expert, creative, innovative, and certified.

‘People find it difficult to distinguish themselves from others’, according to Anoek...]]> Sat, 06 Jun 2020 11:27:23 +0200
Are you ready to advance your career?
Virtual MBA Roadshow June 29 2020, 5:00 PM

Meet Nyenrode Business University digital and find out how an MBA program can boost your leadership impact and how you can gain an international view on business and management. Nyenrode’s unique combination of academic theory, practical relevance and personal development will enable you to apply what you learn during your MBA in the daily practice of your organization or your future career.

Which MBA suits you best?
- Full-time MBA, the European MBA based in Amsterdam.
- Executive MBA, focused on leadership and global business.
-...]]> Wed, 03 Jun 2020 21:42:27 +0200
Learn Time Balance

In our busy world, it is sometimes challenging to combine work with private and social life, while not getting stressed. The trick is in knowing and following a time balance. Here are some time-management tips which will hopefully help you to not lose your nerves and to stay efficient and happy within and outside your work. 1. Do a time audit of your regular week
Spend one week looking where and how you spend your time. Using these results, consider how you may redistribute your time to have enough for the activities you really value. Also notice...]]> Wed, 01 Apr 2020 06:07:54 +0200
Incorporating Work–Life Balance Values in Corporate Culture

The importance of the work–life balance is strong nowadays, so is our interest in it. The concept of this phenomenon has gone through major changes. The first understanding of it was the time balance between “work” and “play”, however things are much more complex. The work–life balance is the theory of appropriately prioritizing work style with lifestyle, including family, leisure time, personal development, etc. This balance is different for everybody, depending on the needs of every person. Some put great importance on their work ambitions, others emphasize on family development, or hobbies and...]]> Wed, 01 Apr 2020 06:05:14 +0200
The importance of work – life balance is growing strong nowadays, so is our interest in it. The concept of this phenomenon has gone through major changes. The first understanding of it was the time balance between “work” and “play”, however things are much more complex. The work – life balance is the theory of prioritizing appropriately workstyle with lifestyle, including family, leisure time, personal development, etc. This balance is different for everybody, depending on the needs of every person. Some put great importance on their work ambitions, others emphasize on family development or hobbies and personal time. Thus work-life...]]> Wed, 01 Apr 2020 06:03:37 +0200 NOW scheme (wages allowance for employers) is ready! counters almost open ( 31 March 2020)

During the corona crisis, the cabinet wants to protect people's jobs and incomes. Therefore, an economic emergency package was announced on March 17. One of the measures is a compensation for the wage costs for companies that are now losing turnover. The terms of this temporary emergency measure bridge for preservation of property (NOW) have been announced today. UWV strives for companies to submit an application from April 6. Companies that meet the conditions can expect an advance within two to four weeks.

Many entrepreneurs are...]]> Wed, 01 Apr 2020 05:37:41 +0200

It is possible to become less stressed if you are following these eight things:

1. Do one thing at a time.
This statement was backed up by relevant research at the Stanford University. The researchers found that “multitaskers were terrible in all three experiments, worst of all the researchers found that when frequent multitaskers attempted to focus on a single task, they used their brains less effectively than non-frequent multitaskers.” Instead of stressing yourself with many things at the same time, focus and finish one thing first, and then move to the next task.

2. Double the estimate of how...]]> Mon, 30 Mar 2020 11:37:35 +0200 Silence and noise during the Corona crisis

Professors are streaming lectures from home, students have gone to their parents, when possible, and employees are looking for possibilities to collaborate online. It is quiet at the campuses of Nyenrode Business University.

Everyone is finding their way at home between preparing sandwiches for children, conference calls, writing course outlines and reading manuals about digital teaching. On campus, in Breukelen as well as in Amsterdam, occasionally you come across a student, an employee or a professor looking for coffee, while they focus on a project that they cannot complete from home. Apart from...]]> Mon, 30 Mar 2020 08:49:46 +0200 MBA – The masterplan for your career

Join the QS MBA Event in Amsterdam this March

The key to succeed in today’s business is having the right qualification and a professional network. An MBA from a well-respected, highly-ranked business schools offers you exactly that!
The Master of Business Administration is a renowned management degree that is not only popular with its students but with companies and recruiters all over the world. Its combination of business theory, case studies and networking can upgrade your career to the next level.

Meet Top Business Schools in person

So how can you apply for...]]> Thu, 05 Mar 2020 16:36:12 +0100
WHAT IS OUTPLACEMENT & WHAT DOES AN OUTPLACEMENT SERVICE DO?
When an organization makes the tough decision to lay off employees, Outplacement Service is one of the most important parts of any severance package they offer.
Outplacement is a service offered to employees who have lost or will be losing their job to help them quickly find a new and satisfying job.

Outplacement iservice s a benefit offered by responsible organizations to help former employees quickly find a new job in the job market.
Outplacement services include career coaching, resume and CV writing, interview preparation, referrals to hiring managers and targeted...]]> Fri, 14 Feb 2020 15:40:49 +0100
Don’t worry speak Dutch - Talencoach – Albert Both

Dutch has a reputation for being very difficult. Dutch people love to say that their language is one of the hardest languages to learn.But…if you look at it objectively, Dutch is the closest language to English; it is as a matter of fact a kind of German light (a language that is logical and consistent, according to many people).Yes, chances are high that you’ll experience some challenges and obstacles whenever you try to learn and to speak Dutch. Even if you speak Dutch already, you may often find that somehow you...]]> Mon, 30 Sep 2019 10:42:27 +0200
Presentations at the Expat Fair, Sunday 6 October - register now!

Our extensive programme includes a wide variety of workshops and presentations, all geared to making your transition to life in the Netherlands easier. More than 40 professionals will introduce you to everything you need to know about their area of expertise: themes include Relocation, Finance, Jobs for Expats, Family, Healthcare, Education, Transport and Housing & Setting Up Home.
Get your free Expat Fair ticket here, and you will also receive a personal link to register for any presentations you want to see.

Nedles will be there to give you the...]]> Mon, 30 Sep 2019 09:52:22 +0200

Madison Parker International BV is a strategic recruitment consultancy specialized in the global placement of permanent and interim professionals, fully supporting major businesses in the commercial, finance and technology sectors in the Netherlands and various international markets.
Recently we interviewed the Management from Madison Parker International BV. We talked with Salah El Kholali, from The Hague office, who joined Madison Parker International early 2018. Besides his strong knowledge of Recruitment he build over the years, his area of expertise is Business Development & Strategy.

Tell us about your function at the Madison Parker job agency and what is the motivational driving force in your job? 
My role at Madison Parker...]]> Tue, 09 Jul 2019 17:21:51 +0200
“Happiness comes when your work and words are of benefit to yourself and others.”—Buddha

“People who are happy in life have an easy time feeling good and recovering from adversity; they have close, supportive social connections; and they believe that their presence in the world matters,” writes Emiliana Simon-Thomas, the science director of Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, on the Greater Good Magazine. Similarly, she defines happiness at work as “feeling an overall sense of enjoyment at work; being able to gracefully handle setbacks; connecting amicably with colleagues, coworkers, clients, and customers; and knowing that your work matters to yourself,...]]> Thu, 11 Jul 2019 10:40:16 +0200 “The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.”— Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen monk and mindfulness meditation master.

Mindfulness is the ability to be aware of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surroundings in a gentle, non-judgmental way. When we practice mindfulness in our daily lives, our thoughts tune into what we are sensing in the present moment rather than dwelling in the past or imagining the future, thus helping us to become calmer and kinder to ourselves and others.

Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program in the United...]]> Wed, 05 Jun 2019 20:03:55 +0200 Google for Jobs Is Coming to the Netherlands

Rumor has it that Google’s job search engine Google for Jobs is coming to the Netherlands. Is that true? Apparently yes, and very soon. Even though the service is available in a few countries, it is not fully available in Europe yet. On April 2019, however, Emerce reported that Google for Jobs was already being tested in the Netherlands and France. Richard Collins from ClickID, one of Google’s partners, told Emerce: “Google for Jobs is reportedly testing in the Netherlands and France, theoretically they could launch before the summer.”

Google for Jobs...]]> Wed, 15 May 2019 20:02:27 +0200 Join the Undutchables team and internationals from all over the world for one of the most anticipated parties of the year. On May 18th 2019 we will be hosting our annual Eurovision Songfestival party. Just like every year the party will have a theme, this year the theme is Calling all Comic & Superheroes. You are invited to put your mask on and party with us. Are you feeling heroic?
There will be a private viewing area with Silent Disco where you can watch the Song Contest unfold. At the same time we will have a DJ downstairs for those...]]> Mon, 29 Apr 2019 12:18:10 +0200
The world is changing fast and so is the world of work. Technological transformation, global competition, and demographic change are affecting drastically how we work, consume and live. These three factors, according to the study Employment and Social Developments in Europe 2018, have determined two trends in the European labor market: Human capital quality improvement (reskilling) and highly diverse forms of work (atypical working).

Atypical work, defined by Eurofound (European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions), is any employment relationship that do not conform to the standard or ‘typical’ model of full-time, regular, open-ended employment with a single...]]> Tue, 23 Apr 2019 14:50:26 +0200 Employer Branding and What It Comprises?
In an era driven by Artificial Intelligence and Automation, Employer Branding is the much-needed human touch to a company. According to LinkedIn, 80% of HR managers and recruiters around the world agree that a great brand makes it easier to recruit the right talent. Before diving into the details of employer branding, it is essential to highlight the differences between certain terminologies that are often misused synonymously.

Corporate Brand (CB), or simply ‘the brand,’ encompasses a firm’s business and the product or service they sell – brand as a service provider. CB can be perceived...]]> Tue, 16 Apr 2019 15:53:16 +0200
“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.”—Harvey Firestone, American businessman and founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company.

Well-being, in short, is the state of being comfortable, healthy, and happy. Can the work environment be a place where people feel comfortable, healthy and happy? Yes, it can, and it should be. Focusing on employees’ well-being is not only the right thing to do: “Following the greatness of human spirit, everyone should be given an equal opportunity to acquire knowledge, develop skills, and use his or her natural talents in the workplace, thus creating joy.“—says...]]> Wed, 10 Apr 2019 20:11:16 +0200 How to Attract Top Talent

‘Top talent’ is a buzzword that is thrown around a lot in the job marketplace. As the job market has grown naturally competitive, the demand for the best possible workers has grown exponentially. A wrong recruit can end up costing money, time and training if they turn out to be a bad fit, but on the other hand, companies want to know how to attract workers who will go above and beyond what is expected of them.

What Is ‘Top Talent’?

While the general idea of top talent constitutes an ideal employee, who performs or...]]> Tue, 09 Apr 2019 13:05:17 +0200 Do’s and Don’ts of HR Analytics People are the core of business. It is known that, among executives’ global business concerns, human capital is the top issue. Organizations that can attract the right skills, manage talent and utilize its capacity effectively, and retain employees will be paving their way for long-term success. Today, however, human resources departments (HR) of most organizations are generating enormous amounts of data that can be difficult to assimilate. The question is how to turn this data into valuable insights that support decision making. Here is where HR analytics comes into play.

Human resource analytics (HR...]]> Tue, 02 Apr 2019 13:00:32 +0200 6 Steps to Effective Time Management How many times have you heard someone say: “There aren't enough hours in the day?” It is easy to spiral further into a stressful state after taking on an unrealistic workload or not effectively managing your time. Workloads can become overwhelming and social lives suffer, yet this does not have to be the case. Practicality, communication, and positivity are essential in ensuring deadlines are met and stress levels are kept to a minimum. Here are six steps to go about effective time management:

1. Prioritise

The best starting point in time management is to create a...]]> Mon, 25 Mar 2019 21:26:11 +0100 The Do’s and Don’ts of Social Recruitment

According to the Arberdeen group, 73% of millennials found their last job through a social media site. The use of social platforms as a talent database or advertising platform is a shift in the employment landscape that takes advantage of online engagement to actively seek out top talent through building company brand awareness and online reputation. Having a company with a large online presence that clearly communicates its values significantly reduces the time it takes to fill in vacancies.

With 75% of potential hires not actively searching for a new role, it is up...]]> Tue, 19 Mar 2019 15:46:44 +0100
Generation Z (Gen Z) refers to the population born between 1995 and 2012—people of 23 years-old in average today—which will be forming the modern workforce, and that, according to United Nations, will account for 32 per cent of the global population in 2019. Compared to previous generations X (millennials of 48 years-old in average) and Y (32 years-old in average), Gen Z brings new characteristics to the table that represent a challenge and an opportunity to those companies aware of the emergence of this new talent wave.

Different generations usually differ, but there might be a special ground for challenge...]]> Tue, 12 Mar 2019 14:11:23 +0100 “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”—John Quincy Adams, President of the United States from 1825 to 1829.

Positive leadership, according to the Financial Times’ lexicon, are the principles that promote thriving at work, interpersonal flourishing, virtuous behaviors, positive emotions, and energizing networks. It focuses on facilitating the best of the human condition to emerge—its virtuousness—and thus, motivate people to unlock their potential inside the organizations.

Inspiring positive emotions in the workplace is highly beneficial and widely documented within scientific research and positive psychology. Positive emotions like joy,...]]> Thu, 07 Mar 2019 16:31:55 +0100
It has been a while since my last job interview, so last June, I was a bit nervous when I received an invitation to give a short presentation to my potential new managers. For me, the difficulty is not so much as to what to say—that part I can thoroughly research and rewrite (I use the STAR method). The part I find most nerve-wracking is adapting my attitude and behaviour within the first moments of the interview itself.

Personality Traits

Up to a certain point, attitude and behaviour can be prepared. There are some do’s and don’ts that one is...]]> Mon, 04 Feb 2019 13:12:59 +0100
Why You Should Put Millennials at the Heart of Your International Hiring Strategy

There are three forces acting on the world of international hiring and assignments and these are creating a need for recruiters and HR to shift their strategic focus to the Millennial Generation (Born 1998 -2002).

This does not mean discarding Generation Y (Born 1965 1982) and Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964), as a multi-generational hiring strategy will lead to diverse teams that are more flexible and adaptable and more high performing; I am fully behind multi-generational teams!

However, the demographic shifts that are occurring in the candidate marketplace...]]> Thu, 15 Nov 2018 15:09:40 +0100 Why Job Recruitment Agencies Are Needed in a Flexible Economy

As the Dutch economy continues to grow, some of it as a result of its fast-expanding digital economy, some have questioned the role of the Netherlands’ job recruitment agencies (uitzendbureaus) that have always played a significant role in its unique working culture. These temporary employment agencies owe their existence to the economic climate of the second half of the 20th century—a period of economic fluctuation within various sectors. In general, this is also evident in sectors like the agricultural industry, which calls on temporary workers based around the seasonal growth...]]> Mon, 12 Nov 2018 12:35:17 +0100 Why I volunteer at Together Abroad
Like many who graduate from university, it was a challenge for me to find a job that would cater to my academic strengths. I found myself caught in a catch-22 situation that many graduates find themselves in; needing to find a job for professional experience, but not having enough professional experience to land a job. Discovering volunteering opportunities can be an effective way to break the loop, and it shows future employers that you are a proactive individual that keeps finding opportunities where they can.
Having completed a philosophy degree, I wanted to find...]]> Fri, 12 Oct 2018 13:46:30 +0200 How to Fit into a Multicultural Work Place

We live in a multicultural world, full of varied ideas, beliefs and cultural backgrounds mixing in constant flux. This phenomenon is contemporary to our increased globalization, where multicultural workplaces are not just a result, but the desirable mirror of a plural and diverse society. Diversity brings about debates on openness, inclusiveness, communication, and respect, while cultural competence, the ability to interact effectively with people from other cultures, becomes one of the critical skills to master in these working environments.

Cultural diversity manifests in the values, norms, and traditions that affect the way...]]> Wed, 10 Oct 2018 15:35:24 +0200 Salary Negotiations

Last year, the news buzzed with articles about economic discrimination between women and men. The Dutch News Broadcast NOS wrote a short article on why women are less successful when it comes down to salary negotiations. According to the article, women use insecure language more often; they downplay their own qualities and results; they have less confidence during the negotiations.
The article used the discrepancy between the salary of men and women as its topic to focus on the pitfalls of women, but it applies to anyone who wishes to tackle their salary. When it comes to negotiating,...]]> Thu, 04 Oct 2018 13:14:56 +0200 Jobseekers’ Diaries: “Paying your dues” at Entry-level

“There’s a fine line between putting in the time and staying too long. How do you know when you’re paying your dues or wasting your work? It all depends on how you define and interpret the phrase.”

A traditional work motto I consistently use as a mantra is: “You gotta pay your dues.” Typically, when weekdays are long and tough, I repeat this to myself. However, this motto can be perceived differently depending on your mindset. Those who blame others for their problems, or those who tell others they are “lucky” in life...]]> Fri, 28 Sep 2018 15:01:09 +0200 Your Talent Value as a Personal Brand

For young professionals at the start of their career, their talents and potentials may go unrecognized, as they are yet to learn and experience how to effectively communicate their skills and abilities. To overcome this barrier, start with developing a strong personal brand and learning how to ‘sell’ it.

Measuring one’s talent value is an exercise in self-discovery. One area to begin in is to ask those who know you well to describe you with three words. This can show how people perceive you and what characteristics of yours tend to stand out....]]> Wed, 26 Sep 2018 15:23:47 +0200
COME AND MEET ADAMS MULTILINGUAL RECRUITMENT FOR A SPEED INTERVIEW THE AMSTERDAM EVENT TAKES PLACE ON 25TH OCTOBER

Have you ever been on a speed date? How about a speed interview? A speed interview is a one-on-one interview lasting about 10-15 minutes. Speed interviewing is a great opportunity for companies and recruitment agencies to get in touch with qualified candidates in one session. It is also an extraordinary chance for anyone searching for a job to receive valuable tailor-made advice.

Adams Multilingual Recruitment is hosting 2 Speed Interviewing Events and we are inviting participants to register with us now to attend!...]]> Mon, 08 Oct 2018 10:18:35 +0200

Effective Communication with Management

“He doesn’t understand me at all” is what my colleague said, as she fell back in her chair earlier this week. She has mixed feelings about management in general. They are busy with meetings but have no clue what we actually do; asking them anything will never result in clear or workable answers; their well-meant new ideas are only an extra burden to our already overflowing workdays. Relations between employees and their managers are not always positive. Many of the clients I speak to do not have the best of memories and experiences with their direct...]]> Mon, 24 Sep 2018 16:08:54 +0200  

How to Be Wanted by Recruiters

In the stressful business of applying for jobs, recruiters are often the primary gateway to getting the position. Winning them over has many elements, and each one takes some unpacking before you have a strategy that will work. A good CV is an essential part of that strategy, but it is not the only one. Your personal brand, your education, your work experience and even your values all factor into how recruiters view you as a potential candidate.


Recruiters are people too. They are there to find candidates for jobs, not jobs for candidates....]]> Mon, 24 Sep 2018 12:21:13 +0200
Career theory often highlights the importance of role models as a motivational tool for aspirants to set and reach ambitious goals in their career paths. The consensus is that role models provide a positive and nurturing effect for aspirants. Typically, a role model is someone who has already achieved the career goals one desires, sometimes sharing a similar background, mind-set, and core values; in other words, an ideal self-reflection of oneself in the future.

Recent research has backed up the usefulness of role models with similar backgrounds, showing that strong female role models can encourage women to pursue careers in male-dominated...]]> Wed, 19 Sep 2018 14:06:19 +0200
The changes for HR in 2019


What will HR professionals notice about the plans that the Cabinet has in store for 2019? The budget of the Rutte III cabinet provides a little more purchasing power. But much also depends on employers and trade unions: they have to provide higher wages and conclude an agreement on pensions. Personeelsnet gives an extensive overview here of measures that HR will face in 2019.


HR professionals will encounter many changes next year, such as: an extension of maternity leave, change to the chain scheme, and compensation for the transition allowance.


Personeelsnet below lists the...]]> Mon, 24 Sep 2018 09:01:07 +0200
The Dutch Cabinet announces reforms in the labor market

The Budget Memorandum and the Tax Plan for 2019 have been presented. Here are the highlights for the labor market.

The 'Opportunities for the future' section of the Budget Memorandum 2019 endorses the government's desire for a smooth, balanced labor market. There is not much news on this part, as the intentions of the cabinet were already known. However, the changes are very significant to HR.

Labor market and economy

In the Budget Memorandum 2019, the Cabinet first makes room to determine the importance of a good labor market for the economy: “To...]]> Mon, 24 Sep 2018 08:30:22 +0200
Behaviour to Avoid in the Dutch Workplace

Once you have a job in the Netherlands, the next step is to adapt to the Dutch way of doing business. Depending on your cultural background this will either come as a big shock or a small adjustment to your expectations. It is essential to understand the Dutch workplace, and which behaviour you should avoid, to be successful in your career in the Netherlands. What is clear is that the Dutch take their Nederlandse werkcultuur seriously, with the country having a healthy sense of work-life balance and some of the shortest working weeks...]]> Mon, 24 Sep 2018 10:30:44 +0200
In previous jobs, and now in my role as a content writer, I have made a lot of mistakes. I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly during dozens of conducted job interviews, and I am consistently amazed at how basic the things are that usually go wrong.

My first job interview is one of those awkward events in life that keep me awake at night. I was eager to make a good impression, so I decided to go there at least 30 minutes in advance. It was not something unusual for me – I am well-known among...]]> Wed, 19 Sep 2018 13:36:19 +0200 In the stressful business of applying for jobs, recruiters are often the primary gateway to getting the position. Winning them over has many elements, and each one takes some unpacking before you have a strategy that will work. A good CV is an essential part of that strategy, but it is not the only one. Your personal brand, your education, your work experience and even your values all factor into how recruiters view you as a potential candidate.

Recruiters are people too. They are there to find candidates for jobs, not jobs for candidates. This distinction means recruiters are put...]]> Tue, 11 Sep 2018 15:32:01 +0200
The Do’s and Dont’s in the Egalitarian Dutch Workplace

The Netherlands provides businesses with a perfect strategic location from which to serve markets within the EU, including central and Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The openness of the Dutch economy is one of the reasons why the Netherlands is extremely popular with foreign companies. And, of course, its egalitarian model of the workplace. In the egalitarian model, employees have general job descriptions, rather than specific ones as with the traditional hierarchical corporate structure. They also work collaboratively on tasks and behave as equals, instead of reporting to a superior....]]> Tue, 28 Aug 2018 16:10:45 +0200

Branding is essential for every company to attract new partners, customers and candidates. Branding helps build strong and long-term relationships by increasing the brand awareness within the industry. Nowadays, companies try to recruit talents that they can benefit from, including at a reduced cost of hire, and with useful results and positive recognition. In fact, there are specific practices of branding that employers can apply to recruit talent effectively.

According to a 2014 research from HR analyst Aptitude Research Partners, 1 in 4 companies is not confident about their employer branding. Employer branding consists of a combination of functional, economical...]]> Fri, 20 Jul 2018 14:05:23 +0200
Flexible labour and self-employment in the Netherlands are on the rise, says an overview report by TNO Innovation for Life and Statistics Netherlands. Workers with a flexible employment contract have risen from 12% in 2001 to 16% in 2012. In 2014, the proportion of Dutch employees with a flexible work relationship increased even further to 22%, according to the report. This makes the Netherlands one of the top three EU15 countries with high rates of labour market flexibility, right behind Portugal and Spain. The group of flexible workers is diverse, and it is comprised of:
• employees with a fixed-term...]]> Fri, 20 Jul 2018 13:52:55 +0200  
Employee development matters. Successful companies not only invest in human capital, they also know how relevant it is to focus on employees’ welfare and continued learning to maintain engagement and creativity inside their organizations. Helping people reach their fullest potential means investing in the future by fostering productivity and retaining talent within the group.

Studies have shown that organizations with a career development program demonstrate up to 250% higher productivity (Scales, 2012); 25% higher employee retention (Deloitte Research Brief, 2012); 10% sales improvement (Sales Enablement Optimization Study, 2016); and 13% stronger business results (Bersin, 2011). Besides improving productivity, retention, sales,...]]> Fri, 20 Jul 2018 13:44:00 +0200 Business culture thrives on managers. Managers drive their organizations. And nothing is more important than the place where they perform. That is why it is vital for companies to position the right person at the right place. But great managers are scarce. In general, it is difficult to find the exact combination of professional and human skills required to successfully lead a group of people within one person. Some of those talents, however, can be taught.

Management style will slightly differ between countries depending on their business culture. In the Netherlands’ egalitarian society, for example, managers and subordinates are expected...]]> Fri, 20 Jul 2018 13:36:11 +0200

Nowadays, more than ever, having a diverse workforce with people from different cultures and backgrounds is essential for a company’s success. A large number of managers are instilling the idea of diversity in their companies hoping to reap the benefits it brings with it.

Having a diverse work environment, however, does not necessarily mean that your company will be successful. Diversity needs to be understood on all levels and most importantly implemented accordingly in order to start seeing changes. The question most people struggle with is how to go about the concept of diversity.

Before we can answer that question,...]]> Fri, 20 Jul 2018 13:18:17 +0200
Flexible labour and self-employment in the Netherlands are on the rise, says an overview report by TNO Innovation for Life and Statistics Netherlands. Workers with a flexible employment contract have risen from 12% in 2001 to 16% in 2012. In 2014, the proportion of Dutch employees with a flexible work relationship increased even further to 22%, according to the report. This makes the Netherlands one of the top three EU15 countries with high rates of labour market flexibility, right behind Portugal and Spain. The group of flexible workers is diverse, and it is comprised of:
• employees with a fixed-term...]]> Thu, 21 Jun 2018 09:10:34 +0200
We have shared a lot with you about our company, our events, the Netherlands as a country and their traditions. We feel like it is high time you got acquainted with some of our colleagues. This ‘recruiter’ blog will give you more insight into the life of a recruiter, the challenges they face, their most memorable moments and their guilty pleasures. This week we will introduce the Utrecht recruiter, Oliver Gell. Enjoy!


1. How did you end up in recruitment?

Recruitment has been something that I have wanted to be a part of for the past 4 years. In 2017...]]> Mon, 28 May 2018 16:15:22 +0200

Adams Multilingual Recruitment has been established for over 20 years and is known in the international market for placing well-qualified, highly-educated, multilingual candidates in junior, mid-level and senior roles with leading companies throughout the Netherlands.
Recently we interviewed two Senior Recruitment Consultants from Adams. We talked with Sylvia Lubak, from the Amsterdam office and Audrey Monje, from the Rotterdam branch. Sylvia joined Adams in 2010. Her area of expertise is placing Finance and IT candidates with international companies. Audrey joined Adams in 2013. She has 2 specialist fields - Supply Chain & Logistics and Multilingual Customer Service roles. 

What is...]]> Tue, 01 May 2018 14:50:37 +0200
SPOUSE | PARTNER CAREER SUPPORT in the Netherlands
Why Partner Employment is a Key Issue for Company's Hiring Expats

Why should partner| Spouse employment be a key issue for international employers looking to hire overseas applicants into their business? Well, according to a unique study by the Permits Foundation, titled the International Survey of Expatriate Spouses and Partners, 60% of the global workforce would be 'unlikely to relocate to a country where it is difficult for their partner or spouse to find work'. This was a very expansive study, which took in the views of 3,300 expatriate spouses and partners...]]> Mon, 30 Apr 2018 15:54:52 +0200 Dear Shimi,

Tell us about your function at Madison Parker job agency?
I am a senior international recruiter, end-to-end responsible for the external global resourcing of candidates for different types of clients who are mostly active in the following industries; supply chain, pharma, engineering, food and agriculture. They're spread across the globe. 

What is the motivational driving force in your job?
Working as a Senior Recruiter at Madison Parker, I am constantly engaged in finding (inter)national talent. In my role, I also act as a business partner and advise my Clients in their staffing needs by building and maintaining a good relationship...]]> Mon, 30 Apr 2018 15:15:02 +0200
How to Be Yourself During Interviews

What does it mean to be yourself? Why is it important in life, in any given situation, or at an interview? If we could go back in time, and see what was happening on a sunny Sunday morning when we were five, we would most likely see a precious child being totally himself or herself, enjoying life as it comes, accepting it with interest and joy. Regretfully, as we grow older, we forget this way of being, and start getting lost in the world of fear and anxiety, which has nothing to do with...]]> Mon, 16 Apr 2018 14:21:23 +0200
Conducting Work from a Distance

There are different scenarios when it comes to working from a distance—traveling from one city to the next, or one country to another, for a few hours, days, or weeks, or even relocating for a period of time. The key to improving your chances of competing for a job in another location, or conducting work from a distance, is to identify locations or job sectors where your line of work is in high demand.

Search for jobs in your expertise to standout and make your skills more valuable to an organization. Indicate in your CV...]]> Mon, 16 Apr 2018 14:17:40 +0200
The Success of Flexible Work Hours

In 2015, the Netherlands introduced the Flexible Working Act, granting workers the privilege to negotiate work hours around their personal schedule and, in some cases, the choice to work from home. Surveys have already shown that flexible hours is the most important employment condition, after salary, that people look for in a job and that it becomes increasingly valuable as workers get older.

The obvious advantage of flexible work hours is that it meets the needs of working parents who face the challenge of balancing their work and family life. Ideally, parents would want...]]> Mon, 16 Apr 2018 14:09:54 +0200
How to Learn from Successful Leaders

“Who is your role model?” is a popular interview question candidates encounter during a job interview. Interviewers can determine a lot though this question by looking at the attributes and characteristics that inspire a candidate in their career; typically, one may describe a mentor, friend or supervisor who has the desirable qualities such as determination, intelligence, good work ethic and kindness. In a lot of cases, these values are taken from successful leaders and can help one to shape themselves in their own path to success. This is true, even for those who do...]]> Mon, 16 Apr 2018 14:05:08 +0200
Smartphone Recruitment and Your CV

Today’s job market is a fast-changing landscape. A recent CareerBuilder survey found that 2 in 5 professionals intend to leave their job at the end of the year, for a variety of reasons which include better salary and work life balance. This means that you should be able to apply for a new job at a moment’s notice. Smartphones make this process possible, so it is good to be aware of the ways in which you can utilise this technology to your advantage.

It’s been about 5 years since mobile phone sales overtook PC sales for...]]> Mon, 16 Apr 2018 13:58:01 +0200
Should We Invest in Bitcoin?

Bitcoin has made the headlines in recent years, and in particular since it hit the historic value of almost $20,000 at the end of 2017, after a remarkable price run that started with the virtual currency being traded at below $1000 at the beginning of that year. This publicity went hand-in-hand with another feature of Bitcoin, which was (and is) the fact that the currency is still relatively badly understood outside of tech circles. So what is Bitcoin, and should you invest in it?

Before answering this question, it is worth reviewing a number of...]]> Mon, 16 Apr 2018 13:48:40 +0200
We can say that a CV is the best possible written representation of who you are in professional terms. A good CV, however, is more than that. It represents your only chance to capture a potential employer’s attention in a few seconds, giving him or her the very first impression of you. And that impression is crucial. It will determine your gateway to an interview and possible further achievement of your desired job; or, on the contrary, your joining the long list of applicants rejected.

A professionally crafted CV has the power to get you noticed by highlighting your talents...]]> Mon, 19 Mar 2018 17:46:51 +0100
Nowadays, having a weak LinkedIn profile, or not having one at all, is not advisable. LinkedIn offers a variety of tools and options to professionals and job seekers. Although the platform imposes specific uses and actions to its users, you can always learn to work with the network smartly. Companies and recruiters usually ask candidates to also provide them with a link to their LinkedIn profile, which is often more elaborate and detailed than the CV. Thus, try to create a strong online image of competence to impress the recruiters, by highlighting your skills and accomplishments, and be smart with...]]> Mon, 19 Mar 2018 17:28:06 +0100

Professional development and technical qualifications are key for the growth of organizations, communities and even nations. Continued education affects the job markets by adding talent, and it improves the quality of life of people as they develop their skills and acquire new ones. Especially in the wake of the economic crisis, education gives people the chance to retrain, stay up-to-date and face new roles and opportunities.

There is a new financial aid in the Netherlands for adults who want to study. The rule is meant for people older than 30 years old to ask for a credit to pay for...]]> Mon, 19 Mar 2018 17:19:16 +0100
An increasing number of Dutch students are expected to take an internship as part of their study program – they are mainly done by students seeking the valuable opportunity to gain further experience in their career, as well as gaining real-world practical knowledge that can further add to their qualifications when searching for jobs in the future. These days, internships are not only restricted to typical office jobs, but can be offered in a wide variety of fields including construction, tourism and healthcare.

In the Netherlands, students can find themselves having to take internships at many stages throughout their lives,...]]> Mon, 19 Mar 2018 16:59:49 +0100
Due to globalization, there are more and more opportunities for any kind of specialist to find a dream job and to pursue the career one finds the most attractive. However, with a rapid growth of globalization and high numbers of migration, there is a new challenge in finding a job – thriving competition. Having to compete with many diverse people might make it substantially harder to find a desirable job and a right employer. One of the key advices to any job seeker is to know what recruiters want to hear from a candidate, and what needs to be said,...]]> Mon, 19 Mar 2018 16:45:15 +0100
Determining how much you are worth in your profession is often a difficult question, especially in industries where there are no fixed salary scales. For such industries, the amount you earn is largely based on negotiations between you and your employer. Here employers often have the advantage of experience, and it can be a daunting task to go up against them as a starter, without the knowledge of how you can get the salary you deserve.

The first thing you should do to determine how much you are worth is to carry out some research. Salary calculators are a dime...]]> Mon, 19 Mar 2018 16:30:03 +0100
We live in a seemingly extroverted world, where strong communicators with charming personalities and defined characters are the image of success. Or, at least, that is the predominant definition sold to us in the media. But half of the world is filled with introverts too—quiet, smart professionals that do not necessarily need to make noise to pull attention upon themselves. They shine because of their inner power, a more truthful source than their peculiar tone of voice. Steve Wozniak, Bill Gates, and Marissa Mayer are examples of the many thoughtful, introvert and yet successful leaders.

In the sphere of business,...]]> Mon, 19 Feb 2018 17:38:43 +0100
The word ‘openness’ often carries with it a strong positive connotation. Being open is seen as a beneficial characteristic, especially in a societal context. Think about how often we encounter phrases such as: “open governments”, “open data”, “open societies”. Nonetheless, what exactly does the word “openness” entail? It can be defined as the attitude necessary to learn new things, to encounter new people, and to embark on new adventures. It is the ultimate attitude that gives all other attitudes a meaning.

Many people are afraid of being open and transparent. I used to be quick to think others will judge...]]> Mon, 19 Feb 2018 17:30:24 +0100
Applying for a job these days usually means doing so via an employment agency (uitzendbureau). But there also exists the option to apply directly to the employer, bypassing the middleman altogether. As an applicant, it is important to be aware of the relative pros and cons of using either method when applying for a new job.

One of the advantages of using an employment/recruitment agency is simply that it gives you more options. One thing to bear in mind is that in the majority of cases, an in-house HR professional or talent acquisition specialist will be looking for a specific...]]> Mon, 19 Feb 2018 17:26:11 +0100
The Netherlands has a reputation for being an open, tolerant society. With a population of about 17 million people, spread out over an area of only 40,000 square kilometers, it is the most densely populated country in Europe, with an average of 394 people per square kilometer. Such a close packing of inhabitants has resulted in the Dutch being extremely organized, in both their private and professional lives. It is therefore understandable that a culture of straight talking is the logical outcome, and this is what you will find in living and working in the Netherlands!

Although a generalization, the...]]> Mon, 19 Feb 2018 17:17:25 +0100
When you have applied for a job or already had an interview, it is important to follow up with the contact person to check the status of your application. Consider the time frame in which you expect to hear from the company and if nothing has been communicated, then take action. Do not wait for the company to contact you at this point, just contact the recruiter instead.

Pursuing the application demonstrates your interest in the position, appreciation for being considered, and enthusiasm to hearing back from the recruiter. Even if you are not hired for that specific job, you...]]> Mon, 19 Feb 2018 17:13:29 +0100
The debate about whether money can buy you happiness is an old one, and the answer (if indeed, there is one) to a large extent depends upon the person asking the question. Most people probably want to be in a job which pays well. But at what point does the size of your paycheck no longer result in a greater feeling of happiness? Recent studies offer some clues.

One of the most widely cited of such studies was done by the Scottish-American Nobel Prize winning economist Angus Deaton, in a 2010 paper (with Daniel Kahneman) which looked at the relationship...]]> Mon, 19 Feb 2018 17:09:05 +0100
Dealing with an over-friendly boss is not easy. As much as we like having friends at work, a manager who wants to be your friend comes across as trying too hard to be liked instead of respected.

The inappropriate buddy is the boss who is too friendly, and not in the team-building sort of way. He is constantly inviting you to hang out outside of work and engages in unnecessary office gossip. He uses his influence to make friends at the expense of his work. He chooses favorites and creates divisions among employees, who become frustrated by the imbalance in...]]> Fri, 12 Jan 2018 22:44:35 +0100
When you have applied for a job or already had an interview, it is important to follow up with the contact person to check the status of your application. Consider the time frame in which you expect to hear from the company and if nothing has been communicated, then take action. Do not wait for the company to contact you at this point, just contact the recruiter instead.

Pursuing the application demonstrates your interest in the position, appreciation for being considered, and enthusiasm to hearing back from the recruiter. Even if you are not hired for that specific job you...]]> Fri, 12 Jan 2018 22:41:30 +0100
Nowadays, temporary employment is booming all over the world from the United States to Japan, despite the differences in economic conditions and development. Many multinational corporations, such as McDonald’s or PepsiCo, saved preposterous sums of money by using temporary workers instead of permanent ones. Therefore, job-hopping is becoming more and more a norm that many millennials are choosing to follow.

The main difference between regular employment and short-term employment is that temporary workers are hired for a certain period of time, as is indicated in their contract. They to do all the tasks that permanent workers are supposed to, and...]]> Fri, 12 Jan 2018 21:54:44 +0100
Not many people know that the Netherlands ranks an impressive sixth place on the list of the best countries to work in the world. This ranking, updated in September 2017 and authored by The Balance, placed Luxembourg as number one, followed by Switzerland, United States, Australia, and Norway before the Netherlands. The fundamental parameters considered in the study about Dutch work are: Average income (€43.107); minimum wage (€8,17 per hour); vacations (at least 20 days); public holidays (at least 10); parental leave (16 paid weeks); healthcare (private insurance shared by employees and employers); average hours worked per week (27,3); unemployment...]]> Fri, 12 Jan 2018 21:43:51 +0100
If you want to succeed, you need to set goals. Goal setting allows you to take control of your direction in life and it provides you with a benchmark for determining whether you are actually succeeding. To accomplish your goals, however, you need to know how to set them in the first place. It is a process that starts with careful consideration of what you want to achieve and ends with a lot of hard work to actually do it. In between, there are some very well-defined steps that transcend the specifics of each goal. Knowing these steps will allow...]]> Fri, 12 Jan 2018 21:37:48 +0100
You are looking forward to start working or you are currently working, but do not feel at ease and want a job change. What should you search for? Generally speaking, motivation to look for a particular kind of job depends on each individual, but we can agree on the fact that a decent salary, the one that supports your personal lifestyle and includes social benefits and holidays, would be the basis to start thinking about a company. However, this is far from being the most important and only issue to consider.

When you are looking for your first job, or...]]> Fri, 12 Jan 2018 21:35:28 +0100
The workplace is a difficult place to be in, especially when you have to deal with angry or frustrated co-workers. Dealing with such a colleague requires a sense of tact and sensitivity. It is quite easy to get upset when you are confronted with an angry person, and if you do not know how to respond, you can easily make the situation worse. It is important to know that there are different types of anger. One type is passive-aggressive, which is often exhibited by acting ‘distantly’ or pretending not to hear requests, spreading rumors, and engaging in self-defeating behaviors. The...]]> Sun, 17 Dec 2017 18:39:03 +0100
Based on the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB) the Dutch economy is steadily growing every year, which leads to a decrease in unemployment and an increase of salaries for 2018. However, experts are being careful with speculating this forecast due to instability caused by Brexit and the unstable political situation in the United States.

General information

According to the Central Bank and CPB, contract wages should increase 2% on average in 2018. One of the main reasons of growth is declining unemployment in the country, from 6% in 2016 to 4.9% in 2017 and in 2018 to 4.3% ¬– which...]]> Sun, 17 Dec 2017 18:32:46 +0100
Whether you are focusing on preparing your first job application, or you are already looking for new opportunities in the labour market, your essential presentation card will be your CV. And, of course, the main objective of this CV would be to sell your talents effectively, which means to convince an organization that you have the technical and personal skills they are looking for.

To promote yourself as a talented professional, you will want to create a CV that stands out, so recruiters read it with interest and would want to invite you for an interview. Most recruiters and employers,...]]> Fri, 15 Dec 2017 08:56:50 +0100
When it comes to finding the dream job, it is possible to have all the right qualities, and a great CV, yet still fall short on making headway in your preferred career direction. A competitive job market combined with a range of recruitment platforms can make job hunting a daunting task, especially for beginners embarking on their first professional job search. Such a task can be minimized with a good systematic approach, which involves using your creativity and resources as efficiently as possible. So where to begin?

One of the best approaches to job hunting is to first have a...]]> Fri, 15 Dec 2017 08:47:42 +0100

In spite of the fact that the business climate in our country has improved, the Netherlands has dropped four places in a World Bank ranking on the ease of doing business. The Netherlands now occupies the 32nd spot on the list of the development bank. The score is 0.51 points higher than last year, but other countries scored even better.

Thailand, for example, took the Netherlands spot on the list, and the South Asian country is now on the 26th place. The Netherlands must further endure France and the Czech Republic at positions 30 and 31, respectively. The top three...]]> Fri, 08 Dec 2017 18:17:43 +0100
“What have you learned from your past job?” This is a very common interview question and it is considered important despite its straightforward nature. It lets potential employers tune into how well you learn from your past experiences – mistakes and other situations that arise in your life.

I, for instance, learned a great deal about dealing with people while working on a social project as a research assistant, and how to handle difficult requests from those who might be a bit irritated when approaching me. I learned that staying calm during confrontation is a must, and that arguing back...]]> Fri, 08 Dec 2017 18:13:38 +0100 Have you ever come across a job description that involves the word “talent”? Talent management is used to describe an organization’s commitment to recruit, hire, retain, and develop the best talented employees from the job market. Businesses use this strategy to attract top talent, assuring potential employees of the opportunity to develop professionally.

Finding companies that want to work with talented employees is becoming more common as companies understand how talented people can make a positive impact and a change in their organisation. Candidates who want to work with these companies can showcase their talent during an interview conversation.

The...]]> Fri, 08 Dec 2017 18:08:28 +0100

Although youth unemployment is no longer at the lofty level of the crisis years, many young Europeans continue to face a lack of good jobs, writes the International Labor Organization (ILO) in a report published Tuesday.

The ILO assumes that youth unemployment will also fall next year, thanks to favorable developments mainly in Eastern European and Southern European countries. But compared to older generations, the chances for young people on the job market remain considerably behind.

The UN agency also notes that in Eastern Europe, the disadvantage in the labor market of young women compared to their male peers has...]]> Fri, 08 Dec 2017 18:00:29 +0100
Entrepreneurs in medium-sized enterprises (SME) are more positive about 2018 than owners of smaller and larger companies. They have higher expectations of sales, exports and employee strength, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) this Friday in a report with results from the Netherlands Business Survey on the fourth quarter.

A stable, almost 36% of SMEs expect an increase in turnover in 2018, compared to 25% in small businesses and 32% in large companies. Exporters and SMEs are also more positive about exports and staffing levels than in small and large companies. In the area of investments, especially entrepreneurs...]]> Sun, 03 Dec 2017 08:32:24 +0100
The labor market is getting tighter and as a result, the average salary that employers offer in vacancies increases. Last year in the third quarter there were 2.4 unemployed per vacancy, now that number has dropped significantly to 1.8.

In the third quarter of 2017 there were 221,326 vacancies available in the Netherlands, an increase of 5.2% compared to the third quarter of 2016. The average gross annual salary advertised for vacancies was € 40,189, an increase of 6.9%. This is evident from the latest new figures from vacancy search engine Adzuna.

Less competition between applicants

A sharp drop in...]]> Fri, 01 Dec 2017 09:04:31 +0100
There are many reasons why people become expatriates. For some it is work; others fall in love with a person or even a place; others still seek a different life from that which they have been accustomed to. According to HSBC’s Expat Explorer report, the Netherlands is one of the world’s best countries for expats. Yet, another ranking by Forbes magazine says that the Netherlands is among the most unpleasant countries in the world, while Canada is rated the friendliest country for expats. The truth lies somewhere in the middle.

Most expats live in the country’s larger cities, where most...]]> Fri, 01 Dec 2017 08:51:23 +0100
Having an ‘abusive’ boss can cover a wide area of issues; including verbal abuse, inappropriate remarks or behaviour, or having an overly demanding boss. Employees can easily feel powerless knowing they can either try to face up to their boss or find another job. However, being in charge does not mean that whatever a boss says or does is acceptable, and an employee should know how to take matters into their own hands if they believe their boss has stepped over the line.

Being able to identify a boss’s wrongdoing can put one in a good position from a legal...]]> Fri, 01 Dec 2017 08:39:25 +0100 The total number of people who are members of a trade union continues declined. According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS) the proportion of women is increasing. In March 2017 the statistics agency totalled 1.7 million union members – 15,000 less than last year. Although the declining trend stagnates, there have been a decreasing number of members since 2012. On the other hand, the proportion of female members increased. In March 2017, over 650,000 women were members, 8,000 more than a year earlier. Growth is mostly achieved in the age range of 45 years and over. The number of male members decreased...]]> Thu, 23 Nov 2017 10:41:07 +0100 Over a quarter (27%) of Dutch employees are actively looking for a new job. That is half less than employers think. Nearly two-thirds of employees think job security no longer exists, but the same part still feels loyal to their employer.

This is evident from the research The Evolution of Work of the ADP Research Institute, a global survey of work trends performed among more than 2,000 employers and employees in 13 countries.

Employer underestimates loyalty of employees

Dutch employers strongly overestimate how many of their employees are actively looking for a job. In reality, only more than a quarter...]]> Thu, 23 Nov 2017 10:31:17 +0100 Due to globalization and rapidly growing competition among companies, temporary work in the last decade became a widely used form of employment. Temporary employees can be hired directly by a firm or through a temporary staffing agency. However, temporary work comes at a hidden cost for some employees – stress. Yet, temporary work is sometimes the only means of earning an income, so we need to find ways to deal with any stress that results from such employment.

Causes of and Solutions to Stress

A side effect of having a temporary job is the lack of fixed security, which can...]]> Thu, 23 Nov 2017 10:10:24 +0100 Competition between co-workers is always going to be a feature of the workplace, particularly in jobs where the stakes are high and the rewards of promotion require standing out from your colleagues. Allowing our emotions to control how we behave in professional life can often be a bad move, and the extent to which we allow this to take place requires considerable constraint. Feelings of jealousy can override our rational faculties, particularly when it comes to talented colleagues who get all the attention. So how should you decide how competitive you should be in the workplace?

Healthy competition can be...]]> Thu, 23 Nov 2017 09:54:30 +0100

In the Netherlands, equality between women and men has decreased. On a ranking of the World Economic Forum, our country has fallen to 32nd place, against 16th in 2016. The gender gap, the difference between the sexes in the disadvantage of women, has grown in terms of economic participation, health and political influence.

In the area of education and learning, the Netherlands is doing very well: women have as many opportunities as men. In 2006 when the first list was released, the Netherlands was still 12th. Since then, it has fallen less in the Netherlands. In 2016 the Netherlands dropped...]]> Fri, 17 Nov 2017 10:46:57 +0100

Employment in the Netherlands grew by 16,800 jobs in October 2017. Growth was mainly in business services, where the number of jobs increased by over 11,000 according to the ADP Netherlands Employment Report. This monthly report is produced by the ADP Research Institute in collaboration with Moody's Analytics.

The report shows the monthly development of total (non-agricultural) employment in the Netherlands, based on real employment figures. Thus, it is not based on data from people seeking a job.

Solid job growth in business services

"The Netherlands saw strong growth in employment in October. Compared to last October, the number of...]]> Fri, 17 Nov 2017 10:33:29 +0100
My first job as a research assistant taught me many things, including that achieving quality time with the boss requires a lot of self-discipline. Self-discipline is a key aspect of effective management. In order to achieve it, I need to be clear about my boss’s priorities, have empathy for their challenges and, above all, know how to make myself easy to manage – this is where the self-discipline comes in.

If I want a happy boss, then I need a high level of self-awareness ¬– knowing my strengths and my potential blind spots. It is also helpful to be mindful...]]> Fri, 17 Nov 2017 10:19:53 +0100

Before commencing or looking for work as an expat in the Netherlands, there are a number of bureaucratic hurdles to leap over. These can seem rather intimidating at first, particularly to those unfamiliar with the Dutch system; the best advice I can give you is to be as organised as possible and to start the process well in advance.

So, without further ado, here are the five most important things to do before working in the Netherlands.

1. Organise a Dutch residence and work permit (if applicable)

If you are from a non-EU country, then you need to apply for...]]> Fri, 17 Nov 2017 10:13:14 +0100
The Netherlands will be among the fastest growing e-commerce markets in Europe in the coming years, according to a report from Worldpay Payment Company. In addition to the Netherlands, the growth of the e-commerce market in Italy is also worth a mention.

The group provides for the Dutch e-commerce market an average annual growth of 14 %. By 2021 this will be worth 36 billion euros. According to Worldpay, the rise is mainly driven by new payment methods. Consumers are especially looking for smartphone-friendly payment methods.

The Netherlands still relies on bank transfers. About 60% of the transactions consist of...]]> Fri, 10 Nov 2017 17:12:51 +0100
Owners of family businesses support innovation policies in their company more than owners of non-family businesses.

Nearly 79% of family businesses are willing to waiver their dividends to stimulate innovation. In non-family companies, that is 60%. Also, more than 65% of family businesses are prepared to accept a year of negative results if that stimulates innovation at the company. With other companies, it is 40%. That was concluded by Professor Roberto Flören, professor of family businesses at Nyenrode Business University, in a survey he conducted in cooperation with ING and NPM Capital.

"The results disproved the myth that family companies...]]> Fri, 10 Nov 2017 11:49:47 +0100

Communication is a vital and inevitable part of human society. It is rampant – we use it in all aspects of our lives – social, work and everyday chores are bounded by the way we communicate with one another. More often than not, however, what has the biggest impact is not the way we communicate, but the way we do not.

At work, communication is important to our leaders, teams and departments. Good communication and interpersonal relationships are imperative to overall business performance and sustainability. Yet its importance tends to be neglected. Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, once...]]> Fri, 10 Nov 2017 11:33:22 +0100

With little or no real job experience, it can be a daunting task for anyone to write their first CV coming straight out of college or university. In an already competitive job market, it can be hard enough to stand out without years of experience under the belt, and with job recruiters spending only an average of six seconds looking at a CV, it is imperative to put in the extra effort to write a polished CV that is sure to show off any relevant qualifications.

Although making oneself stand out is a common tip for CVs, it is also...]]> Fri, 10 Nov 2017 10:35:32 +0100

Have you ever imagined industrial machines talking to one another or “smart” factories taking production and budget decisions without involving any human interaction?

You might still think that computers, the internet, and automation (Industry 3.0) will continue to be the remarkable trends of the future. But, in fact, they no longer resemble a technological breakthrough! Everything has changed since the term “Industry 4.0” was revived in the 2011 Hanover Fair in Germany.

Without human interaction, Industry 4.0 enables machines and cyber-physical systems in factories, for example, to communicate via the Internet of Services and cooperate with each other to make...]]> Thu, 09 Nov 2017 13:55:04 +0100

If the plans of the new cabinet government agreement are implemented, all workers in the Netherlands will advance. Compared to the present, workers’ purchasing power will increase between 4% to 6% in 2021, says Nibud, who has calculated the government agreement on behalf of the Lower House.

The Institute for Budget Information examined the changes that the Cabinet plans to make. People with jobs will have more in their wallet because salaries are rising faster than prices. Workers also benefit from the higher labour shortage and lower tax rates. People with a relatively low income, up to 20,000 euros a...]]> Thu, 02 Nov 2017 11:30:02 +0100

Finding the opportunity for personal development at work can be a challenging but worthwhile pursuit. Companies are typically incentivised to only promote professional growth amongst employees to push them further in their careers and work skills for the benefit of a business, without giving much thought to the personal ambitions and desires of an employee. However, employees want meaningful work that enriches their lives beyond their daily tasks. Most workers would find more satisfaction in their work if they felt their skills were valued, and that they have the chance to further develop their career paths and passions.

Creating any...]]> Thu, 02 Nov 2017 11:23:49 +0100

An interesting and informative CV can make all the difference between landing an interview for your dream job, and being passed over. There are multiple parts in a resume that are equally essential and can serve as a marketing tool to sell yourself to your future employer. One of these is personal development.

Based on the Maslow pyramid, personal development or so-called “self-actualization” is the most important need that each individual has. Due to our differences, people have diverse developmental targets; therefore, it is crucial in your CV to state the most critical ones for the job you are applying...]]> Thu, 02 Nov 2017 11:09:46 +0100

Employees see little use in retraining, job shifting or salary reduction in order to work longer at the end of their career. They prefer to work less, or to stop work earlier, according to research conducted by Wijzer, involving over a thousand working employees between 55 and 67 years.

About 65% of respondents are willing to take a step back to the end of their career when it comes to the nature of the work. But if this is accompanied by a lower salary, only a quarter of the respondents are prepared for this.

In addition, more men than women...]]> Thu, 02 Nov 2017 11:01:39 +0100
Self-employed entrepreneurs are most pleased with their work. 81% are pleased with the current job situation, according to statistics from the Central Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday. Self-employed people are just a little happier with their work than people with a fixed contract. 78% of them are satisfied. Having staff or not is hardly a matter of job satisfaction for an entrepreneur.

For the flexible worker, for example on-call workers, only three quarters are satisfied. However, for temporary workers there is far less satisfaction, only two out of three have no complaints.

Security

One in three employees without permanent employment...]]> Fri, 27 Oct 2017 10:25:30 +0200


'Become a member of the FNV – the largest national trade union,’ the flyer I was holding told me. No, a colleague told me, I should become a member of the CNV, and she handed me another flyer. Both unions promised me a nice discount on my membership during my first year. In the end, I was left with two flyers of two major unions, and none the wiser what they could do for me.

A couple of months later, a friend asked me if a membership for expats might be relevant. Back then I told her I had no...]]> Fri, 27 Oct 2017 10:08:45 +0200

Have you ever visited a company hoping to schedule an appointment for an interview only to find yourself being interviewed on the spot or being offered a position? Here are some helpful tips to keep you prepared for just such a scenario.


Know what you want before searching

Create a personal SWOT analysis (strength, weakness, opportunity, threats). Then create a list of specific and personal objectives. This will help you be aware of where you are now in your career and where you want to be in the future. This can help you to know what direction you want your...]]> Fri, 27 Oct 2017 09:54:32 +0200

The number of jobs for employees and self-employed people grew by 53 thousand in the second quarter compared with the first quarter of 2017. On average, 10.2 million jobs were posted in the second quarter. All jobs are counted, full-time and part-time. That is what the CBS reports.

The fact that there are more jobs is explained by the continued growth of the economy. The average daily production of Dutch industry was almost 4% higher in August 2017 than in August 2016. For almost two years, industry has produced more than in the same period a year earlier.

More open...]]> Fri, 27 Oct 2017 09:32:05 +0200

Nobody is perfect; as such, many of us have something that could potentially cast us in a negative light during a job interview. These include a pattern of ‘job-hopping’ (holding six or more jobs in a ten-year period), gaps in employment history, weaknesses and/or character flaws.

However, the beauty of the interview process is that it gives you a chance to explain your situation and spin those potential negatives into positives. Using the three examples given above, I will outline ways in which each can be reframed to cast you in the best light possible.

Job-Hopping

Job-hopping is not as...]]> Fri, 20 Oct 2017 14:16:03 +0200

Personal development is a process that candidates can use to reflect or to evaluate themselves on. They can use it to understand what needs to be improved, and what steps to follow to help them discover their full potential and reach their goals.

Strategies for Personal Development

Create a personal vision or mission statement: Create a personal S.W.O.T. and clear goal you want to specifically focus on. Perhaps you want to apply for a new course, further study, volunteering, internships, or learn a language. Make a list of personal developments that you wish to develop in order to improve on...]]> Fri, 20 Oct 2017 14:04:53 +0200

Employment in the Dutch industry rose in September 2017 for the thirtieth consecutive month. This is the longest uninterrupted period of expansion of labor force among producers since the beginning of the measurement.

The purchasing manager index, NEVI PMI®, rose to 60.0 in September, marking its second largest growth since March of 2000. The index gives an impression of the Dutch industry as well as the whole Dutch economy, which is very healthy.

More demand, higher production

Dutch manufacturing companies run overtime because the demand is high. Growth in production ranges came close to the record level of April 2000....]]> Fri, 20 Oct 2017 09:59:23 +0200

The new cabinet will put an end to the dividend tax. This is especially beneficial for foreign companies, which is the intention. The new cabinet wants to make it more attractive for foreign companies to settle here. For Dutch companies it saves a lot on administration. The elimination of dividend tax costs the government annually 1.4 billion euros and will come into effect in 2019. This amount will be balanced by other measures taken by the government for companies.

What is dividend tax?

Companies pay 15% tax on the dividend they pay to their shareholders. The dividend recipient can then...]]> Fri, 20 Oct 2017 09:06:05 +0200

Dutch employees go with great satisfaction to their work. They can find it goes well with their boss and colleagues. Dutch employees are also more positive than employees from other countries, and they often feel that their expectations are met more, as a research "The Evolution of Work" by the ADP Research Institute® shows, in a global survey of work trends, including more than 2,000 employers and employees in 13 countries.

Dutch employees are the most optimistic

Dutch people, according to the research, are "optimistic thinkers" and form an exception of colleagues from other countries as a whole. Employees and...]]> Fri, 13 Oct 2017 10:34:32 +0200 Unlike many other countries, overtime is not considered as common practice in the Netherlands, but it is useful for workers to familiarise themselves with their rights while they work in the country. Usually, overtime refers to the extra hours outside of the normal 26-40 hour work week. However, Dutch law does not provide a national standard for overtime; it is usually agreed upon by individual employment contracts and collective agreements.

Without a national law, it may appear that the rights regarding overtime can be a bit loose, but this does not mean there are no laws to protect workers in...]]> Fri, 13 Oct 2017 10:24:29 +0200

Tired of constantly being rejected? Getting the feeling that you might be making the same mistakes over and over again? There are many different ways on how to look for a new job and, in general, how to approach it. Below are tips on how to make your life easier when finding a new job.

1. Update your resume and LinkedIn profile.
The reason to focus on LinkedIn is because of its position – it is one of the top networking sites for professionals. Furthermore, there are more than 414 million users among whom there are many recruiters and company...]]> Fri, 13 Oct 2017 09:52:39 +0200

Just as we get used to the Work and Security Act, the new cabinet eases the redundancy rules. In addition, it is possible to offer a fixed employment contract only after three years. This will fix the forthcoming coalition labour legislation, which has just been enforced recently, reports the editorial board of RTL news today, which has had access to the Government Agreement.

Only after three years have a fixed contract

The new coalition finds the differences between fixed and temporary contracts too large. Therefore, the Rutte-III Cabinet wants the labour market to be such that more people who want...]]> Fri, 13 Oct 2017 09:31:00 +0200
Nepotism is a form of favoritism. It derives from the Italian word for nephew “nipote” and thus, nepotism means showing favor to family members. In a work situation, family members may be hired, promoted, or otherwise unfairly favored over other candidates, not because of their abilities and experience, but simply because they are part of the family. Whenever it takes place in the workplace, it usually leads to a number of negative results, such as decreased employee morale, resentment, increased employee turnover, stunted growth and legal issues.

Finding yourself on the non-receiving end can be tough, especially when you think...]]> Fri, 06 Oct 2017 11:36:15 +0200

Organizations continue to struggle worldwide with finding employees with the right knowledge and skills. The shortage of the right professionals for high tech companies remains high in most countries. The shortages of employees in the Netherlands continues to grow. The flow of highly educated migrants may provide a solution, according to the Hays Global Skills Index, published for the sixth consecutive year by Hays and Oxford Economics. The report addresses the challenges in the global labor market and 33 local markets, including the Netherlands.

Situation of the Netherlands unchanged

The pressure in the Dutch labor market is unchanged from the...]]> Fri, 06 Oct 2017 11:23:19 +0200

The European Investment Fund (EIF) and the Ministry of Economic Affairs will make a €100 million fund available for financing scale ups. This includes fast-growing start-ups with more than 10 people in service. Both parties will make available €50 million. "Scale-ups often struggle to get adequate funding from the market," says Minister of Economic Affairs. "This new fund should help promising companies to grow." Business is expected to invest another €100 million in the fund.

Lack of daring

Numerous start-ups who want to expand and grow complain about a lack of resourcefulness or innovation with Dutch investors, whereas with American...]]> Fri, 06 Oct 2017 11:17:52 +0200

If you read any article about creating a successful and happy working life, you will see that good communication is always listed as one of the main keys to achieving this. So, why is good communication so important? The short answer is: because it underpins everything you do, both in your personal and professional life. As such, being able to communicate effectively, as well as appreciating the importance of doing so, is a vital part of any career.

One area of professional communication that may sometimes become difficult is communicating effectively with colleagues. Due to working closely with your colleagues...]]> Fri, 06 Oct 2017 11:12:26 +0200
A new knowledge center will be created next year that will help companies to increase their digital security. In a letter to the House of Representatives, the Minister of Education and the Minister of Economic Affairs wrote that as of the following year, the government would capitalise 2.5 million euros annually in this Digital Trust Centre (DTC). This new center will be required to protect the non-vital part of Dutch business against cyber threats. For instance, anticipation or warning of direct cyber-attacks and advising on internet security. In vital sectors, such as the energy and telecom sector, a knowledge center...]]> Fri, 29 Sep 2017 11:12:55 +0200

We see it across LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter every day: people, trying to grow a strong digital presence and personal brand by constantly posting whatever will represent them in a positive light.

When you are building your personal brand across all your social media channels, it is important to not accidentally detract from your public image due to unintended errors, such as posting a status complaining about the commute to work, or listing a detailed schedule of the day in an effort to look important. Now, if you are sitting there thinking that you are just a regular person who...]]> Thu, 28 Sep 2017 10:16:49 +0200

Successful companies are starting to realise that increasing wages can help to increase profits and growth by boosting productivity; companies such as Costco, a US warehouse company, have seen a rise in profits compared to its competitors, and they owe their success to increased employee morale through better pay. However, as an employee, it can be difficult to persuade employers that you deserve more money when the company grows. Even if your argument is that employees hard work should be rewarded and it would help further boost working incentives.

When a company’s success can be confidently attributed to one’s hard...]]> Thu, 28 Sep 2017 09:49:14 +0200
After years of wage moderation, it must be over, thinks the trade union movement. Companies make healthy profits and benefit from their employees. Prior to Prince’s Day, the unions traditionally establish their wages. By 2018 there must be a minimum of 3.5% higher wages.

The FNV (The Netherlands Trade Union Confederation), the Dutch largest trade union, will set the next decade for a minimum wage of 3.5%. People who earn little can even get up to 5%, because FNV also demands that everybody would get a minimum of 1000 euros a year extra. Trade union CNV (Christian Trade Union Federation)...]]> Thu, 28 Sep 2017 09:39:45 +0200
The Netherlands can play a leading role in the world in the so-called “circular economy”, which recycles raw materials and products as much as possible. ABN Amro bank writes in its report that the Netherlands has many assets to take the lead around the circular economy globally, thanks to the knowledge and expertise present in the country. This knowledge can be exported abroad.

According to ABN Amro, the Netherlands is the leader in waste recycling, where more than 80% of the waste is recycled. The circular economy helps generate new jobs and it improves the image of the Netherlands abroad....]]> Fri, 22 Sep 2017 10:18:57 +0200
Numbers and measures were soaring around Princess's Day. NU.nl explains what the cabinet’s plans for your wallet will mean. Princess's Day this year was different from usual, because the new cabinet has not yet formed. Therefore, no major policy changes have been proposed. The budget for 2018 was presented on Tuesday, while the former parties VVD, CDA, D66 and ChristenUnie still negotiated a government agreement. Therefore, changes can still accrue relatively, but this is what is known so far.

Purchasing Power

The Dutch purchasing power on average will increase next year by 0.6 %. As long as income grows steadier...]]> Thu, 21 Sep 2017 15:44:31 +0200

The feeling of frustration and anger can be overwhelming upon the discovery that a peer has taken the promotion you once thought you deserved. However, rather than letting emotions take hold, it is best to take a step back and try to analyse the situation with a positive and rational attitude. Was he or she better suited for the position? Was he or she more noticeable to your superiors? These are some of the questions one needs to honestly ask to find out why the job went to someone else. The difficult part is to be completely honest with oneself...]]> Thu, 21 Sep 2017 15:22:03 +0200
Being a mind reader would certainly come in handy during a job interview and make the whole getting-a-job process a lot easier, right? It would take away all the pressure of saying the right thing and allow you to fix any verbal blunders. One can only wish...

Since I am not a mind reader and I doubt anyone is, I had to prepare for my first job interview. The job I wanted was in a famous Dutch research-training consultancy, so I made it my goal to predict the unpredictable and to be prepared in the best way possible. I started...]]> Thu, 21 Sep 2017 14:42:04 +0200 Despite the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, London remains the world's most important financial center. The UK capital is at the top of a half-yearly ranking of the financial think tank Z/Yen Group and the China Development Institute.

Compared to half a year ago, London lost only two points in the Global Financial Centers Index. During that period, there were plenty of speculations about financial institutions that will turn back on London after Brexit, but there is hardly any mention in the index, Bloomberg writes on Monday.

However, cities such as Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Dublin and Paris received points. These cities are often...]]> Wed, 13 Sep 2017 13:21:46 +0200 In the presence of King Willem-Alexander, Minister Ploumen signs the first cooperation agreement with Italy. The Netherlands will also be working with other European countries to get more women in top positions in business.

Topvrouwen.nl is a foundation that aims to get more women at top positions in business. This meeting is scheduled to take place annually. “Italy is doing better than the Netherlands when it comes to female top executives in business,” says the foundation.

On Friday September 1st 2017, it was realised that the number of women in the board of listed companies in the Netherlands decreased during...]]> Wed, 13 Sep 2017 14:09:28 +0200 As an expat living in, or hoping to move to, the Netherlands, it is important to consider whether you should alter your CV to match the Dutch job market. There are no hard and fast rules about this, though it is important to note that there are more advantages than disadvantages to doing so.

Depending on where you are from, the Dutch CV may be slightly different or drastically different to what you are used to. Now, for all of our American readers out there, a CV in the Netherlands is known as a resume in the States. So there...]]> Wed, 13 Sep 2017 14:21:12 +0200
There are many ways in which a migrant jobseeker can employ the services of Together Abroad. For those who may not be aware, Together Abroad is not only a job board, but also offers some really great services that can assist you in both finding and obtaining that perfect position. These include career coaching, CV services and interview training.

In regard to Together Abroad’s career coaching, you can do this either online or face-to-face. These sessions help you to understand the labour market in the Netherlands, develop your CV and personal profile, and identify the positions that best match your...]]> Mon, 11 Sep 2017 09:29:14 +0200 At the end of an employment contract, no holiday days must be left unpaid. But how do you determine the value of a holiday?

The value of a holiday (or non-holiday days) is determined by four things. First of all, you need to look at the fixed salary. In addition, you look at the holiday allowance, the value of structured bonuses and the amount of the employer's pension contribution.

The Facts

If an employee leaves employment or is fired and still has 628.67 unused vacation hours, the employer has to pay it off. The value of the days is determined...]]> Fri, 08 Sep 2017 15:07:27 +0200 Leaving a job for one that is lower paid does not come across as the best option for most people. We are conditioned to follow the money, such that the bigger the pay check the ‘better’ the job. However, this is not always the case, and there are many occasions when accepting a lower paid job makes sense. For instance, perhaps you have reviewed the benefits of your current job and concluded that they are not sufficient for the salary you are receiving. Or maybe you are dissatisfied with your area of work and want to move into another in...]]> Fri, 08 Sep 2017 11:16:03 +0200 The goal of a job interview is to show that you are the interviewer’s best choice. Just repeating what is on your CV will not help the interviewer much. During the meeting, it is your job to show the opposite party how you differ from other candidates. Also, you have to ensure that the interviewer realises they need you for the job.

Last week, I spoke with a client who struggles with job interviews. He was used to showing his resume, have a quick chat about hours and wages etc., and either accept or refuse the offer. Nowadays, he was...]]> Fri, 08 Sep 2017 11:02:44 +0200

A new job is an exciting period in your life when you can create a completely new image of yourself or you can make your mark. However, getting a new job can be overwhelming and hard to handle. This is perfectly normal due to the enormous pressure to perform and fulfil expectations. Here are some steps that can be taken to ensure that you will keep your new job and adapt to the new work place, as well as tips on situations to be avoided.

What Are the Right Moves at the Start?

Instead of big promises, it is best...]]> Fri, 08 Sep 2017 10:57:50 +0200 According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), turnover generated by temping agencies, employment agencies and payroll companies grew by 2.0 percent in Q2 2017 relative to Q1 2017. This growth is higher than in the preceding quarter. The total number of temp hours increased by 4.2 percent, the highest increase since Q2 2007.

Increase hours in short-term temp contracts almost 5 percent
The number of hours worked in both short-term and long-term temporary contracts increased. Short-term temporary contracts increased by 4.9 percent, the highest increase in almost 7 years. In long-term temporary employment contracts, e.g. secondment and pay-rolling, the number of hours...]]> Mon, 04 Sep 2017 09:38:42 +0200 The path to getting your ideal job can be difficult and stressful. Many companies are reducing the size of their workforce, meaning that more applicants are competing for fewer positions, so it is important to stand out from the crowd. The ideal job comes in many different forms, depending on the person, but the common thread that links them is that they all require dedication and passion. It is not always about the amount of money you earn. Consider the life of a Chief Executive with that of a former Wall Street derivatives trader who quit his job to open...]]> Thu, 31 Aug 2017 12:20:05 +0200 Dutch businesses increasingly struggle to find a suitable workforce. This has to do with the highly attractive economy in the Netherlands.

This trend is also reflected in entrepreneurial confidence, which is at its highest level since the end of 2008, according to research conducted by Statistics Netherlands, the Chamber of Commerce, the EIB, the MKB-Netherlands and VNO-NCW.

At the beginning of the third quarter, one in six entrepreneurs reported staff shortages as an obstacle in the pursuit of business. And since early 2016, a number of companies have a staff shortage.

The Biggest Shortage – New Opportunities

At the beginning...]]> Thu, 31 Aug 2017 12:41:18 +0200 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are enterprises that employ fewer than two hundred employees. In the past years the number of people employed is growing, and it continues to grow. As reported by LinkedIn, there is an estimated increase of 19% in 2017 over that in 2016. “The popularity of SMEs as an employer continues to grow,” says LinkedIn from their data. LinkedIn analysed over one million Dutch members’ profiles, out of the total 7 million Dutch members on the platform.

Motorized SMEs

"Overall employment increases, with SMEs being motorized," says LinkedIn. As a result the number of people working...]]> Fri, 01 Sep 2017 09:32:07 +0200

First impressions are really important. When I started my first job, I was nervous because I felt that the first impression people would have of me may turn into long-term perceptions and opinions. I wanted them to have the ‘right’ impression.

My first task was to help in recruiting participants for a social research project. I learned how to organize my time in a fast and efficient way, so I could talk to as many people as possible within a short period of time. The experience made me more familiar and confident with learning new skills, being punctual and dressing...]]> Thu, 24 Aug 2017 13:31:57 +0200

From June 8th, it is possible for anyone up to 55 years old to continue to develop with the Levenlanglerenkredit – Lifelong learning credit. As of the academic year 2017 - 2018, anyone up to 55 years old who is not entitled to study funding, can borrow money to pay tuition fees. The condition to favourably qualify for the tuition fees in is that the person pursues a degree at the MBO level (vocational training) or higher (professional training or university).

Right now, with a rapidly changing labour market, there is a need for continuous retraining and re-education. Minister Bussemaker...]]> Thu, 24 Aug 2017 13:19:12 +0200

In the last four years the Dutch economy has been growing steadily, and it continues more strongly in the last few quarters (with a 3.3% growth in the last twelve months). According to the CBS, this has only occurred twice since 2000.

The three most influential industries in the Dutch economy are exports, consumption and investment. These continue to indicate healthy growth based on all the data and developments in recent months. There is an increase in the construction of new buildings, shopping streets are constantly full of shoppers and new businesses, and the housing market is in high demand...]]> Thu, 24 Aug 2017 13:01:15 +0200

You got the job, now how do you keep or further build your personal brand within the company? When it comes to personal branding most people struggle with how to promote themselves within their workplace without being considered as narcissists or aggressive. On that account, there are specific practices you can apply to stand out from your colleagues and capture your boss’s eye.

1. Ask for feedback
The first step that will help you build a successful personal brand within your workplace is to care about your job and always ask your supervisor for feedback on your performance. In this...]]> Thu, 24 Aug 2017 12:53:00 +0200

Unemployment continues to decline. Good news: The lower, the better you would say. But there is also something like insufficient unemployment, economists say.

Ton Wilthagen of Tilburg University and Rob Witjes of the UWV explain how that is and why 0% unemployment is not really 0%.

At the moment, 436,000 people are registered as unemployed. That is 4.8% of the working population, a nice figure.

It has also been different: at the beginning of 2014 unemployment was 7.9%.

What Is the Ideal?

But would it not be the most desired outcome for everyone to have work? No, says Wilthagen. It...]]> Mon, 21 Aug 2017 09:16:36 +0200

A company closes a branch in the Netherlands and opens one in the United Kingdom. Employees are given a dismissal permit. But what happens then regarding the relocation obligation?

A Scenario

A technician works on a temporary contract with a maintenance and repair company for private aircrafts as of February 1, 2016, together with four other colleagues. Prior to that, he worked on a fixed contract at another company. The business outlook for 2016 is good, so he is told. A technician’s contract will be converted into a fixed contract after a year. However, soon after hiring him, in the...]]> Fri, 18 Aug 2017 15:55:22 +0200
Having started out as a career innovation by Leonardo da Vinci in 1482, CVs have continued to evolve over the last 500 years with trends changing as recently as ten years ago. Although they started out as a formality, CVs are now an expected part of any job application and it is up to candidates to continually adapt their CVs to meet the current demands of potential employers. Job candidates today still experience constantly changing expectations from employers in regards to what they want to see in a CV; currently, CVs place more of an emphasis on personal branding instead...]]> Fri, 18 Aug 2017 10:09:54 +0200
It is almost a given that when offered a pay rise, you should accept it. Indeed, it would appear to be madness to reject it. After all, why would anyone refuse to have more money at the end of the month? However, there are some situations where it might be sensible to refuse a wage increase. For instance, there might be a situation in which the amount offered is so low that it is taken as insulting. Another example could involve an offer in which you are made to take on more responsibilities than are worth the increase in pay....]]> Fri, 18 Aug 2017 09:57:01 +0200
A job interview is often a more or less nerve wrecking experience that everyone has to go through. If only we knew what would happen and what kind of questions we can expect from the future employer, it might be easier. And more importantly, what would the best answers to those questions be? There are, however, some common questions that you can expect to be asked during your job interview.

1. What are your strengths? Remember, the employer is interested only in your qualities that are necessary for the job you are applying to. So make it sound realistic and...]]> Mon, 14 Aug 2017 09:11:27 +0200

An employer does not pay a transfer fee if an employee is guilty of a "seriously liable act or omission". But what happens in a case of dismissal?

The transition allowance is known since the introduction of the Work and Security Act. This type of an allowance is payable when an employee is employed for at least 2 years. For the first ten years of employment, the employee is entitled to a third monthly salary per year of employment, from the tenth year of employment, the salary is half a month's salary per employment year.

By 2020 there is a...]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2017 13:03:45 +0200
Professional working relationships, just like all other forms of relationships, are not always perfect. Though most of us try our best to get along with our colleagues, there will sometimes be miscommunications, misunderstandings, and even personality clashes. Depending on the parties involved, this can occasionally lead to a situation in which you discover that one of your colleagues has been bad-mouthing you.

Picture this: You and Jim get along well. Your interactions are always pleasant and there have never been any issues between you. Then one day you are talking to another colleague, Sally, who informs you that Jim has...]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2017 12:54:06 +0200

‘We are going to determine what colours we are’, was the answer given by my colleague, when asked what the teambuilding day was about. To be perfectly honest, I am not thrilled to sit down and watch a pallet of colours pass by, which describe our personality and communication preferences by putting a label on them.

There are different approaches on determining what kind of communication style someone prefers. It can be done by using colours, elements or by describing the main qualities such as analytical, inspirational, or controlling. There are different models that classify a different number of communication...]]> Thu, 10 Aug 2017 12:11:52 +0200
The Netherlands has a well-deserved reputation as a highly-organized society, embodying the principles of pluralism, social responsibility, and tolerance. It is what is called gedogen in Dutch, an untranslatable word that implies the ability to tolerate even exceptions to the rule. The Dutch society is a consensus-oriented society where everyone has his or her say. And they all know the value of their opinions, which they do not hesitate to give.

As an egalitarian society, the Dutch have a tendency to avoid displays of discernible wealth, whereby houses and clothes often seem ordinary and discreet to foreigners. Every person is...]]> Tue, 01 Aug 2017 12:26:37 +0200
Creating a good and stylish CV is a challenging and recurring job. In past years, there was an imposed tendency from recruiters that every candidate should have a specific structure to their CV, for example based on the European template. Nowadays, however, young candidates try to have more creative and unique CVs that will stand out of the crowd, while still following much of the classic rules in terms of size and content. They tend to create flashier CVs and exploit all the available space, by being simultaneously effective and to the point. So, what should every CV include in...]]> Tue, 01 Aug 2017 12:26:48 +0200  

The workplace culture sets the tone of the environment you will be working in, and it can be either easy or difficult. Coming from the UK, it was no surprise to discover the Dutch working culture functions on egalitarianism. However, in the Dutch workplace the communication style is rather informal. Whilst the job is to be taken seriously, it is the friendly atmosphere and the usually calm environment that enable high productivity. My manager’s enthusiasm was often so high that I became eager to match it. Her natural, friendly nature combined with strong leadership made her a great manager.

We...]]> Tue, 01 Aug 2017 12:27:01 +0200
Showing an employer that you are motivated is absolutely vital in a job interview. Employers are willing to teach you many skills, but being motivated and showing you have initiative is something that you should already possess. If you can get the employer to see this, it can really help to improve your chances of getting the job. So how do you come across to your interviewer as someone who is highly motivated?

One of the best ways to showcase your motivation is to contact your prospective employer and ask them for a meeting to discuss career opportunities in their...]]> Tue, 01 Aug 2017 12:01:30 +0200 Japanese biotech company Human Metabolome Technologies (HMT) opened a European Office in Leiden. The office will be part of the Leiden Bio Science Park. HMT develops metabolomics technologies for drug discovery, diagnosis and food production. The Mayor of Leiden and the Dutch Ambassador of Japan attended the opening ceremony.

HMT chose the Netherlands because of its central European location. The company will be able to receive samples from clients around the world. The Leiden Bio Science Park was also an advantage for the company.

“InnovationQuarter and NFIA have provided excellent support for the setup of our European office in beautiful...]]> Mon, 31 Jul 2017 13:06:47 +0200
Satellite data communications company LeoSat has established its first European office in The Hague with the assistance of the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency and the WestHolland Foreign Investment Agency. Headquartered in Washington DC, the young but growing company provides a new connectivity solution for the continuing increase in global data traffic. In 2019, the company aims to launch a low-earth-orbit satellite constellation (hence the name ‘LeoSat’, ed.) to provide the first commercially available enterprise grade global data service worldwide. It is the first time that a company is offering connectivity developed specifically for moving large amounts of data around the...]]> Mon, 31 Jul 2017 13:03:37 +0200
A large and well-established network is often beneficial for your personal and professional development. Networking is a powerful tool and support system throughout your professional career, including those times you are seeking a job. Since networking can be a challenging process, there are some practical methods that can help you expand and maintain your network.

A major benefit of networking is when someone from your network becomes aware of a job opening that fits your profile. You are likely to be the first to come to mind and be informed or recommended for the position. In fact, recommendations are a...]]> Mon, 24 Jul 2017 19:40:50 +0200

Looking for a job can be tricky, particularly when moving to a new location. After all, where is a job seeker to start? While there are many great job boards out there, it can take a bit of trial and error to find the ones that are right for you, which is why a useful tool to use initially is the trusty old search engine.

Though the terms ‘search engine’ and ‘job board’ are often used interchangeably in articles about job hunting, there are marked differences between the two. For example, search engines cast a net over the web and...]]> Mon, 24 Jul 2017 19:26:45 +0200
You have finally done it. After many searches and applications, difficult interviews with questions like: ‘Would you choose this job over your own biological mother?’ you have finally reached the end of your long journey and received a job offer.

However, after straining through all the fine print and the listed salary, you have to wonder to yourself: ‘How much is my job worth?’ The offer has been made, the hiring manager is interested, and now the ball is in your court. What is the next step? Negotiation.

Become Informed

Many online resources have cropped up recently to help gauge...]]> Mon, 24 Jul 2017 17:21:08 +0200
According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), unemployment declined to 4.9 percent of the labour force in June. For the first since the summer of 2011, less than 5 percent of all people in the labour market are looking and immediately available for work.

Between April and June, unemployment declined by an average of 6 thousand per month and stood at 446 thousand in June. The number of people in paid employment grew by an average of 11 thousand per month. At the end of June, the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) paid 372 thousand unemployment (WW) benefits.UWV: number of benefits continues to...]]> Mon, 24 Jul 2017 17:16:56 +0200

One in seven employees in the Netherlands have burned out complaints. How this arises is often unclear. However, new research sheds light on the matter: it is usually a mismatch between the unconscious needs of an employee and the demands of his job.

Take for example an extroverted accountant who is committed to social contact, but during her work, she is mainly working behind a computer. Or think of the manager, leading a large department, but hates having to be the centre of attention. These are people who have extra risks of a burnout, according to a new study from...]]> Mon, 17 Jul 2017 18:51:27 +0200
Personal development is a challenge, a push, a battle. It is a lifelong process of acquiring and improving employment skills, of expanding self-awareness and knowledge, and enhancing personal skills. In his Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle talks about the significance of personal development. He defines it as a category of phronesis or practical wisdom, where the practice of various virtues leads to eudaimonia, which commonly translates to ‘happiness’, but could also be understood as ‘human flourishing’ or ‘living well’. In this sense, personal development is a key to achieving personal growth and acceptance.

But how is personal development related to the workplace?...]]> Mon, 17 Jul 2017 18:49:21 +0200
In recent years, the term ‘personal branding’ has become more popular. The amount of searches hits on Google increases steadily, yet people often do not fully understand what a personal brand entails.

A personal brand is not about changing who you are and creating an image just to meet someone else’s expectations. It is about identifying who you are, and which selling points make you stand out from the crowd. People who market their own brand are more likely to be seen as experts in their field, and therewith receive job offers at higher levels.

How It Works

Before creating...]]> Mon, 17 Jul 2017 18:43:53 +0200

If there is something Dutch people are good at, it is at combining work and free time, and being able to enjoy both. The Dutch work the least hours of any other nation in the European Union. The average number of working hours of other countries in Europe is 37.5 hours a week. In the Netherlands, by comparison, Dutch people work an average of 30.6 hours per week, which results in 364 hours less in a year.

We could go even further and compare those working hours to other countries around the globe. The people in North America work on...]]> Tue, 04 Jul 2017 22:10:12 +0200

Take a moment to think about the times when you have experienced joy, pleasure, or the feeling of being content. In such moments, there are noticeable changes to your physical state. For example, when you smile your tension flows away, or your breathing tones down. Compare such feelings in your body to those you feel when you experience sadness, anger or fright.

For most of us, there is a clear difference in the impact of positive and negative emotions on our perception, behaviour and, ultimately, how we progress in life. Once you understand how emotions impact what you do and...]]> Tue, 04 Jul 2017 15:40:56 +0200
Being ranked 1st in the world for work-life balance by the OECD, the Netherlands has not only earned its reputation as a country with a relaxed work ethic, but also as a happier country overall. This high quality of life is attributed to well-defined working hours that rarely exceed 40 hours a week and strong worker’s rights. Of course, this attitude to work is also inherent of Dutch culture, where workers would typically prefer a balanced work life to spare time for family and personal matters, rather than earning excessive amounts of money; this is further proven by the number...]]> Tue, 04 Jul 2017 15:38:29 +0200
Since July 1, 2015, financial compensation can be received for dismissal, a.k.a. transition allowance (Transitievergoeding). It applies to both permanent and temporary employees, and it is intended to help them find another job. The condition is that the person has been employed for at least two years.

The amount of the transition allowance if one is laid off is determined by two components: the monthly salary and the number of years one has been working at the company. The maximum amount that can be given is either the annual gross salary, or a maximum of €76,000 (if the gross annual...]]> Tue, 04 Jul 2017 15:33:50 +0200
Creating your personal brand entails combining who you are and what you want to promote, in order to attract people’s attention and build your reputation. First of all, whether it is for personal or professional reasons, you have to start thinking of yourself as a brand, by emphasizing your best competencies and core values, and creating a fascinating story about yourself. The stronger the brand you have, the more motivated and disciplined you will appear, while providing a successful mindset.

There are two main levels where you need to create and promote your personal brand effectively: online through social networks,...]]> Sun, 18 Jun 2017 16:07:44 +0200
As of July 1, 2017, a number of legislative changes will enter into force that are of importance to HR professionals. The Arbowet changes. And the bill that changes the minimum wage and minimum holiday allowance will come into effect in part. An overview of the amendments to legislation as of July 1, 2017.

Arbowet

From 1 July 2017, an employee may request a second opinion from another company doctor. In addition, employees are given the legal right to speak to the company doctor during an 'open consultation hour'. Also, the prevention worker gets a firmer position and the works...]]> Thu, 29 Jun 2017 13:03:28 +0200
According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), unemployment declined by an average of 6 thousand per month over the previous three months and stood at 456 thousand (5.1% of the labour force) in May. The sharpest decline was seen among young people. The number of people in paid employment grew by an average of 14 thousand per month between March and May. At the end of May, the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) paid 386 thousand unemployment benefits.

UWV: Sharp Drop Among Young Claimants

In May 2017, UWV reported a total number of 386 thousand current unemployment (WW) benefits, i.e. a decline by...]]> Thu, 29 Jun 2017 12:09:31 +0200

Uitzendbureaus — a.k.a. temporary employment agencies in Dutch — can be dated back to the 1650s in the United Kingdom. However, they became really popular during World War II due to the need of thousands of low-cost temporary workers, and the employers’ desire to avoid the hassle of having to hire, train, supervise and eventually fire them. This industry only continued to grow, and today there are more than 3 million workers who have been temporarily employed in the U.S. alone.

Nowadays, uitzendbureaus are the short-term solution to obtain a temporary employment. They serve a role as a third party...]]> Mon, 26 Jun 2017 10:10:56 +0200
Being selected for an interview can be a victory in itself as employers have to sieve through countless CVs and cover letters to find potential candidates who make themselves stand out. However, giving off a strong first impression in an interview is an entirely different challenge from writing a compelling cover letter or CV; it gives an employer the chance to get to know a candidate on a more personal level and to better determine whether they are a good fit for a company. A strong candidate should know how to thoroughly research the organisation and position they are applying...]]> Mon, 26 Jun 2017 10:04:48 +0200
According to Jobfeed.nl, the top 5 job sites in NL right now are: Randstad, Young Capital, Tempo-Team, Olympia and Start People. These job boards are ranked by the number of unique job offerings that can be accessed via their sites. The jobs found on these sites are unlikely to be found on any other. With over 12,000 vacancies collectively, these sites have become an increasingly great tool for job searchers throughout the Netherlands. However, I have to also include Together Abroad into this list, as it is a remarkable platform for job seeking expats.

The one thing they all have...]]> Mon, 26 Jun 2017 09:15:26 +0200
Last year, about 1.2 million people experienced workplace harassment, such as bullying, discrimination and (sexual) harassment by colleagues or supervisors.This has to come to an end according to minister of Social Affairs and Employment Lodewijk Asscher.
Employees, who have been victimized, report in sick more often than an average of seven days per year. Besides the personal suffering for those involved, it will cost employers loads of money. TNO research institute calculated that it costs employers about 1.7 billion euros per year.
Therefore, at a conference on this issue in The Hague, Asscher started the campaign "Moet tochkunnen", meaning something...]]> Mon, 20 Jun 2016 11:32:24 +0200
“As Gregor Samsa awoke from unsettling dreams one morning, he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous vermin”.. This is an excerpt from The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and is currently ranked among the greatest opening lines of books, according to The Telegraph. In less than 30 seconds the potential reader is already asking who is Gregor Samsa and what has happened to him. The chances are that whoever read the first line would buy the book and read the story to find out the mystery behind it. But why is this important?

First impressions matter – whether...]]> Mon, 19 Jun 2017 11:03:56 +0200
Negotiations with a boss or supervisor can be a daunting task for employees; nonetheless it is sometimes a necessary means for improvement under unsatisfactory working conditions. The aim of a negotiation can vary from typical requests such as higher wages, more responsibilities and better working hours to improvements in the working environment such as a bigger office, newer equipment or safer working conditions. In any case, negotiating is usually the better option to improve a situation instead of pursuing a better job elsewhere.

In addition to knowing what you wish to get out of a negotiation, making use of suitable...]]> Mon, 19 Jun 2017 11:00:09 +0200

Creating your personal brand entails combining who you are and what you want to promote, in order to attract recruiters’ attention and build your reputation. Whether it is online through social or professional platforms, or in conferences and interviews, you should try to tailor your personal brand depending on the context and the person, by highlighting your strongest skills and characteristics. Let us now see in more details how to build a successful personal brand that recruiters will be unable to resist.

1. CV/Résumé

Your CV/Résumé is usually the first thing that recruiters encounter, which represents your personal brand. Try...]]> Sun, 18 Jun 2017 16:05:47 +0200 A relocation to another country may be daunting, with the Netherlands as no exception. The below tips will give you some guidance and will help you and your possible family members to settle in earlier. However, you will experience the best guidance and achieve the best results in your relocation using a relocation company like Settle Service.

1. Immigration formalities

If you hold an EU nationality, then no immigration formality is needed. You will only need to register at town hall or ExpatCenter.

All citizens holding non EU nationalities will need to undergo an immigration procedure. Mostly used is the...]]> Sun, 18 Jun 2017 15:59:46 +0200

Making a first impression is one of the most important aspects of a job interview. The first few minutes are crucial in deciding the outcome of your application, an observation that often goes unnoticed when preparing for the difficult questions that are expected. Good first impressions can have effects which last long after the interview stage, so it is good to devote some time thinking about how you can make a big impact.

The importance of getting off to a good start should never be underestimated. Research shows that interviewers are influenced by how people dress, act, or even how they...]]> Sun, 18 Jun 2017 15:57:20 +0200
The Netherlands is ranked the 2nd best country for work-life balance according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD). The new “Wet flexibel werken” (Flexible Work Act) that came into effect in 2016 helped to further establish the Netherlands as a country which values worker’s personal lives, by allowing employees to request changes to their working hours and workplace for improved flexibility. However, despite the generous Dutch attitude to work time flexibility, finding a balance between work and family life is a universal challenge for all parents. Modern working life only adds to the stress with the introduction...]]> Thu, 08 Jun 2017 16:06:59 +0200
Nowadays, the proper construction of the online professional persona is significantly crucial for job seekers, as most companies and recruiters use professional platforms, and especially LinkedIn, to find the best candidates. Thus, people who want to find a job online join LinkedIn, try to create effective online profiles, build a circle of business contacts, and market themselves.

If you fit this category, then let us see how to best present your online profile.

1. Picture, Headline and Summary

To begin with, a LinkedIn profile has a specific structure that resembles a traditional resume, starting with a single (formal) photograph of...]]> Thu, 08 Jun 2017 15:57:43 +0200
The age for the adult minimum wage goes down on July 1, 2017 from 23 to 22 years. The minimum weekly wage for 18- to 21-year-olds goes up. These are the minimum wages per 1 July 2017.

The legal minimum wage (WML) for employees aged 22 years and over in full employment will be € 1,565.40 per month, € 361.25 per week and € 72.25 per day per July 1, 2017.

Minimum Youth Wage

The age for the adult minimum wage goes down on July 1, 2017 from 23 to 22 years. The minimum weekly wage for 18- to 21-year-olds...]]> Thu, 08 Jun 2017 15:54:54 +0200
It is a discussion in many living rooms: who is doing less work to take care of the children? This is usually the least-earnest parent. Read: often the woman. But this does not necessarily have to be the most economical, say the organizations Women Inc. and Nibud.

They have an online tool (https://www.womeninc.nl/werkzorgberekenaar) to calculate the financial impact if one or both parents work less. The tool has been developed in the hope that more women continue to work, because in practice the least-earnest partner is often the woman.

Important Tax Benefits

By using tax benefits such as tax rebates...]]> Thu, 08 Jun 2017 15:51:59 +0200
In healthcare, construction and ICT, companies have difficulty finding qualified staff. The shortage can become large enough to stunt the growth of comapnies, warns the UWV.

The large shortage of staff in these sectors is due to the Dutch economy growing and thereby increasing employment demand over the next two years. In total, there are more than 225,000 jobs, according to the UWV labour market forecast.

Jobs in Childcare and Homecare

In almost all sectors, the number of jobs is increasing, but the strongest increase is in health and welfare. After years of shrinkage there will be 30,000 employee jobs...]]> Thu, 08 Jun 2017 15:49:05 +0200 You probably think of Martkplaats as a location for used cars or furniture, but you may soon find your new job there. The company wants to compete with job sites.

Marktplaats is currently very busy working on this. Over the last ten months, the number of vacancies rose to 44,000 from 2000, which is an increase of 2100%.

The Knife Cuts on Two Sides

The company connects an online recruitment system to its own site and expects that it will be able to offer thousands of new vacancies a month. According to manager Wouter Geerlings of Marktplaats, the knife cuts...]]> Mon, 29 May 2017 12:18:03 +0200 In most cases, employers do not learn from the burnouts of employees. They are interested in what the employee needs during the burnout, but not how to prevent burnouts, according to research by Kantar Public on behalf of insurer Silver Cross.

33% Positive

The survey shows that only 33% of respondents indicate that their employer has learned something about their burnout. The researchers think employers are missing self-reflection.

They see burnouts especially as incidents and not something that can be prevented by working differently.

Something to Do

While that can certainly help, Professor of Occupational and Organisational Psychology Arnold Bakker...]]> Mon, 29 May 2017 11:04:21 +0200 The smooth spinning economy and the falling unemployment rate help ensure that most consumers will spend their vacation money rather than deposit it in their savings account or paying off debts.

Of the people who spend their vacation money (which is at least 8% of gross annual salary), more than 60% will spend the money for what it is originally intended—going on a holiday. Four in ten of the Dutch book a few weeks of sun in Southern Europe, or rain in their own country, according to a study by the ING Economic Bureau.

Young People Prefer to Save

Remarkably,...]]> Wed, 24 May 2017 11:26:01 +0200 The labour market is constantly changing. Former professional structures are no longer sufficient. Organizations must open up for that, even for existing functions. Time to keep the job descriptions well against the light.

“In many organizations, functions have the same name, while under the hood there are huge differences in job content”, said job engineer Luc Dorenbosch. “Once, 100 employees were employed, but some have become ICT specialists in the meantime. I was involved in a process where maintenance engineers got more space to shape their function. A traditional planner determined the customers, routes and types of jobs per week....]]> Wed, 24 May 2017 11:20:54 +0200 ‘Unemployment is declining again’, reported CBS this morning. But how are those numbers actually measured?

Unemployment has fallen by an average of 8,000 people per month in the past three months. The number of unemployed in April amounted to 456,000, which is 5.1% of the working population. At the same time, the number of employed people increased by an average of 9000 per month over the past three months, with 1,000 more than the number of unemployed.

How Do Those Numbers Compare

The CBS does not distinguish on two, but three so-called labour positions: the working population, the unemployed and...]]> Tue, 23 May 2017 12:49:27 +0200 Now that the economic crisis is behind us, it seems obvious that many people are thinking about changing jobs. But nothing is less true: three quarters of the employees of SMEs and family businesses would like to work for the same boss at all times.

According to an inquiry by BDO consultancy firm, the employees of the above-mentioned companies prefer better working conditions such as holiday days and a business car rather than a high salary. In the survey, 1400 employees of SME and family companies were questioned and they prefer to be ‘in their comfort zone’, rather than be...]]> Tue, 16 May 2017 22:15:20 +0200 Nowadays, not that many workers are worried about keeping their jobs. Particularly in the construction and care sectors, concern has sharply declined over the past three years.

The proportion of employees that worried about maintaining their jobs has decreased in all industries between 2013 and 2016, as shown by the Central Bureau of Statistics and Research Institute TNO. According to organizations, unemployment is declining, the number of vacancies increasing, and there are fewer reorganizations and reductions.

A Decline in Construction and Care

Three years ago, the concern reached 34%, the highest level since the beginning of the crisis. But last...]]> Tue, 16 May 2017 22:14:18 +0200 Which job makes you happy? It is not only aspects like the salary or the balance between work and free time that are important. The extent to which your work is essential for the company is also necessary.

Whoever does important work within a company is happier than someone who performs less essential activities. Scientists have surveyed hundreds of employees in 5 different investigations and published the outcome on the Harvard Business Review website.

A Happy Programmer

According to the researchers, a lawyer is happier working at a law firm than a corporate lawyer at an advertising agency. A programmer...]]> Mon, 15 May 2017 20:44:40 +0200  Adams Multilingual Recruitment shares insights gleaned from twenty years of helping international job seekers find positions in the Netherlands and abroad.

Founder and Managing Director Maureen Adams remembers: “Dutch agencies back in the mid 90’s had notices on their doors stating that people who didn’t speak Dutch were not welcome. I remember walking into one agency, to be greeted by a young woman who took my CV and as I walked out the door she threw it promptly in the bin. It was difficult to find a good job without speaking Dutch and yet, in the meantime, I could see...]]> Mon, 15 May 2017 11:48:44 +0200 Highly educated Dutch students prefer the certainty of a permanent job over entrepreneurship and work at a start-up, according to a recent study of the Business Talent Network (BTN) recruiting platform among Dutch HBO and WO students.

Over half of the students (53.7%) hope to find a permanent job after graduation. Four out of ten (38.8%) prefer their career with a traineeship. Only 7.5% opt for entrepreneurship, and this is below the national average: of the current labor force, more than 12% are independent entrepreneurs.

Loyalty

However, the desired security of a permanent job does not translate into loyalty and...]]> Thu, 11 May 2017 11:32:35 +0200 Employees want to know more about a company before applying to it. One in five considers the employer’s brand as an important factor in determining the choice for an employer.

This is evidenced by the Manpower Group report The Rise of the Well-Informed Candidate. Globally, 58% of surveyed employees find the employer brand more important now than they did five years ago. Especially candidates from the ages18 to 35 adhere to this value.

Employee Brand Actively Investigated

The Dutch are by far not the most active candidates when it comes to viewing the employer’s mark. Only 20% of candidates are...]]> Thu, 11 May 2017 11:28:03 +0200 A modern father ensures that he has a papadag at least one day a week — but it turns out that fathers working part-time are unhappy. This is a striking conclusion from the dissertation of Sean de Hoon, sociologist at Erasmus University. Among other things, he investigated the degree of happiness in relation to part-time or full-time work. And it turns out that we are secretly still very traditional.

Man Wants to Earn the Money and Woman Wants to Take Care of Children

Fathers appeared to be happier when they work full-time. And according to De Hoon, they want to...]]> Tue, 09 May 2017 11:22:13 +0200 Despite advanced digital home-based capabilities, companies have recently preferred to see their employees appear at the office. The rise of agile works and more physical cooperation in multidisciplinary teams plays a role. Is work from home no longer the highlight?

According to figures from Statistics Netherlands of over 8 million employees, nearly 3 million works from home. 62% say that they work from home on an incidental basis. Since last year there is even a law that gives employees more opportunities to work for their time also from home. For a long time, work from home has been celebrated: less...]]> Thu, 04 May 2017 12:42:23 +0200 Employers’ organization VNO-NCW agrees with the plan to return unemployment benefits to the unemployed during three years.

President Hans de Boer has confirmed that on the TV program WNL on Sunday. “We’re going to sign it, I just have to check one more time with my board”, said De Boer, who criticized the unions with his statement.

Suspended Consultation

Since Friday, the unions did not want to discuss with the employers’ organizations because they had not wanted to sign. But according to De Boer, conclusions have been drawn too quickly.

“The letter from the farmers was on my desk on...]]> Mon, 01 May 2017 12:34:40 +0200 In the Netherlands, 6% of people are unemployed, but the municipality of Rotterdam is quite higher than that. Rotterdam had the highest unemployment rate last year, at 11.3%. Thee figures are based on the CBS reports regarding the latest regional unemployment figures. In the Rijnmond region, where Rotterdam is, unemployment is the highest of 35 regions, with 8.2%.

Regions with highest unemployment:

Rijnmond: 8.2%
The Hague: 7.7%
Flevoland: 7.3%
Groningen: 7.1%

The labour market regions are smaller than the provinces, and are not always at the borders of provinces. In ten regions, unemployment is higher than the national average, and...]]> Mon, 08 May 2017 09:53:00 +0200 A large group of people remain unemployed despite the recovery of the economy and the labour market. Especially the low-skilled, elderly and non-Western migrants, they are not doing well, according to UWV figures.

The unemployment rate at 5.3% is at the lowest point in years. Not bad, but it is still much higher than before the crisis. In 2008, only 3.7% of the working population was unemployed.

Government Must Intervene

“The good news is that the number of vacancies is rising and that the economic recovery is going to increase the number of jobs”, says Tof Thissen, director of UWV...]]> Fri, 28 Apr 2017 12:16:55 +0200 Colleagues’ noise is at the top as a factor that has the most negative impact on productivity. Three-quarters of Dutch employees work in an open office space and 61% experience moderate or too much noise.

A survey of 525 of No Ties commissioned by Plantronics, shows that 40% of workers are having a negative impact on productivity by noise from colleagues. The personnel productivity decreases especially in buildings that are mainly constructed of concrete and glass, and are not provided with good sound insulation.

33% of employees indicate that an office with separate space for different activities would improve performance....]]> Fri, 28 Apr 2017 10:15:40 +0200 New European legislation requires many organizations to use specialists this year. These are rare and the result is shortages, says the recruitment organization Robert Walters. Employers generally have three options to get the necessary specialist knowledge.

All organizations that work with personal data must comply with stricter laws and regulations, especially since European regulations will apply on 25 May 2018. From then on, only one privacy act (the General Data Protection Act) applies throughout the European Union. The outdated National Data Protection Act (WBP) will no longer apply. Organizations need to adjust their policies, otherwise they will be penalized a...]]> Thu, 27 Apr 2017 10:51:46 +0200 Salary negotiations remain an issue when you start a new job. After all, what income can you really ask for the job position?

These five Dutch companies do it differently: “All salaries and bonuses are public”.Transparency is the new buzzword. The idea is, an employee who knows where he or she stands, is a happy employee. It works in one of these ways:

1.Basic salary for everyone to be increased by well enough sales:

Law firms are often known for their hierarchical, hard structure. Law firm Bruggink& Van der Velden do it differently, says labour lawyer DaniëlMaats. The lawyers are...]]> Wed, 19 Apr 2017 15:44:10 +0200 A “between jobs” seems to be a solution for employees with a flexible contract that want to have more stability. A four-year contract with asaving pot for training – the supermarket sector is going to try it.

Politicians and economists have been debating for a while: flex to be less flexible and fixed to be less fixed. But attempts to ensure this seem not to succeed (enough).Employers and trade union CNV think they have now found a solution: “the between job” for the supermarket sector, which is popular for side jobs. You get a four-year contract and money for training,...]]> Wed, 19 Apr 2017 08:06:34 +0200 Last year, three people worked in an office in Rijssen (Twente), but now the electronics brand TRNDlabs have workers in Brazil, Ukraine, Serbia, Morocco and Slovenia. Founder Gerard Nieuwenhuis tells us what it is like to work with staff in different time zones.

Nieuwenhuis had difficulty finding suitable staff near the headquarters of his company. “During 2016 we grew a lot and we noticed that it is difficult to find affordable international talent around Twente”. Because the company had 95% of revenue (2 million in 2016) from abroad, it is very much internationally oriented.

Cheaper Candidates

The salary plays a...]]> Wed, 19 Apr 2017 07:47:48 +0200 There is a welcome bonus of 5,000 Euros for new Dutch or English teachers. Schools are increasingly offering high premiums to attract teachers, reports De Telegraaf. A school in Katwijk might even offer 10,000 Euros for a maths teacher.

According to the job site Meesterbaan, maths teachers are most wanted.Head-hunters and agencies dig for CVs of mathematics teachers by sifting through on sites like LinkedIn, and they send unsolicited e-mails in which they offer jobs. The need is very high in some cases.

Mathematics Teacher

Andreas College in Katwijk offers 10,000 Euros to a grade one mathematics teacher, according to...]]> Fri, 14 Apr 2017 12:17:27 +0200 HR professionals are doing well in the market. In 2016 there were 37,763 jobs posted. That is an increase of 24.2% from 2015, as calculated by Jobfeed, based on unduplicated data from 192,562 job placements. The greatest demand in this field is for recruiters at 46% of the number of vacancies, followed by 31.5% in the operational part within this field.

The most HRM jobs are in the Randstad: North and South Holland together account for nearly half of the vacancies. Utrecht and Noord-Brabant are aggregating another 25% of HR vacancies.

Employers are looking for HRMs especially with a bachelor’s...]]> Tue, 11 Apr 2017 22:45:41 +0200 As a business owner you need money – whether to start your own business or to invest in it, for example, in machines or in renovations. But there are several forms of financing. So which of these best fits your situation?

Crowdfunding or Business Loan?

Suppose you want to start a business and you need to have 4,500 euros available.Then crowdfundingmight be a solution – this is when a large group of people insert an amount of money to finance your project or company. It is a good financing option for starters. There are a wide variety of platforms that...]]> Tue, 11 Apr 2017 21:56:28 +0200 New entrepreneurs do not like to reject customers. The fear that they will lose money and that something might go wrong is too daunting. However, a clear ‘no’ is often appreciated.

Seger Theuns often has this situation as director of myBrand – an IT company: if he takes over the services from other companies (clients), they always respond with enthusiasm. But if there is something that must be provided,which sometimes goes wrong, then: “A clear ‘no’ would help”.

Theuns is always led by the saying: “Be honest, direct and always think of the long term relationship”. To find out if...]]> Fri, 07 Apr 2017 08:22:48 +0200 The vast majority of the financial industry is trying to attract active women and minority groups, but their strategies are not delivering. Women appear to be the left out of the sector.

Banks, fintech companies and asset management companies often use special recruitment strategies to attract more women and minority groups. More than three-quarters of companies in the financial sector perform a special ‘diversity policy’, whereas only 51% of companies in other industries do this, according to evidencefrom the research by the audit and consulting firm PwC. The research was based on dozens of companies in the sector and nearly...]]> Wed, 05 Apr 2017 09:54:49 +0200 Many workers have a savings jar to pay for a training/education. But your boss manages these jars,and that needs to change, says the Social Economic Council (SER). It is not the company but the workers themselves that must determine where they can spend their education money. In this way, if necessary, they can move easily to another position or job.
Money is often readily available for such training/education, but putting this into practice is incredibly complicated. “Different ministries have different budgets and various policies in which to promote lifelong learning, and sometimes they can even working against each other, consciously...]]> Mon, 03 Apr 2017 11:03:25 +0200 Organisations spend a lot of money to make the workplace as comfortable and ergonomic as possible. But we often forget is our brains. With a few simple modifications, the productivity of employees can increase by at least 25%.

Imagine, in the port of Rotterdam you put two men to work on moving a large pile of coal. Worker A continues to work until the job is done, and worker B takes breaks of five minutes each hour, to take a walk across the harbour or eat an apple. Which mountain coal is moved fastest, despite the considerable amount of extra...]]> Thu, 30 Mar 2017 11:07:23 +0200 Starting your own business is a dream for many people: setting your own agenda and having no boss. However, financial uncertainty and demanding customers can put pressure on the balance between work and private life, explains researcher Anne Annink.

Some business owners are extremely satisfied with their self-appointed work life, while others are regularly close to a burnout. For her dissertation ‘Busyness around the business’,Annink studied European policies on the topic of entrepreneurship, and she spoke with the self-employed in the Netherlands, Sweden and Spain. Her main conclusion: the self-employed are more satisfied with their work-life balance and well being...]]> Tue, 28 Mar 2017 11:22:53 +0200 For the first time in ten years, the average retirement age has not increased. Last year the average age was 64 years and 5 months, just like in 2015.

Earlier this century, the average retirement age was much lower at 61 years. Through several new laws and regulations, the retirement age rose steadily and the most was in 2007. The systematic increase in the retirement age has played a major role, writes CBS. This was introduced from January 1, 2013.

Fisheries and Agriculture Retire as the Last

In 2006 the largest number of employees that retired were 60 years old...]]> Mon, 27 Mar 2017 11:42:29 +0200 Unemployment in the Netherlands has again further declined in February. There was a total of 504,000 registered unemployed, 5,000 less than in January reported the CBS last week. These are the hard numbers and they are not adjusted for seasonal effects. According to the accountants, the number of people in paid employment has increased by13 thousand per month on average, in the last three months.

Fewer Allowances
The number of unemployment insurance benefits declined in February. The UWV returned to 416,000 persons last month, a decrease of 0.7% compared to January. This decline was mainly on account of women, with...]]> Thu, 23 Mar 2017 09:39:57 +0100 More than half of the self-employed do not know all the ins and outs of the DBA. One out of three expects that the law will be abolished.

According to research from ZZP Barometer, among 825 freelancers, 58.6% of the respondents think that the self-employed under the Law of DBA must have a minimum of three clients.

Also, nearly half of the self-employed (49.1%) assume that,as freelancers, they might be required to pay employee contributions according to the law. On average 28.4% of freelancers did not give the correct answers about the law DBA in seven propositions.

DBA Has Little...]]> Tue, 21 Mar 2017 17:07:01 +0100 The job market is changing rapidly. Some professions disappear while others rise like a tide, like the Work Happiness Expert. The National Professions Guide listed a number of future jobs in a row. It involves the development of existing professions as well as the creation of new ones.

Personal Leadership

The Work Happiness Expert, according to the National Action Guide, is a consultant, a manager or an officer, who focuses on increasing the perception of happiness in the workplace. He/she does this is by giving workshops and (team) coaching focusing on personal leadership and giving inspiration sessions.

In addition, he/she...]]> Mon, 20 Mar 2017 11:31:27 +0100 Last week, the Orange Fund organized the NLDoet nationwide volunteer action. And this year there is a record number of registered volunteer jobs: 9500. This is good for the organizations that are helped by volunteers, but what do you actually gain as a volunteer?

Last year around three hundred jobs were noted less than this year, and as expected 350000 took some action. But that is just a fraction compared to the number of Dutch people that are doing volunteer work during the rest of the year.

Disinterested?

Almost half of the Dutch are unselfishly dedicated in voluntary work for...]]> Tue, 14 Mar 2017 12:54:03 +0100 Throughout the country are network-cafés for the unemployed. In Amsterdam, there is a group of people over 50 years of age that meet for more than half a year,they are looking for jobs but not for themselves, rather for one another. At least 40% of them have already found work.
This week a second group startsin Zaandam, and two new cities will follow within six months. Erik Lambooy of Netwerkcafé Amsterdam devised the initiative: the Relay Network.

People Have Forgotten How You Enter Somewhere

The idea is that a group of unemployed people over 50 are looking for a job...]]> Tue, 14 Mar 2017 10:32:43 +0100 Labour markets at the border of the Netherlands and Belgium partly overlap, especially in the Dutch region of South Limburg and Zeeland Flanders. This emerged from a study by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) and the Flemish Centre for Work.

Belgians work more often in the Netherlands, and the Dutch work in Belgium. Approximately nine thousand people living in the Netherlands worked in the Belgian border region in 2014. And 31,000 Belgium residents worked in the Netherlands that same year.The structure of the labour on both sides of the border is different. It involves differences such as the type...]]> Mon, 13 Mar 2017 11:20:48 +0100 Working outside the usual office hours is increasingly becoming the norm. Figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics from last year show that four in ten workers are working regularly in the evening, or even at night. Also they often work in the weekends.

In the Netherlands there are a lot of people who are working in the evenings, CBS reported on the basis of new figures for 2016. One reason is that the percentage of self-employed in the Netherlands is higher proportionally than in other EU countries.

More than 3.6 million people regularly work in the evening or at...]]> Wed, 08 Mar 2017 20:25:01 +0100 Smaller accounting firms fear a shortage of accountants. The smaller companies cannot often meet the new requests of the students’ educational curriculum, so students will opt for a training place at larger firms, as written by Het FinancieeleDagblad (FD), according to a survey of an umbrella organization SRA.

Smaller accounting firms that control small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may not provide the required number of training hours. The minimum number of hours required was increased from a thousand to fifteen hundred hours as of the start of 2016.

Of the 360 firms that are members of the umbrella organization, 228...]]> Tue, 07 Mar 2017 14:49:22 +0100 Cool Blue expects to achieve sales of 1.2 billion Euros. This would be a continuation of the strong sales growth in recent years. The web shop will also hire an extra 1500 people this year.

In 2016 Cool Blue’s turnover rose by 55% to 857 million Euros. Last year, the operating result was 19 million Euros. Cool Blue-founder Peter Zwartis especially proud of the steps that the company took with the delivery service launched in 2016. It was especially good for customer satisfaction.

New Store

This year the company will open a new store, in addition to the already existing...]]> Mon, 06 Mar 2017 10:18:23 +0100 The next government must quickly get started with the theme: robots. Otherwise, it is disastrous for hundreds of thousands job positions of Dutch people and for the state economy.This was written by a group of twenty scientists in an urgent letter (pdf) owned by RTL News. The call is supported by employers and unions. “We need a political vision so that robotics go in the right direction”, wrote the professors.

No Political Priority

“We are concerned because the political parties seem to give little priority to such a vision”, it says in the letter. “We are not convinced that the...]]> Wed, 01 Mar 2017 11:49:41 +0100 On the boards of the 26 largest family businesses in the Netherlands, there are remarkably only a few women. Last year 7% of managers and 12% of the Commissioners in these companies have a woman.This was reported from the study by RuigrokNetPanel commissioned by The Headhunter Executive Network (TEN)about the 117 largest companies in the Netherlands.

In family companies there was not a single woman as CEO. In non-family businesses this rate stood at 7%.For all surveyed companies, the average ratio of the boards amounts to 12% women and 88% men. Among commissioners the distribution was 23% women and 77%...]]> Wed, 01 Mar 2017 11:23:23 +0100 Not a job for life, but flexibility and technology that works. Ten thousand Europeans from different branches in eight countries, including the Netherlands, have been questioned about their job prospects, desires and frustrations. These are the main conclusions.

Organizing Own Time

Flexible hours and to organize their own time is the desire of many workers, but of those surveyed 58% still work at a fixed location, and they work 65% fixed hours. Employees are also increasingly in trouble with their time. Although 84% of European workers have a good balance between work and private life, 17% are experiencing high levels...]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2017 15:55:34 +0100 It is possible for companies to post jobs on Facebook. Interested parties can apply directly with their Facebook profile, and the job application is delivered via messenger to the company.

The feature is currently only available to US and Canadian Facebook pages, Facebook reported to TechCrunch. Companies with such a page can post a job that is then displayed under the heading ‘jobs’.

If you respond to a job, your full name and profile picture are automatically loaded. The rest you can fill in yourself.

Smaller Companies

Andrew Bosworth, vice president for advertising for Facebook, tells TechCrunch that many small...]]> Mon, 20 Feb 2017 11:21:19 +0100 Approximately 122,000 self-employed (freelancers) last year felt the negative effects of the new law that was created to prevent pretence.That equates to about a fifth of the self-employed that missed one or more assignments, concluded the Chamber of Commerce (CoC) last Monday after conducting their own research.

On the one hand, clients feel uncertain about hiring freelancers. In addition, companies more often rely on an intermediary such as a broker or a payroll company to minimize the risks. The self-employed losetheir independence and sometimes their tax benefits, emphasized the Chamber of Commerce.

The so-called law DBA (deregulation review labor relations)...]]> Mon, 20 Feb 2017 11:13:32 +0100 Seven fast growing companies initiate a pilot to start to exchange personnel.They hope to solve the specific problems they experience in human resources, reported business organizations SME Netherlands and Port4Growth last Monday. They work together with Brunel and Pink Elephant.

Eventually, the pilot project will become a major digital platform where fast-growing companies in the Netherlands will cooperate in the area of personnel needs.Initially, the seven internationally operating companies exchanged approximately two hundred employees in a variety of functions. They remain with their original employer and take voluntary part in the pilot. For example, people with specific knowledgeare being exchanged,...]]> Mon, 20 Feb 2017 10:21:50 +0100 In the last decades Waalwijk had a high level of unemployment, now the labor market will bea bonanza. The webshop bol.com will create hundreds of new job opportunities in the Brabant town.

Bol.com recently built a distribution center with the size of seven football fields, where hundreds of people will work. And that is not all, the center will open in the second half of this year and will probably be already too small.

In Waalwijk, currently 6.4% of the workforce is unemployed, and that is double since the crisis of 2008, when the unemployment rate was only 3.2%. Within...]]> Mon, 13 Feb 2017 11:15:20 +0100 Companies can be much more competitive and responsive to market changes as they abandon their old management, says Jelle Dijkstra, professor of NHL Hogeschool. Organizations have become too complex for one manager to be the decision maker: “It is too risky”.

The Dijkstra's message is simple: the boss should no longer be the boss. Classic management should be changed, and employeesshould work in teams. Experts in particular fields can automatically take the lead on issues where they are most skilled at. “So sometimes you might have two or four managers”, he explains. On this opinion Dijkstra is not alone: he...]]> Mon, 13 Feb 2017 11:46:04 +0100 Answering an urgent call from your boss on weekends or responding to emails from your colleague in the evenings is recognizable to many people, but according to Labour Party (PvdA) that should stop.

The Labour Party leader Lodewijk Asscher wants Dutch employees to have the right not to be accessible to their boss or colleagues after work. In France, this already exists: companies with more than fifty employees have the right to ignore their work email outside working hours.

Quality Time

Asscher wants this to happen after the elections in the Netherlands: “People should have the right to be unreachable...]]> Mon, 13 Feb 2017 11:17:08 +0100 Stress can cause difficulties to sleep and lack of sleep causes additional stress in turn ¬–recognizable? It’s not so strange, this is the reciprocal relationship between stress and sleep problems.

Organizational psychologist Michelle van Laethem did research on 44 PhD students who were preparingfor their thesis. The measured stress level of the PhD students increased strongly as their PhD defence approached. Immediately after this, the stress decreased sharply. The quality of sleep did not deteriorate while preparing for the defence, but it greatly improved immediately after the event.

Prolonged Stress

Van Laethem: “What struck me was that stress during the...]]> Mon, 06 Feb 2017 21:02:39 +0100 For many entrepreneurs networking is a great way to win new contracts. But where do you start, how do you behave at a networking event and how do you maintain your network?

In collaboration with business coach Navien Bansi, NU.nl presents some tips. Amongst others, Bansi gives acquisition trainings and helps entrepreneurs to build up a network.

Go with Confidence to a Networking Event

“When attending a networking event, you should be confident, otherwise you mightas well stay at home”,says Bansi. “If you are not happy with yourself, you have to work at that first. Start going to the gym...]]> Mon, 06 Feb 2017 20:57:56 +0100  The 250 companies with the most job growth in the last four years have created a total of more than ten thousand jobs.The study was conducted by the Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship (ECE), Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) and Nlgroeit.

Researchers have looked at companies that had at least ten employees at the beginning of the period with a turnover of 5 million Euros, and achieved at least 20% growth in sales and employees.

Greatest growth is in the cosmetics company Rituals, founded by Raymond Cloosterman in 2000. Between 2012 and 2016, the company created 1,097 new jobs....]]> Mon, 06 Feb 2017 09:58:58 +0100 Dutch people searching for a job are not very creative when it comes to completing their LinkedIn account. Strange, because they describe themselves as specialized and focused.And there itimmediately goes wrong: for almost everyone. The site with business profiles published its annual list of most frequently used words with which users define themselves.

According to LinkedIn this shows the difficulty of making a ‘significant profile’. Many people use standard terms, resulting in the following top ten empty phrases: specialized, leadership, focused, strategic, experienced, passionate, expert, creative, innovative, and certified.

‘People find it difficult to distinguish themselves from others’, according to...]]> Tue, 31 Jan 2017 12:40:08 +0100 People who occasionally work from home, often miss family activities more than workers who work from home on a regular basis or fulltime at an office.

In 2015in the Netherlands, nearly 3 million people worked at home, in a total of 8.6 million workers (employed or self-employed). Of that 3 million more than 60% worked on an irregular basis, according to the research by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) and TNO research institute. The remaining 38% worked at home regularly.

Teachers often work occasionally at home, presumably to check papers. Also, managing directors and managers work at home occasionally....]]> Tue, 31 Jan 2017 10:23:28 +0100
The Primary school, the international department of the Prinseschool, follows the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) which provides an excellent foundation for international secondary education.

The Secondary school, the international department of Het Stedelijk Lyceum, follows the International Cambridge Secondary Curriculum.

Since 2013, students have been able to take exams in this curriculum for both the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and A Levels....]]> Mon, 30 Jan 2017 12:29:33 +0100 Construction companies are again looking for permanent staff. Workers are no longer forced to work as freelancers, according to the Economic Institute for the Building Industry (EIB).

In 2017 and 2018, employment in construction might increase in as much as 34,000 years of employment (arbeidsjaren). In the three years after this the EIB expects to recover an additional 23 labour years.Therefore employment in construction will eventually be above the level before the crisis.

Because, of course, not all the work is done by permanent employees, it cannot be clear how many jobs it will be, but construction economists expect much...]]> Mon, 30 Jan 2017 09:54:05 +0100

QS, the leading global provider of specialist higher education and the publisher of QS World University Rankings, will visit Amsterdam once more with QS TopMBA Connect 1-2-1 event.
The event presents a selection of the world’s leading business schools. On the day prospective MBA candidates have the opportunity to speak directly with the admission directors in personalized 30 minute meetings according to business schools’ entry requirements and candidates’ own study needs.

If you want to level-up your career, but wondering how, don’t miss the chance meeting face to face with the world's most prestigious business schools such as Hult, IE,...]]> Thu, 26 Jan 2017 14:46:44 +0100 The number of companies that went bankrupt in a year, dropped last year to its lowest level in eight years. At the same time, the number of companies in the Netherlands has reached a record high, according to figures from Statistics Netherlands and Chamber of Commerce.

In 2016, according to the CBS, a small number of companies and institutions went bankrupt, about 4400, almost a fifth less than a year earlier. Purely looking at companies, the decline was even greater: there are 4,000 companies that went bankrupt last year, less than the year before, when there was a big peak...]]> Tue, 24 Jan 2017 20:31:26 +0100 Employers' organizations AWVN, VNO-NCW and MKB-Netherlands want the current rules to be adapted around the severance allowance.The amount that dismissed employees would get should be aimed to be used for their training to overcome their complaints, so that they can get to work as soon as possible. To do so, employers will argue this year in collective bargaining with the unions.

AWVN also advocates an individual facility for both permanent employees and flexible workers. “The working life nowadays is longer. People should not be with the illusion that they can do the same job for the same company for fifty...]]> Tue, 24 Jan 2017 20:24:52 +0100 For scientists who convert their knowledge into products and services for businesses, i.e. industrial doctorates, the government has provided 10 million Euros.That was written last week by Sander Dekker the Secretary of Education in a letter to parliament.

Converting into Knowledge

The 10 million Euros that the State Secretary, together with industry and universities, want to receive is intended for scientists to do research PhD at companies. State Secretary Dekker: "Scientific knowledge can contribute to the major social issues and economic opportunities of the moment". The industrial doctorate is one of the ideas to ensure this.
Besides, the Dutch research...]]> Mon, 23 Jan 2017 09:40:50 +0100 Do you want to have a good balance in the bank? You would be well advised to become a Technical Manager Marketing & Sales. Or take one of these other five top jobs when it comes to a good salary.

Every year recruitment agency Hays draws up a list of emerging well-paying jobs. The salaries for these functions are boosted by a lack of available talent, complexity of work and the emergence of new technologies.

100,000 Euros: Technical Manager Marketing & Sales

According to Hays, marketing and sales manager in the technical and industrial sectors are doing quite well with...]]> Wed, 18 Jan 2017 18:12:22 +0100 Some managers prefer not to share the big picture and the concrete goals of the company with the employees. Sometimes short-termsecrecy may be necessary because Chief bosses must approve a new strategy first, but a structural hidden agenda is kills the motivation and productivity of employees.

A small, recent American survey of BetterWorks showed that 40% of employees do not see the connection between their work and the overall goals of the company. What exactly their own work contributes to the advancement of the company is unclear to them.

With More Transparency, Harder Work

64% of participants feel that the...]]> Tue, 17 Jan 2017 11:25:37 +0100 One out of nine Dutch employees would leave their current job as soon as possible if they could do the same work for another boss. Another half of all employees is less resolute, but is certainly open to it.Only a minority (33%) is so loyal to their employer that they categorically refuse to move, according to an annual survey of 1100 employees by the salary processor Raet.

Substantial Differences from Last Year

Differences with last year are significant. Thus, the number of people that are expected to work elsewhere within two years doubled. It was 7% in 2016, now it...]]> Sun, 15 Jan 2017 21:54:28 +0100 Hooray, almost everyone will have improved finances. Anyone who works monthly will receive more money, although the rise is extremely small in some wage categories, says salary processor ADP.

The tool is based on the same salary in 2016 as in 2017 and takes into account taxes, and in many cases it also accounts for pension contributions. In addition, retired people can see how much net pension they will receive. It involves standard situations; therefore your personal paycheque can always turn out differently in practice.

Here you can check the tool that calculates how much money you will get in...]]> Wed, 11 Jan 2017 15:09:08 +0100 A year ago the company Bynder offered unlimited vacation days for all employees. After 365 days, the director Chris Hall reflects: “It's going very well”. Bynder provides a cloud service for marketers, a program that is a combination of an online Photoshop program and an image bank. Last summer, the start-up got another 20 million Euros.

The experiment of Hall began last January. One of his goals was to spread the holidays so that the infamous ‘reservoir’ of days off would solve itself,one of the problems that more organizations have to deal with.This has been successful, he says. “In the...]]> Mon, 09 Jan 2017 22:33:30 +0100 Giving compliments is fun and still works really well. But you should not give everyone kudos just like that.If one person in a department receives a compliment, the willingness to work by everyone else becomes a bit higher, according to research from the University of Maastricht.

This also applies if the entire department gets credit. But, if a few employees within a department get a pat on their shoulders, you will see that those are precisely the ones who were not often at work or who did not work hard enough within the team.

Productivity Increases

The point is that...]]> Mon, 09 Jan 2017 00:30:26 +0100 The economy is growing, yet do you notice a difference in your wallet?Are you happier? A group of economists devised a new way to measure what happens with us. The answer: our happiness increases slowly.

Lately, we often hear“the economy has grown”. But that does not mean that most people are better off financially, or are healthier or the environment is improved. And yet, journalists and politicians run behind that one indicator: GDP ¬¬– gross domestic product. The GDP, explains economist Mathijs Bouman in Z Today, is actually a crazy figure. It measures just what we spend to reach a...]]> Tue, 03 Jan 2017 11:34:17 +0100 Top international business schools meet executive talent through One-to-One meetings in Amsterdam on the 26th of January.

The prestigious Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree has been an important contribution to career development over the last century. It has gained a sound reputation beyond the corporate world in almost every professional field and industry, and across every continent.

Today, hundreds of thousands of business professionals actively seek admission to the business schools of their choice. At the same time, top international MBA programmes also invest time in personally communicating with prospective applicants in order to build a diverse MBA class...]]> Tue, 03 Jan 2017 21:19:26 +0100 Women are on average 6% more often sick than men. Except in Zeeland, where women are less often sick, according to research from Acture, a company that helps people on sick leave. The company studied absenteeism in the Netherlands, and the differences between the provinces.

It is notable that women are sick an average of 10.3 days per year, and men 9.7. There are large differences per province: women in Zeeland are less often sick (8.9 days sick), and women in Flevoland more (11.5 days).

Other Complaints

That women are more likely to be sick is because they often suffer...]]> Tue, 03 Jan 2017 11:00:05 +0100 In one year, the transport sector attracted nearly a thousand job seekers as well as unqualified drivers that wanted to become truck drivers. But there are still not enough applicants; there is room for another 1,100 people. The economy has improved and in the coming period many drivers will retire, so the demand of drivers in order to replace them is still high.

The transport company Nabuurs From Opzeeland: “We are looking for 75 new drivers”,says HR manager Sandra Biesen. “But it is hard to find qualified people”. The company supplies stores and it is growing with the growth of...]]> Tue, 03 Jan 2017 10:30:12 +0100 The time that you got in May or in December a year-end bonus is over. Nowadays this can be done in other months, for example in the form of days off or trainings.

Many employees at the end of the year get a bonus. You cannot call it “the thirteenth month salary”, explains Adrian van der Velpen from payroll processor Raet.The concept of the thirteenth month might give the impression that this is the same as a monthly salary, while the year-end bonus varies by collective agreement. Some employees receive 2 percent of their salary, but it can go up...]]> Wed, 28 Dec 2016 16:07:55 +0100 For the fourth year in a row, the average Dutch personwill have extra money in their wallet in 2017. This does not apply to everyone. Check on the basis of sample calculations for 18 households how you look at advances next year.

Click here to see the tool
The above tool is based on information from the Ministry of Social Affairs. It is about 18 examples of situations in which it is calculated how many households there are advancing next year. Your personal situation can always deviate from that, for example because you lost your job or got promoted.

Source:...]]> Tue, 27 Dec 2016 22:45:44 +0100 Naturalized Dutch immigrants are increasingly speaking better Dutch and are becoming better educated. But that hardly leads to more job opportunities, according to a report by the Social and Cultural Planning Office (SCP). Although they are better educated, non-Western migrants are three times as likely to be unemployed as those with a Dutch background.

“You would expect that non-Western migrants are better equipped for the labour market, partly due to higher level of education, to have a better position in the labour market”, said spokesman William Huijnk.

Employment Discrimination

Huijnk says, “In times when the economy is bad, the employer...]]> Mon, 26 Dec 2016 23:00:48 +0100 The Twente Branding Foundation is the service portal for the domains innovation and human capital in the fields of branding and corporate communication. Her mission is to brand Twente as an entrepreneurial high-tech region with a focus on High Tech Systems and Materials (HTSM). Twente distinguishes itself in the current economic development of the Netherlands as the entrepreneurial technological knowledge region. This profile will enable her to remain competitive and economically healthy.


1. Tell us a little about yourself and your function at Twente Branding.

My name is Karin Louwers and my function as an account manager is very broad....]]> Wed, 21 Dec 2016 11:28:36 +0100 If you are in permanent employment, you have to make it twice a year: a performance and an assessment meeting. You do not like it? You are not alone: young and old employees are done with it. We prefer to continue giving and receiving feedback, according to the research by Raet.

One in five people would prefer never to have an assessment meeting. Eight out of ten people believe that performance and assessment interviews in their current form are outdated, showed the survey by the HR cloud software provider among 1100 Dutch employees. The results apply to both younger and...]]> Mon, 19 Dec 2016 13:17:33 +0100 The number of MBO(mid-level) vocational jobs has risen by almost a tenth in the last six months, mainly due to the hospitality, industry and retail sector.

Between March and August of this year, there were about 207,600 vacancies at a medium vocational level. This is up by 9% from last year, according to figures from a report by the Cooperation Organisation for Vocational Education, Training and the Labour Market (SBB) and benefits agency, UWV.

The regions with the largest increases are North-East Brabant (+25%), Friesland (+24%) and Zwolle (+23%). Drenthe and the Gooi-en Vechtstreek registered the largest fall in vacancies....]]> Mon, 19 Dec 2016 13:07:12 +0100 The number of jobs is on the rise. This is especially good for brand developers and technicians who grumble that they are being ‘stalked’ by recruiters.

Ben Janssen, project manager at Danone, received hundreds of comments on his LinkedIn post about the hunting behaviour of recruiters within a few days. He placed a screenshot of an email he sent to a recruiter, asking: “is this not too short-sighted? If you do not take the trouble to explain why this job could be appropriate with respect to my LinkedIn profile, I do not expect that we can do a lot for...]]> Mon, 12 Dec 2016 12:12:34 +0100 The Prime Minister of New Zealand wants to provide for his family and decides after eight years to resign. Not a bad idea, experts say. This is why more men should do this.

According to Hanna Harthoorn of Emancipator, a foundation dedicated to men's emancipation, it is not just better for men themselves if they work less, but it also has a beneficial effect on families, women and society.

Better for the Man

Men would be happier if they carry less financial responsibility. This is reflected in recent research by the University of Connecticut among more than 3,000 married men...]]> Mon, 12 Dec 2016 11:47:43 +0100 Good news! The net salary of all income groups, on average, is improved.

The salary processor Raet, which comes up first with the numbers on wages for the next year, has indicated. People with a minimum wage will have the most significant improvement:
• Minimum wage: + 2.2% (net salary in 2017: 1409.93 Euros).
• Moderate: +1.08% increase (net salary in 2017: 2156.08 Euros).
• 1.5 times the average income: +1.20% (net salary in 2017: 2882, - Euro).
• 2 times the average income: + 1.26% (net salary in 2017: 3600.25 Euros).


After Prinsjesdag (Budget day) the Tweedekamer (Second Chamber)...]]> Mon, 12 Dec 2016 11:04:24 +0100 Women are often are standing lower in negotiations over salary, money and hours compared to men –why is that?

In Hollywood, there is a name for it: The Hollywood Pay Gap. Big stars like Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep and Beyoncé fight against their unequal wages. Jennifer Lawrence became very popular in‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Silver Linings Playbook’,yet in her following role ‘American Hustle’–and the same goes for the co-star Amy Adams – 2% less in salary than their male counterparts – Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale.

“A typical example”, says Belle Derks, professor of social and organizational psychology at the...]]> Mon, 05 Dec 2016 11:50:45 +0100 International students, who continue to work in the Netherlands after graduation earn the country a total of 1,570 million Euros per year. This is according to a calculation by theEducation Centre EP-Nuffic, based on figures from the CBS and CPB.

At the moment, about a quarter of international students remain in the Netherlands after their study -mainly students who have completed a scientific study. Job prospects are greater in the disciplines of Engineering, Health and Nature.

161 Nationalities

The Netherlands is a country popular among foreign students. At this moment, at our universities and colleges there are nearly 75,000 international...]]> Mon, 05 Dec 2016 11:49:27 +0100 In the third quarter of this year, all provinces in the Netherlands experienced an increase in the number of vacancies. Notable gainers are Zeeland, Drenthe and Flevoland. This also creates tension on the labour market: per job there are fewer people that apply.

The unemployment rate in the Netherlands was on average 5.6% in the third quarter, withGroningen at 7.1% and Zeeland at 3.5%. In Zeeland the number of vacancies in the last three years has increased the most, by 319%, which hasmore than quadrupled. Drenthe and Flevoland tripled the number of vacancies.

In Zeeland, the number of unemployed and...]]> Mon, 05 Dec 2016 10:57:37 +0100 The feast of St Nicholas has been celebrated for at least 700 years in the Netherlands. Since 1940 it is the biggest celebration on the 5th of December, which is also known as pakjes avond or ‘presents evening’.

Sinterklaas does not visit only families; the saint is also present at the Dutch workplace. According to research by bol.com, the Sinterklaas tradition in the Netherlands and Flanders is celebrated by almost half of the working Dutch force (45%) at work. In Belgium, Sinterklaas is even more popular at the workplace, where 60% of companies pay attention to the celebration.

Employers enjoy...]]> Thu, 01 Dec 2016 18:18:46 +0100 Creating and Amplifying energy at work is something else than personality, passion, charisma, extroversion, cheerleading, or any of the other characteristics that are mistakenly attributed to it. Energy is related to—but different from—strategic focus, time management, and personal rituals, such as workouts and scheduled downtime. It is less about energetic action and more about authenticity, character, discipline, and communication.
Energy operates as a two-way current that travels throughout an organization, bottom- up and top-down. Leaders can use energy to inspire others with an aim to give meaning, and to encourage the pursuit of goals. However, energy is also an interaction:...]]> Thu, 01 Dec 2016 10:16:52 +0100 Everyone has such a moment: you are in the middle of a job interview that could determine your future, and suddenly you have a blackout; you say accidentally the name of the competitor or you ask what the director of the company “actually does now”. What do you do then?And does it makes sense to ask for a new job interview?

Be honest, accept your mistake and do not knit a whole story about it, is the most important advice. “The person you are talking to would have some understanding, they are just people”, explains recruiter Ellen Leeuw. “Tell them...]]> Mon, 28 Nov 2016 12:40:15 +0100 A teacher who falls in love with his student or a therapist who falls in love with his patient. Some infatuations you best better avoid.

Last week, a court decided to immediately fire a guard of a women;s prison Ter Peel, because he had a relationship with a prisoner. “Power is eroticised”, says psychologist and cognitive behavioural therapist CarinPrins. “There is little to do. An unwanted infatuation can happen to anyone, the only question is: What do you do with it?” The dismissed guardian of the women’s prison kept silent about his relationship, fearing the bad outcome.

Three tips to...]]> Mon, 28 Nov 2016 11:36:57 +0100 Whoever gets a salary increase would be well advised not to accept it blindly, because an increase can ensure that your net income is less.

For incomes between 21,000 and 31,000 Euros gross per year, an increase of 1,000 Euros gross can lead to 1000 Euros less in net income. That has to do with fees that will come with higher income, less discounts and tax burden increases.

There are households who earn below an average (36,500 Euros per year) that do not go ahead with a salary increase. And households who will not come quickly over this reasonable limit...]]> Mon, 28 Nov 2016 09:52:46 +0100 The number of self-employed has not increased further for the first time in years. More and more people stop freelancing: they either leave the job market or they became employees.

Nearly 400,000 were self-employed freelancers with no staff, since the third quarter of 2003, which wasan increase of 63%. But last year the rise stagnated, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). This year, about 50,000 self-employed stopped per quarter.

Getting Started as an Employee

Many freelancers left the labour market. And nearly half work as an employee, usually with a flexible employment relationship. In the third quarter of...]]> Mon, 21 Nov 2016 11:52:59 +0100 People who work in health care have the greatest burden of the workload. More than workers in other sectors, they complain about the amount of work and the work place.

More than half of the staff in hospitals, nursing homes, GP practices and home care says they have to deal with “a lot of work”. 43% said they frequently need to work ‘very fast’, and 35% often have ‘extra hard work’.

Emotionally Demanding
In the health care the emotional burden is also higher than on average, says a report by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) and the research institute...]]> Mon, 21 Nov 2016 11:34:37 +0100 Women are still significantly disadvantaged in the Netherlands — it was revealed last month by the Gender Gap Report. The report received much attention in the media: the pay gap could be as high as 32%.

The Gender Gap Index expresses to what extent there is a difference between men and women in a country. It examines different things, such as how many women work full time and are involved in politics.

To find out if there is a difference in pay between men and women, CEOs referred to the following question: “In your country, for equal work, to what...]]> Mon, 21 Nov 2016 11:05:10 +0100 Before you took the job, you had thoroughly prepared yourself, Googled everything about the company, asked good questions during the application process and carefully considered whether the work will fit your needs. And after the first few weeks, you feel that taking the job was a mistake.

And Now?

Laura (not the real name of the source who would speak only on condition of anonymity), asks herself several times a day. After she spent years doing research at a major pharmaceutical company, she decided to change her course.

“I did not want to spend more whole days in a lab...]]> Mon, 14 Nov 2016 12:02:34 +0100 Workaholics and career tigers: watch out! Long days and short nights might feel like nothing now,but there may be consequences later in life, according to research.

In an extensive study of Finnish businessmen, those who worked more than 50 hours and slept less than 47 hours per week during their middle ages were physically less fit and less healthy at an older age, compared to their peers who had normal work hours and sleep habits.

The researchers concluded this from the health data of 3,000 white men, born between 1919 and 1934. About 1,500 of them have, in 1974, when...]]> Mon, 14 Nov 2016 11:30:29 +0100 Do you check the balance on your bank account every week? And do you then check if everything is correct? Do all of this, says the National Institute for Budget Information (Nibud). The institute comes forth for the first time with conduct designed to prevent financial problems. And that does not only apply to people with low incomes.

The institute has devised three rules of thumb to allow people to get a better grip on their financial situation:
1. Check your balance and spending weekly. It is important to have an overview of income and expenditure. Also check if your...]]> Mon, 14 Nov 2016 10:51:59 +0100  Following the historic — and for many — surprising decision by the UK on June 23 to leave the European Union after 43 years of membership, the situation on both sides of the English Channel has been one of supreme uncertainty. The lack of a concrete Brexit plan by the UK government following the referendum result caused initial panic in the markets, with the pound taking a sharp hit against the euro. Market uncertainty today continues to remain high. Theresa May, the new British Prime Minister, has recently hinted at a “hard Brexit”. If implemented, it would mean a complete...]]> Mon, 14 Nov 2016 08:23:23 +0100 More and more young people that are not continuing education and without basic qualifications, do not have a job. In 2008 more than 70% of these young people had a job, this has declined to less than 60%. Young people with a basic qualification have fewer jobs than before the economic crisis. Butsince 2014 these young people are working again more often, and nearly 90% had a job in the second quarter of 2016, reports CBS.
Young men without basic qualifications were more likely to work in 2015 (63%) than young women in the same situation (56%). Someone has a...]]> Mon, 07 Nov 2016 12:49:17 +0100 Many people, who want to work at The Hague, are now submitting anonymous job applications. The municipality is so satisfied with this test, that as of next year, this will be the obligatory method of application.

The Hague started the trial early this year. Vikash Jankie applied to the public affairs office, without knowing that it was anonymous. It is unknown if that was an important factor in the decision. But Jankie was employed. He is pleased that applying anonymously is to become the norm. “From my own surroundings, sometimes I hear that people suspect that they are not invited...]]> Mon, 07 Nov 2016 12:51:37 +0100 (From the website if the IND [Immigration and Naturalisation Department] comes this important announcement.) On 29 November 2016, the European Directive (2014/66/EU), will be in force. The Directive concerns the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals in the framework of an intra-corporate transfer. From 29 November, employers should submit a residence permit application for intra-corporate transferees based on this Directive, and not as "Working as an employee" or "Working as a highly-skilled migrant".
There are specific conditions that apply to the new Directive category. For example, the transferee should have been employed within the same group of undertakings...]]> Sun, 06 Nov 2016 22:32:28 +0100 Employees combine so many tasks that they too often get into trouble with their time management. This is the case especially for people with children or those who provide care to their parents, according to research by the Social and Economic Council (SER).
The combination of paid work and care for someone or appropriate childcare regularly leads to stress and health problems. School and day-care closing times are still insufficient with working hours, says the ESC. In recent years there has beentoo littledone to rectify the situation.
Elderly People Are Living at Home Longer
Caregivers who also have paid work...]]> Mon, 31 Oct 2016 10:31:28 +0100 Our doctors of tomorrow are very worried. With the abolition of study finance, they lost their only source of income during the three years required internship. And so they ask Minister Bussemakerhuis for help.
All medical students have a sort of internship of three years, for 46 hours per week. A tough job, where they carry a lot of responsibility, but get paid nothing.
A side job is not recommended, says promoter Christiaan Ponsen. “You do not want us in the evening at 8 o'clock working at a restaurant, and the next day we must assist in an operation. That...]]> Mon, 31 Oct 2016 10:18:23 +0100 Employment in Limburg is getting a big boost. VDL car manufacturer NedCar in Born will make the new Mini Countryman, which will create up to 1,200 new jobs.
Currently, some 4,000 people work at VDL Nedcar. At the end of 2012 when VDL took over Nedcar, there were still about 1,500. With an extra 1,200 new jobs there, the number of factory workers will soon be more than tripled.
In Born VDL Nedcar makes the ordinary Minis since 2014, and in late 2015 the Mini Cabrio for the BMW Group. The Countryman is a new addition. The production of the...]]> Mon, 31 Oct 2016 09:59:35 +0100 Two out of three unemployed found a job within a year. With increases in job vacancies the chances on the labour market continue to grow. People who are unemployed and receive social welfare also benefit.
From all the people who became unemployed in 2014, 65% found a job within a year, according to the report by the UWV on Tuesday. In 2012 that was 60%.
For people over 50 years old, the job search remains difficult. More than four in ten of them were back to work within a year. In the age group 35 to 45 years the figure...]]> Mon, 24 Oct 2016 12:04:47 +0200 It has often been said ‘do not judge a book by its cover’. But your profile picture on LinkedIn can say a lot—about who you are, says former employee Koka Sexton from LinkedIn, who has his own company now: Social Selling Labs.
Sexton recently posted a blog with the eight biggest mistakes that people do with their profile picture on LinkedIn, and he suggests that by avoiding those mistakes, the chances are much bigger for landing your dream job.
“Your LinkedIn profile picture is a decisive factor in creating your online personality and new career opportunities”, wrote Sexton. “Potential employers...]]> Mon, 24 Oct 2016 13:08:42 +0200 The municipality of Amsterdam offers City Pass holders up to 2,000 euros in available grants to organize a private event.
Het Parool reported this on Wednesday. The City Pass holders can submit an application to the municipality, which then provides the money that they can use for a private event.The first initiatives have been received by the municipality of Amsterdam.
Councillor Arjan Vliegenthart of Social Affairs says that the City Pass ensures that a lot of people go out. With the subsidy, the municipality wants to give people the opportunity to organize something for city dwellers themselves.
The City Pass...]]> Mon, 24 Oct 2016 11:31:42 +0200 The province of Noord-Holland has developed a “Dashboard Prosperity and Welfare”. It shows, among other things, that the North Hollander compared to the average Dutchman is a fraction richer.
It also appears that in Noord-Holland there are less owned homes, but that their average value is higher than in the rest of the Netherlands. The dashboard is designed to monitor certain economic effects on welfare and prosperity in Noord-Holland.
The dashboard Prosperity and Welfare is part of the Economic Implementation Agenda of the province of North Holland. Deputy of the Economy Affairs, Jaap Bond: “Issues such as employment, education and...]]> Tue, 18 Oct 2016 20:50:46 +0200 Employers and employees should make proper arrangements about the measures taken in companies to promote a healthy lifestyle.

Last week, the Centre for Ethics and Health (CEG), offered this identification note “Lifestyle Effects on the Shop Floor” to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Public Health, Welfare and Sport. “Employers now offer a range of health programs”, says a spokesperson for CEG, which is a partnership between the Health Council and the Council for Health and Society (RVS).

Grey Area

“They do that with the best intentions, but there is often a gray area. That someone cannot show up at...]]> Mon, 17 Oct 2016 11:04:53 +0200 The salaries for young professionals in the Netherlands are lower than in our neighbouring countries. In 2015 the Netherlands took the eighth place in the European rankings, the same position as a year earlier.

With an average salary of 41,300 Euros and 86,085 Euros respectively in 2015, Dutch Young professionals are earning less than in seven other European countries, concludes the latest Global 50 Remuneration Planning Report.

Switzerland Pays Twice as Much

Leader of the list is Switzerland, where young professionals earn on average more than twice as much as their Dutch colleagues. Resource Managers earn nearly half times more....]]> Mon, 17 Oct 2016 11:21:20 +0200
Once again the beautiful Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam provided the ideal location for the "i am not a tourist" Job Fair for Internationals. Held alongside the Expat Fair, crowds of people from various parts of the globe were welcomed to a new life and career in the Netherlands.

With the late arrival of Autumn, attendees were keen to seek shelter from the rain at the informative and engaging exhibitor stands and presentations. English and multilingual speakers were welcomed by a wide range...]]> Wed, 12 Oct 2016 12:57:54 +0200        It is quite tricky if you want to find new jobs, but still have a contract with your current boss –more so if you still want to keep your current job in the interim. How do you let other companies know that you are available without your boss and colleagues finding out? LinkedIn offers as a new opportunity.
       To tell the world that you are open to a new challenge is really only an option if you do not have a job or if you lose your job. And searching for a job is not possible for everyone....]]> Mon, 10 Oct 2016 11:25:53 +0200        If you were an M&M, what colour would you prefer? It is becoming more common for applicants to have to answer strange questions during interviews. In this way, candidates are put in an awkward position, while having to respond quickly.
Google and Facebook are known for asking those questions in interviews for a long time. Now the trend seems to have spread to the Netherlands. So, why do companies ask such weird questions?

       Gauge the Reaction
       “I do it mainly to gauge the reaction of people”, says Eric Versteegfrom the recruitment bureau Balance. For example you can...]]> Mon, 10 Oct 2016 11:12:01 +0200        There are less and less job vacancies for those with a university degree, according to a survey by job search engine Adzuna. Academics have the most chances to find a job in the province Utrecht.
From the figures of Adzuna, it looks like Academics have more difficulty finding a job compared to HBO graduates. For this study more than 200,000 jobs were analysed throughout the Netherlands. These were derived from more than 170 different sources.        Best Chances in Utrecht        Utrecht graduates have to compete with ten other applicants for a job at their level. Graduates from...]]> Mon, 10 Oct 2016 10:33:05 +0200
The new generation of job seekers has different needs than the older generations on the labour market. Young people move faster with the times and are more innovative, as can be seen in how they solicit for work.

Online Recruiting Is Increasingly Popular AmongstMillennials
The World of Work survey by Monsterboard showed which millennials mostly search on the Internet for a job. The research was conducted in June this year among 4,114thousand Millennials across Europe. 70% of respondents believe that they know where to look online when they are searching for a job, while a quarter does not. Millennials seek...]]> Mon, 03 Oct 2016 12:22:39 +0200 Between work, kids, friends, hobbies and the household,we are barely having a moment of rest. Research shows that two thirds of people would want more peace in their everyday life. And there are more options than you think.
Even if we are not rushing from place to place, there are still distractions from our smartphones, or stress of the things that we still need to do. That many people today suffer from this is also evident in the large study by Dunham University,where they surveyed 18,000 people from 134 different countries about rest and relaxation.
The results were clear: 68%...]]> Mon, 03 Oct 2016 11:02:21 +0200 The number of employees on on-call jobs has increased by more than a third in five years.Between 2010 and 2015, the number of on-call jobs increased by143,000, reported the Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS) on Tuesday. In 2010, this was about 5% of all jobs for workers. Last year the figure was 7%, and that amounts to 545,000 jobs. Young people aged 15 to 25 years fill in the vast majority of these jobs. More than half of the on-call jobs are pupils or students.

Hospitality (Horeca)
Particularly in the hospitality(Horeca) industry there are relatively as many workers on-call. A...]]> Mon, 03 Oct 2016 12:29:23 +0200

Women all over the world work an average of four years longer than men. Here we look at paid and unpaid work, such as housework.
This is according to the development agency ActionAid’s report, which will be presented Thursday at the United Nations General Assembly, reported The Guardian.
The difference at time spent at work between men and women varies by country. So, a woman from the UK works 2.5 years longer than a man, for example. It was also found out that a woman with a life expectancy of 69 years works an average of 23 years of unpaid...]]> Mon, 26 Sep 2016 13:50:15 +0200 More than half of Dutch consumers feel that the expertise of store staff has not improved.Above all, the professionalism of the staff at hardware stores, electronics stores, and sports shops is lacking, according to research at ABN Amro amongst four thousand consumers.
The Economic Bureau from the bank examined at which point the services at retail stores could be improved according to consumers. The store staff expertise is the main concern. A whopping 53% of respondents believe that staff at stores is insufficient with their expertise. In electronics and sports shops,it is at 41% and 38% respectively.
Also, at shoe...]]> Mon, 26 Sep 2016 12:00:22 +0200 People who speak with a dialect earn considerably less than those who speak standard Dutch, according to research by Professor Jan van Ours at the University of Tilburg, reported the AD.
The income gap is especially significant in the following groups: men, highly educated people and people from the farthest corners of the country. The difference in salary can range from 5% to 15%.Van Ours finds this outcome remarkable. He too grew up with a dialect in Goeree-Overflakkee, along with 40% of the Dutch population.
Research on the economic impact of the dialect has not been done previously, at least...]]> Mon, 26 Sep 2016 13:27:37 +0200 The next cabinet must spend an extra €1bn a year on boosting research and development in the Netherlands to avoid damaging the economy, employers and academics, said on Thursday.
The money is needed to solve central problems surrounding healthcare, energy, sustainability, governance and food, and to keep Dutch scientific research up to strength, the alliance of employers, universities, research institutes and teaching hospitals say. ‘We need more money to keep at a level in terms of new technology, new research and fundamental research at universities’, Hans de Boer, chairman of the VNO-NCW employers lobby group told Nu.nl. ‘At the moment,...]]> Mon, 19 Sep 2016 13:05:18 +0200 One in six workers often struggles with serious sleep problems. Almost two thirds of them sometimes work less welland makemistakes.
According to a survey by TNS Nipo, on behalf of insurer Silver Cross, more than half (59%) of poorly sleeping workers suffer from concentration problems. A quarter make mistakes due to lack of a good night's sleep.
Short Fuse
When not sleeping enough (less than 7 hours), workers cannot function optimally. ‘In particular, the front part of the brain is sensitive to too little sleep’, says sleep consultant Els van der Helm. ‘Organizing ability, problem solving, and creativity—they are targeted...]]> Mon, 19 Sep 2016 13:32:48 +0200

Many local authorities compel people on social assistance to pay compensation in the form of unpaid work. However, this can lead to displacement of paid employees in the labour market according to trade union FNV.
‘Working without pay leads to unfair competition and loss of real jobs’, said the union in the Local Monitor. This Wednesday, published research assesses the federal social policies of Dutch municipalities.
Not even half the municipalitiesexaminedin the research could present whether there is actually unfair competition. Of the 144 municipalities that participated in the survey only 49% showed that they know how to test for...]]> Mon, 19 Sep 2016 13:12:27 +0200 Colleagues who speak loudly when calling or consulting, the tapping of keyboards, squeaky computers and phones ringing—sometimes you can find rest in the monkey house at a zoo, rather than in an office. A recent British study shows that workers would rather rest than have free food.
Oxford University asked 1,200 managers and employees what they would prefer to see or happen at their work. Nearly three-quarters of them indicated that they would want to work in an office garden and more than half of the total group had one clear intention: silence.
In fact, the workers felt that silence...]]> Mon, 19 Sep 2016 11:56:43 +0200 All corporate bonuses should be capped at 20% of salary, finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem said on Thursday.
As reported in the Volkskrant, the minister criticised a commission that is currently drawing up a new code of conduct for listed companies, which are not doing enough to limit bonuses of senior executives. As bonuses are continuing to rise, the gap between executives and average worker pay is becoming absurd, the minister said. At Ahold, Heineken and Unilever, for example, executives earn over 100 times as much as the average worker, he said.
The financial services sector, Dijsselbloem said, has taken steps...]]> Mon, 19 Sep 2016 10:56:09 +0200 Approximately two in five workers sometimes do their work from home. On average they do that about eight hours a week- a full working day.
20% of the Dutch work one day a week from home. Ten years earlier this was 15% according to the Social and Cultural Planning Office (SCP).
According to their figures, the growth corresponds to the number of hours that people need to complete their work. One third of the people who work from home do so to finish their work.
22% claim that concentration and efficiency are important reasons to do the work from home....]]> Mon, 19 Sep 2016 10:38:32 +0200

Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports that the number of bankruptcies decreased further, by 88 in August 2016 compared to July. Adjusted for court session days, the number of bankruptcies reached the lowest level since August 2008. Again, most bankruptcies were filed in the trade sector.
 - Downward trend
Adjusted for court session days, the number of bankruptcies peaked in May 2013 and then began to fall. In August 2015, the lowest level since October 2008 was reached, subsequently followed by a period of ups and downs.
In August 2016, the number of bankruptcies was lower than in August 2015 and reached...]]> Mon, 12 Sep 2016 11:48:47 +0200
After ‘explosive growth’ in the first six months of this year, there are now over 4,200 licenced taxis in Amsterdam , the Parool said on Friday.
In the first six months of 2015, 76 people started up as taxi drivers, but in the same period this year there were 382 newcomers to the market, the paper said. Established firms have been calling for a limit on taxi numbers because of the impact on earnings. ‘Drivers are barely making ends meet,’ said Bas Vos, of umbrella group Amsterdams Platform Kwaliteitstaxi . ‘Most are happy if they cover their costs. We are...]]> Mon, 12 Sep 2016 11:19:34 +0200  
It was a busy summer for the ANWB: in total there were 630,000 telephone calls, of which were a portion of travellers who were sick. If you become ill during your vacation, it is a pity, but there is also some good news: the day(s) you can get back from your boss.
Most people on vacation who became ill were suffering from gastrointestinal complaints. And the advice of the FNV to those people is not to eat yoghurt or drink a lot of water, but to report themselves to their boss that they are sick.
Tips
The days that you...]]> Mon, 12 Sep 2016 10:19:41 +0200 Where is it best to study in Europe to earn a good salary? Research bureau Emoluments observed the incomes of European graduates within a few years of work experience. Good news¬– for a nice pay check, you do not have to leave the country...
Emolument analysed the incomes from over 5,000 European graduates. Looking at the salaries of those with five to ten years experience they provide an interesting top 30.
More precisely: studying in Switzerland would provide the highest salary. The four institutions that can reward thisare all within Swiss borders. Not coincidentally, since the cost to live there...]]> Sat, 27 Aug 2016 21:45:49 +0200

For people with a talent for programming, NASA is offering one million dollars. The money is intended for the winner of the Space Robotic Challenge, a competition thatthe US space agency has launched in its efforts to land people on Mars.
NASA provides $ 1 million for the best programmers who can program their new space robot. The competition serves as a preparation for a future space trip to the ‘red planet’, where a space robot, as a quartermaster, shall prepare for a later visit by human astronauts.

Shape of a Human

The space agency is working on the space...]]> Sat, 27 Aug 2016 20:03:50 +0200

Eindhoven industrial group VDL Groupsearnings in the first half of 2016 increased by almost one fifth and reached to about 1.6 billion Euros, while the number of employees continues to rise.
The automobile daughter company VDL NedCar, which was commissioned by BMW Minis, did significantly better business. The assembly division of VDL NedCar achieved in the first half revenues of 673 million Euros. That is almost half more than a year earlier. For the second half of the year, it is expected grow further.
The prospects for the rest of the year, according to the company, are also optimistic, with...]]> Sat, 27 Aug 2016 22:08:32 +0200 The tourism sector is becoming increasingly important for the Dutch economy. For the second consecutive year, tourist spending in 2015 grew by about 5% from the previous year. The value of this tourist spending now reaches 72.7 billion EUR, reported CBS.
Last year, foreign tourists spent nearly 20 billion in the Netherlands, which is over 13% more than in the previous year. One of the reasons is that 8% more tourists came here. In addition, more foreign tourists’ accommodation and (airline) tickets were booked by or through a Dutch company. A large proportion of these tourists did not travel effectively...]]> Mon, 22 Aug 2016 12:55:41 +0200

Unemployment among 25 to 30 year olds has dropped considerably since 2014. Last quarter therewere only 5% of young men at home.
That group has long been difficult in the labour market. Including the financial crisesthere was even 7.7% of pre-30s with no work. Before the economic downturn, the unemployment rate in this group was extremely low, at 2.6%, according to figures published by Statistics Netherlands.
The troubles with 25- to 30-year olds today are that they often have to start their career only when few employers haveopened new job positions.

Flexibility
Relatively speaking, young people have more work than...]]> Mon, 22 Aug 2016 12:54:35 +0200

Work less, do more things for fun and sport more—many people come back after the summer break with a long list of good intentions. How do you ensure that you are actually going to do that?
Tanned and full of new energy, we just came back from vacation. Some of us go “whistling” to work again, but others have to truly drag themselves to the office. It is not surprising that many people at this time are trying to find a new job. At Monsterboard, they see that there is 24% increase injob searching after the summer holidays, and 25%...]]> Mon, 22 Aug 2016 11:31:16 +0200
The total number of employed persons increased by 38 thousand in the second quarter of 2016. The number of jobs for temporary workers increased sharply. The number of self-employed rose just slightly. In addition, the number of vacancies increased by 5 thousand, and the number of unemployed decreased by 16 thousand. Unemployment fell from 6.5 to 6.3 percent—reported CBS.
In the second quarter of 2016 there were on average 9,976 thousand jobs. It has now been nine consecutive quarters of job growth there. From the first quarter of 2014 it added a total of nearly 230 thousand jobs.
During the...]]> Mon, 15 Aug 2016 12:06:04 +0200

Research by the University of Melbourne shows that a 40-hour week is not really good. We are much more productive, and we recover much faster if we do not work more than 25 hours. Especially for people over 40, wherethe difference is significant.
In their Applied Economic and Social Research study of 6500 Australians aged 40 and over, they looked at the optimal number of hours a week an employee should work. Their findings were surprising, to say the least. Research showed that for every hour you work up to 25 hours a week, your cognitive function steadily increases. Any...]]> Mon, 15 Aug 2016 12:05:15 +0200
PERIOD 6, 2016: HOURS +7%, TURNOVER +8%
In period 6 (week 21 – 24) the total amount of hours increased 7% and turnover grew 8%, in comparison to the same period last year. This period had one workable day more compared to the same period last year, so a correction was applied.
• The administrative sector increased 13% in hours and turnover grew 11% in comparison to the same period in 2015.
• Hours in the industrial sector increased 5% and turnover increased 6% compared to the same period last year.
• Furthermore, the amount of worked hours in the...]]> Mon, 15 Aug 2016 11:03:13 +0200

The financial situation of future pensioners is uncertain according to the National Institute for Budget Information (Nibud).
The combination of the rising cost of living and the current group of freelancers and entrepreneurs building less pension, leads the institute to expect that the current under-65-year-olds will soon have a quarter too little pension, ANP reports.
There are a number of factors contributing to current workers not always building up enough pensions. The ever-increasing number of freelancers and flexible employment plays a big role, as does the increase in divorce.
According to Nibud, it is a common misconception that people spend...]]> Mon, 08 Aug 2016 12:31:25 +0200 Ethnic minority students with an MBO college diploma or HBOcollege degree find it much harder to get a job than native Dutch graduates, according to new reserach by Maastricht University.
70,000 graduates were part of the research. The research team looked at their success rate and found second generation minority students were three times as likely to be jobless than their Dutch peers. Even with identical qualifications, minority youths found it much harder to get a job, Niewsuur reported.
Earlier research had indicated that ethnic minority youths tend to opt for studies that donot directly lead to a job, but...]]> Mon, 08 Aug 2016 11:58:54 +0200
The number of “rapid growth” companies in the Netherlands is back on the rise, after five years on the decline. This year there is a 10% increase compared to the previous year, when there were 7,460 rapid growth companies in the Netherlands, reported Statistics Netherlands.
With last year’s increase, the number of rapid growth companies is now back on the level it was in 2011. A rapid growth company is a business that for three years in a row shows a minimum of 10 percent growth in terms of employees.
Employment agencies and restaurants count as the most rapid growth...]]> Mon, 08 Aug 2016 11:48:07 +0200  

In the Netherlands in 2015, almost 3.8 million people aged 15 to 75 years were inactive on the job market.
This means that they do not have paid work, but also that they are not looking for work and/or they are not able to start immediately. Old age, illness or disability, or undergoing training are the most common reasons for not participating.
Thus, per quarter there was an average of nearly 10% from the non-working population. Yet a quarter later they could find a job or were looking for a work. The flow among the sick and disabled was relatively...]]> Mon, 01 Aug 2016 12:27:41 +0200

Dutch courage and their international focus led the Netherlands to produce some truly world-class start-ups.While the vast majority of start-ups are ending in failure, Dutch start-ups have both versatility and perseverance, which are vital qualities for the denizens of any start-up hub to possess.
“The Netherlands is famous for its tulips but it has some of the worst circumstances in the world for growing them”, says Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten, co-founder and CEO of The Next Web, the international tech publication and organiser of TNW Europe, the Amsterdam-based tech conference. “The soil’s too sandy; there’s too much rain, wind and...]]> Mon, 01 Aug 2016 12:29:05 +0200
Delft University of Technology has signed up its one millionth student for its online lectures or Massive Open Online Course programme. In September 2013 were launched the first courses, on solar energy and water treatment.Starting as a small project, and no The Technical University nowoffers 36 different MOOCs, ranging from ‘leadership for engineers’ to aerospace.
There is even a programming class, in Dutch, geared towards children ages 8 and up.
Students can select which courses to take via edX, a non-profit platform for online education that is also used by MIT, Harvard and other universities to make their courses available...]]> Mon, 01 Aug 2016 09:52:45 +0200

Is your close colleague friendlier with others than with you? Do not worry too much: We are more comfortable in helping someone whose job is just a bit further away from ours, according to research from The Ohio State University.
We can help those nice colleagues, according to the research, but not always wholeheartedly. The reason: we could be surpassed. Therefore,when helping someone in a slightly higher or lower position we have less risk.
Incidentally, this does not mean that most people would like to work with the new intern. If you are helping people with much higher or lower...]]> Mon, 25 Jul 2016 12:54:23 +0200
As of January 1, 2017 a work permit is required for Japanese workers who want to work in the Netherlands. What exactly is a work permit and when do you need it?

When is a work permit required?
A work permit is a permit that the employer is allowed to take a foreign employee for a specified period of service. A work permit must be requested by the employer of foreign nationals who do not have free access to the Dutch labour market. That means that no work permit is needed in the Netherlands for workers from countries in the...]]> Mon, 25 Jul 2016 12:52:09 +0200

More than 40% of Dutch people are not satisfied with the whole picture of their work. At least, when speaking about their salaries.
The terms of a contract provide discontent among 54% of respondents. Also, four out of ten workers are dissatisfied with their manager, according to the survey of Wage Indicator Foundation and Monsterboard regarding satisfaction in the workplace.
Colleagues seem to make work more attractive, whereby 77% of respondents said they are satisfied with their immediate colleagues.
Also, job security is a key part of satisfaction, since 75% said they are currently happy with it.
53% of respondents...]]> Mon, 25 Jul 2016 11:41:06 +0200

The “Randstad” is a megalopolis located in the central-western part of the Netherlands, which consists of the four largest cities and certain areas located near them. These cities are Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Den Haag and Utrecht.

With an average population of 7.1 million (2008 study), the Randstad area is considered to be the ideal area for opportunities in the working field. The Randstad region is filled with both local and international companies, and also has a wide variety of different recruitment agencies (uitzendbureaus).

On finding a job in the Randstad area, getting help from these recruitment agencies would be a strong...]]> Mon, 18 Jul 2016 12:52:50 +0200

Demand for staff has increased by 18% in the second quarter of this year compared to the previous quarter. Especially the vacancies in the field of transport have risen sharply. And computer programming is still the most sought after profession.This was reported by Matchcare in its Labour Report 2016 Quartile2.
Five notable facts from the report:
1. All provinces in the last quarter showed an increase, the most in the Drenthe province (+28%). Demand in Zeeland (+10%) and Utrecht (+12%) are growing moderately. For the first time Noord Holland has the most jobs (instead of Zuid-Holland).
2. Of all job...]]> Mon, 18 Jul 2016 12:31:32 +0200
The number of vacancies in the second quarter of 2016 shows an increase of 23.8% compared to the same quarter in 2015. According to figures from Jobfeed, Big Data tool for vacancies Textkernel, which are presented in this report.

Jobfeed discovered in the second quarter of 2016 more than 2.5 million online job postings, analyzed and categorized. For this report, the vacancies for internships, student jobs, volunteering, freelance and franchises omitted. After deduplication remained 466 102 unique jobs on which the analyzes are carried out.

Highlights from the second quarter of 2016:
• Software Engineer not in top five occupations...]]> Tue, 19 Jul 2016 16:48:09 +0200

Employee Insurance Agency in the Netherlands (UWV) will bring to the attention of job seekers in the Netherlands employment positions that are available in Belgium and Germany.
That possibility has existed on paper since 2013, but was made so complicated that hardly any job offer came from abroad.
The Belgian and German job offers are still mostly shown at the Dutch border region. “Jobs in Hamburg, for example, will not be posted on Werk.nl”, said a spokesman for the UWV.
After complaints from Belgian entrepreneurs to make access of the website werk.nl easier, the UWV has taken some action. “Previously...]]> Mon, 18 Jul 2016 12:11:01 +0200    

  According to Thomas Escritt and as reported by Reuters, Amsterdam offers a very attractive business climate after Brexit.
Before the 2008 financial crisis, a number of global banks were situated in Amsterdam's elegant canalside offices. Nowadays after the Brexit, city officials see a chance to lure back some of that business.
Rival cities such as Paris and Berlin have been “shouting out loudly” to host finance and technology businesses fleeing London, but Amsterdam, less than an hour's flight away, has adopted a lower-key approach.
“I don't think any company is going to decide based on this marketing campaign”, Amsterdam's...]]> Mon, 18 Jul 2016 11:04:23 +0200 There are countless examples on the web on how to make a good CV, giving tips on what information should be provided and the layout differs immensely, depending on the industry. When it comes to stylistics and content there are not many set rules. Certain information like social security numbers and bank accounts are best left out, other information like nationality and gender can be left out too.

There is no right or wrong CV, but adaptions can increase or even decrease ones chances. A classic layout can be considered boring and plain when applying for a designer’s position; a...]]> Mon, 18 Jul 2016 11:27:01 +0200 Within companies, more effort must be made to address excessive workload, found out the Inspection of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW), formerly known as the Labour Inspectorate. They also state that employers and employees should be wise enough to enable the assistance of experts.
The agency looked at more than eighty organizations within the period 2015 (end) and 2016 (beginning), and at whether they had taken sufficient measures to prevent excessive workload. By the vast majority, their approach was not in order. The inspectorate observed dozens of violations.
According to the inspection, the pressure is too high when the demands...]]> Mon, 11 Jul 2016 12:54:25 +0200

Many financial and administrative employees in trade, industry and the financial sector have lost their jobs through digitization, based on an analysis presented by the Social Security Agency(The UWV) last Thursday.
It is expected that the shrinkage of these occupational groups will continue in the coming years, because many companies continue to digitize their financial records.The UWV is providing about 16,000 current unemployment benefits to job seekers with a financial and administrative background. In 2010, this was about 8,600.
According to the agency, job opportunities for these unemployed workers are mainly outside the administrative field; for example, they could work...]]> Mon, 11 Jul 2016 11:09:43 +0200

Female managers are more likely to have burnout complaints than male managers,reports the Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS) in the Netherlands.
Last year, 14% of women in management positions had these complaints, according to the CBS. They felt themselves completely exhausted to do their work, or that it demanded a lot from them throughout the day to work with people. With men, it was about 10%.
Of the 6.9 million employees, there are nearly 350,000 professional managers. From all male employees, over 7% have a managerial position, and of all female employees this is at 3%.This difference is because many...]]> Mon, 11 Jul 2016 10:30:50 +0200

All the people who work should have the same basic security to education, disability and retirement, no matter if they have a permanent contract or not. This was proposed by five labour organizations (Cedris, de Nederlandse Raadvoor Training en Opleiding (NRTO), OVAL en Summum.nu), including staffing association ABU, in a report published on Wednesday.
The Dutch labour market would benefit if the social security system were transformed into a system in which social security and contract form are decoupled.
Now the market functioning is still insufficient and there are 1.5 million people on the side-lines, according tothe organizations. The policy...]]> Mon, 04 Jul 2016 11:56:13 +0200             Since the third quarter of 2014 the production in the Dutch construction sector is growing faster than the average in the European Union, reports CBS, partly on the basis of Eurostat numbers.
In the first quarter of 2016, construction output in the Netherlands rose by 17%. That is considerably more than the average construction output in the EU, which increased in this period 7% above the lowest point of early 2013. Between early 2013 and mid-2014, the growth of the Dutch construction output remained below the European average.
In the EU the construction field is now 5.4% of the...]]> Mon, 04 Jul 2016 11:30:00 +0200

According to the research by labour market lawyers, the new legislation on redundancy and flexible employment has failed to boost job security for temps, as it was supposed to do.
Lodewijk Asscher introduced the new laws in 2015 and their aim was to encourage companies to put more staff on permanent contracts. However, the rules are so rigid that companies are actually being discouraged from taking on staff, according to the research, which involved over 1,000 lawyers and other specialists.
The new rules reduce the legal differences between traditional and temporary staff, and give temps more rights to severance pay...]]> Mon, 04 Jul 2016 10:01:36 +0200 The volume of investments in tangible fixed assets grew by 8.4% in April 2016, relative to the same month last year, reports Statistics Netherlands CBS. The increase is more substantial than in the preceding month mostly in residential property.
Investment data are not adjusted for calendar effects. The number of working days was the same in April 2016 as in April 2015. According to Statistics Netherland's Investment Radar, the investment climate in the Netherlands is more favourable in June than in April and May.
Residential property investments rose further in April. Investments in infrastructural projects, aircraft, trucks and trailers also...]]> Mon, 27 Jun 2016 12:01:25 +0200 As of 2016 onwards, employers and Labour Offices should include the taxes on special allowances such as holiday pay, bonus or the 13th month in a different way. This makes the net wage different from what people were accustomed to.
Employers and Labour Offices are taking the tax on the wages of their employees or beneficiaries, and then paying it to the tax authorities: the payroll tax. Withholding income tax is done according to certain tables.
As holiday pay or other special remuneration is paid at once, the employer or benefits agency will withhold deductions, same as of the monthly...]]> Mon, 27 Jun 2016 12:52:46 +0200   Europe is in panic since the British majority voted for leaving the European Union. What does this means for the Netherlands and the Dutch economy?
According to new figures from the national statistics office CBS, the Netherlands earned €20.5bn last year exporting goods and services to Britain, the equivalent of 3% of GDP. This makes the UK the Netherlands’ second most important export market after Germany. Belgium is in third place, followed by the US and France, the CBS said.

A British withdrawal from the EU will cost the Dutch economy €10bn in lost income by 2030, according to calculations...]]> Mon, 27 Jun 2016 13:04:24 +0200 After the adoption of the Work and Security Act (WWZ), a new classification method on the basis of income adjustment was introduced in July 2015, which structurally increased the number of current unemployment benefits; firstly, because people who start working may still be entitled to income supplement under the Unemployment Act (WW) and secondly, their entitlement to a benefit is only terminated after a check has been performed to verify whether their self-reported income matches the income as stated by their employer. These data are available in the Policy administration.

UWV: Fewer new claimants

Compared to the same period last...]]> Mon, 20 Jun 2016 11:43:51 +0200 The number of people that find a job after graduation has increased since 2013. The period between graduation and the first job is on average three months, and 40% even directly find work, says the latest labour market report from the Association of Universities VSNU.
“The statistics indicate that graduate university education (WO) still provides an excellent starting position in the labour market and also gives a high job security”, concludes the VSNU.
Of the 93% who found a job within one and a half years after graduation, 69% could get a job with an academic level of thinking, 21%...]]> Mon, 20 Jun 2016 13:59:26 +0200
  The life on an expat in the Netherlands is not always bakfiets and stroopwafels. Unfortunately, learning to navigate the Dutch tax system is a necessary requirement we all must face. Below are some tax credits you may be able to receive to offset those large upfront taxes.

All residents and employees of The Netherlands are entitled to a General Tax Credit (also known as algemeneheffingskorting). The amount varies for each individual less than 65 years of age depending on income, but becomes less when the salary reaches above € 19.822.

Rent Benefit may be available to some residents renting a...]]> Mon, 20 Jun 2016 10:40:25 +0200
In an experiment in Sweden, a workday of six hours led to bigger gains and to happier employees. The New York Times writes about the interim results of a long story.
Almost all the interviewed workers are enthusiastic in the article. They have much more time to devote to the education of their children, are less tired in the evening, can exercise more, etc.
Arturo Perez for example, was exhausted in the evening when he came home from the nursing home where he works. After one week working six hours a day he was full of energy and the residents...]]> Fri, 17 Jun 2016 10:32:56 +0200
The fee for the examination taken by migrants travelling to the Netherlands to marry or be reunited with family is being reduced from €350 to €150. From now on the self-study package for this examination will also be made available free of charge online and greater account will be taken of exceptional individual circumstances that prevent migrants from passing the exam. Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Lodewijk Asscher announced this today in a letter to the House of Representatives.

Migrants who wish to come to the Netherlands to marry or be reunited with family first need to take a...]]> Mon, 13 Jun 2016 11:39:10 +0200
Salary Upgrade Over Non-financial Benefits

In your professional life, you will on occasion find yourself in a position to negotiate the rewards you will receive in return for your work. Generally speaking these rewards, or better said—incentives—come in either financial or non-financial form, and deciding which one to reach out for can be a bit more complex than it seems.

In terms of financial appreciation, we can talk about bonuses, retirement benefits, allowance, or – the most common one – a salary raise. While many would argue in favor of the straightforward logic that more money = good, others would...]]> Mon, 13 Jun 2016 10:56:23 +0200
There are many things to take into account when job hunting, one of which is the commute between home and the job location. Generally, it is advisable to increase the search parameter when looking for work, instead of keeping it restricted to the city that one lives in; but how far from home does one consider acceptable? There is no single or right answer to this.

A longer commute can be a disadvantage when applying for jobs, not only for the employer but also for yourself. Although the Netherlands is not a particularly big country, a distance of less than...]]> Mon, 13 Jun 2016 11:11:44 +0200
Declining number of hours worked in temp jobs 

According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), the total number of hours worked in temp jobs decreased by 1.5 percent in the first quarter of 2016 on the fourth quarter of 2015. This is the first decrease in almost three years. The decrease is due to a drop in the number of hours worked in long-term temporary contracts. The number of hours worked in short- term contracts has increased, however.

Declining number of hours worked in long term-contracts
The number of hours worked under long-term temporary contracts, e.g. secondment and pay-rolling, decreased by 3.0...]]> Fri, 10 Jun 2016 17:03:24 +0200
What Is a Good Salary in The Netherlands Compared to Other EU States and Standards of Living?

The Netherlands has a unique wage structure that is applied in very few countries, where from the age of 15 until 23, minimum wage steadily increases with age (see below). The Dutch system also boasts the third highest minimum wage in the EU as of 1st January 2016, bettered only by Luxembourg, Ireland and the UK. Austria, Cyprus Finland, Denmark, Italy and Sweden do not have a statutory minimum wage, which has recently sparked a movement for EU-wide minimum wage regulations.


The average...]]> Fri, 10 Jun 2016 08:52:56 +0200
Starting a Business in The Netherlands – How Do You Employ

Starting your own business gives a strong feeling of freedom and independence concerning the decisions you make; however, it may also have risks. It requires a lot of thinking through and it takes a lot of time. Start-up businesses tend to have a disadvantage statistically. According to the Entrepreneur, 55% of start-up businesses “tend to no longer be operational by the 5th year”. It goes to show that creating a business is but the first step, while sustaining and keeping it functional is a different step to overcome.

Businesses are no...]]> Fri, 10 Jun 2016 08:38:21 +0200 Businesses are no longer predictable as more of them appear, and...]]> Thu, 09 Jun 2016 12:55:38 +0200

More than half of the starters in the Netherlands would like to begin as part-timers because they would like to maintain some form of financial security offered by a fixed job. This was reported in the research conducted by the Chamber of Commerce (KvK) in collaboration with the Free University.
29% of starters have hope to work full time as an entrepreneur at a later stage. According to the researchers the choice of entrepreneurship is often a choice for a new lifestyle. Four in ten aspiring entrepreneurs have already had their own business. Under latent entrepreneurs, those who dream about...]]> Wed, 01 Jun 2016 11:06:19 +0200 he Second Chamber suggested that the tax benefit for the expats in the Netherlands has to be reviewed, reported www.nu.nl. According to the legislation, expats with an annual salary just under EUR 37000 are not required to pay taxes on the first 30% of the gross salary. This should attract employees with specific knowledge that are needed in the Netherlands, and to improve the business climate, but it also cost the national budget EUR 700 million in 2014.

A majority of the Second Chamber agreed to this on Tuesday based on the motions put forward by the SP and GroenLinks...]]> Wed, 01 Jun 2016 10:48:55 +0200
Prince Constantijn— who is the new appointed special ambassador for startups—opened the Startup Fest on the 24th of May in Amsterdam. He said that he does not know whether startups will become the driving force behind the economy, “but they are important to renew the economy”, according to RTL Nieuws’ live blog on the event.
Within this five-day event, various startup giants are giving keynote speeches including Tim Cook of Apple, Eric Schmidt of Alphabet, Nathan Blecharczyk of Airbnb and Travis Kalanick of Uber.

Former Transit minister Neelie Kroes, already gave her speech and according to her, the belief that...]]> Mon, 30 May 2016 11:11:44 +0200 There are many people who would like to be rangers, as is evident from the massive interest in this job position in Terschelling. The Stare Forestry Commission received many letters of applicants, and the position was massively shared on Facebook.
According to area manager Tamara Bok, the applicants come from different professions from the labor market. “There are people who work at the Public Prosecution office, the police, the Royal Netherlands Army and lecturers, but also a highly motivated cafe owner and someone with a massage parlor.” The salary is between 2200 and 2800 euros a month for a working...]]> Mon, 30 May 2016 11:10:29 +0200 2015 will be remembered as the year in which the Netherlands was able to attract a record number of 219 foreign investment projects, according to research by accountants group EY. The projects ranged from logistics operations to sales and marketing and to head offices. Most foreign firms came from the US, but there was a sharp rise in Chinese involvement.
However, there is a cause for concern, according to the latest figures, because the confidence of foreign investors is declining in the Dutch business climate. This negative sentiment can translate into a lower level of total investment, giving rise to...]]> Mon, 30 May 2016 11:07:45 +0200

The marine-technology industry in the Netherlands had a good year in 2015, despite the difficult conditions in the industry.
The sales turnover went up by 9.4 percent from €7,5 billion in 2014, to €8,2 billion in 2015, reported the Industry Association Netherlands Maritime Technology.
Employment remained stable, with 31,000 full-time employees. Earlier in the last year, 63 seafaring vessels were delivered and the order intake reached 64 vessels. Furthermore, 111 other vessels were delivered, including for inland shipping and fishery, with an additional 23 super yachts.
Also, other companies in the Marine sector, approximately 670 Dutch maritime suppliers, had increased...]]> Fri, 20 May 2016 12:29:55 +0200 There is a huge shortage of good chefs in the Netherlands and this problem will only increase in the coming years, warns hospitality educator SVH (Competence Foundation for Hospitality). The reason is that the Dutch people are eating out more often nowadays.
Annually, the Chef training courses receive enough applicants, however, many students do not complete the training. “It seems a romantic job. But it is brutally hard work with irregular hours”, said SVH Master Chef Theo van Rensch.

UWV (Public Employment Service) noticed that in different parts of the country, there is a great demand for self-employed cooks. However,...]]> Thu, 19 May 2016 12:39:41 +0200 Around 5000 New Jobs Are Planned with the Expansion of the Canadian Hudson Bayanadian retail group Hudson Bay Company is planning to open 20 new stores in the Netherlands over the next 24 months. The company has said that the first stores are expected to launch in summer 2017, and operate under the Hudson’s Bay.

HBC first announced plans to come to the Netherlands following the bankruptcy of the V&D department store group. By now, it is unclear if the company is taking over any of V&D’s 63 locations nationwide. According to the HBC chairman Richard Baker; the expansion into the...]]> Thu, 19 May 2016 12:22:02 +0200
In total, 355 businesses went bust last month, fifteen fewer than March according to preliminary data published by the national statistics office CBS. 73 companies were from the retail industry, while 60 were financial institutions.
More bankruptcies were declared in the province of Zuid-Holland than in any other region. The number of bankruptcies peaked at 816 in May 2013, and has followed a broadly downward but fluctuating trend since then.

Source: CBS
...]]> Thu, 19 May 2016 12:41:46 +0200
If you want to volunteer while maintaining WW (Unemployment benefit), you must meet the conditions from UWV (Uitvoeringsorgaan Werknemers Verzekeringen aka in English: Public Employment Service).
On uwv.nl, you can quickly see how likely it is that your volunteering meets certain conditions, and also how to apply for permission to volunteering.
By answering a few questions in the section “Stappenplan” (steps plan) you can find out whether volunteering may satisfy the conditions, so that you can retain your unemployment benefit.
On the UWV website there are two videos with information about the rules regarding volunteering: "How UWV decides on volunteering?"...]]> Mon, 09 May 2016 22:06:35 +0200 “Take away the frustration of having to constantly apply to no avail, only to be given the option: no longer available”, said labour sociologist Jan Cremers.

Unemployed older people have difficulty getting a job, partly because they are more expensive for employers than younger people. Arrangements for employers to make hiring the elderly more attractive do not seem to work.

Crisis

Cremers found that elderly people who were out of work during the crises and in the IOW, were in a scheme for unemployed people over sixty who were no longer entitled to unemployment benefits. Then they received 70% of...]]> Sun, 01 May 2016 19:56:18 +0200
Interviews can be nerve wrecking for some people; and even the most hardy of us can get a little jittery to the build up of that dreaded moment, not to mention during the interview itself. Many reasons can contribute to preventing us from staying calm: we want the job so badly: “it is my dream job”; or we have to market ourselves: “I am an introvert, I hate talking about myself”; or we have to discuss weakness or negative experiences: “it is not my fault I got fired!”

The best way to have a successful interview is to prepare for...]]> Sun, 01 May 2016 14:22:45 +0200

In a study by the Dutch Central Bank (DNB), wage increases were found to be lower than was economically justified last year (2015). According to the Telegraaf, workers’ purchasing power was put under pressure, which is damaging to the Dutch economy.
The labour income ratio, i.e. the share that workers receive as wages from the total earnings in the Netherlands, is very low in relation to business profits. 73.5% of the total earnings consist of wages. Previous calculations for last year came out higher at 78%, and for the previous years between 80% and 90%. The reason is because of systematic...]]> Sun, 01 May 2016 14:13:44 +0200 More and more young talents from abroad achieve their Masters degrees in the Netherlands, and then they leave, taking with them their knowledge and ambition. In order to retain them in the Dutch economy, Detachieringsbureau Time Flex Academy matches international talents to Dutch companies with international ambitions. Their general manager Lyndsey explains: "Imagine that you have business growth ambitions in, Germany, Spain, Italy or Poland, for example, Time Flex Academy can help you find an appropriate high potential candidate that speaks the language perfectly and fits the culture naturally. And moreover, the candidate is skilled in the English language and...]]> Sat, 23 Apr 2016 10:56:23 +0200


The City of Amsterdam wants to cooperate with LinkedIn, in the hopes of better identifying local talent and improving the labour market.

Amsterdam has prompted LinkedIn to research which talents have a chance to work in Amsterdam. The networking website, where more than some 414 million people have created a profile, has a lot of current data on local labour markets and can properly map the workforce skills.

Based on this information, Amsterdam will develop plans to attract targeted talent. In addition, the city will be able to connect students and graduates to start-ups. With the help of LinkedIn’s data,...]]> Mon, 18 Apr 2016 09:58:57 +0200

The Netherlands is among the five most popular countries in Europe with people who are looking for a job across the border.

According to the study 'Europe in Movement' by Indeed, most job seekers who come to the Netherlands are the Belgians, followed by the Americans and the British, and then by the Germans and the French.

Unique Position

“The Netherlands has a unique position when it comes to attracting job seekers among others due to the fact that flexible working is allowed here,” says Sander Poos, Managing Director Benelux at Indeed. “Moreover, Amsterdam is globally known as a very...]]> Mon, 11 Apr 2016 14:04:33 +0200

Starting from April 1st 2016, new rules apply to maternity leave regarding twins and multiple births cases.

Women who are pregnant with twins or multiple babies, and whose due date falls on or after May 26th 2016, may start their maternity leave earlier.

According to the new rules, the pregnancy leave may begin between ten to eight weeks prior to the due date. Nowadays a woman can determine herself the first day of her leave. If she prefers to follow the ‘usual’ pregnancy leave, which starts six to four weeks before the due date, she can chose for this option...]]> Mon, 11 Apr 2016 14:00:40 +0200

In the first quarter of 2016 CAO (collective labor agreement) wages rose by 1.8 percent. That is a significant rise compared to 2015, when wages increased by 1.4 percent. It is the strongest growth since 2012.

The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) announced on Thursday that employees in the public sector have received higher salaries in the first months of this year.

Wages in the public sector rose by 3.1 percent, against 1.6 percent in the private sector and 1.3 percent in the subsidized sector (health, social security).

According to the CBS, the average wage increase since the second half...]]> Mon, 11 Apr 2016 13:53:25 +0200 Minister wants more MBO internship with freelancers. Minister Jet Bussemaker (Education) aims to make it easier for MBO students to follow an internship by the self-employed ( freelancers ). At this moment the students don’t chose the self-employed for their internships because there’s too much uncertainty around the subject, according to a letter from Bussemaker to parliament sent this Friday . The self-employed should comply with quality requirements and be recognized as a training company .

According to Bussemaker thease are mainly very specialist and creative professions such as for example gold- and silversmiths. They often work independently.
Parliament had asked...]]> Mon, 04 Apr 2016 10:09:06 +0200
Nyenrode takes organizations to the next stage of organization development during Summer Journey.

Nyenrode takes organizations to the next stage of organization development during Summer Journey. The next generation of organizations or teal organizations releases entrepreneurship forces to realise a given purpose. It is based on new form of leadership based on the stage of human consciousness. This program is therefore a good match with Nyenrode as Nyenrode’s values are Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Stewardship.

In July, Nyenrode is organizing a week long summer journey to investigate how pioneer organizations are paving the way for the next generation of organization development, and...]]> Wed, 23 Mar 2016 15:19:04 +0100


The last six months I have been working in the Netherlands as an Intern. Prior to settling down in Holland I expected it to frankly be a major culture difference from being raised in England.

I genuinely believed language and cultural differences would be a major set up socially. As I started meeting new people I was actually quite surprised that every person I met spoke very good English and could hold a conversation, at first I expected a lot of people to speak English as it is an International language but I honestly did not expect it to this kind...]]> Mon, 21 Mar 2016 10:39:55 +0100 Employment figures for the EU began to see growth in the last quarter of 2015. The number of persons in employment increased by 0.3 percent compared to the previous quarter.
This was made apparent this Tuesday from Eurostat. The growth rate is the same as in the third quarter of 2015.

On an annual basis, employment increased by 1.2 percent in the euro area. Late last year, 151.9 million people had jobs in the eurozone.

Across the European Union, employment increased by 0.1 percent on a quarterly basis. Compared with a year earlier increased the number of jobs by 1...]]> Wed, 16 Mar 2016 10:15:31 +0100 The European Commission wants to change the Posting of Workers Directive in order to ensure that workers receive equal pay for equal work. Asscher, Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, hopes to make the movement of workers in Europe fairer and to further ensure workers and businesses can operate more easily across borders.

At present, foreigners (with lots of work experience) are awarded a beginner's salary in the Netherlands, but that should change according to the European Commission. Asscher has previously sent a proposal to the European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs Marianne Thyssen on June 2015. The proposal...]]> Fri, 11 Mar 2016 00:27:26 +0100 More women start their own business, according to new figures from the Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS). While the number of women in senior positions remaining in business with the efforts of the government, the number of female entrepreneurs is clearly on the rise, according to the statistics bureau.

In 2014, 37 percent of all entrepreneurs were female, and it was 31 percent in 2007. Women tend to start businesses in retail, as outsourced management or organisers, or in the hairdressing and beauty sector.

Also, many women are self-employed in the care or home care sector. In all companies, entrepreneurial...]]> Tue, 08 Mar 2016 13:33:32 +0100 According to FNV chairmain Ton Heerts, the Prime Minister Mark Rutte needs to address the abuse of EU rules on migrant workers during the Dutch presidency of the European Union. In particular Heerts referred to a case in dutch shipbuilding, where Romanian welders worked for below minimum wage.

Workers from an EU country who work in another Member State are subject to contribute to the rules of the country where they work. But there is an exception to the workers by the company from their own country to another EU country are posted.

However, legally this can be exploited and...]]> Mon, 07 Mar 2016 08:45:48 +0100 Highly educated, but unemployed people of indigenous descent will find a new job more quickly than immigrants with a non-western background and the same level of education.
Figures from the Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS) show that there is significant differences between population groups.

“Around 20.2 percent of all people who were low-skilled, and from a non-Western origin were unemployed last year, compared with 9.2 percent of the natives of this level,” concludes the statistics office.

Among highly educated people, unemployment figures are much lower. About 3.4 percent of the indigenous population with a high education level went without work...]]> Fri, 04 Mar 2016 09:45:08 +0100

In2Motivation facilitates personal development, specialising in motivation, coaching and training to enable changes in behaviour and communication. Our training is for individuals and companies. In2Motivation works with international trainers and its home base is in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We provide training in Holland and abroad, to bring the best out of you and your company!

For Companies and Individuals

We provide personal development for companies and for individuals. Training courses such as teambuilding and leadership training as well as executive coaching are usually conducted in-company and customised. Please refer to our Company Training courses page...]]> Thu, 03 Mar 2016 16:27:00 +0100 Home Care Organisation Buurtzorg have taken in at least 3,350 employees from the bankrupt TSN ThuisZorg.
The (Association of Dutch Municipalities, VNG) made this known this Thursday. The number is based on "current information from municipalities." The trustees expect responses from other municipalities.

The VNG says that, “the continuity of the relationship between therapist and client remains” and that home carers should maintain their employment.

Administrators Daniels and Van der Hel were satisfied with this preliminary result. “It's nice that this is achieved through a constructive attitude of many parties.”

Bankruptcy
The bankruptcy that TSN ThuisZorg faced was caused by...]]> Fri, 26 Feb 2016 09:03:16 +0100 According to the participation Act, 125 thousand jobs must be created for people from the labour market, of which 25 thousand must come from government agencies. In business it seems to be working well, but the government is still running well behind.

Where you would expect that the government would set an example for business, that is not quite the case. The expectation is now that the intermediate targets of 3 thousand additional jobs by 2016 will not be met. The reason? Some government agencies have the issue low on their priority list.


Cuts and reorganisations

A study was conducted...]]> Thu, 25 Feb 2016 09:16:42 +0100 The practice of not inviting foreigners for an interview because they have a different origin or last name should end. Political parties PvdA, SP, CDA, and D66 have started raising the alarm after a series of alarming reports about discrimination in the labour market.

The Lower House debated last Thursday with Minister Lodewijk Asscher based on research of the Sociaal en Cultureel Planbureau (Institute for Social Research, SCP) in June 2015 in order to combat discrimination against ethnic minorities. It shows that natives with the same qualifications are more likely to have found a successful job than Dutch with a...]]> Sat, 20 Feb 2016 10:29:47 +0100 Multinational company Unilever intends to move much of its IT moved abroad. Because of this, two hundred redundancies will be made in the Netherlands, as declared by the laundry and food manufacturer, last Wednesday. In addition, about forty temporary workers will also lose their jobs.

The FNV trade union spoke of a “massive migration of positions at Unilever to low-wage countries.” The functions will not expire, but will be transferred to locations such as Mexico, Bangalore, Manila, and Katowice.

Unilever said their commitment is still focused on guiding the supernumeraries for new work. This move is designed to further centralise...]]> Wed, 17 Feb 2016 09:59:06 +0100
Looking for a job? Waiting for the perfect time to move? Are you passively searching and quietly looking around yourself? In this case, you have probably updated your resume. This can be quite difficult. What can you put in there? What shouldn't be in there? How would you describe your business mentality? What exactly are the recruiters looking for? Here are my tips and tricks, as a recruiter, on how to help you further!

Before you next update your resume, it's best to forget everything you've done as quickly as possible. The power of a good resume begins by writing...]]> Tue, 16 Feb 2016 11:10:32 +0100 After nine months of negotiations, workers in the large metal industry have a new collective agreement.

Thursday morning, it was announced that an agreement has been reached on a salary increase of 5.9 percent over the coming years. This year, employees will receive a pay increase of 2.1 percent. In 2017 and 2018 new wage increases will follow, as well as a lump sum is part of the new collective agreement. The unions have responded positively to the agreement. The union members must still approve the agreement in principle.

Metal workers will also gain more control and autonomy over their...]]> Fri, 12 Feb 2016 09:46:44 +0100 State Secretary of finance Eric Wiebes admits that there are mistakes in the model contracts for freelancers who have also checked the tax authorities.

Wiebes gave permission to concerned trade associations to publish model contracts that have been officially assessed for tax-relevant provisions. However, Wiebes now regrets this earlier commitment. In certain provisions, indemnities for clients have been included which do not comply with their legal liability.

indemnities

Belangenorganisatie ZZP Nederland (Advocates for Dutch Freelancers) found such disclaimers in contracts for tennis teachers and music teachers among others. The contract states that contractors must give their clients a safeguard if...]]> Thu, 11 Feb 2016 09:50:13 +0100 Despite the importance of education in remaining employable in the rapidly changing labour market, the vast majority of workers have not been given training by their employer, over the past three year. This is not only concern for employability but also for the growing mismatch in the labour market.

Recent research by Intelligence Group shows that only one in five workers has been trained the past three years and obtained a certificate. The group that chooses to train, choose for programs that make them more valuable for their present work. Programs that focus on knowledge and skills that improve job...]]> Tue, 09 Feb 2016 09:37:43 +0100 The authority on welfare distribution UWV expects that 102 thousand workers will find employment in The Netherlands during 2016. This presents an increase of 1.3 percent, though if you included the number of independent jobs, we'd be seeing 129 thousand vacancies filled this year.

Minister Asscher is pleased with the numbers. “We'll see that, in time, employment follows in line with the growth of the economy. This is now confirmed,” he said. "That means there are more opportunities for anyone looking for a job.”

The improving economy also ensures that more jobs will be created. There are probably 859 thousand created this...]]> Wed, 03 Feb 2016 17:34:30 +0100 Within the coming half-year, companies will be looking for finance staff to fill new and vacant positions en masse. Most employers, however, will find difficulty in their search for suitable candidates. This is according to research commissioned by Robert Half, among 200 Dutch CFOs and finance directors.

Accounting and finance candidates
More than nine in ten (92 percent) CFOs and finance directors indicate that next six months of recruitment will be focused on finding new accounting and finance candidates. This is done to fill vacant positions (48 percent) and new functions (44 percent). These new functions are caused by the...]]> Wed, 03 Feb 2016 17:16:02 +0100 In the modern age of 21st century, an employer is required to adapt themselves to workplace changes and trends if they hope to remain competitive in today’s market. To minimise today’s heightened risk, businesses must reduce their investment into fixed costs and maximise the use of variable costs, and considering that employee compensation is usually a company’s single biggest expense, a company should strive to optimise the balance between fixed and variable pay.
Two leading economic ideologues in the discussion of worker compensation are the concepts of ‘variable pay’ or ‘pay-at-risk’, and ‘objectives-based-incentive-pay’ or simply ‘objective based risk’.

‘Pay at...]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2016 10:22:50 +0100 When co-workers mix business with pleasure, it's important for employers to take note. Whether it's a drop in workplace morale or a sexual harassment lawsuit, office romances have the potential to cause big trouble for businesses of all sizes. This is because of the effect on employee morale and ultimately because of the potential legal issues.

Office relationships are something a large number of employers are faced with. Research from the Society for Human Resource Management's HR Knowledge Center, revealed that 43 percent of HR professionals reported romances in their workplaces. While all office romances have the potential to cause...]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2016 09:48:05 +0100 It was announced that a total of over 1.35 million people are working as freelancers in The Netherlands. This is a significant increase when compared to 2014, where 324 thousand worked as freelancers out of more than 6.1 million employees. Under this arrangement, they earned an average of nearly 4,500 euros.
For over 553 thousand people in The Netherland, the income they gain from freelancing is taking more of a sideline when looking at the total distribution of their income. Most self-employed personnel find the bulk of their income consists of wages, pension or allowance. 


Slightly more than 137 thousand of the nearly three million retirees in The Netherlands punctuated...]]> Wed, 27 Jan 2016 18:00:05 +0100 PostNL has signed a definitive agreement on the working conditions of postal workers.
The members of the relevant trade unions have agreed on the principle agreement reached in December, the postal company announced Wednesday.

In the collective agreement, there are agreements on a wage increase. The deliverers will, as of 1 January, earn 0.9 percent more and as of July 1, they will receive a further 0.5 percent. In January and July 2017 there will be two salary increases also with 0.9 and 0.5 percent respectively.

Mail deliverers will henceforth receive an expense allowance ranging from 70 to 105 euros...]]> Wed, 27 Jan 2016 17:56:47 +0100 Smart HBO students are back in demand on the Dutch labour market. This means that graduates will be able to more easily start a career and will increase the demand for HR professionals. This is evident from the annual Global Salary Survey conducted by the recruitment consultancy Robert Walters.

Graduates are looking towards other opportunities, among which are jobs in logistics and IT, marketing, finance, sales and marketing. The main reason for the shift is the space on the labour market. The number of jobs has increased by 13 percent and there is more confidence among employees in their own...]]> Wed, 27 Jan 2016 17:40:53 +0100 Annually, LinkedIn determines what the top 25 most requested skills are on their database of vacancies. Which candidates, and what skills are most recruiters looking for?  This study has been limited to only The Netherlands. From their available statistics, the overall top 25 skills can be found.
The top three most requested skills in The Netherlands look like this:

Statistical analysis and data mining,
Search engine marketing (SEO and SEA),
Data engineering and data warehousing.

HR and recruitment

For HR professionals, there is good news. Last year the skill of recruitment was in the fifth position This year was only...]]> Sun, 24 Jan 2016 17:16:47 +0100 If the termination of an employment contract is the result of serious culpable act or omission of the employer, then the employee should be compensated for this, even when employers act against the employee. In that case, the district court may award to the employee fair compensation. In addition, the law dictates that the employee has the right to transition allowance.

Height equitable compensation

It is for the court to determine the amount of equitable remuneration. The amount of the state - by its nature - in relation to the serious culpable acts or omissions by the employer. Judges have...]]> Sun, 24 Jan 2016 07:30:15 +0100 Many applicants get rejected from potential jobs because they are overqualified. It is assumed that candidates with more knowledge and experience than other candidates will be less involved and less productive, and that they are only using the position as a stepping stone, waiting for the moment that a better job comes along.

However, according to a new study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, the stereotype of over-qualified employees are not true. In the study, dozens of qualified employees from eleven companies were tracked and compared to their peers. Researcher Jasmine Hu: “We found that employees whose qualifications outperformed...]]> Sat, 23 Jan 2016 10:06:50 +0100 There has never been a single best way to recruit new members into a company or organisation. Most companies follow the same basic set of rules. However, one start-up has decided to try a different method. This company is Automattic, ran by Matt Mullenweg, the creator of WordPress. Automattic employs around 4 hundred people. While they do have a headquarters, almost all of their employees work from home. When they get accepted for their position within the company, they're given 2.5 thousand dollars to buy themselves the much needed technology to develop for their business. If this is not enough of...]]> Thu, 14 Jan 2016 14:10:30 +0100 International MBA event to be held in Amsterdam

The Access MBA Tour, worldwide leader in One-to-One business education events, will return to Amsterdam on February 6th at Hilton Amsterdam, the organiser Advent Group announced today.

“Access MBA is designed to bridge the distance between business executives and elite MBA programmes from around the world through personalised One-to-One meetings between candidates and school representatives” – Christophe Coutat, Advent Group’s Managing Director, said.

The One-to-One meetings enable business professionals to find a top MBA programme that corresponds to their background and expectations. Each MBA candidate undergoes a selection and matching process by business...]]> Mon, 11 Jan 2016 21:29:16 +0100 Most Dutch workers will be able to spend a little more this year. This is thanks to the cuts in taation made by the Government. This means almost all Dutch employees will see an improvement in the condition of their wages. In addition, employers' costs are also falling this year higher.

Minimum wage earners receive will recieve a net increase of 76 euros per month. Those who earn the dutch average income, 2816 euros per month will benefit by an extra 69 euros per month. However, those who earn around one and a half times the average income will miss...]]> Fri, 08 Jan 2016 13:05:06 +0100 Since the financial crisis of 2008, labour productivity per employee has increased, while wages have not risen. According to the CBS, the reason for this would be that there are higher numbers of unemployed personel after 2008, and that there are more and more flexible workers.

CBS has done research on labour productivity per employee after the outbreak of the crisis and compared it to the salary that an employee receives since 2008. Until 2008, there is a strong growth in labour productivity. When the crisis erupted in 2008, this productivity was reduced due to insufficient demand for new staff....]]> Mon, 04 Jan 2016 16:15:19 +0100 People on welfare who get help, with job application training for example, are more likely to find work, according to research by the Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (central bureau for statistics, CBS).

Of aid recipients that could make use of the so-called reintegration facility last year, more than 22 percent are employed. Of beneficiaries who received no such assistance, only 8 percent are now back to work.

Municipalities decide whether someone gets the chance to use the rehabilitation facility. The criteria vary throughout The Netherlands. It is not just about job training, but also schemes where the track is...]]> Mon, 04 Jan 2016 16:06:17 +0100 Confidence in the Dutch pension and health care system has been badly dented by seniors. This came from a statement made by the elderly union ANBO, after a survey among 1,200 elderly.
Over 70 percent of respondents advised young people to save for their own healthcare services. Similarly, more than 40 percent agreed that young people need to build up their own retirement fund rather than through an employer or the pension fund.

“The respondents are aware of the fact that they have to regulate themselves more and more. They seem to want to advise young people thus: “take matters...]]> Fri, 01 Jan 2016 17:28:44 +0100 A number of new laws will come into effect on January 1, 2016. The following laws are those which will be relevant for human resources.

Wet flexibel werken (Flexible work law, WFW)

This new law will replace the Wet aanpassing arbeidsduur (Working Hours Amendment Act, WAA). The law should give employees more flexible working opportunities for teleworking and to work at more favourable times. Employees can submit a request to adjust their working hours to suit their work, such as working at home. In addition, employees can request to modify their contractual working hours.

Wet aanpak schijnconstructies (Law on approaching...]]> Sat, 26 Dec 2015 18:37:34 +0100 The average purchasing power is expected to increase by 1.8 percent in 2016. That's 0.4 percent more than the predicted amount by the Budget Memorandum. Next year, more than 90 percent will be better off financially.

The average purchasing power is increasing in 2016 by 1.8 percent. That's 0.4 percent more than was predicted on Budget Day. Next year most people, more than 90 percent, are financially better off.

This means that next year, a househol will have 8 hundred euros more, on average. Employees receive an average of almost 1,200 euros more next year. Their purchasing power rose by...]]> Sat, 26 Dec 2015 18:17:26 +0100 The next generation that will enter the labour market is ready. This is the so-called 'Generation Z'. This group includes those aged between 0 and 20 years. In The Netherlands, this includes more than 3.8 million people. Of these, more than 800 thousand by October 2015 between 16 and 20 years old have begun within the market.

Generation Features

This is the first generation that has immediately faced from birth to the Internet, wifi and smartphones. The first generation that is always online and regulates everything online. These are digital natives. What continues to make this generation stand out is...]]> Sat, 26 Dec 2015 17:52:44 +0100 Asylum seekers with a residence permit are facing difficulty in finding employment.
That is one of the main conclusions appeared in a recent publication of the Sociaal Cultureel Planbureau (Social and Cultural Planning Office, SCP) and the Wetenschappelijke Raad voor het Regeringsbeleid (Scientific Council for Government Policy, WRR).

Only a quarter of the immigrants with a residence permit in paid employment for more than eight hours per week after spending two years in The Netherlands. This reduces to about half, after five years.

Many permit holders have an unfavourable labour market position and they run behind other groups in society very...]]> Sat, 26 Dec 2015 17:46:11 +0100 Lately, many have come to the assumption that their has been a decrease in the number of jobs available due to increased automation and robotics. According to McKinsey, however, these jobs do not disappear. Rather, functions and tasks of jobs are now functioning differently.

The McKinsey consultants Michael Chui, James Manyika, and Mehdi Miremadi have argued that robotics and artificial intelligence are omnipresent. For example, if you take a plane from an airport, the commercial pilot flies an average of seven minutes. The rest of the time the aircraft is managed by the autopilot.

Will robotics lead to an increase...]]> Sun, 20 Dec 2015 18:18:46 +0100 HRM must, once again, start seeing human needs as a starting point for developing their strategies. It is essential to create a culture of respect and trust, says Professor Dirk van Dierendonck of Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University.

"By creating such a culture, people are less afraid and take away feelings of stress within an organisation. Workers are willing to take more risks, be innovative, to share information and feel recognised. Then people start to come into their own," says the professor. He explains that organisations can generate trust and respect in many different ways. "Some organisations, for example, change...]]> Sun, 20 Dec 2015 18:01:52 +0100 Slowly but surely, The Netherlands is experiencing a shift in the right direction, when low income earners are involved. Their number is no longer increasing and it appears that their may even be a small decline.
This was predict by the Centraal Planbureau (Central Planning Bureau, CPB) using statistics from the Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (Central Bureau for Statistics, CBS).

How low income is defined, depends on the circumstances. For a single person, this is an income to 1,020 euros net per month. For a couple with three children, the maximum 2,100 euros net. They have, according to the...]]> Sun, 20 Dec 2015 17:20:10 +0100 New research from Bain & Company, in cooperation with the Economist Intelligence Unit, highlighted the importance of inspiration for employees. Inspired employees are more than two times as productive as just satisfied employees.

The needs of employees can be displayed according to Maslow's pyramid. First, certain basic needs such as safe working conditions and the availability of the appropriate tools, need to be fulfilled. This produces satisfied employees. Then comes the need for autonomy and taking part of a fun and effective team. This provides a situation to involve your employees to a higher degree.

Employees who, thorugh this, can...]]> Sun, 20 Dec 2015 18:12:23 +0100 Secretary Klijnsma wants to apply the rules surrounding the supplementary duty of employers in the transfer of pensions. They announced a broad review of the system of the individual value assignment.

People who change jobs after January 1, 2015 or change their employment after that, can have the pension they have accumulated transfer from their old pension administrator towards the pension administrator of the new boss. They can also increase the value of their pension transfer that is made up by other employers.

This value transfers can now lead to substantial co-payments required by employers. This is due to the...]]> Sun, 20 Dec 2015 16:35:16 +0100

New income requirements for residence as a highly skilled migrant

The new income requirements for highly skilled migrants and holders of a European Blue Card have been announced. As of 1 January 2016, the following amounts apply for these purposes of stay.


Type of highly skilled migrant and Amount per month, excl. holiday allowance as of 1-1-2016

Highly skilled migrant older than 30 years:€ 4.240

Highly skilled migrant younger than 30 years :€3.108

Highly skilled migrant subsequent to graduation or after job-seeking year for graduates/highly educated persons: €2.228

Holder European Blue Card: €4.968


Income requirements for other purposes of stay
The income requirements for admission...]]> Thu, 17 Dec 2015 16:36:44 +0100 The government wants to the NGO Sociaal Economische Raad (Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands, SER) to include advice on the flexible deployment of people within organisations this coming year. In addition, it is important for the government to know what gives this flexibility and the consequences this may carry with them.

The government not only wants to submit a request for advice on flexibility but also on practical learning in secondary vocational education, social enterprises, and people from the labour market, in terms of the effects of regulations on the scale and growth of businesses.

The Cabinet has...]]> Sat, 05 Dec 2015 16:28:51 +0100 About 66 thousand youths are not in employment, while also not in education. These young people are not even on the radar of the municipalities and the UWV for counseling. The government wants these invisible youths to either continue education, or to enter employment. Municipalities must therefore work alongside the young people, schools, UWV and employers to work around this problem.

This notes Asscher, Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, on the behalf of Bussemakerhuis, the Minister of Education, Culture and Science in a letter to parliament.
Asscher: "We must ensure that these young people remain involved in our society,...]]> Sat, 05 Dec 2015 15:41:20 +0100 Giving teachers in the Randstad the opportunity to earn more salary during leave has not helped reduced the number of teachers leaving the education sector. It was thought that a pay rise was needed to prevent teachers from leaving education. However, it has not changed in the numbers of teachers who have left, the Centraal Planbureau (Central Planning Bureau, CPB) concludes in a report. Each year, seven percent of teachers take jobs outside of the education sector. In metropolitan areas the percentage is as high as elsewhere. That was also the case for the adjustment of salaries.

The only change is that teachers from...]]> Sat, 05 Dec 2015 16:18:41 +0100 Refugees with a residence permit should join our society as soon as possible. Learning the Dutch language and values, and finding employment are crucial. Therefore, refugees may stay here earlier and receive more language courses. They are also screened directly to get a picture of their qualifications, work experience and language skills. A participation certificate is a compulsory part of the integration. Minister Asscher of Social Affairs and Employment writes in a letter to the Lower House on the integration and participation of refugees. The letter is an elaboration of the administrative agreement that the government signed with the municipalities...]]> Sat, 05 Dec 2015 16:06:55 +0100 Since the economic crisis, companies are paying less tax and individual taxpayers are footing the rest of the bill. This was reported by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) based on its own research.

According to the think tank, the average tax payments made by companies have decreased between 2007 and 2014 from 3.6 percent to 2.8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). On the other hand, the proceeds from income taxes from citizens have increased from 8.8 to 8.9 percent, and VAT revenues increased from 6.5 to 6.8 percent.

''Companies continue to find ways to pay less, while...]]> Sat, 05 Dec 2015 15:57:58 +0100 The Internet plays an increasingly important role in finding a job. According to research by 'Intelligence Group', 53 percent of job seekers orient through job boards (where LinkedIn is also grouped) and social media as being a major source for job searching orientation. In the United States, this is no different. According to recent research by the Pew Research Center, 54 percent of job seekers use the Internet in finding a job. Almost half (45 percent) also applied online. Youngsters massively use their mobile phones to orient themselves in the labour market and to apply.

Smartphones

Of all Americans who...]]> Sat, 05 Dec 2015 15:51:33 +0100 Unemployment in France has risen further. The third quarter saw an average 10.6 percent of the French workforce without a job, compared with 10.4 percent in the previous three months. This is evident from figures published december 3, by the statistics office Insee.

Unemployment increased in all age groups, but most strongly among young people. Within the agerange of 15-24 year-olds, almost a quarter are unemployed at home. There are a quarter more people who work fewer hours than they would like. That was true for 6.7 percent of the workforce.

There has not been such a big part of...]]> Sat, 05 Dec 2015 15:35:47 +0100 With the winter holidays right around the corner, the staff planning for Small-to-medium entrepreneurs is quite stretched. This is particularly true in the hospitality and retail businesses, where extra hands could be used because of the season. However, they are not always aware of the risks that hiring extra personnel can entail.

Unexpected risks of hiring additional staff are:

Employees make too many hours: Working regulations dictate the maximum working hours and minimum rest periods for employees. For example, an employee may only work forty Sundays per year, unless more Sundays are laid down in a collective scheme and at...]]> Sat, 05 Dec 2015 16:22:46 +0100 Minister Lodewijk Asscher (Social Affairs and Employment) aims to work with employers and employees to agree on more concrete measures to tackle the issue of long-term unemployment in older people, to increase the chance that they can get to work.

Although unemployment has decreased, Asscher believes the the age bracket around the fifties are well behind the national average. He believes that there is a necessity to include a larger number of networking events, job training, and training vouchers.

Asscher believes it is also crucial to change what is thought about older people in the labour market. He wants it...]]> Sat, 05 Dec 2015 12:49:31 +0100 The implementation of the participation Act has been adjusted in certain parts. State Secretary Jetta Klijnsma of Social Affairs and Employment reached an agreement with the Association of Dutch Municipalities, social partners, and the UWV.

Former students who come from secondary special education without review by the UWV are to be admitted directly to the target group for new jobs that will become available for people with an occupational disability. There will also be a simpler design of salary valuation in the workplace, especially where employers and municipalities have urged. These measures make it easier for people who do not...]]> Fri, 04 Dec 2015 19:54:07 +0100 Flexible working hours are the main benefit for Dutch employees, according to the research firm Intelligence Group. The 6800 respondents were divided into five categories: male, female, employed, student and unemployed. Those in the categories women and students found that flexible working hours were a key precondition of employment, while men were more interested in pension schemes, and the unemployed more interested in travel allowances.

"Men go for money, women for flexible working hours and reconciling work and private life," the researchers said. The over all results show a marked drop in the importance of travel allowances and pension scheme...]]> Fri, 27 Nov 2015 20:44:43 +0100 People like to think that they have a good intuition. However, when it comes to selecting employees, they do no better than a computer. Often, recruiters will select worse candidates than the predictions of algorithms, as a new study by the US National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) shows.

Primary and secondary graduates

The NBER relies on 300 thousand candidates adopted by fifteen companies. These candidates all work as lower and middle-skilled workers, such as being employed in data entry or call center work. NBER-investigators compared the time someone remained in service after this was adopted by a human being...]]> Fri, 27 Nov 2015 20:35:34 +0100 What legislative changes need to be considered in 2016? Here is an overview of a number of changes in employment in the pipeline for 2016.

Maximum duration of unemployment shortened

The maximum duration of entitlement to unemployment benefit is determined by the accumulated work history. Under the WWZ, the maximum duration of unemployment as of January 1, 2016 will gradually reduce from 38 to 24 months. During the first ten years of the current structure, the distribution will be maintained. This translates to one month of unemployment benefits per year of employment history. For subsequent years, every year under employment...]]> Wed, 02 Dec 2015 14:21:59 +0100 The majority of employers and employees, around 60 percent, are not aware of the rules surrounding employment medical examinations. This is a medical examination which takes place at the end of a job application. This inspection is in fact granted only in exceptional cases.

Such an exceptional case, if the test is permitted, for example, occurs when a function has certain risks to the health or safety of employees and the environment. This is established in the Wet op de medische keuringen (Law on Medical Examinations, WMK)

Research undertaken by the Commissie Klachtenbehandeling Aanstellingskeuringen (Complaints Committee Appointment Examinations, CKA) has...]]> Fri, 27 Nov 2015 20:26:29 +0100 A new report from ADP showed that job-hopping pays off, at least in the United States,. ADP has done research among US workers in relation to wage developments for the third quarter of 2015. For employees in the same job, working for the same employer as last year, wages rose 3.5 percent. For Employees who switched employers, their pay rise increased by 6.5 percent.

However, this largely depends on the sector in which employees work. In the education and health care sectors, employees changing jobs only saw a 0.4 percent increase in their salary. In construction, job hoppers went ahead...]]> Fri, 27 Nov 2015 19:59:58 +0100 The trade union Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging (Dutch Federation of Trade Unions, FNV) wants to experiment with anonymous job applications to combat discrimination in the labour market. This comes from a statement made by FNV director Gijs van Dijk.

He wants to not only to combat age discrimination, but also hopes to put an end to the problems that are common in Dutch recruitment with different background experience when applying.

"With anonymous job applications, everyone can be given a fair and equal chance in the labour market," said Van Dijk.

The FNV spoke last Thursday along with other social partners, experts...]]> Thu, 19 Nov 2015 11:38:38 +0100 6 Advantages of Working in Holland

Research from the Global Talent Barometer tells us that more than 2 thirds of people are currently willing to work abroad, which is a 7% increase in global mobility from 2006. We know therefore that there is a huge demand amongst global job seekers to find a job in a new country, however, with so much choice, it is not easy to decide which destination will be right for you. However, one location which we think serves as an excellent destination for international workers looking to relocate to Holland .Yes, we believe there are many...]]> Mon, 23 Nov 2015 13:24:12 +0100
Unemployment rate up in The Netherlands

Over the past three months, more people in the Netherlands who were not actively looking on the labour market have begun seeking employment, but often without success. The number of people engaged in employment remained practically the same. Consequently, an additional average of 4,000 people were unemployed in the past three months. In October, 6.9 percent of the labour force were unemployed. This number, equivalent to 616 thousand people, is still below that of last January when decline in unemployment set in, according to Statistics Netherlands (CBS).

UWV: More unemployment benefits
In October 2015, the number...]]> Mon, 23 Nov 2015 10:38:48 +0100 Those who are looking for a job in the HR sector probably will find more options, more easily. In the third quarter of 2015, the demand for employees in the HR field rose again. Compared to the third quarter of 2014, the number of vacancies increased by 33 percent, according to research undertaken by Yacht.

The increase in vacancies in the third quarter of 2015 compared to the third quarter of 2014 is the highest for the recruitment sector, with a 68 percent increase. According to the research, large companies need more personnel, which means more recruiters are needed.

Ellen...]]> Thu, 19 Nov 2015 10:33:05 +0100 The statutory minimum wage will be increased by 1.11% on January 1, 2016. This will occur in accordance with the Wet Aanpak Schijnconstructies (Legal approach to Apparent Constructions, or WAS), which will apply new rules for the minimum wage.

The gross amounts of the Minimum Wage Act (WML) and the minimum holiday allowance per January 1, 2016 will be as follows:

€ 1,524.60 per month (previously € 1507.80 on July 1, 2015)
€ 351.85 per week
€ 70.37 per day

Minimum wage
Employees younger than 23 years old will be entitled to a fixed percentage of the gross minimum wage....]]> Thu, 19 Nov 2015 11:24:50 +0100
6 Ways To Make An Instant Impact In Your New Job In Holland

As you all know, global talent mobility is on the increase; its an exciting time for globally mobile professionals. The global jobs market is booming and candidates no longer have to confine their careers to their home country, they can take the next step of their career in any part of the world, and of course Holland and Northern Europe are prosperous economic regions and so are prime locations to take up an international role.

Another crucial aspect of international working is that by widening your career search internationally...]]> Mon, 23 Nov 2015 10:23:11 +0100
Your resume is your primary marketing tool and is often the first impression an employer will have of you.
It highlights your skills and work experience and will communicate to the hiring manager the values and competencies that you can bring to their organization thus determining whether or not you will progress to the next stage of the recruitment process.

The aim of your resume therefore, should be to persuade recruiters and hiring managers to see you as valuable and to invite you for the job interview.
Each country is unique in its requirements as far as resume writing goes and if you...]]> Mon, 23 Nov 2015 10:05:46 +0100 Labour Lawyer Maarten van Gelderen has watched the first fifty dismissal rulings by the Wet werk en zekerheid (work and security act, WWZ). His observations have confirmed that ithas now become more difficult to fire an employee after July 1.

About 40 percent of all dismissal requests are rejected by the court. That means that the majority are allocated and go through unhindered. However, before 1 July the acceptance rate was still between 70 and 90 percent. This highlights an essential difference in the ruling and its effect on the legal proceedings. Judges have become more critical, where they require...]]> Thu, 19 Nov 2015 10:49:24 +0100 About 14 percent of Dutch employees had symptoms relating to burn out in 2014. According to figures from the Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (Central Bureau for statistics, CBS) examples of these complaints can range from being exhausted at the end of the workday to being emotionally exhausted.

The study shows that the education sector has had the most complaints of employees suffering from burn out. In this sector, many employees have given complaints of burn out due to the high workload and the high degree of emotional involvement in their work. In second and third place are the information...]]> Thu, 19 Nov 2015 10:16:24 +0100 Living a healthier life is still the best way to reduce your stress levels, say Ernst Lutgert and Serge van Amstel, occupational and health psychologist at Arbo Unie. "When people move towards a healthy life, their capacity and resilience are directly affected. Also, the productivity of workers go up by an average of 10 to 15 percent."

Good food and drink, plenty of exercise and sleep, alternating tension and relaxation are the best remedy for stress. How simple can it be? It is always advisable to allow employees the opportunities and support for a healthier work and life style. At...]]> Thu, 19 Nov 2015 10:11:51 +0100 In The Netherlands, often the average hours worked per week is higher than the global average. Most Dutch workaholics work eight to twelve hours a week extra. This equates to an additional workday per week, according to research undertaken by Regus.

The average number of hours worked overtime is at seven hours per week globally, in which the most overtime in on Monday. In the Netherlands, 26 percent of employees work overtime on Tuesday or Thursday. On Friday, the least extra hours are made.

In The Netherlands we're used to working over these limits. Only 13 percent of respondents work...]]> Thu, 12 Nov 2015 13:17:00 +0100 The number of jobs which are for on-call workers have increased by one third to 537 thousand between 2010 and 2014.

This was reported by the Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (Central Bureau for Statistics, CBS) this Thursday. Employees who work on-call jobs have no fixed working hours, and have to agree with the employer as to how often they work.

The number of jobs through employment agencies increased during this period, but the increase was 6 percent lower. The total number of jobs declined in the same period by 2 percent. This is due mainly to the fact that a...]]> Thu, 12 Nov 2015 13:30:17 +0100 Work stress is a major problem in the Netherlands. One in seven people suffer from it in The Netherlands, alone, which equates to more than one million people. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour has organised a week in order to combat work stress together with TNO and Focal Point Week. This will be taking place from 16 to 19 November.

Each company can contribute its own way towards the Week of Work stress. More than one hundred companies have organised different activities to help against stress to raise awareness. For example, there are discussion seminars, various interviews, but also yoga workshops, stress test and lunch time exercise....]]> Wed, 11 Nov 2015 14:06:06 +0100 Employers see the number of jobs over the next two years barely grow, despite the recovery of the economy. The shift from fixed to flexible personnel has made this possible, as companies can continually shift their staff. This was concluded by the employers association Algemene Werkgeversvereniging Nederland (Union of Dutch Employers, AWVN), which was based on its own survey taken by a variety of Dutch companies.

The survey revealed that 28 percent of companies expect a decline in the number of permanent employees, while 21 percent predicted a rise in the number of employees with a permanent contract. When asked...]]> Tue, 10 Nov 2015 14:56:08 +0100 The Dutch Senate has not gained a majority agreement for the tax plan for next year. The Opposition parties CDA, SGP, CU and SP have submitted a proposal to Secretary of State Eric Wiebes, that single earners must be given a higher tax benefit. The minister does not agree with this however, as he fears that the plans will cost too many jobs. Employment growth remains a constraint, Wiebe said earlier during the debate.

The government wants to ensure 5 billion euro is used to implement tax cuts, while also being accompanied by 35 thousand extra jobs for next year. In the search...]]> Thu, 12 Nov 2015 13:13:55 +0100 Not all employees are honest with their boss when it comes to applying for a new job with another employer. The vast majority, 70 percent, who hold a job prefer to keep it a secret from his or her current employer. In addition, 56 percent of respondents also respond to a job when they are not immediately looking for another job.

The research was conducted by PanelWizard on behalf of Monsterboard, and looked at more than 500 working employees. It showed that 55 percent of respondents pick any day for an interview to take place. However, only 7 percent used...]]> Tue, 10 Nov 2015 14:51:08 +0100 As the new Participatiewet (Participation Act) has come into effect, it must also be applied to the governement, said State Secretary Jetta Kleinsma. Therefore, the government must have created 25 thousand workplaces within the next ten years. If this fails, then there would be no choice but to fine the government, according to Kleinsma.

The Participatiewet came into effect on January 1, 2015. The aim of the law is to help people with or without disabilities who are searching for a job find employment. While there are many different ways this can be achieved, the primary course of action is...]]> Tue, 10 Nov 2015 14:43:07 +0100 In order to prevent discrimination in the recruitment of personnel, it has long been a consideration to remove birth dates and names from CVs in The Netherlands. Although this has not yet happened within The Netherlands, this is already something more concrete in England, as more and more companies hide the names of candidates in order to avoid discrimination and to build a more diverse workforce.

The British Prime Minister David Cameron recently announced that universities should remove the names of students on registration forms to avoid unconscious discrimination against minorities from 2017. He also called on employers to follow this...]]> Wed, 11 Nov 2015 13:50:48 +0100 Making a good introduction is very important for new employees, as we now know. It's also important for an employer to make a good introduction. However, properly analysing how to improve the productivity of new employees as an employer is difficult to measure. Google has done this well and other organisations can learn from this.

The analytics team at Google has set up several experiments to measure the factors that contribute to the productivity of new employees. What they have found is that it making a productive new employee comes from both sides, the employer and the employee.

Sending an...]]> Tue, 10 Nov 2015 14:33:56 +0100 Not all employers are providing the necessary maintenance for the knowledge bases of their employees. Only 31 percent of Dutch employees on permanent contracts have been offered the opportunity to take paid training by their employer. For temporary workers, this is 26 percent.

Employers should not only look at the permanent staff, but also towards their temporary staff. This would save additional reaction time and coordination costs between regular and temporary workers. In addition to this, these employees provide fresh ideas to the company, allowing it to conceptually expand. For temporary workers there are advantages as well. When faced with...]]> Tue, 10 Nov 2015 14:21:57 +0100

The national government is continuing to take action to keep the Algemeen Ouderdomswet (state pension, AOW) affordable. This has implications for older workers and state pension claimants.

From 2016 onwards, the state pension age will increase in increments of three months and up in increments of four months from 2019. From 2022 the state pension age will be linked to life expectancy. You will receive your state pension on the first day you reach the state pension age.

Final retirement age

From 2022, the state pension age depends on the average life expectancy that is calculated by the Het Centraal...]]> Mon, 09 Nov 2015 13:07:20 +0100 From June 18 2016 onwards, The Netherlands will be allowed more room to enforce the 'Posted Worker Directive,' by introducing a duty to report on foreign workers. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment will be able to check if employees from EU member states are getting the pay they are entitled to.

For example, if a Belgian engineering company wants to build a bridge in The Netherlands, they will need to report which workers are coming to work on the bridge, as well as how long they are working. The cabinet agreed to follow the proposal from Minister Asscher...]]> Wed, 14 Oct 2015 12:20:46 +0200 Unemployment in the Euro-zone has fallen to its lowest level since January 2012.
This was made clear from a statement from the European statistics agency 'Eurostat' last Friday.

Unemployment in the European Union fell last month to 10.8 percent of the workforce, compared with 10.9 percent in August. In September 2014 the unemployment rate was 11.5 percent over the entire Euro-zone.

The lowest unemployment rate was measured in Germany, where only 4.5 percent of the workforce is unemployed. The Netherlands currently has an unemployment rate of 6.8 percent.

In Greece and Spain, the situation on the labour market is still...]]> Wed, 04 Nov 2015 09:45:09 +0100 As the economy is starting to pick up again, new staff must be recruited for jobs in the Netherlands. Companies would pay all sorts of extras get good staff, and to keep them interested in their company during the recruitment process. Think along the lines of an unlimited number of vacation days or a reduced fee for transporting your children to school.

"Dutch companies look to successful foreign companies such as Google when it comes to ways to recruit and retain good staff," says Noor Hendrikx in Metro. She is the Human Resources Manager at Tentoo, a business that handles the...]]> Thu, 29 Oct 2015 13:04:06 +0100 The Netherlands has about 50,000 less public employees compared to a decade ago. It does not appear that the government will take as many people again.

This is expected, says the Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen (Institute for Employee Insurance, UWV). The number of jobs will probably increase slightly over the coming years, but remain far from the level before the financial crisis.

The UWV expects that public employment will continue to shrink until 2017, where it will begin to stabilise. According to the social security agency, there is still little room for new employment in the sector.

Compact civil service

The government...]]> Thu, 29 Oct 2015 11:45:31 +0100 A quarter of employers feel that their employees do not have the right qualities for the jobs they are employed for. However, a few employers know to go with the times and keep up with their employees. This makes it difficult to attract the right talent. This comes from a study done by Tempo Team in relation to recruitment strategies.

About fifty percent of dutch employers believe that new knowledge within the organisation is not developed or shared well enough. This affects the quality of the workers, they found. Namely, twenty five percent of employers believe that the skill set...]]> Thu, 29 Oct 2015 11:14:30 +0100 On Saturday 10 October, thousands of youths protested against the minimum youth wage in Amsterdam.

The Parool writes based on an interview with the organiser of the demonstration, Young & United. In Europe, The Netherlands is one of the few countries with a separate wage for young people. Workers who are eighteen years old or younger sometimes earn as much as 45.5 percent less than the normal minimum wage in The Netherlands. According to Paul Haars from Young & United, the atmosphere during the demonstration was described as “very energetic.”

The House of Representatives

A majority of the House supported...]]> Wed, 14 Oct 2015 12:22:22 +0200
From next year onwards, employers have to pay fewer premiums on unemployment funds in their sector. According to the Uitvoeringsinstituut werknemersverzekeringen (Institute for Employee Insurance, UWV) this will amount to 700 million Euros. The largest decline in premiums were in the construction sector.

The reason that there is no need for employers to pay higher premiums it is because there are fewer unemployed personnel. This allows employers to pay fewer premiums toward the sector fund, a fund designed to help unemployed members of their sector. Employers still contribute towards premium payments for the general fund. The government will decide whether...]]> Wed, 28 Oct 2015 11:10:52 +0100

On the former ship of Veronica radio, asylum seekers met employers at a job fair last Saturday in Amsterdam. There were about five hundred people on the ship, of which sixty percent were asylum seekers.
“It's gone very well, and the employers were very satisfied with the education and skills of many asylum seekers,” said Sandra Rake.

The job is part of the initiative “Ontmoet een vluchteling” (Meet a Refugee) from Rake and Nimet Akdemir, director of the Veronica Ship. Various companies came to the network day, among them were employers Randstad and Vacaturebank Amsterdam Jobs. In the past three...]]> Wed, 28 Oct 2015 10:55:42 +0100 Research done by Utrecht University  shows that The Netherlands does not have a sustainable labour market. The study showed that this is caused by both the over- and under-utilisation of talent. In addition to this, working staff in The Netherlands have relatively few work hours compared to the expected productivity of their labour.

The study has shown that this stems from the preferential treatment of 'insiders' against 'outsiders' in the labour market. This is then expressed as under- and over-utilisation of talent.

The under-utilisation of talent comes from many women who are still being placed in lower positions than men relative...]]> Mon, 26 Oct 2015 11:47:29 +0100
In the last few weeks, companies in Sweden and the U.S. have been making considerations towards lowering the standard working day from eight hours to six. The idea is that this will increase the efficiency of production compared to an eight-hour day. Moreover, there will be more satisfied employees and higher profits.

In some companies, even a five-hour workday has been introduced. These companies argue that the eight-hour working day no longer fits the current times and trends.

Companies that have shorter working days for their employees still pay the same amount. This is because the productivity of the employees...]]> Thu, 22 Oct 2015 12:06:14 +0200

According to the Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging (Dutch Federation of Trade Unions, FNV), the number of people with 'stapelbanen' has increased. .

A Stapelbaan is described as being employed by one or more employers' for several smaller functions, such as stacking. For example, a cleaner employed by a company may work ten hours on cleaning, and do other functions for another ten hours on a twenty hour contract.

The Federation says this development is a sign of looming poverty.
"You always hear that it goes well with the economy, but for many people it is not. Poverty is closer than you...]]> Mon, 19 Oct 2015 14:47:06 +0200 On July 1 2015, the new 'Work and Security Act' (WWZ) came into effect, which aims to improve employments laws in The Netherlands. It focuses on changing the rights of flexible workers and to make it possible to achieve fairer dismissals. This created a situation that is both complex and cumbersome, but offers HR managers a chance to take proactive measures on securing a leading role.

With the WWZ, minister Asscher added a number of new rules on those working within The Netherlands. According to Kennedy Van der Laan, it comes down to this:
• The trial period is now...]]> Wed, 14 Oct 2015 12:37:30 +0200 Can you fire an employee because they did not gain the required certificate? The court ruled in favour of yes. The employee in question had not gained the required safety certificate, and according to the court, may be fired. He was given a severance package.

The Situation

This began with a company in the construction industry working with heavy equipment and specialised machinery. In the past, there had been incidents in the workplace where workers have been injured. An inspector from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment had already given the company a fine in relation to safety regulations....]]> Thu, 08 Oct 2015 12:18:44 +0200 In a study undertaken, it appears that the number of freelancers has grown tremendously in the last year. More than one million labourers in The Netherlands are freelancers, a number which has doubled in the last fifteen years. According to the Partij van de Arbeid (Labour party, PvdA) a tax credit for salaried employees is a possible solution to this growth.

The tax and premium revenues have declined in relation to the increase in the number of freelancers. As a consequence of this, the state social insurance contributions are not generating the expected revenue, which leads to less budgetary funding...]]> Thu, 08 Oct 2015 12:15:02 +0200 Entrepreneurs with small companies will only have to pay sick employees up to one annual wage instead of two years. This only applies to businesses with up to ten employees.

Last Friday, the Cabinet ruled on this wage/salary change, after which Minister of Finance Asscher made the change publicly known. 'Sick Pay is a huge problem, particularly for small businesses,' says Asscher. The former rulings on sick pay may deter employers to recruit staff.

The wage/salary would have to be paid for from the collective employer contributions as well as from Government contributions, which would amount to 20 million euros...]]> Tue, 06 Oct 2015 16:20:21 +0200 Are you currently claiming a WW-uitkering (unemployment benefits) while looking for a job? If yes, then the chances are high that when you find a job, your salary will decrease. This comes from a study by the volkskrant in connection with the Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen (Institute for Employee Insurance, or UWV).

The volkskrant together with the UWV held a study monitoring the salaries of ten thousand unemployed labourers. There are unemployed people who are claiming unemployment benefits, but had found a job. The study looked at the wage gap before they claimed unemployment benefits, and when they had found work again...]]> Mon, 05 Oct 2015 12:23:19 +0200
Research undertaken by the Ministry of Interior and Royal Relations has found that there has been a continual drop on civil servants. This has been focused particularly on public administration and by security, as these sectors have shrunk. There are also more women in government, as more elders. Those under twenty five have not been inclined to join the civil service, as they rarely have the experience or meet the job requirements.

Elders
There have been an increase in sixty plus labourers, according to this study. This comes from the various measures taken by the state to promote longer working...]]> Mon, 05 Oct 2015 12:20:31 +0200 The European Court of Justice has made a decision that the travel from home to customers should contribute to working hours. How this travel time is paid is a question of national right.

The Situation

A spanish company with installs security systems in a divers enumber of provinces closed a number of regional offices in 2011. The employee, wih a company car, travels from home directly to the client, and after the last client of the day then travels home. Before the closure, the employees would first go to the office to pick up the company car, then drive to...]]> Mon, 05 Oct 2015 11:24:33 +0200 Everyone of us have experiences this feeling when you have too much work and not enough time to do it all. In reality we all have more work than we can handle. Add to this you daily activities such as regular exercise, family duties, cooking and social life, and the situation looks disastrous.
While are not always able to control the causes of the overwhelming situation, you can control how to deal with it. Further the most popular and successful strategies and suggesting on how to deal with too big workload and how to manage you time effectively are described....]]> Mon, 05 Oct 2015 10:58:30 +0200 From next year onwards, it'll become easier for pensioners, those who are applicable to the Algemene Ouderdomswet (Old Age Pensions Act, or AOW), to continue working through contracts, as self-employed or through other employers. At this moment, pensioners who wish to continue working are often doing so through agencies or as freelancers. The Senate (eerste kamer) has approved a bill from Minister Asscher from Social Affairs and Emplyoment on behalf of Minister Van der Steur from security and Justice and Minister Plasterk from the Interior and Royal Relations.

According to the Rijksoverheid, The bill is made to make it more...]]> Wed, 30 Sep 2015 13:03:08 +0200 Many refugees are escaping to Europe. Some parties believe that these people should find work quicker than they are. The Vereniging VluchtelingenWerk helps refugees find their place in the Dutch labour market. P&Oactueel speaks with Henk Nijhuis, executive employer for VluchtelingenWerk.
‘As more people are allowed into the Netherland, moved from the refugee shelter to a town, they are put through an introduction programme. They go through a citizenship’s course, where they learn Dutch, as well as having their qualifications and work experience checked,’ Nijhuis states.
Refugees can play an important role in taking jobs which are difficult to be...]]> Tue, 29 Sep 2015 14:31:44 +0200 According to the CBS, people with higher education have higher scores on the scale of prosperity and well-being than people with low or middle education: they often feel healthy, are more satisfied and deserve better. This emerges from a new study by Statistics Netherlands.

Higher education as a basis

A diploma in higher education is a good entrance to the labor market. People with higher education are less likely to be unemployed, more likely to have a high income, more often live in a quality (purchased) house, often feel healthy and are generally more satisfied with life. On the contrast,...]]> Thu, 24 Sep 2015 10:17:06 +0200 Financial Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem proposed to the Second Chamber the Budget Memorandum on Tuesday 15th September.
This is an overview of the measures related to employment:

Charges on Labour

Taxation on Labour will see a cut of five billion euros. By doing this the ‘wedge’ average will fall by almost 2%. The ‘wedge’ is defined as the difference between labour costs on employers and the net pay to employees. The burden will then be placed mostly on low to middle income earners. Ideally, this will act as motivation for people on benefits to return to work.
The incentive, therefore, to work (more)...]]> Mon, 28 Sep 2015 11:51:24 +0200

– From the perspective of an attendee-

As a participant at the 4th International Job Fair that took place in Amsterdam in the end of May 2015 I can say that I was pleasantly surprise by what the organizers had to offer.

Firstly, the fair was packed with recruiters or recruiting agencies that were willing to help you in your search of finding your dream job. Having to go door to door to all recruitment agencies when searching for jobs is exhausting and almost impossible to reach them all, but with this fair was amazing, there were all in one...]]> Thu, 24 Sep 2015 10:53:09 +0200 While the size of the working population is growing in the Netherlands, the number of managers decreases. In one year this number has decreased by 8% (from 531 to 490 thousand). This is mainly because there are less male managers.

The position of women has improved

Even thought women still form the minority, their share in the management layers of enterprises and organizations in the past year increased slightly (from 24% to 26%). In total, eight out of hundred working men are manager. For women this number is three out of hundred. In the second quarter of 2014 400 thousand men worked as manager,...]]> Tue, 22 Sep 2015 09:58:37 +0200 Residents of The Hague who are looking for work can now search for a job using the 070werkt app on their mobile phone. The app, what was launched on 3 September by Deputy Mayor Rabin Baldewsingh, collects available job vacancies and information on the rights and duties of people entitled to welfare benefits.

In addition to informing job-seekers with welfare benefits about new job announcements, the app lets them know about training courses and government-subsidised training posts. Besides, users can see when their benefits will be transferred to their bank account or when a job market is being organised in...]]> Thu, 17 Sep 2015 10:38:15 +0200 One in six freelancers (169 thousand people) wants to work more hours than at present. This is especially true for self-employed who work 12 to 20 hours per week. CBS reported that only 8% of more than one million freelancers want to work less, while three quarters do not want to change their working hours.

The working hours of non self-employed workers are often fixed in employment contracts, the self-employed must provide their own work and hours to the client to be billed. During the economic crisis freelancers had less income, less work and they more often reported that they wanted...]]> Wed, 16 Sep 2015 10:58:38 +0200 Recent survey by Jobvite shows that on average 536 people apply for one vacancy online. Small size companies usually speak to many candidates, however rarely make an offer. Most vacancies are filled through referrals.

Recruitment Technology provider Jobvite analyzed 10 million applications from 50 million job seekers. The main conclusion was, that 11% of the visitors of company career site fill in online application. In 2014 there were an average 59 applicants per vacancy.

Out of 59 applicants on average seven (12%) are invited for an interview. On average 1.2 applicants get an offer. 88% of the candidates respond positively to...]]> Mon, 14 Sep 2015 12:30:15 +0200 LABOUR MARKET DEVELOPMENTS IN THE NETHERLANDS PERIOD 8
In period 8 (week 29 – 32) the total amount of hours increased 9% and turnover grew 10%, in comparison to the same period last year. This period had an equal amount of workable days compared to the same period last year, so no correction was applied.

The administrative sector increased 10% in hours and also turnover grew 10% in comparison to the same period in 2014.
Hours in the industrial sector increased 5% and turnover increased 6% compared to the same period last year.
Furthermore, the amount of worked hours in...]]> Wed, 02 Sep 2015 15:02:04 +0200 Short-term unemployment further down

According to the CBS the second quarter (Q2), 322 thousand people were out of work for less than one year, i.e. 81 thousand fewer than in the same quarter in 2014. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports that the number of long-term unemployed has increased by 21 thousand compared to one year ago.
Long-term unemployment remains high
Year-on-year short-term unemployment has fallen for the fourth quarter in a row. Long-term unemployment is still higher than in the same period one year previously. In Q2 of this year, 44 percent of all unemployed were out of work for at...]]> Fri, 21 Aug 2015 10:10:02 +0200 In period 7 (week 25 – 28) the total amount of hours increased by 11% and turnover grew by 14%, in comparison to the same period last year. This period had an equal amount of workable days compared to the same period last year, so no correction was applied.

The administrative sector increased by 13% in hours and turnover grew by16% in comparison to the same period of 2014.

Hours in the industrial sector increased by 7% and turnover increased by 8% compared to the same period last year.

Furthermore, the amount of worked hours in the technical sector increased...]]> Wed, 19 Aug 2015 11:14:27 +0200 CBS reported, that the number of jobs in the tourism sector has increased by 15 thousand in 2014, reaching 606 thousand in total. The number of full-time jobs increased approximately by eight thousand, while the increase in the volume of jobs was more than 2%. The percentage of jobs in the Dutch economy in total slightly fell, thus the share of the tourism sector increased.

Last year the employment in the tourism sector was equal to 366 thousand full-time jobs, which was equal to 46% of the hospitality sector (including hotels, restaurants, campsites, holiday parks). The number of tourist hospitality...]]> Tue, 18 Aug 2015 11:26:21 +0200 CBS reported that the number of working women has increased more over the past decade than the number of employed men.
In the second quarter of 2015 the population of active women was 3.8 million comparing to 3.4 million in 2005. There were 4.5 million men to work against 4.4 million ten years ago.

Last year the number of working women fell to under 3.8 million. Especially the number of women employed in health and welfare fell. In the previous year the increase among women was relatively strong, so the number of working women again rose above 3.8 million. However, three quarters...]]> Mon, 17 Aug 2015 10:47:53 +0200 Employers in the Netherlands have found a new way to get around paying the new transition fee which took effect July 1.  As it stands now, if an employer wishes to terminate an employment agreement that’s two or more years old, a mandatory transition allowance must be paid to the employee regardless of the reason for termination.  This also includes employees who’ve been sick long-term, and it’s upsetting many employers.  In retaliation, they’re keeping sick employees on board with the company in an unpaid status.

"Employers see it as highly unfair that they should give sick employees a severance payment...]]> Fri, 07 Aug 2015 15:23:59 +0200

Frans Timmermans calls for better employment for women - (Picture: ANP  ReutersBenefit working women)


Brussels wants to improve the position of mothers in the workplace and increase the participation of women. Concrete proposals have come in 2016, but can take paternity leave, improving flexible work arrangements for both women and men, and childcare adjusted.

This made Frans Timmermans, Vice-President of the European Commission, known via social media. Brussels in the coming months working on the plan, and shall also look at the situation around maternity leave. Previous proposals from Brussels for a longer minimum number of weeks of maternity leave in...]]> Thu, 06 Aug 2015 09:44:26 +0200 According to CBS (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek), foreign multinationals occupy 20% of jobs in Dutch industry, while the Dutch multinationals account for 23%. The foreign multinationals are mainly employed in the Randstad and in the south, while jobs locations of Dutch multinationals are more evenly distributed across the Netherlands.
The report released on 4 August 2015 highlights that the foreign multinationals are especially active around Amsterdam. The concentration of foreign multinationals’ jobs (foreign companies with subsidiaries in the Netherlands) is also highest in the Randstad and in the south of the country. The largest proportion of jobs of foreign...]]> Tue, 04 Aug 2015 12:08:21 +0200 Multinational companies play prominent part in Dutch economy

Multinational companies account for 40 percent of jobs in the Dutch private sector ,for two-thirds of total private sector turnover and for over 80 percent of international goods trade, as Statistics Netherlands (CBS) announced today in the Internationalisation Monitor.On the basis of these facts, the small league of internationally operating companies is of vital importance for the Dutch economy.
Importance foreign and Dutch multinationals in the Netherlands, 2013Dutch multinationalsForeign multinationalsNon-multinationalsValue exported goodsValue imported goodsTurnoverJobsNumber of companies%

Multinationals provide nearly 2 million jobs
Multinational companies are important for the Dutch labour market. In...]]> Mon, 03 Aug 2015 12:40:01 +0200 The number of people in paid employment increased by 109,000 over the past 12 months. On average, 8,000 people were employed just last quarter.

CBS highlights on 16 July 2015 that particularly women account for the increase. Compared to June 2014, the number of employed women climbed by 85,000 to more than 3, 8 million. Business economics, administrative occupations and education are the sectors with the most remarkable rise in employed women.

Moreover, there were 289,000 new unemployment benefits paid in the first six months, which is nearly 15,000 fewer than in last year’s same period. Here, men nearly entirely...]]> Tue, 21 Jul 2015 10:54:49 +0200 The European Social Fund makes around €20 million available to make employees’ skills and know-how to keep up with the job requirements.

According to Het Parool, the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Lodewijk Asscher wrote to the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) on 15 July 2015 that the money could be used to retrain workers in a timely manner. Recently, research has shown that Dutch employees claim to lack new skills and know-how to perform their jobs well and show a tendency in suffering more often from burnout symptoms. Thus, it is important to keep these skills on a...]]> Thu, 16 Jul 2015 13:28:07 +0200 In the first half of 2015, the number of temporary workers increased by 11% on an annual basis. Temporary employment agencies’ turnover grew by 12% compared to the same period last year.

The Federation of Private Employment Agencies (Algemene Bond Uitzendondernemingen, ABU) revealed these figures on Tuesday 08 July 2015. The sectors with the biggest growth in temporary workers from 2014 to 2015 are the technical sector (+23% in hours, +20% in turnover), followed by the administrative sector (+10% and 11%, respectively) and industry (+6% and 7%).

The rise in temporary workers comes along with more opportunities for those who...]]> Thu, 09 Jul 2015 11:46:53 +0200 The Cabinet is devising a more flexible pension plan. The so-called “average premium” (doorsneesystematiek) should be abolished, said junior social affairs minister Jetta Klijnsma on Monday 06 July 2015.

All young and old employees annually pay the same contribution and build up the same pension in this “average premium” system. However, according to NU.nl, Klijnsma calls this unfair, since the contribution of young people earns interest for longer than that of older people. Thus, more and more young people find that they have to pay way too much of pension contribution. The Cabinet also points out that the current system...]]> Tue, 07 Jul 2015 11:46:26 +0200 An investigation of the trade union CNV Care and Welfare is offering new evidence this week of the hardships many disability caregivers face. The number of reports of unsafe conditions increases.

Accordingly, more than 85% of them are subjected to swearing, hitting, threats and other forms of aggression. A quarter of these workers feel that their bosses force them to withhold this, and that they should not file a complaint.

The president of the union points out that it most likely has to do with cutbacks in healthcare, which result in less staff and thus in less attention to the...]]> Thu, 02 Jul 2015 12:07:55 +0200 A study by CBS reveals that Europe’s career support helps young unemployed find a job in the Netherlands.

During the period 2009 – 2014, the initiative reached about 20% of young unemployed people. More than 145,000 people participated in the ESF (European Social Fund) programme, a campaign initiated by the EU to boost and improve employment in Europe. The ESF funds help people to advance their skills, such as through traineeships and coaching, and enhance their job opportunities along with it.

In 2010 – 2012, more than 60% of the people found a job right after the participation. The unstable...]]> Mon, 29 Jun 2015 12:47:28 +0200 The Inspectorate Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid (Social Affairs and Employment, Inspectorate SZW) wants employers to take responsibility for the occurrence of occupational diseases.

This was confirmed in De Monitor, a programme of the broadcasting company KRO-NCRV. Currently, many reports are sent in the Netherlands Center for Occupational Diseases (NCvB), not to the Inspectorate SZW, who supports safe and fair working conditions and socio-economic security. Under these circumstances, the supervisory body cannot determine in which companies vocational illnesses occur.

Lodewijk Asscher, the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, did not honour the Inspectorate’s request in May 2015. Shifting responsibilities would not...]]> Fri, 26 Jun 2015 10:32:34 +0200 50% of all workers in the Netherlands would like the choice to pick between record holidays or to be paid for these days.

This was shown through a research on Wednesday by Randstad Werkmonitor (Randstad Work Monitor), held by SSI under 810 workers.
It was stated that nearly three-quarters of the workforce spends his/her holiday days not specifically on vacation. 57% of this group use this day for remodelling or renovation. The rest of the workers spend their time taking care of relatives.

In addition, almost a quarter of the Dutch workforce prefers to receive the extra holiday pay on...]]> Wed, 24 Jun 2015 12:39:50 +0200 The number of job vacancies in Eurozone countries continued to grow in the first quarter of 2015, although less significantly than in the previous quarter.

According to Eurostat, the number of vacancies fell to 1,7% of total employment in the Eurozone, compared to 1,8% in the fourth quarter of last year. Germany, UK and Belgium showed the strongest growth in the number of vacancies. Latvia’s share climbed by 0,5% and the number in the Netherlands grew by 0,1% (1,6%).
By: C.Maiko Schnelle
 ...]]> Tue, 23 Jun 2015 10:51:24 +0200 The number of workers with a flexible employment contract has been increasing from 15% (2004) to 22% (2014) over the past decade. The same applies to self-employed, whose number rose from 8% to 12% in the same period of time.

These figures were revealed by CBS on Monday 01 June 2015, and give an insight into its joint publication with the TNO, ‘Dynamiek op de Nederlandse Arbeidsmarkt: De focus flexibilisering’ („Dynamics in the Dutch Labour Market: Focus on flexibility“).

In this sense, the Netherlands has moved up to third place in the EU, just behind Spain and Portugal. However, there...]]> Fri, 05 Jun 2015 11:34:29 +0200 People who receive unemployment or sickness benefits can withhold information about their income with impunity. The Work and Security law (Wet Werk en Zekerheid, WWZ) will go into effect on 01 July 2015.

Trouw revealed this on Saturday, 30 May 2015. This law is a replacement of the Unemployment Benefits Act (werkloosheidswet, WW), but it will continue to exist for those who request it until 01 July”, said a spokesman of the UWV to NU.nl. Under this new law, people’s income will automatically be deducted from the data that the UWV and tax authorities have.

The UWV told Trouw that...]]> Wed, 03 Jun 2015 11:43:52 +0200 The number of women in senior management positions has once again increased slightly. Between 2013 and 2014, the share of women in top jobs climbed from an average of 19, 8% to 20,9% at 250 Dutch firms.

The 250 companies have signed a charter named “Talent naar de Top” to demonstrate their commitment to increase the number of women on their management boards. The government set a target of 30%. The signatories of the charter claim that 44% of their executive boards and 21% of their non-executive directors meet this target better than other companies.

According to the baltictimes.com, The...]]> Wed, 27 May 2015 13:12:45 +0200
23% of Dutch employees claim to lack new skills and know-how to perform their jobs well. These workers tend to be ill more often and show a tendency in suffering more often from burnout symptoms.

This is highlighted in the Dutch Working Conditions Survey of 2014 (De Nationale Enquête Arbeidsomstandigheden), published on Thursday 21 May 2015. Skills and know-how often cannot keep up with rapid technological developments and organisational changes, and thus quickly become obsolete or outdated. According to the chart as seen on CBS, this phenomenon is most prevalent in the information and communication sector (27%), followed by the...]]> Fri, 22 May 2015 12:44:34 +0200 This year annual holiday allowance will fall in comparison to the previous years for many employees due to HR and payroll processor ADP own calculations.

This year the phasing out of tax credits which are income dependent will be taken into account, as a result employees will receive less net allowance. As stated in nu.nl, the tax credits will be phased out in stages and by 2024 payment of general tax on the lowest-earning partner will be cancelled.

The decline in holiday allowance particularly affects those with a higher income, for example; two and a half times the average income,...]]> Tue, 12 May 2015 14:13:21 +0200 Approximately, a quarter of 44 million part-timers in the European Union (EU) last year wanted to work more hours than they actually did.
The European statistics agency Eurostat (Europese statistiekbureau Eurostat) stated that the 10 million part-timers would like more work – they represented 4.5% of the total workers in the EU, of which, two-thirds consisted of women.
The demand for additional work for part-timers in the Netherlands is the least in comparison to all the EU countries. Only 4% of part-time workers wished for more hours. The Netherlands is by far the leading part-time worker supplier in the region....]]> Thu, 07 May 2015 12:55:36 +0200 In 2014, 10,000 employees were involved in 25 strikes in the Netherlands. In comparison to the previous years, much fewer people (33,000) than the annual average participated.

These figures were announced by CBS on Friday 1 May 2015. Overall, 41,000 workdays were lost due to the strikes. A ten-week campaign by employees in the cleaning sector accounted for more than half of these lost days. Twelve of the 25 strikes lasted for more than five days.

Compared to other European countries, the annual number of strikes is quite low in the Netherlands. CBS’ figures of the European average between 2009-2013...]]> Mon, 04 May 2015 12:03:05 +0200 The number of people who found employment in the Netherlands has increased in the past three months. Overall, the unemployment rate was reduced by an average of 6,000 per month.

According to the latest figures by CBS, this development is particularly visible amongst young people. The employment figure for those within15 to 24 years old increased by approximately 10,000 a month. This trend has already started in mid-2014. Over-45s also found more employment, however this development is less significant than in the young population.

The Employee Insurance Agency also stated that the number of unemployment benefits declined, in particular amongst...]]> Wed, 22 Apr 2015 08:57:10 +0200 Telecommuting and flexible working is to become a legal right in the Netherlands. The law must ensure that employees can easier combine work and family responsibilities.

According to NU.nl, this proposal was made by the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) as well as the GreenLeft. The Senate (Eerste Kamer) reached an agreement on this with a large majority on Tuesday 14 April 2015, which the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) had already done last October.

NU.nl claims that the law must facilitate a balance in carrying out work and family responsibilities, however the right to telecommuting or flexible working is not...]]> Wed, 15 Apr 2015 15:27:11 +0200 Increasing youth minimum wage as high as adults’ minimum wage will eventually lead to a rise in youth unemployment, stated the Verbond van Nederlandse Ondernemingen (VNO) and Nederlands Christelijk Werkgeversverbond (NCW) also known as the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers.
Last week, the union argued over the increase of minimum wage and started a campaign against it, reported Nu.nl. According to the two organisations, under-educated youth will be particularly affected by the Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging’s (FNV) plan. The FNV believes in rewarding employees based on productivity rather than their age.
VNO-NCW also mentioned that youth unemployment will be quite harmful to...]]> Fri, 03 Apr 2015 14:53:42 +0200 In The Netherlands, four out of ten young people (between 15 to 27 years old) are not available for the labour market. This group of young unemployed comprise those who are not pursuing an education, those not looking for a job and not available for work.

The report released by Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) highlighted that these 75,000 young people virtually have no chance to participate in the labour market. This particularly applies to young women. According to the study, 37% of this group claim disability and disease as their main reasons for their unemployment status.

Women give family...]]> Thu, 02 Apr 2015 15:38:02 +0200 An extra 17.8 million euros has been made available aimed at combating youth unemployment in The Netherlands.

Secretary of State, Jetta Klijnsma for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment stated that this amount can be used for the ESF-Actie Jeugdprojecten or ESF-Action Youth projects by 35 central municipalities.

Klijnsma made this commitment on Twitter on Tuesday, 24 February on European Job Day. The projects are part of the regional approach to youth unemployment.

Last year, the central municipalities received about 41 million euros from the European Social Fund to support initiatives aimed specifically at young people who are unemployed...]]> Wed, 25 Feb 2015 14:47:28 +0100 The number of international organisations that set up offices in Amsterdam was 139 in 2014 and have increased the number of jobs in the region.
The press release by I Amsterdam stated that these new organisations have brought a total of 1,308 jobs to the region and indicated that this would increase to 2,359 jobs within three years. In addition, international companies that had already established a presence in the region reported creating an additional 1,611 jobs in 2014.
Alderperson, Kajsa Ollongren for Economic Affairs, said: “In our experience, companies usually start off small when entering the European market, but...]]> Fri, 13 Feb 2015 14:05:18 +0100 Employment figures in the OECD region improved slightly in the third quarter of 2014.

This was according to the report released by OECD earlier this week.

Employment in the OECD region increased by 0.1 percentage point to 65.7% of the workforce compared to the previous quarter. However, employment is still 0.8% lower than in the second quarter of 2008, before the outbreak of the financial crisis.

In the Eurozone, employment rose by 0.1 percentage point to 64%. According to report, Portugal and Greece were the strongest gainers. There was a relatively strong increase in employment in Ireland, Slovakia, Germany and...]]> Thu, 22 Jan 2015 13:21:47 +0100 Global employment will deteriorate in the coming five years according to the International Labour Organization (ILO).
The World Employment and Social Outlook Trends 2015 report states that global unemployment is expected to increase by three million in 2015 and by a further eight million in the following four years.
According to ILO, over 201 million were unemployed in 2014 around the world, over 31 million more than before the start of the global crisis.
Across the globe, youth, especially young women, continue to be disproportionately affected by unemployment. Almost 74 million young people (aged 15–24) were looking for work in 2014....]]> Tue, 20 Jan 2015 12:54:18 +0100 The Municipality of The Hague has updated its ‘social return policy’. The municipality aims to use this policy to help at least 2,400 people in the city find work between now and the beginning of 2018.

Under the social return policy, businesses working on behalf of the municipality help unemployed people to get a job or internship. Since the measure was introduced in 2007, more than 4,000 people have found work.

The updated measures provide more leeway for socially responsible enterprises and tailor-made businesses, explains Deputy Mayor Rabin Baldewsingh (Social Affairs and Employment). ‘With the social return policy we not...]]> Fri, 16 Jan 2015 14:17:20 +0100 The Governor of the province of Limburg, Twan Beurskens, said that the unemployed should be allowed to apply for jobs abroad. 

The Volkskrant reported this on Tuesday, 13th January 2015.

Currently, a job seeker is obligated to accept a job within a radius of 100 kilometers from his home. This radius, however, has no effect on jobs abroad, in countries such as Germany or Belgium.

"If you live in Venlo, you do not have to apply for a job in Kaldenkirchen, which is a few kilometers across the border, but you do have to apply in Nijmegen, 70 kilometers away. That's strange," said Beurskens (VVD), Commissioner of...]]> Wed, 14 Jan 2015 09:21:33 +0100 Three out of the four employees are willing to move if they get the job that they have always wanted.

This is evident from the Kelly Global Workforce Index, which surveyed 230,000 employees worldwide. 

Twenty-one per cent of respondents are willing to move to another continent, 17% to another country and more than one in 10 would move to another region, and the same number to another city.

Half of the Europeans surveyed prefer to move to another European country for work. North America (17%), Asia-Pacific (7%), South America (4%), Africa (3%) and the Middle East (2%) are less popular destinations.

Also, a third...]]> Wed, 14 Jan 2015 09:17:25 +0100 The Japanese are allowed to work in the Netherlands without work permits, according to a recent ruling by the State Council, reported by the Volkskrant on Wednesday.

The Council of State annulled a fine of 60,000 euros for the Japanese cultural center Shofukan, handed out by the Labor Inspectorate. The cultural center built a Japanese teahouse in Rotterdam using Japanese workers. Shofukan assumed that these employees did not need a work permit because of the short duration of the project.

The Labor Inspectorate thought otherwise and decided that a penalty was warranted. The cultural center successfully appealed against the fine....]]> Thu, 08 Jan 2015 10:40:45 +0100 Unemployment stable at 8 percent More people in work in last three months Number of unemployment benefits up by 6 thousand Fewer benefits in education sector According to figures released by Statistics Netherlands today, 630 thousand people in the Netherlands were unemployed in November. This has been stable for the last few months now. Following a slight fall in September and October, there was a small rise of 3 thousand in November. Unemployment fell substantially from May to August. In November, just as in October, 8 percent of the labour force were unemployed. In the third quarter, 45 percent of...]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2015 19:52:39 +0100
In period 12 (week 45 – 48) the total amount of hours increased 9% and also turnover grew 9%, in comparison with the same period last year. This period had an equal amount of workable days compared to the same period last year, so no correction was applied.

The administrative sector increased 6% in hours and turnover increased with 7%.
Hours in the industrial sector increased 7% and turnover increased 6%.
Ultimately, the amount of worked hours in the technical sector increased 23% compared to the same period last year, turnover increased 19%.

Source ABU/ Source: Intellex
http://www.abu.nl/engels/facts-figures/market-developments-period-12-2014  ...]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2015 19:44:53 +0100
As from 1 January 2015 the first part of the Dutch Work and Security Act (WWZ) will be in force. This act will drastically reform legislation governing flexible employment contracts and the Dutch dismissal law. The first part that comes into effect on 1 January 2015 will be of importance for fixed-term contracts in particular.

A novelty is the introduction of the statutory notification obligation for employers.

Please be aware that in case of a fixed term contract, for a duration of six months or more, the employer must notify the employee in writing, at least one month before the...]]> Thu, 18 Dec 2014 18:22:30 +0100
New employment law:
From 1 January 2015, watch out for standard provisions!

If a fixed-term contract is closed or renewed as from 1 January 2015 attention should be paid to standard provisions, such as the trial period and the non-compete clause. As a consequence of the Dutch Work and Security Act (WWZ), part of which will be effective as from 1 January 2015, new rules apply!

A probationary or trial period is not allowed anymore for fixed-term contracts up to 6 months. It is considered undesirable in such a short-term contract.
To contracts with a longer duration, from 1 January...]]> Thu, 18 Dec 2014 18:26:44 +0100 The participation of women in the workforce in The Netherlands has declined, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).

More than eight out of 10 women who were inactive in the third quarter of 2014 the labour market did not want a paying job. Also, more women have stated an illness or disability as the reason for not working. CBS stated that this could be related to the decrease in the number of women who aspire to a job because of retirement or old age.

The employment rate for men has hardly increased – 78.7% of men were working...]]> Wed, 17 Dec 2014 12:11:05 +0100 The Dutch government would like to create a register of women who qualify for a top positions in a big company.
Minister Jet Bussemaker (Emancipation) together with Hans de Boer, President of VNO-NCW will be responsible for creating te database.

That is a spokeswoman for the minister said Wednesday in response to a message from the NRC. With this register Bussemakerhuis wants to avoid that s Brussels imposes the Netherlands a quota of women who must occupy a leading position.

De Boer and Bussemakerhuis will be talking to the companies directly with request to suggest at least five women who...]]> Tue, 16 Dec 2014 11:18:22 +0100 67 million euros for  jobs plan in the food industry. This is what Minister Lodewijk Asscher of Social Affairs and Employment and politician Mirjam Sterk announced Monday.
This money is reserved for training , sustainable employability and creating two thousand additional traineeships for young professionals. 20 million is given by the government, the rest of the money comes from employers and unions in the food industry.

Many employees in the sector will shortly retire. Leo Bons CNV Professionals said he expects over thousands of new jobs to cone free over the next four years. "The developments in the industry is very...]]> Tue, 16 Dec 2014 11:00:06 +0100
The monthly vacancy indicator provides a quick indication of the trend in private sector job vacancies, based on the opinions of businesses in this sector. Before the recent stagnation, private sector opinions concerning job vacancies had improved almost continuously for eighteen months.

Construction and manufacturing more optimistic
Opinions on job vacancy trends differ greatly within the private sector. In...]]> Wed, 10 Dec 2014 10:11:48 +0100 In period 11 (week 41 – 44) the total amount of hours increased 9% and also turnover grew 9%, in comparison with the same period last year. This period had an equal amount of workable days compared to the same period last year, so no correction was applied.

The administrative sector increased 7% in hours and turnover increased with 9%.
Hours in the industrial sector increased 7% and turnover increased 6%.
Ultimately, the amount of worked hours in the technical sector increased 19% compared to the same period last year, turnover increased 16%.

Source ABU...]]> Tue, 02 Dec 2014 21:09:36 +0100
Hours worked in tem jobs

lso higher demand for short-term temporary contracts
The amount of long-term temporary contracts, e.g. secondment and...]]> Tue, 02 Dec 2014 21:01:10 +0100 Thousands of Dutch unemployed individuals, living close to the German-Dutch border would be able to find a job more easilyacross the border if the Dutch government handled tax and legal regulations more smoothly.


The relatively favorable economic developments in Germany offer opportunities for jobseekers. Province of Drenthe, four municipalities in Overijssel and Drenthe together with the German municipality of Emsland presented a job plan on Monday.

The unemployment rate along the border is often high, sometimes twice as high as the national average. Whilst in Germany there’s is actually a shortage of labor.

The red tape and small incompatibilities such...]]> Tue, 02 Dec 2014 16:04:24 +0100 More people find work Number of unemployment benefits hardly changed Increase unemployment benefits in sectors subject to seasonal variation like agriculture and hotels and restaurants According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), the number of unemployed hardly changed in October. In the period May-September, unemployment declined each month. In October, 8 percent in the labour force were unemployed.
Figures released by the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) show that the number of unemployment benefits fell by 500 to 419 thousand.

Unemployment has fallen less rapidly in recent months
Unemployment adjusted for seasonal effects declined by 1 thousand in October to 627 thousand. In...]]> Wed, 26 Nov 2014 15:02:16 +0100 According to study of the German Institute for Makroökonomie und Konjunkturforschung the average Dutch employee working within the private sector costs the employer €33 per hour, whilst the average amount in the European Union stands at €23.90.

This puts The Netherlands in sixth place on the list following Denmark, Belgium, Sweden, France and Luxembourg. At the top of the list with the most expensive employee rate is Denmark, where the average cost of an employee is €41.30.

Just try to compete with the Bulgarian employees who cost their employers as little as €3.60 per hour!!...]]> Tue, 18 Nov 2014 13:36:29 +0100
Employment Market developments period 10 2014
period 10 (week 37 – 40) the total amount of hours increased 10% and turnover grew 9%, in comparison with the same period last year. This period had an equal amount of workable days compared to the same period last year, so no correction was applied.

The administrative sector increased 9% in hours and also turnover increased with 9%.
Hours in the industrial sector increased 8% and turnover increased 7%.
Ultimately, the amount of worked hours in the technical sector increased 19% compared to the same period last year, turnover increased 15%.

Source ABU...]]> Tue, 18 Nov 2014 13:26:53 +0100 The percentage of workers who combine two jobs at the same time has increased in 2013 to 7.6 % average to of all employees. This reports the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) Friday. This is a troubling  tendency.

If in 2003 this number was as low as 5.5 %, nowadays two out of three employees  combines two jobs. In most cases the employees combine a normal paid job with self-employment.

This increase occurred in all sectors, but it is most evident IT, communications, specialized business services and public administration and government sectors.

Combining two employer’s is seen the most in the hospitality,...]]> Mon, 17 Nov 2014 13:17:44 +0100 The Central Bereau of Statistics of Netherlands (CBS) revealed that young people with low educational qualifications have the most difficulty finding a job. Nearly 100 thousand young people between the 15-26 age bracket, who no longer participated in education or training programmes were unemployed in the first quarter of 2014. Three months later, only three in every 10 of them  had found a job for at least 12 hours a week.. During the past decade, the proportion of young people with low levels of education who found work within a short period of time has never been so low.

In the first...]]> Thu, 06 Nov 2014 17:23:45 +0100 The Dutch cabinet is formulating plans to slow the growth of self-employed people (ZZP) and the first proposals will be submitted around 1 December this year, reported the Financieele Dagblad (FD).
Since 2009, the number of self-employed people has risen from 63,2000 to 80,0000. This costs the government money because self-employed people pay less tax. As such, the cabinet would like to abolish the tax rebate for small entrepreneurs (zelfsstandigenaftrek), which costs the government about €1.8 billion in lost tax revenue.
Other rebates up for possible repeal are the starters rebate and the small business profit tax exemption, reported FD. Due...]]> Fri, 31 Oct 2014 11:06:34 +0100
Full-time jobs related to exports

Twice as much job growth through exports than through domestic consumption
The number of full-time jobs thanks to the exports of goods and services has...]]> Mon, 27 Oct 2014 13:18:08 +0100 An extra €35 million will be made available for the Participatiewet, said Jetta Klijnsma, Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment.

The money will be go to regional Werkbedrijven – work enterprises that help people to re-integrate them for employment – who will play a major part in executing this law. These enterprises will partner with municipal councils, the UWV (Employee Insurance Agency), regional employers, labour unions and educational institution.

The ministry also revealed the regulations for the regional Werkbedrijven – each one of the 35 work enterprises will receive €1 million. “The success of the Participatiewet will stand or fall...]]> Wed, 22 Oct 2014 11:42:11 +0200 The 2015 Tax Plan, which is part of the budget plans for 2015, focuses on alleviating the tax burden on labour. A sum of €1 billion has been made available for this purpose, which will be used to reduce the lowest rate of income tax and increase the employed person’s tax credit in order to make work more profitable. These measures will partially reverse the increased tax burden arising from earlier government measures.
Reducing the tax burden on labour
The government will make work more profitable next year by significantly increasing the employed person’s tax credit. Five million euros will...]]> Mon, 20 Oct 2014 10:07:46 +0200 In 2013, nearly 850 thousand people were less than one year active in their current job. Nearly a quarter of a million of these people were working outside their region of residence. This phenomenon is termed regional mobility. A survey conducted by Statistics Netherlands shows that a relatively high proportion of people employed in the Randstad region and the central part of the Netherlands are inter-regional commuters.

Greater Amsterdam and Haaglanden region in top ten
The Randstad region attracts many people seeking employment. More than 80 thousand people engaged in regional mobility found work in the labour market regions of...]]> Fri, 17 Oct 2014 15:17:33 +0200 Women who are expecting multiple births should be entitled to an early maternity leave, of at least four weeks, says an MP.

On 13 October, Pieter Heermabrug, MP for Christen Democratisch Appèl’s (CDA) initiated the discussion with Minister of Social Affairs, Lodewijk Asscher about extending maternity leave, reported NU.nl.

According to Heermabrug, women who are expecting twins or triplets rarely go on leave on the 34th week of pregnancy, which is common. Often, they quit on doctor's advice before the 30th week. Heermabrug suggested that the maternity leave for these women should officially start in the 30th week.

Steven van...]]> Fri, 17 Oct 2014 08:54:55 +0200 Job losses in the healthcare sector are expected to decrease in the coming year. The government’s plans to implement less budget cuts in the in sector will bring down to job losses from the estimated 27,000 full-time positions to about 12,000.

This was stated in a letter that Martin van Rijn, Secretary of State and Edith Schippers, Minister of public health, wrote to the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer). Van Rijn and Schippers assume that the lost of 12,000 jobs will affect 30,000 people

According to NU.nl, Van Rijn says he is aware that many people are uncertain regarding the...]]> Thu, 16 Oct 2014 07:59:19 +0200

The Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS)  revealed that the employment rate in the sustainable energy sector has grown significantly.

The employment rate in this sector increased by 24% in 2013 compared to 2008. However, employment rates in other economic sectors decreased by 3% in the same period of time.
The growing interest in sustainable energy has led to more jobs and profits for the sector. The employment rate grew by 12% in the period of 2008-2012 at a profit of 4.2 billion euros. This development in the sustainable energy sector accounted for 0.7% of the total economical growth.
By:...]]> Thu, 09 Oct 2014 11:08:18 +0200  

A collective labour agreement (CAO) was reached for temporary employment that will see changes to the remuneration framework in the sector.

Worker unions and the Association of Temporary Employment Agencies (Algemene Bond Uitzendondernemingen or ABU) reached an accord after laborious negotiations.

A statement released by the ABU revealed that temporary workers will receive wages based on the employment terms of the hiring company. This change will take effect from 30 March 2015. In the original 2012 CAO, this was a principe-afspraak, a non-binding agreement between the negotiating parties.

A separate salary framework will be applicable for people who have been...]]> Wed, 08 Oct 2014 12:01:49 +0200 Increase in work hours and turnover rate

A report released by The Federation of Private Employment Agencies (Algemene Bond Uitzendondernemingen, ABU) revealed during the period between August and September (weeks 33-36) this year, the total amount of work hours increased by 8% and turnover grew by 7%, in comparison with the same period in 2013.

Several sectors such as administrative, industrial and technical saw a significant increase in work hours and turnover rate. The administrative sector’s work hours and turnover increased by 6%. Hours in the industrial sector grew by 8% and turnover shot up by 7%.

The technical sector...]]> Wed, 08 Oct 2014 11:42:13 +0200 After prolonged negotiations, an agreement has been signed that makes it easier for certified chefs in Asian cuisine to get work permits in The Netherlands.

The Wokakoord was signed on 29th September after negotiations were concluded between Lodewijk Asscher, Minister of Social Affairs and Employment and the Asian Hospitality Association, Aziatische Horeca Vereniging (AHV).

The Asian hotels and catering sector will be receiving 1,650 work permits in the first year and 1,500 in the second year for chefs specialising in Asian cuisine, stated Algemeen Dagblad. In return, the sector must train Dutch chefs so that they may acquire the required...]]> Tue, 07 Oct 2014 15:16:23 +0200 The Federation of Businesswomen, Federatie Zakenvrouwen, demands that the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers, VNO-NCW, put more effort into helping women into top positions.

A letter urging Hans de Boer, the chairman of VNO-NCW, to take action was sent with signatures from 40 women from varying sectors such as business, culture and politics, stated Het Financieele Dagblad.
Critics think that this is just one of the many demands that are yet to come from The Federation of Businesswomen. The Federation said that they still see room for progress regarding the employment of women in The Netherlands.
According to The...]]> Mon, 06 Oct 2014 12:24:35 +0200 The Hague’s status as International City of Peace and Justice is proving increasingly beneficial to the local and regional economy. This is according to a Decisio study of the economic impact of international organisations on The Hague region.

With as many as 37,500 jobs, the city’s international organisations are the most important engine driving employment in The Hague and surrounding region. Medium- and low-skilled employees also benefit from this advantage. In addition, the international institutions account for as much as € 5.2 billion in indirect expenditures.

Deputy Mayor Ingrid van Engelshoven for Knowledge Economy, International Affairs, said: "Every single job at an...]]> Thu, 02 Oct 2014 18:05:04 +0200 Research released by European statistical office, Eurostat highlighted that for a third-month in a row, the unemployment rate has remained at 11.5% in the Eurozone. However, it is s a positive sign compared to the figures nearly a year ago – in August 2013, unemployment stood at 12% of the workforce.

The unemployment rate in the European Union (28 countries) in September was 10.1%, which was at its lowest level since February 2012. In July, the unemployment rate was 10.2% and in August 2013, it was 10.8%. Austria and Germany have the lowest unemployment rate at 4.7% and 4.9%, respectively....]]> Tue, 30 Sep 2014 14:56:58 +0200

 

Ageing population pushes up spending on state pensions

According to figures published today by Statistics Netherlands, spending on state old-age pensions has risen by nearly a quarter since 2008, to 32.7 billion euros in 2013. The increase in pension spending correlates with the increase in the number of people entitled to a state pension, and is indeed caused by population ageing. The first Dutch baby boomers reached the age of pension entitlement in 2011. By the end of 2013, over 3.2 million people in the Netherlands were receiving a state old-age pension. One in ten of them live outside the...]]> Wed, 24 Sep 2014 16:04:30 +0200
Unemployment down again in August Number of people in work continues to rise Fewer 25 to 44 year-olds unemployed in last four months Fewer unemployment benefits in August Construction workers account for largest fall in benefits According to figures released today by Statistics Netherlands, the number of unemployed people in the Netherlands fell for the fourth month in a row. More people have found a job in recent months. Unemployment fell by 13 thousand persons in August, to 8 percent of the labour force. Under-45s accounted for nearly all of the decrease in unemployment.
Figures from the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV)...]]> Wed, 24 Sep 2014 15:59:22 +0200
One in nine employed work less than twelve hours a week

In the second quarter of 2014, nearly 900 thousand people (11 percent of all persons employed in the Netherlands) were working less than twelve hours a week. Three-quarters do not wish or are unable to work more than twelve hours a week, mainly because they attend some form of education or (vocational) training programme. Small jobs are more and more often occupied by young people. In the second quarter of this year, more than 60 percent of people with small jobs were in the age category 15-24. They often...]]> Wed, 24 Sep 2014 15:54:26 +0200 More unemployed find work No more jobs lost, marginal growth job vacancies Self-employed jobs further up More long-term unemployed


Statistics Netherlands announced today that the Dutch labour market showed signs of recovery in the second quarter of 2014. Unemployment fell relative to the first quarter, the number of job vacancies grew marginally and no more jobs were lost. The number of long-term unemployed, on the other hand, increased.

Fewer unemployed as more people found work
Unemployment declined in the second quarter. Adjusted for seasonal effects, 672 thousand people were unemployed, i.e. 12 thousand fewer than in the first quarter, when unemployment...]]> Sun, 14 Sep 2014 11:21:42 +0200 In the second quarter of 2014 The Dutch labor market showed a tentative recovery .This reports the Central Bureau of Statistics ( CBS) on Thursday .
Unemployment has decreased compared to the first quarter. The number of new vacancies has slightly grown and while the number of existing jobs remained unchanged.
However, the long-term unemployment did not decreased, on the contrary, it seems like for long term unemployed people it became even harder to return to the labour market..

In the second quarter were 672,000 jobless people, 12,000 fewer than in the first quarter was the case .
In the...]]> Fri, 12 Sep 2014 14:51:33 +0200
Market developments period 8 2014

In period 8 (week 29 – 32) the total amount of hours increased 9% and turnover grew 8%, in comparison with the same period last year. This period had an equal amount of workable days compared to the same period last year, so no correction was applied.

The administrative sector increased 7% in hours and turnover increased with 6%.
Hours in the industrial sector increased 9% and turnover increased 8%.
Ultimately, the amount of worked hours in the technical sector increased 16% compared to the same period last year, turnover increased 12%. Source ABU...]]> Mon, 08 Sep 2014 16:12:41 +0200 Speak Dutch and improve your chances of finding a job

The government is requiring recipients of social assistance benefit to improve their Dutch language skills and thus boost their chances of finding a job. This measure had already been announced in the coalition agreement. Following a proposal from Jetta Klijnsma (State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment), the cabinet has agreed to submit an amendment to the Work and Social Assistance Act on this subject to the House of Representatives.

'The point is that people must be able to express themselves and be understood at work and in their day-to-day...]]> Wed, 27 Aug 2014 16:56:35 +0200 Unemployment further down in July More people found work in recent months Labour force 100 thousand down from one year previously Marginal growth unemployment benefits Statistics Netherlands (CBS) announced today that unemployment has fallen for the third month in a row. More people recently found work. Unemployment declined by 12 thousand in July to 8.2 percent of the labour force. The unemployed as well as the employed labour force were reduced by approximately 50 thousand relative to one year previously.

Figures published by the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) indicate a marginal rise in July in the number of people claiming unemployment...]]> Fri, 22 Aug 2014 09:39:33 +0200

Nyenrode is coming to you! During our MBA Road Show we will visit a variety of cities in the Netherlands in order for you to experience how a Nyenrode MBA can boost your career and personal development.

Looking for an MBA to get the most out of yourself and your career? Come to the Nyenrode MBA Road Show Rotterdam, powered by Together Abroad on December 2nd 2014.
Discover how to drive innovation, exercise power and become the best leader you can be!

Program MBA Road Show Rotterdam

18:00h – 18:30h Registration with warm snack

18:30h –...]]> Thu, 21 Aug 2014 15:22:20 +0200 Employement Market developments period 7 2014

In period 7 (week 25 – 28) the total amount of hours increased 6% and turnover grew 6% as well, in comparison with the same period last year. This period had an equal amount of workable days compared to the same period last year, so no correction was applied.

The administrative sector increased 5% in hours and also turnover increased with 5%.
Hours in the industrial sector increased 6% and turnover increased 6% as well.
Ultimately, the amount of worked hours in the technical sector increased 9% compared to the same period last year,...]]> Mon, 18 Aug 2014 17:26:51 +0200 Employment Market developments period 6 2014

In period 6 (week 21 – 24) the total amount of hours increased 8% and turnover grew 8% as well, in comparison with the same period last year. This period had a workable day less compared to the same period last year, so a correction was applied.

The administrative sector increased 5% in hours and turnover increased with 5%.
Hours in the industrial sector increased 10% and turnover showed a comparable development of 10% increase.
Ultimately, the amount of worked hours in the technical sector increased 8% compared to the same period last year,...]]> Mon, 18 Aug 2014 17:25:27 +0200 Job vacancies continue slight growth Job vacancies rise for fourth successive quarter Largest increase in commercial services
Labour market more dynamic
Figures released by Statistics Netherlands today show that the number of job vacancies rose slightly in the second quarter of 2014: there were 4 thousand more vacancies than in the previous quarter. This is the fourth quarter in a row that the number of vacancies has risen.
Extra work mainly in trade and commercial services
The commercial services sector accounted for the largest part of the increase in labour demand. As consumers spent more in shops, there were more...]]> Fri, 15 Aug 2014 10:46:11 +0200 There is research to show that, Organizations are increasingly using social networking channels for advertising jobs and to support recruitment efforts. According to SHRM research findings on social media recruitment trends “More than three- quarters (77%) of organizations reported using social networking sites to recruit potential job candidates”. Of all the social media channels, LinkedIn was indicated to be the most commonly used for recruitment, with a majority usage of (94%) followed by Facebook (54%) and Twitter (39%).
It is generally agreed that, conducting a successful job search requires innovation and a great deal of “out of the box” thinking. As...]]> Mon, 28 Jul 2014 15:36:50 +0200 The Together Abroad team held a workshop in The Hague WTC, on the 10th of July 2014 "How to find a job?"

There was a great deal of knowledge sharing on the how to find a job in The Netherlands. 
They had attendees with different competencies and skill sets and from different career backgrounds and this definitely made for a rich and well-rounded interaction.

The main thrust of the event was to offer information and guidance on how to find a job in The Netherlands. Together Abroad made a rich presentation which covered topics such as covering the key locations in Holland and the availabilities...]]> Fri, 25 Jul 2014 09:12:28 +0200 For people receiving unemployment benefits is easier to volunteer. Henceforth, unemployed people can volunteer to work for example, in a sports club or festival when the tasks can be done by volunteers. Lodewijk Asscher Minister of Social Affairs said in the Parliament on Thursday that he will make the rules less strict. The Court had previously insisted about this. The principle is that a person can volunteer as long as it does not lead to displacement of paid work. However, the UWV agency suggests more flexibility about this. Now someone's benefit can be cut if the volunteering position is done by...]]> Sat, 12 Jul 2014 14:51:28 +0200 In order to prevent evasion of the statutory minimum salary, wages will be no longer paid in cash in the Netherlands. From the 1st of January of next year, a salary fraction equal to the minimum wage should be paid by bank transfer only. Employers may also contribute to employees’ health insurance costs but they will no longer deduct it from the minimum wage. Lodewijk Asscher Minister of Social Affairs stated on the Parliament on Friday these measuresare introduced to create a helathy climate of respect for the labour market rules. Besides, Asscher wants to give to the “Inspectie SZW” (former Work...]]> Wed, 09 Jul 2014 18:05:44 +0200 Before an interview is over, the recruiter gives the candidate an opportunity to find out more information about the recruitment process, the company or the position. This time given to ask questions is more important than it seems.

Even thought you think there is no need for asking anything else, the fact is that you must ask something to conclude the interview. Not making that question can affect your success in the recruitment process. Questions show interest in the job or in the company but also is a good way to clear any doubts that your potential employer could have about you or maybe...]]> Thu, 10 Jul 2014 11:43:54 +0200
Statistics Netherlands opts for international definitions of unemployment and inflation

Statistics Netherlands will use the definition of the International Labour Organisation as its main indicator of unemployment as of 2015 and the international Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) for the inflation rate. According to TjarkTjin-A-Tsoi, the Director General of Statistics Netherlands: “This step is part of a wider strategy of using the international definitions to facilitate comparability and to avoid confusion. Furthermore Statistics Netherlands will use additional indicators far more often in order to describe complex financial-economic phenomena adequately.”

Unemployment
Statistics Netherlands published monthly figures about unemployment and the...]]> Wed, 09 Jul 2014 13:12:11 +0200 Sickness absence rate for older employees without chronic disorders about the same as for younger employees

The sickness absence rate for older employees is higher than for their younger counterparts, because older employees more often suffer from chronic disorders. Older employees are more often faced with disorders related to high sickness absence rates, like cardiovascular diseases and back, back of the neck and joint complaints. The sickness absence rates by age for employees without chronic diseases do not differ much.

Sickness absence higher as people grow older
The reported sickness absence rate for employers over 2013 was 4.0 percent. This...]]> Thu, 03 Jul 2014 13:39:59 +0200
Market developments period 5 2014

In period 5 (week 17 – 20) the total amount of hours increased 4% and turnover grew 3%, in comparison to the same period last year. This period had one workable day more compared to the same period last year, for this a correction was applied.

The administrative sector increased 5% in hours and also turnover grew 5% in comparison to the same period in 2013.
Hours in the industrial sector increased 3% and turnover increased 1% compared to the same period last year.
Furthermore, the amount of worked hours in the technical sector increased...]]> Mon, 23 Jun 2014 22:30:01 +0200
Unemployment down

Unemployment down in May
Contraction labour force slows down
Amount of unemployment benefits further down in May
More unemployment benefits over-55s in May

Today, Statistics Netherlands announced that unemployment declined for the first time this year because more people found work. In March, the number of unemployed also declined, but this was caused by the fact that people withdrew from the labour market. Unemployment fell by 14 thousand in May; 8.6 percent in the labour force are unemployed.
Figures released by the UWV (Institute for Implementation of Employees’ Insurances) indicate that the number of unemployment benefits was reduced...]]> Mon, 23 Jun 2014 22:12:40 +0200 More older employees on permanent contracts

Between 2001 and 2013, the share of employees in the employed labour force was reduced from 88 to 85 percent, but the share increased among over-55s, because employees continue to work longer. The number of employees with flexible employment contracts is growing.

One in three are flexible workers or self-employed
Last year, 68 percent in the employed labour force had permanent employment contracts, versus 76 percent in 2001. Both the share of flexible workers and the share of self-employed have grown during this period. Together, these two groups made up nearly one-third of the...]]> Mon, 16 Jun 2014 22:21:59 +0200 Human Resources: How economical crisis and regulations affect dismissals.
A recent study has shown how 40% of managers would replace their employees. However, there are many regulations regarding dismissals which truly restricts that will. When the legal barriers disappear and there is no obstacle that number rises to 88%. According to Dick Koopman, Director at Yacht, who conducted the survey, there is a big mismatch going on because of the economical crisis. As a consequence of a lack of vision in organizations, managers do not know what is needed in the future and thus cannot respond to future needs. Due to the...]]> Mon, 16 Jun 2014 12:49:54 +0200 The economy is improving and the traditional labour market hobbles are automatically back. However, the labour market has changed. A new rule should provide a balance between flexibility and security, and the mismatch between offer and demand.
The crisis will disappear, and the jobs engine will start rotating again. According to Joop Schippers, Professor of Labour Economics, we should not cheer up too fast. He expects that the end of the crisis will not solve everything. "Indeed, there is also structural unemployment."
Moreover, the labour market has changed comparing to the previous crisis in the 80s. Ton Wilthagen, Professor of...]]> Fri, 06 Jun 2014 15:15:38 +0200 The Netherlands reviews and rises the minimum wage every year to adjust the salaries to the increase of life costs. This week the new amounts were announced and they will entry into practice per the 1st of July 2014. The new minimum wage per the1st of July 2014 is stated as follows:
- € 1,495.20 per month;
- € 345.05 per week;
- € 69.01 per day.
The figures were announced by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment and they affect employees aged 23 and over for a full-time employment
Until the 1st of July 2014, the minimum wage per...]]> Tue, 27 May 2014 10:11:10 +0200

Last year, 0.8 percent of all people employed in the European Union (EU) were living in one EU country and working in another. The proportion of cross-border workers from the Netherlands was below the EU average. More than 40 thousand people living in the Netherlands were working abroad.

Marginal growth cross-border workers in EU
The number of cross-border workers has grown over the past half decade from 1.5 million to more than 1.8 million in 2013, i.e. 0.8 percent of the employed population in the EU. The rates were high in Slovakia (nearly 6 percent) and Estonia (nearly 4 percent)....]]> Mon, 26 May 2014 15:48:39 +0200 CHANGES TO THE DUTCH LABOUR LEGISLATION In the weeks ahead, there will be some changes to the Dutch Employment Legislation and these changes will be take effect from the 1st of July 2014. The intent of these changes is increase job security by putting a check on flexible employment practices thereby facilitating a natural progression for employees in The Netherlands from fixed term contracts to more permanent job contracts.

It is advisable to keep abreast of these changes as they will provide all stakeholders in the job market with the tools and information to make informed decisions about the employment relationship....]]> Mon, 26 May 2014 09:04:12 +0200 Labour Market developments period 4 2014
In period 4 (week 13 – 16) the total amount of hours increased 4% and also turnover grew 4%, in comparison to the same period last year. This period had one workable day more compared to the same period last year, for this a correction was applied.

The administrative sector increased 4% in hours and also turnover grew 4% in comparison to the same period in 2013.
Hours in the industrial sector increased 4% and turnover increased 3% compared to the same period last year.
Furthermore, the amount of worked hours in the technical...]]> Tue, 20 May 2014 18:34:12 +0200 Number of job vacancies continues to rise Third consecutive quarterly increase in vacancies Largest rise in commercial services Labour market more dynamic
The number of job vacancies rose by 7 thousand in the first quarter of 2014. At the end of the first quarter of 2014 there were more job vacancies in nearly all industry sectors. This is now the third quarter in a row that vacancies have risen, Statistics Netherlands announced today.

Trade, ICT, hotels and restaurants push up labour demand
Commercial services contributed most to the increase. This was mainly the result of more vacancies in the trade...]]> Mon, 19 May 2014 21:53:42 +0200 Unemployment rise slows down as young people leave labour market Unemployment rises slightly in April Lower labour participation among young people Unemployment benefits 11 thousand lower in April Ten percent fewer new benefits in April than in March
Statistics Netherlands announced today that unemployment rose by 3 thousand people in April. This has slowed down the rise in unemployment at the beginning of the year. It is not the result of more jobs becoming available though, but mainly because young people have been withdrawing from the labour market.
Figures from the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) put the number of people claiming...]]> Mon, 19 May 2014 21:34:26 +0200
Your CV is your primary marketing tool and is often the first impression an employer will have of you.
It highlights your skills and work experience and will communicate to the hiring manager the values and competencies that you can bring to their organization thus determining whether or not you will progress to the next stage of the recruitment process.

The aim of your CV therefore, should be to persuade recruiters and hiring managers to see you as valuable and to invite you for the job interview.
Each country is unique in its requirements as far as CV writing goes...]]> Mon, 19 May 2014 13:48:30 +0200 The Together Abroad team held a workshop in the WTC office in The Hague.

It was a well-attended event and there was a lot of fun, ambiance and great coffee! More importantly, there was a great deal of knowledge sharing on the how to find a job in The Netherlands. We had attendees with different competencies and skill sets and from different career backgrounds and this definitely made for a rich and well-rounded interaction.


The main thrust of the event was to offer information and guidance on how to find a job in The Netherlands. Irina made a rich presentation which...]]> Fri, 16 May 2014 15:53:27 +0200 Some Information on Salary in The Netherlands.

As the economy in The Netherlands strengthens and consumer confidence increases we expect that this will influence hiring decisions positively.

As part of this multiplier effect, we expect to see increases in available job positions and even the creation of new openings. This will mean new jobs for job seekers and increased growth opportunities for employees.

There are exciting times ahead and it does pay to get more familiar with salaries, pay structures and allowances.

So let’s talk for a bit about salary in The Netherlands. What is the difference between the gross...]]> Thu, 15 May 2014 16:41:22 +0200 Employees feel less autonomous

According to the Netherlands Working Conditions Survey 2013, conducted by TNO and Statistics Netherlands, the percentage of employees in the Netherlands who say they can organise their own work has decreased in recent years. Short-tenure workers, in particular, feel less autonomous. This decrease is partly caused by the rise in the share of employees with flexible employment contracts.

Steady decrease
The share of employees who can organise their own work, i.e. decide how and when to carry out their tasks, fell from 61 percent in 2008 to 56 percent in 2013. While 65 percent of employees...]]> Mon, 12 May 2014 12:29:56 +0200

WORKSHOP: HOW TO FIND A JOB IN THE NETHERLANDS, 15TH OF MAY THE HAGUE
Together Abroad
Thursday, May 15, 2014 from 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM
The Hague, Netherlands

Book a session here Have you been living here for quite some time and still experience difficulties in the local labour market? Do you need career assistance? Do you know how to find a job in the Netherlands?

Together Abroad gives a workshops "How to find a job in the Netherlands" 15th of May WTC The Hague
During this training we give very practical information about the Dutch labour market and how...]]> Tue, 29 Apr 2014 15:27:35 +0200 Dutch Unemployment Rate Falls for the First Time in 2014

In March of 2014, Netherlands’ seasonally adjusted jobless rate fell to 8.7 percent from 8.8 percent in the previous month and 8.1 percent a year earlier, as more people left permanently the labor market rather than found jobs.

The number of unemployed persons fell by 7 thousand in March to 684 thousand.

Unemployment benefits amounted to 454 thousand in March, 6 thousand less than in February but 74 thousand more than in March of 2013. The monthly decrease was recorded mostly for people under the age of 25. The amount...]]> Sun, 27 Apr 2014 22:27:47 +0200 Market developments period 1 2014

In period 1 (week 1 – 4) the total amount of hours increased 3% and turnover grew 4%, in comparison to the same period last year. This period had an equal amount of workable days compared to the same period last year, so no correction was applied.

The administrative sector increased 9% in hours and also turnover grew 9% in comparison to the same period in 2013.
Hours in the industrial sector decreased 1% and turnover increased 1% compared to the same period last year.
Furthermore, the amount of worked hours in the technical sector...]]> Thu, 17 Apr 2014 18:18:30 +0200 Unemployment down, but fewer people employed

More people withdrew from the job market
Female unemployment higher
Number of unemployment benefits down by 6 thousand in March

Fewer benefits granted to young people and men
According to the most recent figures released by Statistics Netherlands (CBS), unemployment fell by 7 thousand in March. The decline was largely due to the fact that many people withdrew from the labour market, not because more people managed to find paid jobs. The number of people with paid jobs was reduced further in March.
Figures published by the Institute for Implementation of Employees’ Insurances (UWV)...]]> Thu, 17 Apr 2014 17:56:23 +0200 Dutch women increasingly have a higher income than their husbands

Women are increasingly earning more than their partners. In 2002 some 13 percent of Dutch couples aged between 15 and 65 had the woman as their main earner, whereas in 2012 this was the case in 19 percent.

Women in couples without children most often have the higher income
The share of women as the main earner is highest among couples without children living at home. In 23 percent of these couples the woman had a higher income than her partner in 2012. In 2002 this was 17 percent. The...]]> Mon, 14 Apr 2014 14:17:58 +0200
Is finding employment in the Netherlands the next step on your career path? The Netherlands has job vacancies for expatriates with specific skills in many fields, especially in the services and trade, logistics, and information and telecommunication sectors. If you are an EU/EEA citizen, you do not need a work permit to take up employment in the Netherlands. Citizens of all other countries do require a work permit.
To find a job you can utilize the resources offered on werk.nl, a Dutch job portal hosted by the UWV (the Employee Insurance Schemes Implementing Body) and on EURES, the European Job Mobility...]]> Wed, 09 Apr 2014 09:13:02 +0200
Foto iamsterdam Single permit for work and residency in Holland as of 1 April 2014

Foreign nationals coming to the Netherlands to work for a period longer than three months will receive a combined residence and work permit (gecombineerde vergunning voor verblijf en arbeid, GVVA) as from 1 April. They no longer have to submit separate applications for a residence permit to the Netherlands Immigration and Naturalisation Service (Immigratie en Naturalisatiedienst, IND) and for a work permit to the Netherlands Employees Insurance Agency (Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen, UWV). From today, a single procedure at the IND suffices.

State Secretary Teeven (Security and Justice)...]]> Mon, 07 Apr 2014 08:31:58 +0200 Sickness absence at lowest level since 1996

The sickness absence rate among employees in the Netherlands was reduced to 3.9 percent in 2013, i.e. at any one time 39 in every one thousand employees were absent due to sickness. The rate reached the lowest level since the current sickness absence survey was started up in 1996.
Sickness absence rate dips under 4 percent
After a period of stabilisation between 2004 and 2011, the sickness absence rate was reduced further in the past two years. Last year, only 39 in every one thousand employees were ill. Possibly, there is a relation...]]> Sun, 06 Apr 2014 08:56:20 +0200 Location WTC The Hague Date 15.05.2014

Workshop How to find a job in NL 15th of May WTC The Hague 
Have you been living here for quite some time and still experience difficulties in the local labour market?
Together Abroad gives a workshops "How to find a job in NL" on 15th of May

During this training we give very practical information about the Dutch labour market and how the recruitment in the Netherlands works:
Dutch labor market
Recruitment channels
New recruitment trends / Online recruitment:
RSS and Phone applications...]]> Thu, 03 Apr 2014 21:39:41 +0200
Workshop How to find a job in NL / 22th of May WTC Amsterdam
WTC Amsterdam

Workshop How to find a job in NL 22th of May WTC Amsterdam

Have you been living here for quite some time and still experience difficulties in the local labour market?
Together Abroad gives a workshops "How to find a job in tNL" on 22th of May

During this training we give very practical information about the Dutch labour market and how the recruitment in the Netherlands works:
Dutch labor market
Recruitment channels
New recruitment trends / Online recruitment:
RSS and Phone applications
CV / Personal Profile...]]> Thu, 03 Apr 2014 21:34:25 +0200
Join our Eurovision Party 2014!
Undutchables goes Bollywood!

As an Undutchable, you are invited to our 16th Eurovision Party in Bollywood style!

We’re looking forward to catching up with you in a spectacular location in Amsterdam with other internationals. Entertainment and plenty of delicious snacks are taken care of. We are looking forward to seeing you on Saturday the 10th of May! Tickets can be ordered here!

Kind regards,

The Undutchables Team

**********************************************************************************************

What Watch the Eurovision Song Contest LIVE on the big screen! Enjoy additional entertainment and the company of other Internationals.

Dance the night away to our live...]]> Wed, 02 Apr 2014 11:03:14 +0200
Record number of jobs thanks to foreign investments

United States remains most important source for FDI projects

In 2013 the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) was actively involved in supporting 193 foreign investment projects that landed in the Netherlands. These projects are good for a total investment of € 1.7 billion in the Dutch economy and a record number of nearly 8,500 jobs. Additionally, a recent survey amongst foreign investors in the Netherlands also showed an increase in their appreciation of the Dutch investment climate.

Attractive business climate
‘The attraction of the Dutch business climate for foreign investors is a...]]> Mon, 24 Mar 2014 14:39:35 +0100
Unemployment continues to rise Unemployed labour force rose by 13 thousand in February Around the same number of unemployed young people as three months previously Hardly any change in number of unemployment benefits More unemployment benefits in transport/storage and health/welfare Figures released by Statistics Netherlands today show that, after adjustment for seasonal effects, unemployment in the Netherlands was 13 thousand higher in February than in January 2014. At 691 thousand, it is now 8.8 percent of the labour force.

Figures from the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) put the number of people claiming unemployment benefit at 460 thousand in February 2014,...]]> Thu, 20 Mar 2014 19:44:30 +0100
Reed Business Media is proud to announce that is has received the certification " Top Employer Netherlands 2014” together with a number of other selected organisations. This is an official recognition for excellent HR policy .
Excellent benefits
An examination of the Top Employers Institute found that Reed Business Media offers its employees excellent working conditions. Thus, the organization scored high on career opportunities, working conditions, training and opportunities for flexible working. The company is praised for the wide ' range ' of benefits and networking opportunities .
A clear recognition
Renee van der Laan , Director of Human Resources...]]> Wed, 19 Mar 2014 11:31:33 +0100
More people think their chances of finding employment are very poor

Last year, 70 thousand people, nearly twice as many as in 2008, thought their chances of finding employment were so poor that they have stopped looking altogether. Especially among 55 to 65-year-olds pessimism prevailed.
Half of people willing to work defined as unemployed
Nearly 1.2 million people wanted to work twelve or more hours a week in 2013. More than half of them were unemployed, i.e. they were available in the short term and had been looking for work in the past four weeks.
Additionally, 284 thousand persons are...]]> Thu, 13 Mar 2014 23:43:25 +0100

VU AMSTERDAM INVITES TOGETHER ABROAD FOR THEIR INTERNATIONAL BACHELOR & INTERNATIONAL MASTER STUDENTS.
Today the 13th of March Together Abroad will give a presentation about "How to find a job after graduation in the Netherlands?


Together Abroad will talk about the topics; Aspects of finding a job / employment in the Netherlands Dutch labor market: Current situation on the Dutch labour market Hiring companies Hidden vacancies Recruitment channels: How agencies work and which should you register with Which internet boards you should check to find a job, matching your profile; New recruitment trends / Online recruitment: Recruitment via social media esp. Linkedin, Facebook,...]]> Thu, 13 Mar 2014 09:08:01 +0100 Popularity temporary contracts increased
Employers in the Netherlands see more and more the benefits of temporary contracts for strategic personnel . The demand for temporary workers is also expected to increase this year. It is a worldwide trend.
According to research by Page Personnel among more than 13 thousand employers and professionals on temporary work and interim management the popularity of temporary contracts has tremendously increased.

Testing newcomers
Dutch employers indicate that see as the main benefits for temporary labor 2 things: the flexibility ( 91 percent ) and responding to the short term needs ( 85 percent ). Another reason...]]> Wed, 12 Mar 2014 09:57:24 +0100 Women aged between 25 and 30 have higher hourly wages than men

The gross-wage gender gap was nearly 18 percent in 2012 which means that, on average, for each euro men earned, women earned 0.82 eurocents. Women in the age category 25-30 earned higher hourly wages than their male counterparts, but over the age of 40, women’s average hourly wages were significantly lower.

Gender wage gap narrowing
The wage gap is calculated by comparing the average gross wage of all women to the average gross wage of all men. Slowly but continuously, women are catching up. The gap between men’s...]]> Tue, 11 Mar 2014 14:13:20 +0100
World’s Leading Business Schools return to Amsterdam
QS World MBA Tour brings top business schools to your doorstep
Register for free at www.topmba.com


The QS World MBA Tour, the world’s leading series of career and education events for aspiring MBAs, returns to Amsterdam on Tuesday 11th March building on the great success of recent events. The fair gives prospective MBA candidates a fantastic opportunity to meet face-to-face with admissions officers from around the world. Who? Meet the world’s top business schools including IMD, St. Gallen, IE , RSM Erasmus, Hult, MIP, ESMT European School of Mngt, GISMA, HEC Paris, Aarhus,...]]> Fri, 07 Mar 2014 10:30:30 +0100

Do's and don'ts during salary negotiations Discard the first bid Ask most defensible salary Name a band Use the ACA method Negotiate first on the gross salary Nice salary with fringe benefits Take your time
Discard the first bid
There is almost always room for negotiation . The prospective employer probably expect you to negotiate . His opening bid he has geared . It is his lowest bid , not the highest. Once you bite immediately , he will think he has given too much and that maybe you had said . Direct yes at a lower salary

Ask most defensible...]]> Thu, 06 Mar 2014 22:32:04 +0100 The first 4 Do's and don'ts during salary negotiations Negotiate only after the job offer about the job 's salary Do not disclose your last paycheck Say nothing about salary requirements Let the employer offer Negotiate only after the job offer about the job 's salary
Speak only about the salary after the prospective employer has offered the feature. He has decided that you are the best candidate and would like to employ . You are then in a good bargaining position . The longer you delay the salary discussion , the more chances you have to sell yourself and the higher the...]]> Thu, 06 Mar 2014 22:23:20 +0100 2nd International Job Fair 5th April 2014 Amsterdam

Are you an international settled in the Netherlands looking for a next step in your career? Or are you new to the Netherlands and in possession of work permit? You could even be living elsewhere in EU but ready to move to the Netherlands.

The International Job Fair is the event for pursuing an international career in the Netherlands. It provides a unique opportunity to get all the information and contacts you need in one place. Within a single day, you’ll have the chance to meet employers from several industries as well as...]]> Tue, 04 Mar 2014 10:04:51 +0100
The amount of hours worked in temp jobs increased in the fourth quarter of 2013 relative to the third quarter. The number of hours worked on secondment basis also grew. Temp agencies also reported turnover growth as a result of the increased demand for temp and seconded staff.

More hours and higher turnover
Adjusted for seasonal variation, the number of temp hours grew by 1.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013 relative to the third quarter. The marginal growth registered in the third quarter thus continues. The amount of hours worked on...]]> Tue, 04 Mar 2014 09:53:32 +0100
Flevoland has highest unemployment rate

Unemployment has risen across all Dutch provinces last year. Flevoland, Groningen and Friesland had the highest unemployment rates. Rotterdam had the highest rate among the four major Dutch municipalities, but unemployment rose most rapidly in Amsterdam.

Lowest unemployment growth in South Holland
Last year, 8.3 percent in the Dutch labour force were unemployed. With 10.9 percent, Flevoland had the highest proportion of unemployed. Unemployment rates were also relatively high in the provinces of Groningen and Friesland. In the province of South Holland - still in the top three in 2012 - the increase was relatively...]]> Mon, 03 Mar 2014 13:00:45 +0100 The Lower House has accepted the Work and Security bill on 18 February. Included in this bill is the amendment in which is stated that employers are obligated to offer their employees training. An employer will no longer be able to just fire an employee on grounds of dysfunction without having offered schooling.
This was stated by Maarten van Gelderen of Van Gelderen Arbeidsrechtadvocaten on www.hetnieuweontslagrecht.nl. According to an appendix added to the amendment, in this case it is an extension of the already existing ‘good employers’ concept. Van Gelderen states that we should not underestimate the importance of this obligation....]]> Thu, 27 Feb 2014 10:07:12 +0100 Job vacancies rise slightly 3 thousand job vacancies Increase only in private sector According to figures released by Statistics Netherlands today, there were 97 thousand job vacancies in the Netherlands at the end of December 2013. The figure has been corrected for seasonal effects.
The increase in the number of vacant jobs was completely accounted for by the private sector, where the number of vacancies rose in nearly all branches of industry. The only exception was the financial sector, where the number of available jobs fell. At the end of 2013 this sector had 6 thousand job vacancies. The number of...]]> Fri, 21 Feb 2014 20:20:14 +0100 Unemployment further up Unemployed labour force 10 thousand up in January Number of unemployment benefits grows by 23 thousand The most recent figures released by Statistics Netherlands show that unemployment increased by 10 thousand in January 2014 to reach 678 thousand, i.e. 8.6 percent in the labour force. The figures are adjusted for seasonal variation.
Figures published by the Institute for Implementation of Employees’ Insurances show that 460 thousand unemployment (WW) benefits were granted in January 2014, an increase by 23 thousand relative to December 2013.

Unemployment fairly stable over the past three months
Unemployment increased by 10 thousand in January....]]> Fri, 21 Feb 2014 20:17:21 +0100 Job Interview questions Finance jobs

Careers in finance span a large number of positions including commercial banking, financial planning, private equity, to name just a few. Preparation for interviews in this field is as important as any other and common company research applies and should extend, as far as possible, into looking into the financial side of the business so that you are aware and ready for anything that might come your way.

Aside from the standard interview questions, a job interview for a financial position may include the following:

Experience
A career in finance, particularly for upper level positions...]]> Tue, 18 Feb 2014 22:11:21 +0100 Job interview questions ICT

When interviewing for a job in IT, aside from the standard job interview questions this interview will focus strongly on your technical skills and abilities to solve IT related tasks.

As with any technical role, the interviewer will focus in depth on your IT training, achievements, qualifications, work and IT programme experience in order to assess that you are the right person for the job.

Below we offer a list of IT job interview questions that are most commonly asked in IT job interviews. It is a good idea to review this list and prepare suitable...]]> Tue, 18 Feb 2014 22:05:33 +0100
Job Interview questions Marketing & Communication jobs

A career in marketing will demand creativity, ambition, strategic planning and problem solving ability; therefore interviewers for these positions will ask questions in order to recognise these personality traits and find the candidate that best fits the position.

Your ability to both adapt to marketing changes and support your theories is going to be tested so it’s important to include facts, figures, measurements and an awareness of the psychology of marketing.

Marketing functions are often the heart of a company so most marketing interviews will hold more substance than many other types of...]]> Tue, 18 Feb 2014 22:01:19 +0100 Asscher: more security to employees with flexible contracts
More and more organizations are making use of flexible contracts . This while workers overwhelmingly prefer a permanent according the research by ECORYS , which the Minister of Social Affairs Lodewijk Asscher has sent to the to the Parliament. In his letter Asscher indicates that the Bill Work and Safety corresponds with the results of the research .
The last two years in all the sectors made extensive use of flexible contracts for new hires. Also in the next two years approximately ½ of all companies are planning to make even more...]]> Mon, 17 Feb 2014 11:10:21 +0100 Skilled migrants are highly educated foreigners carrying passports from countries not belonging to the EU, EEA or Switzerland, moving to The Netherlands in order to contribute to the knowledge-based economy. If you invite a skilled migrant to The Netherlands you will have to be an acknowledged referent. In this position you will be able to apply for the skilled migrant’s residence permit. You will have to pay the skilled migrant a wage higher than a set limit. This is stated in the Law for modern migration policy.

Referent acknowledgement obligatory
Only if you are an acknowledged referent  is it possible...]]> Wed, 12 Feb 2014 11:24:07 +0100 Employing foreigners does not only bring benefits, there are also some disadvantages. An example is unfair competition for Dutch workers or the fact that foreign workers sometimes face abuse.

Unjust Competition and Repression
Foreign employees are often less expensive to employ than Dutch workers. This may lead to competition distortion. Dutch workers could therefore lose their jobs. In the rule, foreign self-employed workers will also work for a lower rate than their Dutch colleagues.

Foreign Employee Abuse
Some employers abuse foreign employees. Examples of this abuse are:  Paying foreign workers less than the legal minimum wage; Ignoring the Collective Labour Agreements;...]]> Wed, 12 Feb 2014 11:09:50 +0100 The benefits of employing foreign workers for The Netherlands:
• Foreign workers replenish shortages in the labour market.
• Certain foreign employees possess expertise of which there is not enough in the Netherlands. There are special arrangements for these workers, such as the Skilled Migrant Programme and programmes for athletes and artists.

Skilled Migrant Programme
Skilled migrants, such as talented architects and scientific researchers, are able to contribute to the Dutch economy. This is why more flexible admittance regulations apply to this group. Skilled migrants for instance, do not need a work permit. The employer attracting skilled migrants to The...]]> Wed, 12 Feb 2014 10:57:42 +0100 European legislation determines that employees from the European Economic Area (EEA) have permission to work in The Netherlands. The EEA consists of all the countries belonging to the European Union and Lichtenstein, Norway and Iceland. Furthermore, the government ensures that employees needed in The Netherlands are able to start quicker.
Free Traffic within the European Union
For employees from one of the EEA countries there are no limitations. They are able to work in The Netherlands without permits. Citizens of countries which do not belong to the EEA need a work permit.
Citizens from Croatia are not allowed to work...]]> Wed, 12 Feb 2014 10:45:48 +0100 Carrière Trainingen & Workshops

Elk land heeft zijn eigen werkcultuur, waarden en normen . Het vinden van die eerste baan kan wat extra begeleiding nodig hebben.
Hoe formuleer je je CV voor een Nederlands bedrijf ? Wat is het minimumloon in Nederland? 
Together Abroad geeft seminars , Carrière workshops die voor u beschikbaar zijn om u te helpen met al deze vragen .

Voor meer informatie over onze carriere trainingen en workshops kijkt op onze website www.togetherabroad.nl 

Carrière Trainingen & Workshop Hoe kan ik een baan in Nederland te vinden? ( 2,5 uur training )

Tijdens deze Carrière training geven wij zeer praktische informatie over de Nederlandse...]]> Wed, 12 Feb 2014 09:33:12 +0100 Dutch maternity leave is much shorter than in the rest of Europe

When it comes to the duration of pregnancy leave or maternity/parental leave The Netherlands scores one of the worst in comparison to other European countries. Respectively 16 and 26 weeks of leave are almost the exact opposite of No. 1 Czech Republic where women get to 28 of pregnancy and 192 weeks of parental leave . Dutch fathers are also not better off than other European daddies . This is evident from the Worldwide Benefit & Employment Guidelines , conducted by consulting firm Mercer .

Mercer examined countries...]]> Tue, 11 Feb 2014 15:49:49 +0100 Workplace conflicts
15 percent of all employees have experienced some sort of conflict at work with management staff or with colleagues. Let’s be honest: in a conflict with management staff an employee tends to be on the losing end. So, do we just take our loss…..?

Conflict does not mean you are ill
If you are in an unhealthy work situation, the logical option seems to be to call in sick. The number of people calling in sick due to a labour conflict lies between 70,000 and 100,000 annually. But in the opinion of medical officers, being in a labour conflict...]]> Wed, 29 Jan 2014 18:29:01 +0100 Were you confronted with a drop in your net wages this year? Chances are that it will be on the up for 2014. Compared to 2013, you will be better off by a small percentage on all gross incomes up to € 4350.

If you are on a fulltime minimum income (€ 1500 a month), you will be € 50 (net) better off each month. This large diverge continues up to € 1750, from there on up it dwindles. For instance, an average income of € 2500 will see a net increase of € 35. People working part-time earning approximately...]]> Wed, 29 Jan 2014 18:24:32 +0100 Amendments 2014

Pay slip
If your wages dropped last year, chances are your wages will grow in 2014. All gross wages under € 4350 will People earning a higher income will see a decline in their net wages. There are several reasons for this. The tariff of tax bracket one has gone up which means you will pay less tax on the first part of your salary. Besides this, general tax exemption will become income dependable. Labour credit will grow for everyone earning up to approximately € 3350 a month. In the coming year it will grow with € 374 to...]]> Mon, 27 Jan 2014 11:11:22 +0100 Which questions should not be asked during a job interview?

During a job interview an employer is only allowed to ask questions which relate to the function you are applying for. He shouldn’t ask questions relating to your private life or your health.

Job interview questions relating to private matters
An employer shouldn’t ask you questions relating to private matters such as family circumstances or whether or not you would like to start a family.

Job interview questions relating to your health
The employer is not allowed to ask you about your health or your former job sick leave history. Questions relating...]]> Mon, 27 Jan 2014 11:07:26 +0100 Global travel leader to add more than 120 jobs at new office located in Amsterdam’s city center

Amsterdam – 22 January 2014 – The Expedia group (NASDAQ: EXPE), the world’s leading online travel company, today announced it is bringing approximately 120 new jobs to Amsterdam through the expansion of its existing operations in the area. The group has leased a new office in Amsterdam’s Gouden Bocht neighborhood, which it plans to occupy beginning the first quarter of 2014. The Expedia group’s local market management team initially established operations in the city in 2004, and will also relocate to the new...]]> Wed, 22 Jan 2014 22:09:53 +0100

Average retirement age employees further up to nearly 64 years

The average age for employees to go into retirement rose further in 2013 to 63.9 years, i.e. 0.3 years higher than in 2012. Currently, nearly half of persons going into retirement are aged 65 years or older. Altogether, 73 thousand employees retired last year.

Retirement age has risen since 2007
The average retirement age for employees over the period 2000-2006 was 61 years. Since 2007, the average retirement age has risen annually.
This is due to the introduction in 2006...]]> Wed, 22 Jan 2014 21:53:32 +0100 Temporary job agency in netherlands

We are operating in a global jobs market, where aspiring international workers move from country to country, for a variety of reasons, such as: career development, better pay, to broaden their horizons or simply to find a job. The Netherlands has become a very attractive destination for overseas candidates for two main reasons; the first is that is ranked as one of the top 20 most liveable cities in the world, and the second reason is that it is currently enjoying some of the lowest levels of unemployment in the euro-zone.

So, what is the most...]]> Sat, 30 Nov 2013 09:18:05 +0100
Hours worked in stage A temp jobs

Marginal increase hours worked in temp jobs

In the third quarter of 2013, the amount of hours worked in stage A temp jobs in The Netherlands was 0.5 percent up from the sector quarter. The modest increase follows five consecutive quarters of decline. The index (2010=100) for the number of hours worked in stage A stood at 98.8. The figures have been adjusted for seasonal variation.

Stage A includes people working for temp agencies on a contractual basis without regular terms of employment. In stage A, it is easier for both parties – temp...]]> Fri, 29 Nov 2013 14:09:41 +0100
Working from home in The Netherlands
Share of teleworking employees growing

Over the past years, the share of employees working from home has risen to nearly one in three in 2012. Half of employees could take leave whenever they wanted and more than one in five could set their own working hours on a regular basis.

One in three employees are working from home
A growing group of employees are working from home. In 2005, one quarter of employees reported to work at home at least one hour a week, versus nearly one third in 2012. On average, employees work nearly...]]> Thu, 28 Nov 2013 09:09:21 +0100
Working in The Netherlands

Pleasant workplace atmosphere important

Nearly all employees indicated in 2012 that a pleasant workplace atmosphere is important to them. For three quarters of employees a pleasant workplace atmosphere is essential. Nearly all employees consider competent management, job security, interesting work and a good salary to be important aspects of their job.

Teleworking has lowest priority
The opportunity to work from home is important for only a small proportion of employees, although the percentage has risen marginally since 2008 from 34 to 39 percent. The other aspects have been fairly stable over the years. There is an obvious...]]> Thu, 28 Nov 2013 09:05:28 +0100 International Job Fair 2014 Amsterdam 5th April 2014

Why this Job fair?
Although hard to imagine in the current economic climate, particularly with the growing unemployment rate in the Netherlands, the shortage in the skilled and highly-educated workforces is expected to grow in the coming year(s). With this in mind, Expatica & Together Abroad introduce the 2nd International Job Fair, a unique opportunity for organisations to showcase themselves and meet hundreds of job seekers.
All in one day!

Features International Job Fair 2014
Target audience consists of both new and established members of the international community looking for a job...]]> Mon, 25 Nov 2013 17:09:59 +0100 Unemployment down Unemployment reduced by 11 thousand in October Number of current benefits down by 8 thousand According to the most recent figures released by Statistics Netherlands, seasonally adjusted unemployment was reduced by 11 thousand to 674 thousand in October 2013, i.e. 8.5 percent of the employed labour force.
Figures released by the Institute for Implementation of Employees’ Insurances (UWV) show that the number of unemployment (WW) benefits granted in October grew by 8 thousand to 408 thousand.

Fewer unemployed
In October, 8.5 percent in the labour force were unemployed. With 8.7 percent, unemployment reached the highest level in July...]]> Sun, 24 Nov 2013 21:35:24 +0100 Dutch economy up 0.1 percent in the third quarter on the second quarter 46 thousand fewer jobs than in the second quarter

Relative to one year previously:
- the economy is down by 0.6 percent
- investments are 3.0 percent lower
- exports are 2.1 percent higher
- household consumption shrank by 2.3 percent and
- there are 160 thousand fewer jobs

According to the first estimate by Statistics Netherlands, the Dutch economy grew by 0.1 percent in the third quarter van 2013 compared to the second quarter. It is the first time after the second quarter of 2012 that...]]> Fri, 15 Nov 2013 12:29:16 +0100 Slightly more job vacancies 3 thousand more unfilled job vacancies Increase mainly in commercial services
According to the latest figures released by Statistics Netherlands there were 94 thousand unfilled vacancies by the end of September 2013, up 3 thousand on the previous quarter. The figures are seasonally adjusted. This constitutes the first increase in the number of vacancies in two years.
The rise in the number of vacancies is entirely found in private companies. The number of vacancies in government stabilised. The largest increase was realised by commercial services. The number of vacancies, in round figures, rose by 3 thousand...]]> Thu, 14 Nov 2013 19:01:02 +0100 Last year, in 54 percent of couples with young children one partner was working on a full-time basis and the other partner on a part-time basis. This was also the case in 2008. The corresponding figure for 1996 was 31 percent.

One quarter of couples live on one full-time income
In 2012, more than 1.2 million couples had children living at home under the age of twelve. The so-called one-and-half-income earners model implies that one partner is working on a full-time basis and the other partner on a part-time basis. With 54 percent, this was the most common income model....]]> Wed, 13 Nov 2013 17:02:01 +0100 Dutch energy company Essent offers its employees the best working environment in the Netherlands and has won the Winning Workplace award for most progressive office.
The headquarters of Essent in Den Bosch showed in the final of this election with competitor Eneco, in Rotterdam and wholesaler Makro in Amsterdam coming in behind.
Innovative culture
Essent reached the top three of the election thanks to a public vote on the internet combined with a jury verdict. The jury looked at factors such as the companies building, the location, the workplaces and the way the participating organizations created an open and innovative...]]> Tue, 12 Nov 2013 10:39:19 +0100 In the first quarter of 2013, the amount of hours worked in stage A temp jobs was 3.2 percent down on the fourth quarter of 2012. The number of hours worked in temp jobs declined for the fourth consecutive quarter. The index (2010=100) for the number of hours worked in stage A reached 99.5 in the first quarter.

Stage A includes people working for temp agencies on a contract basis without regular terms of employment. In stage A, it is easier for both parties – temp job agencies and temp workers – to terminate the contract than in the subsequent...]]> Tue, 12 Nov 2013 10:37:30 +0100 Fewer defence jobs will be lost Friday

Changes to the government’s 2014 spending plans mean 1,400 fewer defence jobs are set to be cut than first thought. While 1,000 jobs will still be cut, the number of compulsory redundancies will be ‘substantially fewer’ than the 2,400 first envisaged, the revised figures show. Defence has already cut 12,000 jobs in an effort to find €1.33bn in savings demanded by the government at an earlier stage
Source: Dutchnews.nl ...]]> Thu, 31 Oct 2013 15:19:52 +0100 The number of women in higher management grades has risen slightly over the past year, from 20% to 21%, the Volkskrant reports on Tuesday.

The Volkskrant, which carried out the research among 35 of the top Dutch companies, says this is encouraging because higher management forms a pool of women who can move up into the top echelons.

This year saw the introduction of a 'legally desirable target' for female board members of 30% by 2016.

However, there is a long way to go, says the paper. Another report earlier this year said of the 213 board members of the...]]> Thu, 24 Oct 2013 10:25:21 +0200 Rail union FNV wants public transport, the police and the department of justice to take action in ending violence against public transport staff.

"We must make a joint statement. Get your hands off of our staff!" this was the statement made by union director Roel Berghuis following the beating of a railway conductor at Amsterdam Central Station.

The guard was injured in the scuffle with travellers, which eventually ended with the NS employee, one of the thugs and a bystander on the tracks where a train was about to leave.

The trade unionist calls the recent incident 'rock bottom’ in...]]> Thu, 24 Oct 2013 10:23:49 +0200 There were 91 thousand job vacancies at the end of June 2013, the lowest level in nearly ten years. The number of job vacancies decreased by 6 thousand relative to the end of March, 2013. This is mostly due to a reduced demand for staff in the private sector. At the end of June, there were 83 thousand unfilled job vacancies in the private sector and 8 thousand in the public sector. Vacancy figures are adjusted for seasonal variation.
The number of vacancies per one thousand jobs, the so-called vacancy rate, is an indicator for the tension on the labour...]]> Mon, 21 Oct 2013 13:53:56 +0200 Marginal unemployment growth Unemployment growth 2 thousand in September Unemployment growth levels off \ Number of unemployment benefits stable Fewer unemployment benefits granted in construction sector
According to the most recent figures released by Statistics Netherlands, seasonally adjusted unemployment grew by 2 thousand in September to reach 685 thousand, i.e. 8.6 percent of the labour force.
Figures published by the Institute for Implementation of Employees’ Insurances (UWV) show that the number of unemployment (WW) benefits paid in September has risen by 1 thousand to 400 thousand.
Unemployment growth rate slows down
The monthly unemployment growth over the past three months averaged 3...]]> Thu, 17 Oct 2013 18:49:47 +0200 Starting your own business in the Netherlands

Following a successfull networking contact with the Chamber of Commerce The Hague Together Abroad endorses the seminar Starting your own business. It is a seminar for people who are thinking about starting their own business in the Netherlands. It is English Spoken. You can ask questions and during and after the seminar you can increase your network. For fulltime or parttime starting entrepreneurs, whether your idea is a (web)shop, to provide a service or you want to go international you are very welcome.

What can you expect:
Understanding the essential qualities of an...]]> Thu, 10 Oct 2013 08:44:49 +0200
The influx of technical talent continues to the next five years is far too low.
Due to the increasing tightness in the technical labour market labour productivity and business profitability under pressure.

This is the conclusion of theTechnical labour market Monitor 2013 that SEO economic research has commissioned by the rural partnership TechniekTalent.nu.
The report is presented during the Fourth National Industry Debate today in the ' Utrechtse Jaarbeurs '. The expected inflow in technical occupations is according to this research over the next five years, at least 33,000 workers lower than the demand for new technical staff. A part...]]> Mon, 07 Oct 2013 10:38:03 +0200 Part-time jobs Netherlands

This is probably not the first article that you have read that attempts to portray a country as a great place to live and build a career, and it won't be the last. But, without doubt, choosing to establish the next step of your international job in the Netherlands could be one of the best choices that you make in your life. This is a bold statement we know, and we can back it up, and justify exactly why a job in the Netherlands is so special.

Well, the first reason that we think a job in the Netherlands is such a great...]]> Thu, 03 Oct 2013 08:54:12 +0200
More than 4,000 extra jobs in the Netherlands thanks to foreign investors

Active lobbying by the Dutch government resulted in € 827 million in foreign investment for the Dutch economy in the first six months of this year. Together these investments are good for 4,332 extra jobs in the Netherlands. Minister Henk Kamp of Economic Affairs announced this on 30 September 2013 during the opening of the new global research center ‘Nutricia Research’ in Utrecht, part of the French company Danone.

Attractive for foreign companies
“With a highly educated labor force and good facilities, the Netherlands is an attractive country...]]> Thu, 03 Oct 2013 08:48:54 +0200 Fewer social security recipients find employment

At the end of 2011, 367 thousand people in the Netherlands received social security benefits. More than 28 thousand, i.e. less than 8 percent, found jobs in 2012, versus more than 9 percent one year previously. In the category municipalities with a population exceeding 100 thousand, Zoetermeer has the highest percentage of individuals moving from social security to employment, Arnhem has the lowest percentage.

2012 difficult year to move from social security to employment
Since the lowest level of the recession was reached in 2009, the proportion of social security recipients who found...]]> Mon, 30 Sep 2013 11:27:34 +0200 Unemployment down in August Youth unemployment down in August Upward trend unemployment less steep Nearly 400 thousand WW benefits
According to the latest figures released by Statistics Netherlands, seasonally adjusted unemployment fell to 683 thousand in August, i.e. 8.6 percent of the labour force.
Figures published by the Institute for Implementation of Employees’ Insurances show that the number of unemployment (WW) benefits grew by 5 thousand in August to reach 399 thousand.
Upward trend more gradual
Unemployment declined by 11 thousand in August. Young people almost entirely accounted for the decline. Over the past twenty-four months, youth unemployment had risen almost...]]> Thu, 19 Sep 2013 18:03:55 +0200

   ...]]> Mon, 16 Sep 2013 19:38:28 +0200 Expatica & Together Abroad presents the International Job Fair

Are you an international settled in the Netherlands looking for a next step in your career? Or are you new to the Netherlands and in possession of work permit? You could even be living elsewhere in EU but ready to move to the Netherlands.

The International Job Fair is the event for pursuing an international career in the Netherlands. It provides a unique opportunity to get all the information and contacts you need in one place. Within a single day, you’ll have the chance to meet employers from several industries as...]]> Fri, 13 Sep 2013 08:10:17 +0200
Energy Group Twente on Together Abroad
The Energy Group Twente consists of nearly 20 companies from the Twente region and the German border area.

Mission and vision 
Putting the Energy Cluster Twente on the map. 
Due to the distinctive character of its innovative products and services the cluster generates more business, increases the quality of turnover and contributes to a greater degree to a more sustainable world.

Cluster Composition
The cluster consists of nearly 20 companies from the Twente region and the German border area. A hallmark of the participating companies is that they are all end-user and internationally oriented, as well as complementary...]]> Mon, 26 Aug 2013 22:27:36 +0200
Number of vacancies further down

Number of vacancies declines by 6 thousand
Most substantial reduction in sector commercial services
Adjusted for seasonal variation, there were 91 thousand unfilled vacancies at the end of June, a reduction by 6 thousand relative to the first quarter, which means that the downward trend continues. According to the most recent figures released by Statistics Netherlands, the number of vacancies has reached the lowest level of the past decade.

The private sector entirely accounts for the decrease in the number of vacancies. In the public sector, the number of vacancies has in fact grown. The...]]> Mon, 19 Aug 2013 13:29:22 +0200 The MBA is a significant financial investment for a business professional, but the rewards can be very worthwhile, as your career chances after an MBA are likely to be greatly enhanced.
In fact, the MBA Career market has been improving in recent times. Figures from GMAT show that 75% of employers from around the world plan to hire recent MBAs in 2013, compared to just 71% in 2012. Of course an MBA is not a guarantee of a job; it can just help to open doors. And the GMAT survey shows that 56% of employers still consider prior experience to...]]> Tue, 13 Aug 2013 12:08:21 +0200
Although the number of vacancies for highly skilled has increased by seven per cent compared to 2012 during the past six months, college and university graduates still struggle with finding the job up to their level

Fourteen percent of highly educated candidates work currently below its level of education. Also, a quarter of all college and university level students accepted a job below his level last year. At the same time more than twenty percent of all high school graduates work in a position above his education.

According to Dick Koopman Direcor of Yacht , the fact that highly educated...]]> Fri, 02 Aug 2013 10:54:10 +0200

This is probably not the first article that you have read that attempts to portray a country as a great place to live and build a career, and it won't be the last. But, without doubt, choosing to establish the next step of your international career in the Netherlands could be one of the best choices that you make in your life. This is a bold statement we know, and we can back it up, and justify exactly why a career in the Netherlands is so special.

Careers in Twente / Overijssel Well, the first reason that...]]> Fri, 26 Jul 2013 10:00:39 +0200 According to the latest figures published by Statistics Netherlands, seasonally adjusted unemployment grew by 16 thousand in June 2013 to reach 675 thousand.
Figures released by the Institute for Implementation of Employees’ Insurances (UWV) show that the number of unemployment (WW) benefits has grown by 4 thousand to 382 thousand in June.

Unemployment up by more than 100 thousand over the past six months
The unemployment rate reached 8.5 percent in June, i...]]> Tue, 23 Jul 2013 10:37:44 +0200
EU provides €450 million to help job-seekers in the Netherlands

Over the next seven years (2014-2020) the Netherlands will receive some €450 million from the European Social Fund (ESF) to help job-seekers develop the skills that are in demand on the labour market.

Most of this funding will be distributed among municipalities, which are divided into 35 regional labour markets. Another share will go to the private sector. The funds will primarily be used to supplement and support the implementation of the Participation Act, in accordance with a proposal put forward by the State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment,...]]> Thu, 18 Jul 2013 14:40:59 +0200
The Netherlands aims to attract more talent from abroad

The Netherlands must become a more attractive destination for talented foreign students, researchers and knowledge workers. In accordance with a proposal by education minister Jet Bussemaker, the cabinet has decided to develop an action plan to lure talented young people to the Netherlands to study, and persuade them to stay here when they start their career.

The Social and Economic Council recently published an advisory opinion entitled 'Make it in the Netherlands!', which underscores the importance of attracting and retaining talented foreign students. The government agrees with the SER that students...]]> Thu, 18 Jul 2013 14:39:42 +0200
If you want to come and work in Twente or another plac, e in The Netherlands you probably have many questions. What are the legal criteria to be able to work in the Netherlands? How do you do get a visa? Are you allowed to work in the Netherlands?
Together Abroad Jobboard informs about all these questions.

In order to be able to work in this country you should have a valid:

Visa and work permit
BSN number

Work permit in Holland
If you have a nationality of a EU country, the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland,...]]> Wed, 17 Jul 2013 13:30:00 +0200
Unemployment Netherlands Highly-educated young men more often unemployed than their female counterparts
Unemployment among highly-educated 25 to 35-year-old men has increased significantly after 2009. Last year, more than 6 percent of them were unemployed. The rate was nearly twice as high as among highly-educated young women.

Unemployment growth among highly-educated young women slowing down
Until 2010, the unemployment rates for highly-educated men and women in the age category 25-35 were almost the same, i.e. approximately 3 percent for both groups in 2009. Since then, the rate among highly-educated young men has risen more rapidly than among highly-educated young women. Last year, 6.2...]]> Wed, 17 Jul 2013 12:53:21 +0200
Together Abroad is a nationwide partner of UWV for reintegration of mutilingual unemployed receiving the Unemployment -benefits. It means that the candidates who are unemployed in Holland can choose to follow the IRO traject with Together Abroad.

If you are legally reside and work in the Netherlands you can enjoy the benefits of Dutch Social security system. When you lost your job and unemployed in Holland at the moment check if you are subject to the Unemployment Insurance Act ( Unemployment benefit ).

Unemployment benifits in the Netherlands Unemployment Insurance Act ( WW )
The...]]> Fri, 12 Jul 2013 12:44:19 +0200 Internationale Carrierebeurs 2013

Why this Job fair?

Although hard to imagine in the current economic climate, particularly with the growing unemployment rate in the Netherlands, the shortage in the skilled and highly-educated workforces is expected to grow in the coming year(s). With this in mind, Expatica and Together Abroad introduce the International Job Fair, the event for pursuing an international career in the Netherlands.
This is what the experts say about the situation:

www.government.nl
The shortage of skilled workforce in healthcare is confirmed by the Dutch government on their website: ‘1.3 million people work in the healthcare and social welfare sector...]]> Wed, 10 Jul 2013 23:18:56 +0200 INTERNATIONAL JOB FAIR 2013 AMSTERDAM

The International Job Fair is the event for pursuing an international career in the Netherlands. It provides a unique opportunity to get all the information and contacts you need in one place. Within a single day, you’ll have the chance to meet employers from several industries as well as multilingual recruiters. During several presentations and workshops, you can gain in-depth knowledge of the Dutch job market.'

Order here your FREE ticket(s) to the International Job Fair!
...]]> Wed, 26 Jun 2013 17:58:01 +0200
Foreign companies a major driving force for jobs in Brabant

Over 1,100 jobs created in the first half of 2013, with some 2,000 new posts expected for the year

The rise in foreign companies settling in Brabant has proved to be a major driving force for employment in the province. Thanks to companies from abroad, 1,137 jobs were created in the first six months of 2013, marking a more than twofold increase (127 percent) over the same period in the preceding year. This emerged from figures released on Thursday by the Brabant Development Agency (BOM).

It is expected that for...]]> Tue, 25 Jun 2013 23:57:03 +0200
Unemployment rises further in May Increase in unemployment levels out slightly More unemployed aged over 25 Slight increase in unemployment benefits
Figures released by Statistics Netherlands today show that after adjustment for seasonal effects, unemployment in the Netherlands rose by 9 thousand in May, to 659 thousand persons.
Figures released by the Institute for Implementation of Employees’ Insurances (UWV) show that the number of unemployment benefits fell by 2 thousand in May, to 378 thousand.

Smaller rise in unemployment Netherlands
Unemployment rose to 8.3 percent in May. Nine thousand more people were out of work than in April. In the last...]]> Tue, 25 Jun 2013 23:45:33 +0200
CALLING ALL HIGH POTENTIALS!

For an elitegroup of candidates, we will be hosting 3 round table focus groups to discuss current trends and changes in secondary benefits, social media, targeting the right employers and general labour market conditions. As a high potential candidate, your input is invaluable to us and we would like to invite you to this niche event.

If you would like your views and opinions to count whilst acquainting yourself with an award winning employer in The Netherlands, this is your unique opportunity.

We will be holding 3 separate events for varying career levels, so if you...]]> Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:40:25 +0200
More than half of employees commute to work

At the end of 2011, nearly 56 percent of employees did not work in their municipality of residence. Larger cities in particular attract many commuters. Half of the busiest commuter routes lead to Amsterdam.

Nearly 4.5 million commuters
Nearly 4.5 million employees had to travel to another municipality to work; 3.6 million people worked in their municipality of residence. This implies that nearly 56 percent of all employees are commuters. In 2006, the share of commuters was approximately the same.

Major cities attract many commuters
The major Dutch cities attract most commuters....]]> Tue, 11 Jun 2013 18:32:30 +0200
As a career coach I reconnect clients with their talents, passion, purpose, values and other critical aspects of their ideal work. I equip them with career management skills that can be used in future transitions in addition to enhancing their current work. The outcome of career coaching includes enhanced self-awareness, clarity about life and work related purposes and goals, increased ability to be effective in today’s changing workplace and to manage their own career by taking responsibility, and overall improvement of clients’ quality of life.


Zicht op passend werk door inzicht in talenten, competenties en...]]> Mon, 10 Jun 2013 10:08:52 +0200 Continuous decline in amount of hours worked in temp jobs

In the first quarter of 2013, the amount of hours worked in stage A temp jobs was nearly 1.5 percent down on the fourth quarter of 2012. The number of hours worked in temp jobs declined for the fourth consecutive quarter. The index (2010=100) for the number of hours worked in stage A reached 101.7 in the first quarter. The figures are adjusted for seasonal variation.

Stage A includes people working for temp agencies on a contract basis without regular terms of employment. In stage A, it is easier for...]]> Tue, 04 Jun 2013 08:55:28 +0200

According to an ITU study, the Netherlands was ranked at 6th in the league table of the most advanced IT economies in the world. The study also shows that 94% of Dutch households have internet access, which is 21% above the European average.

This creates huge demand for IT products and services in the Netherlands which not only explains why there is such huge demand for IT professionals , it also explains why there are so many ITC Jobs in the Netherlands. Some of the biggest ITC employers in the world such as: Tata Communications, SAS, Microsoft, NetApp, EMC, Cognizant,...]]> Sat, 01 Jun 2013 08:52:04 +0200 Finance Jobs in The Netherlands.

The Dutch Ministry of finance has long been committed to creating a healthy finance sector in the Netherlands to ensure a good supply of finance jobs. And thanks to its favourable position in Europe, the Netherlands has always been regarded as a very attractive location for the major financial institutions. For example, the Netherlands has very modern finance legislation, it has a very stable business climate and the local population is very well educated, trained and internationally minded. It also has good status within the eurozone and has good relations with the other major financial...]]> Sat, 01 Jun 2013 08:48:27 +0200
Reduction older WW benefit recipients
At the end of December last year, 340 thousand unemployment (WW) benefits were granted, i.e. more than one and a half time as many as five years ago. The number of male recipients grew notably. Partly because the maximum benefit entitlement period was reduced, the share of 55 to 65-year-old recipients dropped to 25 percent.
Growth stronger among men than among women

The number of WW benefits granted to men has risen from 101 thousand at the end of 2007 to 190 thousand at the end of 2012. The number of unemployment benefits granted to...]]> Tue, 28 May 2013 15:35:38 +0200 81 per cent of European youths are willing to move abroad for work. These numbers were made clear from Research performed by StudentJob among ten thousand students and starters from seven western European countries showed these numbers. Although all youths show willingness, there are remarkable differences to be seen among these countries. Dutch youngsters are quite satisfied, the Spanish aren’t and Germans and Austrians are not quite as conservative as people seem to think.
In the last few weeks, StudentJob has questioned 10,651 students and starters from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, France, Spain and Great Britain. The main question...]]> Fri, 24 May 2013 08:54:47 +0200 Unemployment further up
8.2 percent in the Dutch labour force unemployed in April
Unemployment rate higher among men in the last few months

Number of WW benefits unchanged
According to the latest figures released by Statistics Netherlands, seasonally adjusted unemployment increased by 7 thousand in April 2013 to reach 650 thousand.
Figures published by the Institute for Implementation of Employees’ Insurances (UWV) show that the number of unemployment (WW) benefits was 380 thousand in April, the same as in March.

Unemployment rate at 8.2 percent
The unemployment rate increased further in April to 8.2 percent. The monthly increase over the...]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 22:41:30 +0200 Amount of unfilled job vacancies marginally down
Fewer than 100 thousand vacancies by the end of March

Number of vacancies down by 5 thousand
Amount of vacancies substantially down in health care and welfare sector
According to the latest figures released by Statistics Netherlands, there were 97 thousand unfilled job vacancies by the end of March, i.e. 5 thousand down from the previous quarter. The figure is adjusted for seasonal variation. The downward trend thus continues and has reached the lowest level in ten years.

The number of vacancies declined across the board, but most - by 2 thousand to...]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 22:38:33 +0200
Unemployment in the Netherlands higher than in Germany
According to the international definition, the unemployment rate in the Netherlands was 6.4 percent in March, i.e. above the German rate of 5.4 percent. Until September 2012, the unemployment rate in the Netherlands has been lower than in Germany. Last year, employment improved in nearly all German sectors.

Unemployment up in the Netherlands, stable in Germany
Since the German reunification, unemployment has always been lower in the Netherlands than in Germany, but this trend changed in 2012, when the rate was 5.4 percent in both countries according to the international definition. In...]]> Wed, 08 May 2013 08:34:01 +0200
This is a joint press release of TNO and Statistics Netherlands

More and more employees in the Netherlands are worried about losing their job. These concerns are greatest among 50-59 year-old employees. At the same time, employees in this age group are more often enthusiastic about their job than younger workers. These are among the initial results of the Netherlands Working Conditions Survey 2012, held by TNO and Statistics Netherlands.

At the end of 2012, 32 percent of employees were worried that they might lose their job. This is twice as many as in 2007, when 16 percent had such...]]> Wed, 08 May 2013 08:27:11 +0200  

Nyenrode Business Universiteit understands that choosing which university and program are the best for your is never an easy task. Therefore, they have created the MBA Weekends so you can experience what life would be like once you enroll in the MBA program.

Nyenrode MBA European Weekend consists in two action-packed days and nights at Nyenrode’s 13th Century estate which will provide potential International MBA and Executive MBA students with quality lectures and workships around the topic: ‘the role of Europe in the global business world’. During this event,...]]> Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:56:00 +0200

Number of expat orders on the rise
Employees are able to obtain orders from abroad more easily. The number of expat orders has risen by 50 per cent.
According to a business survey held by Mercer, it is expected that the number of foreign orders will be on the increase this year. ManonGerritsen, expat consultant says, “Working abroad is becoming more and more popular and the orders are becoming more and more diverse. This is due to the fact that lately, a lot of companies have only been able to give out small increases in wages.” According to Mercer, the...]]> Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:29:53 +0200

Its easy to think that in the modern world of jobs boards and social media hiring that Career Job Fairs in the Netherlands are dead. They are not, Career Job Fairs in the Netherlands are alive and kicking and still remain a great way to get a job.

So, why are jobs fairs in the Netherlands so popular? Because there is one key advantage that a career job fair in the Netherlands has over other job search tactics That is, a career job fair in the Netherlands gives you immediate access to a Dutch employer and if you...]]> Sun, 21 Apr 2013 08:40:45 +0200 Unemployment in the Netherlands rises to over 8 percent Unemployment rises sharply in March Slight increase in unemployment benefits According to figures released today by Statistics Netherlands, seasonally adjusted unemployment in the Netherlands rose by 30 thousand in March, to 643 thousand people.
Figures published by UWV – the organisation responsible for implementing unemployment benefits - show that the number of unemployment benefit claimants rose by 3 thousand to 380 thousand in March.

Unemployment in the Netherlands rises sharply again
Unemployment rose further in the Netherlands in March, to 8.1 percent. Three months previously, 7.2 percent of the labour force were out...]]> Thu, 18 Apr 2013 21:25:25 +0200 The average age in the employed labour force has risen further to 41.4 years in 2012.
On average, employees are younger than self-employed, but their average age increases faster. The sectors public administration and government services have aged most during the past two decades.

Average age in the employed labour force continues to rise
Between 1990 and 2012, the average age in the employed labour force has increased from 36.2 to 41.4 years. The labour force is ageing because the entire Dutch population is ageing, but mainly because the labour participation rate among older people has risen significantly. In 1990,...]]> Mon, 15 Apr 2013 08:30:20 +0200 The cabinet and the social partners have agreed on a sizeable package of measures for the future of the labour market.
The main points are: The 4.5 billion austerity programme for 2014 will be ignored completely. It will be assessed if it will be necessary to take further action for 2014 in August. Because of this, the announced income freeze for the government and for the care sector is cancelled. The arrangements made by the coalition agreement on the unemployment benefit term are slashed. Instead, the unemployment benefit term will be shortened gradually from 2016 onwards to two years. Arrangements...]]> Mon, 15 Apr 2013 08:08:43 +0200 We know that the global employment situation is especially difficult at the moment due to the persistent global economic slowdown. This has created many areas within the world where jobs are scarce and, if you are in countries with high unemployment or limited career options, it can seem like you are in a career dead end, like it is the end of the world.

The truth is though that the world does not end at your country's border, it begins there, and if you go out and search this world, you will find plenty of countries with great employment...]]> Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:00:29 +0200
This is probably not the first article that you have read that attempts to portray a country as a great place to live and build a career, and it won't be the last. But, without doubt, choosing to establish the next step of your international job in Holland could be one of the best choices that you make in your life. This is a bold statement we know, and we can back it up, and justify exactly why a job in Holland is so special.
Netherlands Jobs

Well, the first reason that we think a job in the Netherlands is...]]> Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:54:01 +0200
In the first quarter of this year, collectively negotiated (CAO) wages increased by 1.8 percent. The wage increase is the highest since the end of 2009, but is still far below the level of inflation. Contractual wage costs increased by 2.2 percent in the first quarter.

Wage increase has been below inflation level for eleven quarters
The average wage increase has been below the level of inflation since the third quarter of 2010. This was also the case in the first quarter of 2013: the collectively negotiated wage increase is...]]> Wed, 10 Apr 2013 17:02:17 +0200
The average annual bonus of employees has risen by 5 percent in 2011. The highest average bonuses were paid in the sectors mineral extraction and financial services. Bonuses paid in the (semi-)public sector were far below the average of 2 thousand euros.
Highest average bonuses paid in mineral extraction sector
The sector mineral extraction topped the list in 2011 with an average bonus of 12.5 thousand euros per working year. With 8 thousand jobs, mineral extraction is a small sector. The sector financial services (e.g. banks, insurance companies and pension funds) occupied second place with an...]]> Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:57:20 +0200
More than half of unemployed workers, who have been without work for more than one year, usually find employment in a different sector from where they were working before.

Results of research performed by UWV proved this last Wednesday. Furthermore, the long-term unemployed (unemployed for more than one year) find work approximately three months quicker than jobseekers only searching for work in their own field. The number of long-term unemployed workers has been on the rise for quite some time. Figures supplied by CBS showed that in the...]]> Wed, 03 Apr 2013 18:22:17 +0200
Thinking about a career change? Not sure which education to pursue? The Dutch labor market allows the creativity to focus on your full potential, regardless of you previous career? Finding a job abroad is not always easy, particularly if you do not know the language. You would probably be surprised to learn about how many job opportunities for non-Dutch speakers there are in the Netherlands.

The hardest part is getting started:
Where to look for vacancies?
How to present yourself for a job interview?
What kind of opportunities are there for your experience?

At Together Abroad...]]> Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:01:42 +0200

Als je als expat (tijdelijk) naar het buitenland gaat om daar je werkzaamheden te verrichten, heb je nog steeds recht op dezelfde bonus als je expat-collega’s. Dit geldt ook wanneer je collega’s, die werken op lokale arbeidsvoorwaarden, die bonus niet krijgen, zo bepaalde recentelijk de kantonrechter Groningen (LJN: BZ0528).


Expat-bonusIn deze zaak ging het om een Nederlandse werknemer, werkzaam bij een internationaal bedrijf, die sinds 2005 als expat werkzaam was in Kazakhstan. In 2010 werd hem verteld dat hij een bonus uitgekeerd zou krijgen, te weten ‘payment of 70% of 24 leave days for the...]]> Fri, 29 Mar 2013 08:46:13 +0100 ICP  International Community Platform survey Let your talent pay off

Dear international,

Please participate in the ICP* survey on “The Quality of your Professional Life””. With your input and needs we can create an optimal working and living environment for international talent and their relatives.

Our goal: enable your talent to pay off!

Are you an international employee, self-employed, student or so called ‘STARS’ (Spouses Traveling and Relocating Successfully), please share your input via the link to the online survey.
Completing the survey will take approximately 15 minutes of your time. Should you not be able to complete the survey...]]> Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:15:31 +0100
Women should be able to take their maternity leave in sections and spread the 10 full weeks over a maximum period of 30 weeks.
Pia Dijkstra and Steven van Weyenberg, members of parliament for D66, will put forward a proposal on Friday, International Women’s Day, in order to realize this plan. Coalition parties VVD and PvdA say they have sympathetic views regarding the plans but will await the exact details and form an opinion, keeping the cabinet’s proposals in mind. The bill is expected to be under discussion after the summer. Dijkstra sees many advantages in the amendment. It would...]]> Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:00:07 +0100
Over a third of all employees are willing to hand in part of their wage in order to keep their job. On average, Dutch people will give up 5 per cent of their salary.

A group of 5 per cent is even willing to hand in over 10 per cent if that means their job is safe. Research performed by the ING shows that 62 per cent of the workforce do not think they will be able to change jobs in the near future. A mere 23 per cent believe they would be able to find new work should this...]]> Mon, 18 Mar 2013 08:58:34 +0100
45 thousand employees earn 100 thousand euros or more
In 2011, the average annual wage of employees per job was 31 thousand euros; 145 thousand employees in the Netherlands annually earned 100 thousand euros or more in 2011.

Nearly six in ten jobholders earn less than 30 thousand euros
There were 7.9 million employee jobs in the Netherlands in 2011. The average annual wage was 31,340 euros, including special bonuses, like end-of-year bonuses, performance-related bonuses, etc. Approximately one in twenty jobs are secondary jobs.
In 4.7 million jobs, employees earned an annual wage of 30 thousand euros or less, i.e....]]> Sun, 17 Mar 2013 09:17:48 +0100 Unemployment highest in Flevoland

Unemployment increased across all Dutch provinces last year. The highest rates were recorded in Flevoland, South Holland and Groningen. The unemployment rate is still relatively high in the north of the Netherlands, but the gap between the north and the rest of the country has narrowed.

Unemployment rate Flevoland 8 percent
Last year, 6.4 percent of the Dutch labour force were unemployed. With 8 percent, the province of Flevoland had the highest rate. The rate was also relatively high in the provinces of Groningen and South Holland. Just as in 2011, these three provinces had...]]> Sun, 17 Mar 2013 09:07:49 +0100
We know that the global employment situation is especially difficult at the moment due to the persistent global economic slowdown. This has created many areas within the world where jobs are scarce and, if you are in countries with high unemployment or limited career options, it can seem like you are in a career dead end, like it is the end of the world.

The truth is though that the world does not end at your country's border, it begins there, and if you go out and search this world, you will find plenty of countries...]]> Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:36:56 +0100
Legal recruitment dropped very sharply by -20% and research & development did not fare much better as hiring activity went down by -19%.

The index also highlights that elementary occupations maintained a positive growth track and grew by +8%, but managers experienced the greatest reduction in annual...]]> Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:36:33 +0100 In 2011, the gross annual wage of female employees averaged 33 thousand euro, i.e. 55 percent of the average income of their male colleagues, who earned 58 thousand euro. The gender income gap is very wide among (married) couples with children. The gender income gap in the Netherlands is in the middle range in the European Union (EU).
Considerable income gap between working parents
The difference in earned income between men and women is relatively small for single employees. On average, single women’s wages are 84 percent of single men’s wages, but in...]]> Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:21:26 +0100
In het tweede jaar van haar master Sociale Wetenschappen aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam kreeg Shuiqin Liu een Nederlandse vriend. Was ze anders ook hier gebleven na haar afstuderen? “Waarschijnlijk niet”, zegt de Chinese. Via een Chinese online community kwam ze er bovendien achter dat ze na het afronden van haar studie nog een jaar in Nederland mocht blijven om een baan...]]> Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:27:00 +0100
As a result of globalization, and the fact that companies in the Netherlands are increasingly looking to expand into new global markets, there is a huge demand for foreign language speakers. And, fortunately for bilingual candidates, the supply of bi-lingual talent in the Netherlands is not keeping up with demand, which is why you will find a large number of bi-lingual job vacancies in the Netherlands.

This means that one of the best ways to increase your chances of employment in the Netherlands is to learn a second language which will make you a...]]> Wed, 06 Mar 2013 20:35:11 +0100
The career portal of Together Abroad is meant for multilingual professionals. The active CV database of high educated multilingual candidates experienced in a broad scale of job sectors, coming from all career levels and regions of the Netherlands is accecible for companies and recruitment agencies.

Technology for job postings:

Together Abroad has an active connection with: Knollenstein Technologies, Ingoedebanen and Broadbean wich are compatible with most recruitment systems like Carerix, Connexys, CTB Flex, Hireserve, Mr.Ted, Otys, PeopleXS Actonomy, FlexService, Memocom/Commence, UB Plus and Yellowyard, etc.
Together Abroad has also technology to post the jobs automatically from your...]]> Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:00:11 +0100 GERMAN JOBS IN THE NETHERLANDS
Great Reasons to Get A German Job In The Netherlands – and how to do it

Our research tells us that more and more of you are looking to move abroad for work. In fact a recent survey from CERC which polled 13,000 employees in 24 countries revealed that 25% of people said that they would be 'very likely' to take a job abroad in another country, which is a 6% increase from last year. People relocate abroad for many reasons such as: to broaden their experience, develop their career, experience new...]]> Sun, 03 Mar 2013 00:02:39 +0100
FRENCH JOBS IN THE NETHERLANDS
Great Reasons to Get A French Job In The Netherlands – and how to do it

Our research tells us that more and more of you are looking to move abroad for work. In fact a recent survey from CERC which polled 13,000 employees in 24 countries revealed that 25% of people said that they would be 'very likely' to take a job abroad in another country, which is a 6% increase from last year. People relocate abroad for many reasons such as: to broaden their experience, develop their career, experience new cultures...]]> Sat, 02 Mar 2013 23:50:46 +0100
Thinking about a career change? Not sure which education to pursue? The Dutch labor market allows the creativity to focus on your full potential, regardless of you previous career? Finding employment abroad is not always easy, particularly if you do not know the language. You would probably be surprised to learn about how many employment opportunities for non-Dutch speakers there are in the Netherlands.

The hardest part is getting started:
Where to look for vacancies?
How to present yourself for a job interview?
What kind of opportunities are there for your experience?

At Together Abroad we offer you personal advice...]]> Sat, 02 Mar 2013 23:02:46 +0100
Research from the Global Talent Barometer tells us that more than 2 thirds of people are currently willing to work abroad, which is a 7% increase in global mobility from 2006. We know therefore that there is a huge demand amongst global job seekers to find a job in a new country, however, with so much choice, it is not easy to decide which destination will be right for you. However, one location which we think serves as an excellent destination for international workers looking to relocate is the Netherlands. Yes, we believe...]]> Sat, 02 Mar 2013 22:41:44 +0100
In the fourth quarter of 2012, the amount of hours worked in stage A temp jobs was nearly 1 percent down on the third quarter. The number of hours worked in temp jobs also declined in the two preceding months. The index (2005=100) for the number of hours worked in stage A reached 110 in the fourth quarter. The figures are adjusted for seasonal variation.
Stage A includes people working for temp agencies on a contract basis without regular terms of employment. In stage A, it is easier for both...]]> Fri, 01 Mar 2013 14:56:59 +0100 This is probably not the first article that you have read that attempts to portray a country as a great place to live and build a career, and it won't be the last. But, without doubt, choosing to establish the next step of your international career in the Netherlands could be one of the best choices that you make in your life. This is a bold statement we know, and we can back it up, and justify exactly why a career in the Netherlands is so special.

Well, the first reason that we think a career...]]> Wed, 27 Feb 2013 23:17:48 +0100 Anyone wanting to (come to) work and live in the Netherlands, needs a valid passport or identity document. You must also have proof that you have access to Dutch medical insurance.

Do you need awork permit in the Netherlands?
If you have the nationality of a European Union (EU) country, the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, then of course you may work in the Netherlands. This is known as the freedom of movement of workers.

If you have Bulgarian or Romanian (the so called new-EU countries) nationalitiy the residence permit is not required,...]]> Wed, 27 Feb 2013 09:49:01 +0100 If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, turn to Together Abroad.
Together Abroad matches you up with companies or employment agencies. And vice versa. In addition, it offers information and expertise to those seeking a new start or change in career.
Don’t fall through the net. Get hired.
Check out all vacancies here...]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2013 23:05:03 +0100 Adjusted for seasonal variation, 101 thousand job vacancies were unfilled by the end of last year, i.e. a decrease by 7 thousand relative to the previous quarter. Figures released by Statistics Netherlands show that the number of vacant jobs has declined continually during the past eighteen months.
The number of vacant jobs is falling across all sectors. There were 3 thousand vacant jobs in the construction sector by the end of last year, a reduction by half relative...]]> Mon, 18 Feb 2013 17:01:34 +0100 Last year, 128 thousand people with a non-western background and 315 thousand native Dutch people were unemployed. According to the most recent figures released by Statistics Netherlands, unemployment has risen further in 2012.
On average, 15.5 percent of the non-western labour force in the Netherlands were unemployed last year, versus 13.1 percent in 2011. Unemployment in the native Dutch population increased from 4.2 to 5.0 percent over the same...]]> Tue, 12 Feb 2013 11:16:24 +0100
Shop assistant, shelf stacker and waitress are the most popular jobs among pupils and students. Boys most often work as shelf stackers in supermarkets, shop assistant is the most popular job among girls. Altogether, 871 thousand young pupils and students held small jobs to supplement their income in 2011.
Boys often work as shelf stackers
Shop assistant, shelf stacker and waiter/waitress are the most popular jobs among young people attending regular education. More than 68 thousand male pupils and students were working part-time as shelf stackers in supermarkets to earn an extra income in 2011; 36 thousand worked as shop...]]> Wed, 06 Feb 2013 14:20:57 +0100
The share of unemployment (WW) and income support benefit recipients has grown during the past half decade. The number of WW recipients has risen by 77 percent. The increase was relatively large in the Randstad region. With an increase of 20 percent over the period 2008–2012, the number of income support benefits rose less rapidly. Unlike WW benefits, the increase in income support benefits predominantly occurred outside the Randstad region.
Share WW benefits almost doubled in Randstad region
By the end of June last year, 277 thousand persons received unemployment benefits, i.e. 25 in every 1,000 people in the Netherlands...]]> Wed, 06 Feb 2013 14:01:27 +0100
The pay slip has been simplified by the ULB (Standardisation Wage Concept Act). The amount of information has been reduced and all the tax and premium amounts are calculated over one single amount. The main difference is that, compared to the current pay slip, employees no longer have to pay a contribution to the ZVW (Health Insurance Act). All these costs are now charged to the employer, which means that employees no longer have to pay taxes over this amount.

More clarity?
According to Dik van Leeuwerden, manager of the Knowledge Centre for Laws and Regulations of the ADP, ‘The...]]> Mon, 04 Feb 2013 11:56:16 +0100 Next Thursday, the 7th of February, the Careers day of Utrecht University will take place. In the morning there are three workshop rounds and in the afternoon will be a Careers Fair. Over 60 companies will be present on the 7th of February. There are several places left for the workshops, registrations will close this Sunday so be in time!
For more information and registration please check out the website: www.uu.nl/careersday  ...]]> Sat, 02 Feb 2013 09:22:37 +0100 Although there was a decrease of 9 per cent in the number of job openings compared to 2011, the last quarter showed small signs of growth. Yacht indicates the continuing crisis to be the main reason for this positive development. According to Yacht manager Erik Kolthof, the situation asks for businesses to alter their policies and in these proceedings financial managers are essential. As soon as these managers have done their...]]> Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:43:31 +0100 It concerns the right of employees to return to work after maternity leave or adoption leave. This was announced by the European Committee, the general management of the European Union, last Thursday. Brussels blames Dutch law for still not having any specific criteria concerning these workers and their protection. Since 2007, the committee has repetitively urged the Netherlands to conform the law to European legislation. After aforementioned types of leave, employees should be able to return to the...]]> Mon, 28 Jan 2013 18:50:10 +0100 As of January the income requirements have been revised effective as of 1 January 2013:

Highly skilled migrants from the age of 30 € 52.010,-
Highly skilled migrants younger than 30 € 38.141,-
Persons who have graduated in the Netherlands and the Highly Educated Migrants Scheme € 27.336,-
Holder of a Blue Card € 60.952,-

If the application for a Regular Provisional Residence Permit has been submitted before 1 January 2013, the income requirements of 2012 will still apply to applications for a residence permit submitted after 1 January 2013.

Employees who wish to come to work as Highly Skilled...]]> Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:49:34 +0100
The number of men working on a part-time basis is growing. Early 2001, 12 percent of men had part-time jobs versus 17 percent in the third quarter of 2012. The number of part-timers has increased notably among 15 to 25-year-old men.

In the third quarter of 2012, the employed labour force included over 4 million 15 to 25-year-old men. The majority of them (83 percent) were working on a full-time basis, i.e. 35 hours a week or more. However, the proportion of part-timers working 20 to 35 hours a week is increasing. Early 2001, 10...]]> Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:13:42 +0100
We know that the global employment situation is especially difficult at the moment due to the persistent global economic slowdown. This has created many areas within the world where jobs are scarce and, if you are in countries with high unemployment or limited career options, it can seem like you are in a career dead end, like it is the end of the world.

The truth is though that the world does not end at your country's border, it begins there, and if you go out and search this world, you will...]]> Thu, 24 Jan 2013 14:28:44 +0100 Sun, 20 Jan 2013 17:45:00 +0100

Employment Contract in the Netherlands
You can work for a Dutch employer with whom you have entered into an (temporary) employment contract. The employment contract in the Netherlands  includes conditions of the work you will be doing, your salary, the number of working hours, holiday allowance, and the number of leave days you are entitled to. Also other conditions in the Netherlands can be agreed upon such as: expense allowances for moving and commuting, pension provisions, etcetera. If you work for a Dutch employer in the Netherlands, you will in most cases be subject to Dutch taxation and...]]> Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:44:08 +0100 Research from the Global Talent Barometer tells us that more than 2 thirds of people are currently willing to work abroad, which is a 7% increase in global mobility from 2006. We know therefore that there is a huge demand amongst global job seekers to find a job in a new country, however, with so much choice, it is not easy to decide which destination will be right for you. However, one location which we think serves as an excellent destination for international workers looking to relocate is the Netherlands. Yes, we believe...]]> Wed, 09 Jan 2013 16:03:03 +0100
The Netherlands is increasingly host to foreigners as temporary agency workers. Many of these so-called flex migrants are assisted by the almost 90 ABU members that are active in this area. These members, which include both specialists and generalists, come together in ABU International. A platform that makes it clear that ABU members stand for quality and reliability also in the area of labour migration.

What does the ABU do?
The ABU puts efforts into the development of clear regulations, good accommodation, effective cooperation and strict enforcement. A few examples:
All ABU members are required to be...]]> Mon, 07 Jan 2013 15:46:02 +0100
Quality and security guaranteed
There are a great many private employment agencies that provide workers on a commercial basis in the Netherlands. Only some of these are affiliated with the ABU. An ABU member must satisfy strict quality requirements. For example in the areas of safety...]]> Mon, 07 Jan 2013 15:43:33 +0100 The Netherlands enforces a legal minimum wage. This is adjusted twice each year (on 1 January and 1 July). Every worker between the ages of 23 and 65 in employment enjoys at least the right to this minimum wage. Minimum youth wages apply to employees younger than 23. The minimum wage also applies to employees of a foreign company or temporary employment agency working in the Netherlands. You can find the current minimum wage amounts on the website: www.szw.nl (click on ‘English’ above right). The minimum wage is based on the total working hours applying in a...]]> Thu, 27 Dec 2012 12:06:36 +0100 Anyone wanting to (come to) work and live in the Netherlands, needs a valid passport or identity document. You must also have
proof that you have access to Dutch medical insurance.

Do you need a permit?
If you have the nationality of a European Union (EU) country, the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, then of course
you may work in the Netherlands. This is known as the freedom of movement of workers.

If you have Bulgarian or Romanian (the so called new-EU countries) nationalitiy the residence permit is not required, but you do still need...]]> Thu, 27 Dec 2012 12:03:12 +0100 the case of full-time employment, you are therefore entitled to 20 holiday days a year (4 x 5 working days a week).

Holiday days are accrued in the course of a year. If you have been working somewhere for less than a year, the number of holiday days to which you are entitled will be
calculated on a proportional basis. If you are working for 25...]]> Thu, 27 Dec 2012 11:38:34 +0100
The cover letter in the Netherlands is not necessarily an integral part of your job application in Holland. You can use the passage ‘Personal profile’ in your CV/ Resume to reflect your experience and objectives. If the companies requires a cover/ motivation letter it should refer to your present and future plans, showing your prospective employers what you want to do now and what you will do for them in the future. 
A cover letter Its goal is to introduce the CV/ Resume, to bring to attention aspects of your activity that can help your application and...]]> Fri, 21 Dec 2012 21:30:31 +0100 Mon, 17 Dec 2012 19:53:50 +0100
If you are one of these globally minded...]]> Mon, 17 Dec 2012 19:47:21 +0100
In the second quarter of this year, 108 thousand young people in the age category 15-25 were unemployed, an increase by 26 thousand from one year previously. The unemployment rate is particularly high among non-school going young people.

Unemployment grows more rapidly among non-school going young people

Six in every ten young unemployed attend some form of education. In the second quarter of this year, 64 thousand pupils in regular education were seeking jobs for twelve hours a week or more and were prepared to start shortly. This is an increase by nearly a quarter from one year previously. Unemployment...]]> Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:28:55 +0200 The Netherlands have one of the lowest rates of youth unemployment in Europe. Other countries, like the UK, have looked at the Netherlands in awe, trying to understand the secret of success.

Part of their success is rooted in their national culture: work hard, make money. “It is absolutely unacceptable to have our young people just sitting at home,” said the minister of employment Paul de Krom, quoted by the BBC in 2011. As a Dutch youngster, you are expected to start working as soon as you reach the legal age. Finding a 15-year old filling up the shelves of...]]> Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:12:01 +0200
Press release, 19 April 2012 15:00

Unemployment in the Netherlands  up by 2 thousand in March ,Youth unemployment noticeably higher than one year ago. Number of WW benefits down by 3 thousand in March ore unemployment benefits than twelve months ago.
According to the most recent figures released by Statistics Netherlands, seasonally adjusted unemployment rose marginally in March 2012 to 465 thousand, i.e. 5.9 percent of the labour force. Figures published by the Institute for Implementation of Employees’ Insurances (UWV) show that the number of unemployment (WW) benefits declined by 3 thousand to 296 thousand.

Youth unemployment  in The Netherlands growing...]]> Sat, 21 Apr 2012 08:23:06 +0200
NETHERLANDS UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

Unemployment Rate in Netherlands increased to 6,80 percent in November of 2012 from 6.00 percent in January of 2012. Unemployment Rate in Netherlands is reported by the Dutch Statistics Office. Historically, from 2003 until 2012, Netherlands Unemployment Rate averaged 5.4 Percent reaching an all time high of 7.0 Percent in February of 2005 and a record low of 3.4 Percent in August of 2008. In Netherlands, the unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force. This page includes a chart with historical data for Netherlands Unemployment Rate.

Unemployment Rate

The unemployment...]]> Wed, 12 Dec 2012 08:40:10 +0100
Unemployment in Groningen twice as high as in Zeeland
With 7.3 percent, Groningen had the highest percentage of unemployed last year, marginally above the 2010 level. Zeeland, again, had the lowest unemployment rate (3.7 percent) in 2011.

Lower rate in Limburg
The overall unemployment rate in the Dutch labour force was 5.4 percent in 2011, the same as in 2010. In the province of Limburg, the rate dropped markedly...]]> Sun, 04 Mar 2012 16:50:53 +0100
The composition of the employed labour force in the Netherlands has changed in the last ten years. It now comprises fewer employees with a permanent position, but more with flexible contracts and self-employed people.
Size of employed labour force fairly stable in last two years
The employed labour force in the Netherlands consisted of 350 thousand more people in the third quarter of 2012 than in the third quarter of 2002. Until the beginning of the recession at the end of 2008, the employed labour force grew by nearly 500 thousand people,...]]> Sat, 15 Dec 2012 13:18:06 +0100 If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, turn to Together Abroad Career Portal in the Netherlands.
Together Abroad matches you up with companies in the Netherlnads or recruitment agencies in the Netherlands. And vice versa. In addition, it offers information and expertise to those seeking a new start or change in career. Rewriting your resume/ CV Curriculum Vitae to the Ducth standard, interview training and careercoaching .

Don’t fall through the net. Get...]]> Sat, 15 Dec 2012 09:39:33 +0100

In our increasingly globalized world, job seekers are becoming more globally mobile than they have ever been. Yes, a recent survey by CERC tells us that 25% of workers from 24 countries surveyed would be 'very likely' to move abroad, which is up 6 points from 19% last year. So, it is clear that there is a huge pool of global talent who are willing to internationally relocate to the Netherlands for a job. However, in this highly competitive, global talent market-place international employers must have an appealing brand message if they are to attract and secure the services of...]]> Wed, 12 Dec 2012 22:49:45 +0100 And it can all go down the drain if you are not able to demonstrate all your potential, skills and expertise.
Together Abroad prepares you for your job interviews. How to answer the hardest questions right? How to show you are the right person for the job? How to prove your knowledge on the subject? Basically, how to get you to sign that contract?

Our one-on-one role play exercises and workshops will prepare you...]]> Wed, 12 Dec 2012 14:11:48 +0100
COVER LETTER IN HOLLAND
The cover letter is not necessarily an integral part of your job application in Holland. You can use the passage ‘Personal profile’ in your CV to reflect your experience and objectives....]]> Wed, 12 Dec 2012 14:15:34 +0100 RSS Job Feed Generator

If you go to http://www.togetherabroad.nl every day to search for new job listings our RSS jobfeed is a perfect tool for you.
RSS is a format used to publish frequently updated content such as jobs, blog entries, news headlines, and podcasts in a standardized format. An RSS document (which is called a "feed", "web feed", or "channel") contains either a summary of content such as the jobtitle and location or the full text.
RSS makes it possible for people to keep up with news, new jobs etc. in an automated...]]> Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:40:32 +0100

There are a number of channels how one can find work in the Netherlands.These jobs may be not even published at the companies careersites. Together Abroad gives workshops on regular basis on how to find a job in the Netherlands. For more information check our events calendar

Hidden jobs in the Netherlands:
Were can we find the hidden jobs in the Netherlands?
Due to the the crisis of 2009-2011 a lot of companies hire the professionals directly avoiding recruitment agencies and publication of vacancies on expensive jobboards.

Recruitment agencies in the Netherlands :
There are about 20 different recruitment agencies...]]> Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:23:59 +0100

According to the findings of the Heidrick and Struggles Global Talent Index The Netherlands is the 7th most open country in the world in terms of the inward and outward flow of talent. Yes, the survey showed that The Netherlands is very open to hiring foreign nationals to add diversity to its workforce. This makes The Netherlands a great destination for candidates from all over the world – be that the Americas, Asia, Africa or Australasia to start an international career.

So, there are many great reasons to come the Netherlands for work, which makes it a popular and competitive...]]> Mon, 10 Dec 2012 18:07:32 +0100
Find perfect jobs in the Netherlands!

Together Abroad is an international career portal. Here you can apply for multilingual or bilingual jobs & internships and find information about international education.
Start your new career in the Netherlands and search for the perfect job where Dutch is not necessarily a requirement!

Check all our multilingual opportunaties:

We also offer support to international individual employees in order to be successful on the employment market in the Netherlands.

Besides multilingual jobs & internships we offer:
Career coaching
Interview trainings
CV optimalisation and creating motivation letters
Workshops, clinics and seminars:
Get a job in the...]]> Mon, 10 Dec 2012 17:02:16 +0100

Unemployment benefit applications in the Netherlands
THE HAGUE – Benefit authority UWV has temporarily employed over 200 employees in order to process the steep increase in the number of applications for social welfare payment.
The UWV announced last Thursday that another 300 people have been employed in order to support job-seekers. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment has made a budget available for this end. “These ‘new’ employees are mostly UWV staff members who have been made redundant due to cutbacks” according to the organisation. The number of applications for social welfare payment rose by 18 per cent in the...]]> Thu, 15 Nov 2012 14:17:40 +0100
Thanks to a new app for mobile phones and tablets is should become easier to to report discrimination at work.
In fact discrimination is much more common than appears out of the resistered complaints and reports of discrimination. It is very importan to keep on registeresing such cases in order to to take action against discrimination.

Minister Leers (Immigration, Integration and Asylum), has launched the app last week. The application was developed on behalf of the National Trade Association of Anti-Discrimination Agencies (LBA). Leers gave a 14,000 euros grant to promote web banners, posters and cards and to make it...]]> Thu, 18 Oct 2012 11:01:39 +0200 This is the fourth quarter in succession that the number of job vacancies has decreased. The number of vacancies has not been this low since 2004. The decrease occurred across nearly sectors of the economy. In the care sector, financial institutions, education and agriculture the number of vacancies is stable.

Changes in the number of unfilled vacancies are the result of the number of new vacancies minus the number filled. In the second quarter of 2012, 179 thousand vacancies fell open, 31 thousand fewer than twelve months previously. In the first quarter the decrease in new vacancies was still 28...]]> Thu, 16 Aug 2012 20:24:32 +0200 AMSTERDAM – Nine out of ten Dutch businesses are not planning to hire new staff in the next three months.
This was shown by employment agency Manpower’s labour market barometer. Only a small number of businesses expects the number of employees to increase within their company. The managing director for marketing of the employment concern Haiko van der Pool stated, “After two years of slight positive to neutral employment expectations it is becoming clear that the Dutch labour market is looking at some precarious summer months”.
Source: Novum...]]> Fri, 15 Jun 2012 16:52:19 +0200 AMSTERDAM – More than half (55 percent) of all employees are trying to make a career switch due to the economical crisis.
About a third (30 percent) of all employees declare that they are considering a career switch should the opportunity occur. However, for 15 percent of employees, the economical crisis has no influence on their career. These numbers became apparent from global research under over 4600 visitors to the career portal Monster/Monsterboard.nl.

Differences between countries
The results show that employees in Europe, North America and Asia largely agree with one and other. More than half of all respondents in...]]> Thu, 03 May 2012 10:26:42 +0200 FNV (Federation Dutch Labour Movement) wants permanent contracts after one year

AMSTERDAM – Every employee should automatically be offered the right to a permanent contract after having worked for the same employer for a year, according to the FNV.
The trade union stated so last Wednesday preceding the hearing on flexible labour and security in the Dutch Lower Chamber. The FNV, who so far mainly focussed its efforts on employees working with permanent contracts, is now looking to improve the position of flex workers. Catelene Passchier, the labour conditions coordinator for the FNV, is very concerned about the increasing number...]]> Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:01:06 +0200
We leave our homeland in hope of a better live, a promise of a great future and persistence to make it abroad. Sometimes life throws us curveballs and doesn’t matter how much you would like to control your fate, we can only control how we react. Sacrifices. We all make them at crucial times of our lives. Some of us do it on a daily basis and the lucky ones can only read about it thanking god it isn’t them.

I always thought that leaving my country and moving to the Netherlands will make it easier for me to find...]]> Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:25:54 +0200 In addition, employers should not infringe employees who apply for parental leave. In order for the Netherlands to follow European guidelines, the government will adjust the working hours Act. Employees wishing to adjust their working hours will have to put in their request with their employer three months prior to their parental leave ending . The employer will have to decide on the matter no more than four weeks before the term ends. 
Source:NUzakelijk  ...]]> Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:04:48 +0200
After rounding up my studies and getting all the residence paperwork done, I approached the quest for work systematically, registering...]]> Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:59:25 +0100 AMSTERDAM – The European Union has plans to create jobs and encourage economic growth. This became clear from a document of the European Council, which was discussed during the Euro summit on Monday. This document is in the hands of Dow Jones Newswires.

Amongst other things, the EU is looking to combat youth unemployment and providing loans to small businesses by using unused EU funding. These funds could be used to combat unemployment by creating internships, training and education. According to the plans, EU member states which have the highest number of youth unemployment will be offered ‘large-scale support programmes...]]> Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:54:27 +0100