In mid-2021, the Dutch economy was introduced to an unprecedented situation, a case that economists define as a “tight labour market.” We’re now in 2022, and the scene of the Dutch labour market hasn’t changed much since then. Meanwhile, the government attempted several solutions to ease the situation, one of which was to raise minimum wages to attract more people to wade into the job market waters. The way Jimble sees it, global mobility can be part of the solution for the Dutch labour market, and here’s why.
But What’s a “Tight Labour Market”?
Essentially, and in definition, a tight labour market occurs when there are more job vacancies on the market than there are unemployed individuals. While that sounds like a positive thing ( everyone has jobs, awesome) but in reality, having a tight labour market can add to inflation, which the Netherlands is already going through.
Did you know? By May 2022, there were 133 job vacancies in the Netherlands per 100 unemployed individuals. Yes, we were mind-blown too.
What Would Global Mobility Do?
Tilburg University labour market professor Ton Wilthagen already explored “recruiting workers from abroad” as a possible solution to the current tight labour market scene in the Netherlands.
That being said, Wilthagen also indicated that it’s an unlikely solution since it:
1. Takes time
2. There can be language barriers
3. It’s a temporary option
Those points are where Jimble would have to disagree. Our basis? What we do every day for hundreds of internationals. Here’s our why:
Hiring Global Talent Doesn’t Mean Massive Amounts of Time
At the end of the day, it all comes down to how streamlined the onboarding process is at the hiring company and how well-prepared the company is with its relocation packages. That’s why we reiterated (over, and over) the importance of having set relocation packages as it will save massive amounts of time in the long run.
Additionally, having a trusting relocation services provider such as Jimble (shameless plug) will only streamline the process further beyond the hiring contract point.
Tip Did you know that Jimble also offers services to those who are planning to move out of the Netherlands? We’re sad to see you go, but we would love to lend you a helping hand. You can contact us for more details on the departure package and more.
Hiring Global Talent ≠ Language Barrier
Not in the Netherlands at least! The EF English Proficiency Index places the Netherlands in the first position across the EU when it comes to the region’s overall English proficiency.
While some jobs require Dutch as a preferred skill, many careers are being offered that solely rely on English and no (or very basic Dutch) to get by. After all, the Netherlands accommodates expats and internationals daily, so having employees who speak the language of clients is of high priority, especially in major cities like Amsterdam.
Hiring Global Talent Can Be Long-term or Short-term Based
We have had clients who were relocated to the Netherlands for 3 or 6 months assignments in the past, although less common, short-term hire and relocation is not an abnormal notion. We’ve also had clients who spent a year in the Netherlands and then moved elsewhere, and those who have been here for years already.
There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to global mobility. Hiring managers are sometimes seeking to diversify their teams, others are looking for a specific talent pool, while some of the clients we’ve assisted were simply on what can best be described as an exchange program where a client is moved by the parent company to another headquarter at their request to explore and experience different places and cultures.
In conclusion, there are a lot of “myths”, if you will, that are connected to global mobility and relocation services in general. Misconceptions in connection to the cost of the process, and the difficulty of it, all of which overshadows its true benefits.
The truth of the matter is that global mobility came to exist as a solution to various problems within the hiring pool or local economies. This post was just one example of how Jimble sees global mobility as an answer to the current scene within the Dutch economy and labour market.
