Introduction

In this guide, we'll tell you everything you need to know about the Dutch market
and how to hire people for Dutch employment agencies effectively.

We will touch upon everything, including pairing up with the employment

agencies, how to find reliable and trustworthy agencies, what their role is, branch
organisations in the Netherlands, the paperwork and contracts needed,
international workforce rights, and some trivia about the Netherlands that you
may find helpful and that you can communicate to your candidates.

Lastly, we will present you with Hire Abroad—the best (and also free) international
recruitment platform—to help you tackle all of these things. Joining Hire Abroad
offers you multiple benefits such as safety, efficiency, and a guaranteed number
of vacancies, but later about that…

The guide is meant to help you understand the Dutch market better. More
importantly, we want to see you succeed financially and have a steady influx of
job opportunities, despite everything that is going on around Europe.
 Table of Contents

The Idea to Reality: Unlocking the Netherlands ✅ 1

Preparation Stage 1
Register Your Agency 1
Knowledge of English or Dutch 1
Explore the Market 2
Search Stage 2
Google: ‘Uitzendbureau Buitenlandse Arbeidskrachten’ 2
Find Agencies on LinkedIn 3
Representatives in Your Country 3
Networking Events 3
Business Stage 3
Be Open 4
Make Connections 4
Searching for Clients Isn’t Necessary on Hire Abroad 4

All You Need to Know About Employment Agencies 🏢 7

Temporary Employment Agencies and Their Role 7
The Role of Temporary Agencies 7
Mala Fide Agencies 8
How to Check if Employment Agencies Are Trustworthy? 9
The Dutch Business Register 9
How to Use the Handelsregister? 10
Have Meetings 11
Check Accommodation 11
SNF Certification 12
Certification Becomes Mandatory on January 1, 2025 12
Branch Organisations in the Netherlands 13
ABU 14
NBBU 14
Why Does This Matter? 14
Collective Labour Agreement for Temporary Workers 14
Job Security 15
Pension 15
 Lower Gap in Wages 15
Guaranteed Income for Labour Migrants 15

Paperwork in the Netherlands 📃 16

Types of Contracts 16
Contracts Workers Sign With Employment Agencies 17
Flexible Employment Contract 17
Fixed-Term Contract 17
An Open-Ended Contract 18
Dutch ID Number (BSN) 18
How Long Does It Take to Get a BSN? 18
Separate Working and Living Contracts 19

International Workers’ Rights in the Netherlands 🏭 20

Health and Safety 20
Protection Against Discrimination 21
Equal Opportunity and Pay 21
Time Off Work 21
Sickness 21
Waiting Days 22
Holidays 22
Contract Termination 22
ET Regeling 23
Worker’s Rights Summary 23

Useful Things to Know About the Netherlands 🌷 24

Accommodation 25
Chalets or House Complexes 25
Holiday Homes 25
Hotels 25
Mobile Homes 26
Other Accommodation Details 26
Transportation 26
Public Transport 27
Bicycles 28
Culture 28
Dutch Are Friendly but Love Their Personal Space 28
 No Sense of Hierarchy 28
Professionalism and Honesty Go a Long Way 29
Be Respectful 29
‘Let Op!’ 29

Make It Easy: Join Hire Abroad 👋 30

Conclusion 32
 The Idea to Reality: Unlocking the
Netherlands ✅
The Netherlands is an attractive country for recruitment companies scattered
around Europe, and the good news is that no matter your location, you can easily
connect with Dutch companies and start working.

However, you need to sort some things out before you start working together with
the Dutch employment companies.

Preparation Stage

We will divide the process into several stages, and the first one is the preparation
stage. These are the things you need to do before you start looking for
employment agencies in the first place.

Register Your Agency

No matter the size, you need to have a registered company in your country. If you
are still at the very beginning, you need to check the official government website
and see what is required to register your company.

You don’t need to register anything in the Netherlands, but the companies may
check your licence before working with you.

Knowledge of English or Dutch

To maintain constant communication with the employment agencies and

understand their demands, it is advisable to be able to speak Dutch or English.
This will make it much easier for your recruitment agency to close deals and
simply communicate with agencies in the Netherlands.

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This is something to keep in mind, and always have at least one or two people in
your recruitment agency who can speak English and be in touch with the
employment agencies.

Explore the Market

Like other Western countries, the people in the Netherlands are getting older, with
the birth rate getting lower. The average age in the Netherlands is 42.3. In other
words, the need for jobs in different industries will continue to grow, making the
future of recruitment bright.

Look for the different ads and employment agencies that offer job opportunities in
the Netherlands and what they seek. Speaking of blue-collar jobs, there is a need
for technical workers and workers in production, logistics, and agricultural feed,
and this is where the most vacancies will be. You can then determine where your
recruitment agency can help and connect with the employment agencies.

Exploring the market can help you filter out agencies later on, bringing us to the
next step—finding the right agencies to partner with.

Search Stage

There are several ways in which you can search for employment agencies in the
Netherlands, and we will offer you some easy things you can do.

Google: ‘Uitzendbureau Buitenlandse Arbeidskrachten’

This search term will give your recruitment agency quick access to the
employment agencies in the Netherlands that are looking for candidates from EU
countries. This is a great way to start your search and see which agencies you
can assist.

The agencies you find have vacancies on their websites, which you should
explore. If this aligns with your candidate database and you have workers who
can fill such positions, you can contact the agency and offer them your services.

2
Create a list of agencies that you find before you contact them and see what
each of them offers. Perhaps not every employment agency will be willing to work
with recruiters outside of the Netherlands, but they are usually open to
cooperation.

Find Agencies on LinkedIn

Another way to connect with agencies in the Netherlands is through LinkedIn. This
is an easy way to find new businesses and message them. See what kind of
employees they need, send them a proposal of your services, and try to establish
connections. You know the strengths and weaknesses of your agency and how to
pitch clients on LinkedIn, so we will leave this to you.

Representatives in Your Country

Some Dutch employment agencies have a company branch or a representative

in several countries around Europe, helping the agency find the best workers for
the available vacancies. Some countries where bigger Dutch companies work for
people include Spain, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, etc.

No matter where your recruitment agency is from, look for some representation in
your country because this is a great way to find new clients in the Netherlands.

Networking Events

Look for networking events and other types of online conferences related to
employment and recruitment. This can include employment fairs as well, where a
certain number of agencies will show up that you can connect with.

Business Stage

Once you find companies that might be interested in working with your
recruitment agency, it is time to pitch them. We will give you a few simple tips
here, and hopefully, this can help you connect with potential clients.

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Be Open

The Dutch don’t have strong corporate business etiquette, as may be the case in
the US. They are more informal, so the best way to win them over is to be natural
and open about your business without using cliche phrases, big words, etc.
Furthermore, they value their time, so be as direct as possible. There’s no need to
dance around the topic, because that will hurt you more than it will help you.

Make Connections

Entering the Dutch market may not be easy, but once you land your first clients, it
should get better from there. The Dutch agencies are willing to recommend your
recruitment business to their partners, especially if you are exquisite at what you
do.

Don’t hesitate to ask them for recommendations after working with them for some
time. Networking and word-of-mouth are the best ways to expand and get new
clients. It takes years to build a sound recruitment business with a stable income
stream, and this growth can’t happen overnight.

Searching for Clients Isn’t Necessary on Hire Abroad

As you can see, there’s a lot of work to access the Dutch market. But Hire Abroad
makes it easy for you. Whether or not you already have Dutch clients, you won't
have to waste time looking for employment agencies because we've already
picked the most reliable ones that have a steady flow of jobs.

We will talk about Hire Abroad later, but we just wanted to show you how different
the process is when you do it yourself and when you join Hire Abroad.

With Hire Abroad, all you have to do is focus on recruitment and collecting your
money. You will recruit people for the open positions available on Hire Abroad. If
your candidate gets the

4
job and starts working, the agency will send a report on the worker's hours, and
you will send the invoice.

Our Hire Abroad team will double-check if the received hours match the ones in
the database. The standard fee in the Dutch market ranges from 0.50 euros for
production and logistics workers to 1.00 euros for skilled people for approximately
1,040 hours (half a year).

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6
 All You Need to Know About Employment
Agencies 🏢
There are many employment agencies, and you should understand how they
operate and what they need to take care of to do their job legally in the
Netherlands.

Temporary Employment Agencies and Their Role

As a recruitment agency, you will not send candidates directly to employers but
to employment agencies. Employment agencies will be the legal employers for
the international workers you send to the Netherlands. They are responsible for
their salaries and accommodations, not the company the worker goes to.

Temporary employment agencies are quite popular in the Netherlands, and over
15% of people who arrive from other parts of Europe work for employment
agencies.

The Role of Temporary Agencies

Temporary agencies play a major role in employment all around the country.
Many Dutch companies hire employment agencies instead of having in-house
employment processes. The main reasons why employers do that are because
the agencies have the facilities for international workers, ranging from
accommodation to transportation, and they can better communicate with people
who arrive from foreign countries.

This also gives them flexibility to stop the employment, which is great for some
seasonal work. The workers are moved to another company by their employment
agencies, which are required to find them work if they are let go early. However,
with the shortage of workers in the last few years, employers rarely ended
contracts, and this is no longer the case.

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Having employment agencies scattered across the country is beneficial for
everyone. The companies outsource the employment process, and it is much
easier for the recruiters to send candidates because of everything the
employment agencies do, from taking care of salaries and accommodations to
transportation and contracts.

Mala Fide Agencies

In the Netherlands, employment agencies follow the laws and regulations, and
there are rarely problems with the agencies themselves. The Netherlands is one of
the best European countries regarding international worker rights.

With the large number of people coming from different parts of Europe to work in
the Netherlands, it is in the agencies’ interest to provide the best possible
conditions for everyone, especially regarding accommodation and
transportation.

Speaking of salaries, the minimum salary in the Netherlands is 1934 euros, and
usually, blue-collar workers you send will receive slightly more than this monthly
wage.

As you can see, it doesn’t pay off for employment agencies to do something
unlawful or conduct scams. It simply wouldn’t last on the market.

But the Netherlands hasn’t always been a safe haven for international workers
and a partner to wish for for recruitment agencies.

There’s a concept known as 'mala fide agencies.' These are the employment
agencies that would find cheap accommodation that they would rent for a large
amount of money to the candidates and profit from it.

Although such agencies are a thing of the past, we always recommend that
recruiters from different parts of Europe be cautious. Consider this concept if
things seem to get fishy during the negotiations. Also, the workers can report an
agency if they are mistreated to the Dutch labour inspection

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This is the perfect opportunity to introduce you to the following:

How to Check if Employment Agencies Are Trustworthy?

Before you partner up with an employment agency in the Netherlands, you must
first check if they are trustworthy. How can you easily check if the agency you are
talking to is legitimate without going to the Netherlands and meeting with their
representatives?

The Dutch Business Register

There are several laws that all Dutch employment agencies need to adhere to.
And it all starts with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber of
Commerce will be your friend in this task, and you can check out a lot of helpful
information about employment agencies on their website.

Their main tasks include:

● Managing the Dutch Business Register (Handelsregister)

● Providing information, advice, and support to Dutch businesses
● Promoting regional economic development
● Managing and developing online and offline Dutch business networks

Because the Chamber of Commerce is a public service provider that registers

and helps businesses, everyone can access company information.

The first thing you need to do before you start working with the employment
company is to check Handelsregister online.

In order to legally do business in the Netherlands, all Dutch companies, including

employment agencies, must be registered in the Handelsregister. Checking the
company in the Register will help you answer several questions, such as ‘Is the
agency operating in the Netherlands legally?’ or ‘Is the person I am talking to
authorised to sign contracts and represent the company legally?’

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If you ever get an answer justifying that an employment agency isn’t registered,
we recommend you not do business with them until they sort out the paperwork.

How to Use the Handelsregister?

As expected, the register is in Dutch, but unfortunately, there is no English option.

But using it is simple.

All you have to do is enter the name of the business you are looking for in the
frame underneath ‘Zoeken’ and press Enter. The Dutch company or companies
with that name will appear, and you can check their details.

We searched Rabobank, a famous bank in the Netherlands, just to show you what
it looks like:

‘Bestel nu’ means ‘Order Now’—the register allows you to purchase the data if
necessary.

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Not only can you search for businesses registered in the Netherlands here, but you
can also: find and order registrations of the owner, legal entity, (former) trade
names, head office, and ancillary locations; find and order annual financial
statements such as year reports and deposit history; view concern
relations/group structure; and get an overview of authorised signatories.

This website can also help you find agencies to connect with, as they are used as
the official yellow pages.

Have Meetings

Ideally, you will have several meetings with the employment companies where
you will talk about business and what you, as a recruiter, can offer them. But it is
also essential to learn what you will receive in return.

During those meetings, you can find out what you can expect from the
employment agencies and what your candidates can expect as well.

Check Accommodation

Another thing you can do is check the accommodation yourself. Some

recruitment agencies forget about the candidates the moment they find them a
job. To improve your business, get a better reputation, and make more money,
you'll need to work with agencies that help workers find good places to live. What
you don’t want to do is send people to the Netherlands and leave them stranded.

The best way to check on accommodations is to go to the Netherlands.

Unfortunately, this isn’t possible for many recruiters, primarily due to financial
reasons. Only some of the more prominent recruitment agencies can afford to go
and meet with the planning team, go to the accommodation units, and see how
everything looks.

Another option is to follow up with your candidates to hear about their experience
and ask them to send you photos and tell you how satisfied they are with
everything they’ve received, but you need to take this information with a grain of
salt because candidates aren't always realistic.

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SNF Certification
A quick way to check if the accommodation the employment agencies provide is
genuinely good is to look for the SNF certification.

Stichting Normering Flexwonen or SNF, ensures that every residence intended for
international workers fulfils the minimum requirements. The employment agency
with the SNF quality mark is secure, making it another tell-tale sign that the
agency you are

communicating with is doing everything possible to ensure the candidates'

comfort and safety.

According to the SNF requirements, the place of residence must include:

● 1 toilet and 1 bathroom for 8 people;

● Functional heating system inspected at least once every two years;
● A refrigerator with a capacity of 30 litres per person.
● 4 hotplates;
● Information booklets on first aid, fire, police, etc., in the mother tongue of
each resident in the house;
● A contact person available 24/7 that candidates can call in case of
emergency;
● Fire extinguisher, fire and smoke detectors, and a fire blanket;
● Stable internet connection
● The place of residence must be inspected by the responsible authorities at
least once a year;

Certification Becomes Mandatory on January 1, 2025

The Dutch government wants to stop abuses like underpayment and market
distortion, so starting on January 1, 2025, they will start to require certification.
What does this mean for employment agencies?

They will be checked all the time to make sure they pay the candidates at least
the minimum wage and meet the requirements for housing.

12
Starting in 2025, the employment agencies in the Netherlands will need to:

● have a certificate of conduct (VOG)

● pay a deposit of €100,000
● offer approved housing to foreign staff

If they lose their certification at any point, they will no longer be able to operate as
an employment agency.

Branch Organisations in the Netherlands

Employment agencies in the Netherlands join trade associations known as branch

organisations. The two most famous branch organisations are:

● ABU
● NBBU

We’ll write some basic information about both organisations and show how they
function and affect the Dutch labour market.

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ABU

Employment agencies or future employment agencies usually become members

of ABU at some point. ABU is short for Algemene Bond Uitzendondernemingen, and
it is the largest trade association of Dutch private employment agencies. The
organisation ensures the employment agencies play by the rules, adhere to the
collective labour agreement (which we will cover), and respect the workers' rights.

NBBU

The NBBU represents the interest of more than 1300 employment agencies, and it
has quite an influence on the labour market. The respected stakeholder shapes
innovations in the flex sectors, advises the SME members, and guarantees quality
across the board. Together with ABU, NBBU is one of the biggest representatives of
Dutch employment agencies.

Why Does This Matter?

This is another great way to check the legitimacy of an employment agency. See
if they are members of either the ABU or NBBU, and you can rest assured that the
agency does its job well.

Let’s see how this works in practice:

Collective Labour Agreement for Temporary Workers

From September 2020 to November 2021, the ABU and NBBU talked with the trade
unions FNV, CNV Vakmensen, and De Unie. These talks led to the Collective Labour
Agreement, which went into effect in January 2022.

During the talks, the Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands advised the
parties to figure out how to make permanent contracts the norm and reduce the
possibility of flexible work.

14
This agreement is one of the largest deals in recent years regarding international
workers who plan to get a job in the Netherlands. The outcome is positive, and
below, you can see everything that the agreement provides to the temporary
workers:

Job Security

● A worker's first temporary contract is reduced from a maximum of 78 to 52

weeks.
● The workers can work on a temporary contract for three years. If they
continue working, they must receive a permanent contract.

Pension

● Pension contributions are calculated over a broader base of income,

making it easier for agency workers to earn more money more quickly

Lower Gap in Wages

● The wage increase is guaranteed in the agreement to narrow the gap

between temporary and permanent staff
● This deal only reduces the gap, the signees agreed to work towards
equality with future deals and take the necessary steps throughout the
process.

Guaranteed Income for Labour Migrants

● Labour migrants receive income guarantees equal to the statutory

minimum wage for the first two months of work they receive through the
employment agency.
● After their work contract expires, labour migrants can stay in their homes
for four extra weeks before they leave.

Branch organisations give employment agencies security and ensure they don’t
misuse their position to earn money. This is for all the employment agencies that
are a part of ABU or NBBU.

15
 Paperwork in the Netherlands 📃
As a recruitment agency, you need to be familiar with the contracts that
candidates will have a chance to sign so that you can convey the right
information to them. However, the employment agency handles the paperwork,
so you will not have to worry too much about it.

Still, in this section, you can find everything about contracts and other important
documents for candidates.

Types of Contracts

First of all, we need to tell the difference between temporary and permanent
contracts that employers offer to their workers.

Permanent contracts are signed for an unspecified amount of time, while

temporary contracts are for a set amount of time. A worker with three consecutive
temporary contracts will receive a permanent one. This is also true if an employee
works for over three years on several temporary contracts.

Employers offer three types of stand-by contracts:

● a stand-by contract with a preliminary agreement

● a zero-hour contract
● a min-max contract.

Workers usually have the right to a contract for the average number of hours per
week after six months, but they have to ask for it.

After one year, an employer must offer workers a contract with a fixed number of
hours.

How does this compare when job seekers sign contracts with an employment
agency, not an employer?

16
Contracts Workers Sign With Employment Agencies

Employment agencies offer temporary contracts to workers that are a little

different from what employers offer. Thanks to the collective agreement we've
been talking about, the length of zero-hour and on-call contracts has been cut
from 78 weeks to 52 weeks. This gives everyone coming to the Netherlands more
job security.

It is important to let the candidates know that their contract is with the temp
agency and not with the employer. They will be in charge of arranging
transportation, accommodation and ensuring workers get enough working hours,
especially in the beginning.

Employment agencies offer three types of temporary employment contracts to

those who land a job, so let’s go through each of them.

Flexible Employment Contract

The contract workers usually sign when they land a job with the employment
agency is a flexible employment contract. This is the first contract that workers will
sign, and it lasts up to 52 weeks.

Once they sign the contract, your job as a recruitment agency is officially finished,
but there are some other details your candidates need to know. If they at any
point change their position or change the workplace entirely, it will not affect the
number of hours they spend doing the job.

The workers get an extra layer of security because if something unexpected

happens, their employment agency is responsible for finding another job. Also, the
workers can terminate a contract at any point.

Fixed-Term Contract

Workers who have already been in the Netherlands for more than 52 weeks and
worked for one agency will sign a fixed-term contract, which offers several

17
benefits. The fixed-term contract lets them leave their job and come back to it
within 26 weeks, which keeps the contract in place.

However, if the workers leave and do not return within that window, they must sign
a flexible contract again. After several fixed-term contracts and a period of three
years, workers will open the door to permanent contracts.

An Open-Ended Contract

An open-ended contract does not specify a time limit for the end of the job. If the
company you work for ends, the temporary employment agency will have to pay
your salary until it offers you a job with another company.

Dutch ID Number (BSN)

All the people that you send to work in the Netherlands will need to get the Dutch
ID Number, also known as the BSN, to start working there in the first place.

Every Dutch citizen has this number on their ID, driver’s licence and passport. The
people who do not have a Dutch passport receive papers separately.

Everyone in the Netherlands needs this number to work legally, pay taxes, open a
bank account, get a refund if necessary, and do other administrative things.

The candidates you send who sign a contract with the employment agency will
have this taken care of by the agency. Remind them that their ID or passport
needs to be valid when they travel to the Netherlands. Otherwise, they will not be
able to receive the BSN and start their job.

How Long Does It Take to Get a BSN?

This depends on the employment agency and the application process. Some
candidates receive their ID number the first day they start working, while others
wait for a few weeks. The waiting period will not stop people from working, but
they must pay higher taxes.

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However, they are free to apply for a refund later on based on waiting for the BSN,
and they will receive the extra money they paid back without any complications.
This is useful for all of your candidates to know so that they can prepare the
documents and simply have an idea of what their first days in the Netherlands will
look like.

The rest is up to the employment agency to help them out with, but it is always
beneficial to get some details before they start working for your recruitment
company. They will have support once they move to the Netherlands, regarding
the red tape. Still, they must distinguish between different contracts and
understand the common practices to relieve the stress associated with moving to
another country and working there.

Separate Working and Living Contracts

Another major change that improved the position of the working migrants was
the separation of contracts. Before, the employment agencies would give one
contract to people who worked in the Netherlands, which specified everything
about their job, accommodation, and transportation, also known as a 'package
deal.'

In other words, working migrants had accommodation secured as long as they

worked. However, the moment they stopped working, they were forced to leave
their homes. People who lost their jobs had to leave the house they were living in
immediately when they stopped working. Because of that, many people were
afraid to quit their job despite being dissatisfied, as they would lose a place to
stay.

The first step was made with a collective labour agreement that allowed workers
to stay for four more weeks after finishing work. But the separation of contracts
allows working migrants more independence and security. For example, quitting a
job will not leave them without a roof over their heads.

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 International Workers’ Rights in the
Netherlands 🏭

International workers' rights in the Netherlands are similar to Dutch residents'

rights. The Netherlands is really ahead in providing good working conditions for
everyone from other European countries through recruitment and employment
agencies.

Here are the most important rights that come with being an international worker in the
Netherlands.

Health and Safety

Regarding health and safety, international workers have many protections under
Dutch law.

Employment agencies must provide a safe place to work that is free from
discrimination and harassment. They must also make sure that their employees
get enough information about health risks at work and that they get a certain
amount of time off between shifts. All of these things are part of making sure that
workers are adequately protected.

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Protection Against Discrimination

International workers can also file a complaint if their employment contract is

broken or if they are treated unfairly because of their nationality or ethnicity.

This includes situations where they might be fired unfairly without a good reason
or process, have their pay cut without a good reason, or not be able to use their
paid vacation time.

In such cases, workers can take action through laws such as the Equal Treatment
Act (AWGB) or contact an independent labour union for legal advice on how best
to proceed with a case against an employer who has breached their contract or
violated employment laws.

Equal Opportunity and Pay

All workers who come from European countries have the right to equal
opportunity and pay. There is no distinction in salaries based on gender or other
discriminating factors. Usually, the employment agencies offer a salary that is
slightly above the minimum wage for all of the candidates that arrive through the
recruitment agencies.

Time Off Work

Every employee has the right to take some time off work due to sickness or to go
on a holiday.

Sickness

If employees get sick, the employment agencies will continue to pay the workers
at least 70% of their salary for the first two years. If the 70% pay drops the workers
below the minimum wage, they will receive the minimum wage instead, but the
employment agencies in the Netherlands (and employers in general) are willing
to pay more than 70%.

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Some arrangements can be made for the workers to receive 100% in the
beginning but less than 70% later in their term.

Waiting Days

The Dutch have the concept known as 'no-pay waiting days' (loonvrije
wachtdagen). These are the first one or two days of the employee’s sickness when
the employment agency or the employer isn’t obliged to pay wages.

The waiting days reset every four weeks, so if the employees fall sick within this
window, they will not have to go through the waiting period twice. Also, this is
specified in the contract the candidates will sign with the employment agencies.

Holidays

Just like sick days, all employees who start working through your recruitment
agency have the right to holiday leave. With all the calculations set and done, the
employees receive a minimum of 20 days in a year without national holidays.

Contract Termination

An employee is allowed to terminate the contract at any time. The contracts are
flexible for foreign workers, meaning they can terminate them without
repercussions. Whether they need a notice period depends on the employment
agency and the agreement they sign with your candidate.

The agreement can be divided into three phases: A, B, and C. For instance, the
employee can quit in phases A and B without notice, while they would need to
provide a notice in phase C.

The contracts are flexible on both sides, so the employment agencies can end the
contract at any time. This rarely happens unless a worker underperforms on a job
or doesn’t show up as agreed.

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One of the benefits of working for an employment agency is that the agency is
obliged to find a new position for the employee if the company they work for no
longer needs as many workers. The employees have a chance to work for
different businesses and see what suits them, which is important, especially if they
have no experience working abroad.

ET Regeling

To show that the Dutch government has international workers’ rights in mind, we
need to mention the ET scheme, or ‘ET regeling’. The workers who come to the
Netherlands via recruitment agencies and employment agencies already have a
lot of benefits such as lower rents, secured accommodation, steady employment,
etc.

However, they also have double costs, as they have to pay for their
accommodation in the Netherlands and at home, double travel expenses, and an
extra cost of living allowance. The tax office created the extraterritorial, or ET,
scheme with the Dutch recruitment and employment agencies.

All foreign workers who temporarily work in the Netherlands receive a tax-free
allowance for additional costs incurred on account of working outside their home
country. In other words, foreign workers pay lower taxes—you can think of this as a
tax benefit. It only applies to people who get jobs through a recruitment agency
and work for that agency, not for a normal employer.

With part of your salary being tax-free, you pay less income tax (loonheffing),
resulting in a higher net salary. The amount of ET regeling depends on the hours
employees collect, and it increases the more hours they work.

Worker’s Rights Summary

International workers' rights in the Netherlands are well protected, so employment

agencies and the companies where people work should strive to uphold them
whenever possible, not only because it is legally required but also because it is
the right thing to do.

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 Useful Things to Know About the
Netherlands 🌷

The better you understand the Dutch culture and way of life, the better you will be
able to respond to the requests of the employment agencies that need to find
that perfect candidate.

You'll also be able to talk to people who are looking for work and answer their
questions about working and living in the Netherlands.

It all comes down to the expectations of job seekers—your job as a recruiter isn’t
just to find them a job and send them abroad, but also to answer their questions
and dispel their doubts. By telling them the truth about the job and what to
expect, you will be able to find the best person for the job. This person will know
exactly what to expect when they get to the Netherlands.

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Accommodation

We’ve talked about the accommodation and the SNF requirements, but in this
section, we will address the types of accommodations workers can expect.
Employment agencies will provide employees with a place to live, and it is usually
one of the four following options:

1. Chalets or house complexes

2. Holiday homes
3. Hotels
4. Mobile homes

Chalets or House Complexes

Having a home is the best-case scenario for foreign workers. Usually, these are
larger homes located in quiet neighbourhoods, and not far from work. Chalets or
house complexes are for workers who come to the Netherlands for over six
months, but they need to be prepared to share the space with other workers from
different countries.

Holiday Homes

A decent number of employment agencies offer holiday homes. Usually, they are
located in parks and quiet parts of the city and can house 6–9 people. Just like it
is the case with homes, you cannot tell who your roommates will be while workers
come and go, just as you get used to a group of people.

Hotels

Hotels are another option where workers will be accommodated. Often, workers
who come to the Netherlands for a longer period of time are placed in hotels.
These aren’t large and fancy hotels, but they provide comfort and a lot of
activities for workers who don’t have to go far from their place of residence to
enjoy some leisure time.

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Mobile Homes

Mobile homes are also available through employment agencies for the people
you send to work. They are usually for people who come here for seasonal jobs
during the summer, but they’ve also been used for longer periods.

Other Accommodation Details

Although the employment agencies provide housing for workers, the employees
are the ones who need to cover the rental costs. However, this isn’t expensive, and
everyone must pay approximately €100 per week (the accommodation ranges
from €75 to €140). The rental price depends on the type of residence, and it
covers all the bills, utilities, internet, etc. The weekly fee will be deducted from
workers’ salaries each week, and they don’t have to pay anything in advance.
What you need to know is that the accommodation usually doesn’t belong to the
agencies but they get it from rental companies.

Choosing roommates isn’t usually possible unless your agency can send couples
and friends abroad to work on the same job. Some employment agencies ask for
couples or multiple workers to be sent simultaneously, but such offers aren’t
common. The more flexible your job seekers are, the easier it will be for them to
get a job.

Remember that there is a shortage of accommodation in several Netherlands

regions, and the accommodation the workers get may not always be ideal or
close to work. But in such cases, the employment agencies organise
transportation, which leads us to the next thing we want to address.

Transportation

It is up to the employment agency to organise transportation for all the workers;

they don’t have to worry about that. Except…

Biking is ingrained in Dutch culture, and there’s a possibility that the employees
receive a bike to get to and from work if the residence is close by.

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If your residence is further away, workers will probably travel by car with someone
who lives with you or nearby. The person who drives to work will be reimbursed
€0.19 for each kilometre. The other option is for an agency to organise a smaller
bus or van and pick up workers this way.

Either way, all international workers who arrive will have both accommodation
and transportation secured.

Public Transport

The Netherlands is a densely populated country but not a large one. It is common
for people to live in one province and work in another. With the employment
agency organising transportation for workers, they will not have to worry about
going to and from work.

But if they want to use the opportunity to explore and visit Dutch cities, the best
way to do it is with public transport. Public transportation is organised and
punctual. No matter where the workers are located, they will always have a bus or
other means of transport nearby.

Major Dutch cities are crammed and lack enough parking spaces, and to address
this problem, the authorities built large parking lots where people can park their
cars and use public transport from there. The parking ticket also includes rides
into the city.

All public transport in the Netherlands is called 'Openbaar Vervoer', or ‘OV,’ and to
get inside buses, trams, or ferries, workers need to get an OV chipcard. All they
have to do when they get it is top it off before use. The chipcard gives people
access to all forms of public transport, and they can get it at gas stations,
newsagents, and NS vending machines.

Buses, trams, and ferries are punctual, and to get around the country, it is best to
visit 9292.nl to plan all the trips. People can download it as an app and lower their
anxiety while travelling across the Netherlands. People can check at any time for
road works, changes in lines, and strikes and plan the trip accordingly.

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Bicycles

Bicycles are a big part of Dutch culture, and the workers you send will get bikes if
the distance to work is up to 10 km. For the distance of up to 20 km, workers may
get an electric bike instead of a car/minibus, but that depends on the agency.

There are a lot of places where people can lock up their bicycles, and there is a
possibility to take them inside trains (from 9:00 to 16:30 and after 18:00)—there are
special places where they can leave their bikes on the train. However, people
need to buy a ticket for it, which costs €7.50 and can be purchased on the NS app.

Culture

The culture in the Netherlands is different compared to the culture where you will
send your workers, and we just wanted to put forward some facts that you may
be unfamiliar with and that could help you understand the country and find better
candidates for the employment agencies.

Dutch Are Friendly but Love Their Personal Space

Dutch people are friendly and talkative, but they like to keep their distance and
have their personal space intact. They like to participate in conversations and are
willing to help you if everyone has a problem. For example, the Dutch are more like
the people in the Scandinavian countries than the Italians.

No Sense of Hierarchy

Naturally, hierarchies exist in Dutch companies, but international workers are often
surprised by how directly and openly people from the factory floor talk with the
people in top positions. The Dutch are very simple; they like to address others
directly without the pretence of politeness while maintaining high respect.

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Professionalism and Honesty Go a Long Way

It is important for people who come to the Netherlands to work to be professional

and honest. The same goes for your recruitment agency—you will get the rewards
if you remain professional and work hard. Punctuality is also something the Dutch
value in people.

One of the biggest differences between international and Dutch workers is that
the Dutch will talk to their supervisors when dissatisfied and nip the problem in the
bud. They aren’t hesitant to speak their mind, whereas foreign workers will usually
keep quiet until they cannot hold it any longer.

Be Respectful

The Dutch love to separate professional relationships from personal ones. While it
may be common for Eastern Europeans, for instance, to hang out with colleagues
from work after working hours, this isn’t something workers can expect to see a lot
of in the Netherlands.

Furthermore, Amsterdam and other cities are famous for their coffee shops, where
people can try a variety of products that are illegal in other countries, attracting
many tourists throughout the year. While this is known worldwide and may be
interesting to people visiting for the first time, the Dutch aren’t that eager to talk
about intoxication laws or alternative lifestyles.

‘Let Op!’

Bike lanes are everywhere in the Netherlands, and workers who come here are
unaware of them, especially at the beginning of their stay. When people hear the
phrase ‘Let op’ that means that they are in the bike lane and need to move.
Otherwise, a cyclist might run them over.

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 Make It Easy: Join Hire Abroad 👋
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If this sounds appealing to you, there are several ways in which you can contact
us and request to join Hire Abroad:

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We look forward to hearing from you and answering all of your questions!

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 Conclusion

Hopefully, you will find value in our guide for your recruitment agency.

There’s plenty of information that should help you enter the Dutch market and find
clients you can work with.

On the other hand, we’d be more than happy to hear from you and help you
reach your recruitment goals and increase your revenue. Join dozens of other
recruitment agencies and experience the power of our platform!

Happy recruiting!

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