As a Talent Acquisition manager you are responsible for the recruitment strategy. The nature of this process depends on the country or region you are located. In this series we will showcase this. Last time we talked about Belgium, but what does it look like in the Netherlands? Veronne van der Meijs (Randstad Groep Nederland) will tell you.
What does Talent Acquisition look like in the Netherlands?
“Talent Acquisition is in the Netherlands an important extension of HR in which she takes her own role as business partner. In the last years it has become clear that recruitment and talent acquisisition, in the whole area, has been described as a specialism to meet the demands of the candidates and to make sure that you get talent. Organisations with an Angelsaksian culture have not always made this step. Here you risk recruitment being seen as ‘cv shifter’ instead of the first important step in the employee journey and as advisor and partner of the business.”
What do you want as TA manager?
“I want to support the people and my organisatie in realising their true potential. Talent Acquisition is the first step to happiness at work. Like offering the optimal candidate experience, recruiting a new colleague and friend, everything is important for happiness at work. That what makes you happy, you don’t want to lose.
As manager of the department Talent Acquisition I am responsible, together with my team, for attracting new talent, to connect talent and cherish them by letting them grow. Our team consists of passionate Talent Acquisition, recruitment marketeers and employer branding specialists. They are the faces and experts in their field, online and offline, and because of that they are a steady business partner for managers and ceo’s of our strong brands Randstad, Tempo-Team en Yacht. They are marketeer and ambassador of our wonderful brands and with our top vacancies we know how to get the best talents. We’re also looking at the potential of current employees and how we can help them take the next step in their carreer.
We strive everyday to get happy candidates and hiring managers to get a sustainable match for both parties. We need to make a lasting impact because of the technological changes and the candidate market which can change everyday. We see these changes as opportunities. The question is: how do we deal with change? How can digital innovation help us do our job better? Because if you want it, you can do everything tomorrow, right?”
Which technology do you use and what do you want to use?
“Data about the labour market, assessments, good websites. In short: everything that has to do with finding and connecting candidates, external as well as internal. Everything I want as a TA manager is there. My biggest wish: a tool that can 3D print real goal getters, top talent and other impossible wishes of hiring managers with one press on the button. Just because it’s easy.”
About which subject would you like to know more?
“How is technology going to support us in the future? We believe that tech makes it possible to enrich and increase the human touch, certainly in a world that gets digital more and more. That’s is why we’re thinking about questions like: how can VR and AR help us to give that warm handshake at a distance? How can technology helps us show what will happen on the labour market? What is really going to change in the different jobs in job placement service? In brief: I would like to get a crystal ball. Do you have one?”
We’re afraid not, but who knows… What is your tip for other TA managers?
“Make the goal less important now and then. Look at the purpose of your department and organisation. Think about how this purpose suits the people who work on the department and look what the purpose of your organisation brings the candidate. Don’t focus on data only, but connect the most important elements with each other and always stay connected with the wishes of your candidates, your own team and the hiring managers.”
Background of TA Managers in the Netherlands
Based on data of The European Recruitment Dashboard we give an insight in the background of TA managers in the Netherlands. We looked at the ratio men/women, age, work experience and experience abroad.
