ustainability less important for starters on the labour market o we feel like old normal’ is back

The labour market has been rapidly changing in recent times, and workers’ priorities are constantly shifting along with the context. The Covid crisis, hybrid working and current political and economic events have created a new panorama for the workforce, especially now that the number of vacancies is higher that the number of jobseekers. The apparent challenge for employers is to pay attention to the younger workforce’s shifting priorities, and to align them to their own recruiting strategies.

According to Dominique Hermans, CEO of Human Resource consultancy Randstad, the main priorities are a higher salaries and better work environment, outstripping other things like sustainability and how the job contributes to a better world. Hermans’ analysis points to a misalignment between what younger workers actually value most and what employers think their potential workers want. What Randstad concludes is that workers value salary and benefits firstly, work atmosphere secondly, and career opportunities in third place.

And those newer priorities are being missed by employers, who, according to Randstad, put the emphasis on sustainability and purpose in their job offers. In a tight labour market, where job supply is surpassing demand, especially in sectors like tech, IT, construction and production, it is very important to effectively attract and retain a younger workforce. It is clear that in the current labour market potential employees seem to have the upper hand in negotiating with employers, and it is up to the latter to become more attractive to young talent than the competition. For the second semester of 2021, it was calculated that for every 100 unemployed people in the Netherlands there were 106 open job positions available. For around 327,000 unemployed, Randstad has more than 400,000 open online vacancies, suggesting that jobseekers can be very critical about where they work. Labour data firm Intelligence Group reported that the supply of active job seekers has not been this low, and demand never this high in proportion, since it began measuring the market in 2003.

However, there is no absolute consensus on what starters on the labour market actually want, especially in regard to how their jobs might be meaningful to them and others. Career consultancy Qompas found that for 69% of surveyed students and labour market starters, it was somehow important or very important that their employer is “emphatically concerned with green initiatives and sustainability”, and thus the study advises recruiters and business to include information about sustainability initiatives on their websites. Furthermore, Qompas warns employers that an attractive financial picture is not by itself sufficient to attract and maintain young employers; instead, it is a sum of well-balanced and diverse proposals that have to be placed on the table.

It is important that employers not only attract young talent in the first place, but have the ability to keep them in their companies for longer after hiring. Sustainability in this sense means keeping employees engaged and motivated, especially in the current labour market, which is characterized by a higher degree of flexibility, since workers change jobs more easily. A meaningful job in several ways keeps the starting workforce more committed.

But this does not only apply to younger starters on the labour market. It is also important for part-timers, a group that is currently larger than the unemployed (500,000 in comparison to 300,000), who could be potentially attracted to work more hours if favourable conditions are met. The same applies to immigrant workers, both “knowledge migrants” and refugees who can fill positions with lower qualifications. In this sense, Dominique Hermans from Randstad supports plans by the European Commission to facilitate legal labour migration, to create a Smart Immigration Policy to help balance the labour market.

Ultimately, employers and recruiters need to focus on the mobile priorities of the diverse sectors of the potential workforce, not only to the most important points, but as a sum of characteristics that accomplish a fulfilling life as an employee. And this attention must extend to the generation that is now reaching the labour market, who could have very different job priorities in accordance with what the future may present to them.

Written by Juan Álvarez Umbarila

Visitors to bars and clubs around the Rembrandtplein in Amsterdam were clogging the streets, clouds of smoke appeared above the heads of the waiting masses, while the background sounded like a mix of techno, bass beats and carnival songs. What was happening in that busy corner was not much different from many other places in the country on the night of 25 February 2022, when the third stage of the three-part plan for reopening the Netherlands after to years of lockdowns and restrictions had arrived.

No more 1,5-meter distance rule, no more face masks in public spaces, no need for the Covid certificate system through QR codes and the CoronaCheck app; the hospitality, events and culture industries no longer had to close their doors at 10 pm and the mandatory quarantine for those arriving the country was scrapped.

But after years of getting used to constant restrictions to contain the pandemic, is everyone really able to feel as normal as before 2020? The year 2020 impacted everyone’s life around the globe, when what seemed to be a tragedy in Asia mercilessly extended, like wildfire, to the rest of the world. With death rates increasing by the minute and the health sector being overwhelmed, governments took action on the matter, as required in each country. One measure that seemed to date from centuries ago spread as fast and equally as the virus: quarantine.

Isolated, and with the inability to live in normal social settings, society’s pace quickly shifted. Celebrities venerated before were now attacked online, as their attempts to show solidarity with others revealed the deep inequality of the conditions in which people had to endure their lockdowns. So-called ‘conspiracy theorists’ emerged through social media, spreading theories like ‘Plandemy’ and causing rifts between people. Organizations like UN Women shed light on a problem on the rise: “Since the outbreak of Covid-19, emerging data and reports from those on the front lines have shown that all types of violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence, has intensified.”

Yet each individual reached for a sense of connection and belonging in new ways. The new TikTok platform was downloaded by ca. 113 million users worldwide in February 2020. Instagram accounts such as @tussenkunstenquarantaine quickly became popular virtual cultural spaces. Online shopping and food ordering became more and more common with services like Picnic Online Supermarkt seeing a huge increase in customers, while others, like Gorillas and Flinck for fast delivery, jumped on the delivery bandwagon.

“If you ask me, the old normal is no longer possible,” says Jorn Visser, a 25-year-old student from Utrecht: “Covid has brought a lot of misery but it has also forced us to be creative.” He cites his old job in the retail industry as an example: the store he was working in saw an increase in profit through online sales, while a decrease in actual traffic was happening. Many physical stores still offer online orders as well, and this won’t change back.

Visser also recalls that being a student during the lockdown felt like living a ‘caged’ life: “Sleeping, eating, training and studying in a small room gave me an empty and uninspiring feeling. New impressions, for example by going for a walk and having conversations to criticize your own ideas, are essential to not get stuck in your own thoughts.” He finishes by reaffirming that, even now that quarantines are no longer necessary, he gets constant reminders that the ‘old normal’ is not back: many 1,5-meter distance warnings have remained in public spaces. And of course, working from home has by now become completely normal.

RSH – short for Relocation Services Holland – has been in the business of relocating international employees to The Netherlands for nearly thirty years. Based in the Hague, the agency with a boutique approach, represents a broad variety of multinationals, small businesses as well as several non-profit organizations, offering destination services that include Immigration, Relocation and Housing Management.

RSH has been established in 1985 and is led by Veronique Haverhals, who has an extensive background in immigration law and real-estate. Together with her international team of professional relocation consultants specialized in realtor and housing , RSH ensures a high level of service. Over the years RSH has received many awards for its quality-driven approach, which is also reflected by the EuRA Quality seal and ISO 27001/9001 certifications.

As a ‘one-stop’ relocation and housing services provider, RSH offers its in-house expertise from the start to the finish of the relocation process. Support is offered to both international companies as well as individuals ranging from organizing work and resident permits, VISA and BSN applications, opening bank accounts, munici-pality registration, housing/accommodation search to finding schooling and local international communities for employees’ families. A broad approach, in which the RSH team - several of them have lived and worked abroad as well - is highly committed to helping international assignees to adjust to a new culture and country. RSH HQ is situated in The Netherlands and covers most of The Netherlands. The RSH client base consists of companies and multinationals operating in different industries, including IT, engineering/offshore, transportation & infrastructure, financial services and chemical industry. RSH also operates as a trusted partner for several non-profit organizations.

Immigration The RSH Immigration Law Practice provides strategic counsel and customized solutions to help international businesses deal efficiently and effectively with their cross-border workforce in the Netherlands.

Relocation From arrival to departure, RSH offers assistance in organizing and managing local regulations, insurances, taxes and setting up required registrations, among others. All that is needed to ensure a comfortable adjustment to a new culture and living.

Housing Management RSH experienced housing consultants provide customized home search services without the use of external realtors. From temporary accommodation to short/long stay properties. RSH also provides housing management services, including all legal and organizational aspects.

Curious to learn more about RSH and the services offered? Visit www.relocation-holland.nl or just give us a call via 0031 70 387 1715.

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