Hiring employees in the Netherlands
If you are contemplating an expansion to the Netherlands for your business, you will probably need to recruit part of your workforce from within the country. This can be a complicated process, with strict labor laws and procedures in place.
Horizons’ expansion experts are here to support you through the complex Netherlands recruitment process and provide custom outsourcing solutions to handle your recruitment in the Netherlands so you don’t have to. With Horizons, you’ll have the ability to source, hire, and onboard the country’s best talent rapidly and compliantly, even if you don’t have an official Dutch entity.
Hire and pay talents
with Horizons in
180+ countries
Netherlands hiring guide
Explore some of the key information about Netherlands recruitment and how to hire the best talent to help with your Netherlands expansion.
How to find and hire employees in the Netherlands
The simplest and most widely used method of finding candidates for most businesses is to look online. Popular websites include Indeed and LinkedIn, but there are many options including some more specialized sites for particular industries.
One convenient thing about hiring in the Netherlands, and expanding there in general, is the high average level of English in the population. Relative to people in most other countries without English as an official language, the Dutch have exceptional English skills so communication should be straightforward even if nobody in your business speaks Dutch.
Discrimination laws in the Netherlands
As with the majority of countries in Europe and the Western world, the Netherlands has detailed and strict laws protecting workers and candidates from discrimination. For example, it is illegal to discriminate against potential employees based on race, age, gender, sexual orientation, and so on.
Additionally, employers cannot ask for background information, such as health status and criminal record information, unless it is directly relevant to the role.
It is vital that you adhere to all discrimination laws when hiring in the Netherlands, and failing to do so, or being accused of failing to, can result in serious legal issues. One way to ensure you follow the rules is to hire experienced consultants via a global PEO service such as Horizons.
Onboarding staff in the Netherlands
Employers in the Netherlands are mostly free to onboard employees in any way they see fit, so you should follow any method you deem most suitable. Generally, the most important thing is to help new workers feel comfortable by being clear about expectations, covering all terms and entitlements clearly in employment contracts, and offering an orientation period to help them understand the company culture.
Compliance for recruitment in the Netherlands
Whenever hiring employees in the Netherlands, it is crucial that you prepare and are compliant with all relevant employment laws. For example, the Netherlands has various regulations covering things like working hours, minimum wage, mandatory sick leave, and so on. For more details on these regulations, visit our Netherlands PEO page.
In addition to the standard employment regulations, you will need to take into account collective bargaining agreements that may be in place for specific industries and professions.
To ensure compliance with the Netherlands’ complicated employment laws and avoid legal disputes, it is always best to enlist the help of an employment lawyer or global PEO such as Horizons.
