Major Newsletter - September - The Netherlands

Goededag Nederland!

Welcome to the first edition of my Major newsletter, where I will present you with a monthly round-up of industry news and insights for The Netherlands. For those who don’t know me, I'm Lou, the Netherlands Business Manager for Major Players - Europe’s leading talent agency for creative, digital and marketing. I am always happy to chat to share market insights, discuss and advise on workplace trends or just have a casual natter! I am permanently relocating to Amsterdam on Friday 13th October (will be lucky for me!) with my visa finally approved and in hand + I will be running the Amsterdam marathon on Sunday 15th... so wish me luck and look out for me! Photos to follow in the October edition, watch this space...

Q3 insights... the power balance struggle continues...

The role of the workplace has evolved again over last 12 months and will continue to do so as businesses grapple with balancing market challenges, productivity, and employee expectations.

2021-2022 saw ‘the great resignation’ as the power balance shifted to the candidate seeking better remuneration packages during the post-pandemic hiring boom and where we witnessed businesses employing indulgent hiring strategies in their rush to attract and engage talent to carry out high volumes of work and maximise opportunities.

Subsequently in 2022-2023 we have witnessed ‘the great recalibration’ as the power shift moved away from workers into the hands of employers due to the tech slowdown and global economic instabilities and in this challenging time, following a period of regret of the aforementioned hiring boom, businesses have been able to determine the next phase in the world of working.

In Q3 2023 I have noticed businesses exercising huge amounts of caution, including much more meticulous hiring processes and a greater period of decision making. It’s also become apparent that some employers seem to have de-prioritised retaining valued employees. Beware of this however, as in a very recent poll I released to my Netherlands network, 42% of respondents said that poor communication and/or feeling undervalued would be the main reason for wanting to leave a job within the next 3 months... and as we approach a more optimistic market in Q1 / Q2 2024, clients should be re-focussing on their retention strategy lest the power balance shifts again!

It’s also worth noting that during this period where employees have noticed the balance shift move towards the employer, job seekers are also approaching the market with greater consideration and are placing greater importance on job security, focussing on how they can re-energise their current roles through upskilling and reskilling, or taking advantage of internal mobility opportunities... so I hope many employers will use this to their advantage!

My favourite campaign of the month...

‘Definitely something for you' campaign by HERC agency for LIDL Netherlands

https://www.thisisace.nl/en/news/lidl-herccampaign-definitely-something-for-you/

With a huge focus on employer brand with the aim of attracting younger, gen-z audiences and retaining top talent LIDL has partnered with HERC to create 3 short films which have been rolled out across OOH, social and in-stores. HERC really delivered on the brand storytelling here! This caught my eye as of course employee retention is a hot topic of mine at the moment!

Scale-up of the month...

BUTTERNUT BOX | B-CORP https://butternutbox.com/

A huge ‘round of a-paws’ to a fellow B-Corp and exciting brand to watch! Butternut Box is Europe’s largest fresh dog food provider, now being valued at over ￡500m having recently secured a huge (￡280m!) round of funding from private investors, news of which was released to the public in September 2023. Originally launched in the UK in 2016, Butternut box started its EU venture in 2021 with The Netherlands followed by wider BeNeLux regions and most recently Poland, based on the acquisition of PsiBufet in April 2023.

NEED ADDITIONAL MARKET INSIGHTS, HIRING SUPPORT OR JUST FANCY A CHAT? CALL ME DIRECTLY ON +44 207 845 7277

OR EMAIL ME : LOUISE [email protected]