My goal is to find and match the right international talent with the needs of tech companies.

I started at Yes one and a half years ago. Initially, my focus was on the Dutch market, particularly in the eastern part of the Netherlands. Over time, my focus shifted to international tech professionals, which led to my current role as an International Recruitment Advisor.

When recruiting international talent for tech companies, I focus on finding tech professionals who match the specific requirements of a company and who are a good fit with its company culture. I avoid stereotypes and focus solely on the skills and experience of our tech professionals.

As an International Recruitment Advisor, my work begins with finding suitable tech professionals, primarily focusing on the international market — currently with a focus on South Africa. Once we’ve found a tech professional, we schedule an introductory meeting and prepare a summary of the conversation. I then present these tech professionals to our Business Managers, who introduce them to the client.

Some tech companies request that tech professionals be flown in, while others prefer online introductory meetings. This varies from case to case. In the meantime, I remain the main point of contact for tech professionals as an International Recruitment Advisor — answering questions and scheduling new introductory meetings. If tech professionals need to be flown in, I take care of all the necessary arrangements, such as applying for a Schengen visa, booking flights, hotel accommodations, and a taxi.

If tech professionals are not flown in, we proceed directly with the IND process (Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service), which often takes the most time. This includes registering the tech professionals with our partner and applying for the necessary visas, such as a residence permit and work permit. In the meantime, I make sure that all other documents they will need in the Netherlands are prepared and ready.

Once they are employed, I continue to serve as a point of contact for the tech professionals, answering questions and offering support with both practical matters and personal issues. This includes, for example, helping them find housing, arranging appointments with the municipality, purchasing a SIM card, and navigating the city. If needed, I accompany tech professionals to appointments, such as those at city hall. Once our tech professionals arrive in the Netherlands, I make sure they are picked up from Schiphol Airport, brought to their accommodation, and given the opportunity to settle in.

In my approach, I strive for diversity and inclusion by considering candidates broadly, regardless of gender, age, background, or nationality. I also build a personal relationship with each tech professional to give them the confidence to relocate to the Netherlands and to provide continuous support throughout the entire process.

To stay up to date with the latest developments in the sector, I follow tech companies and tech professionals on LinkedIn and collaborate with my colleagues to identify trends and needs. My goal is to find and match the right talent with the needs of our clients.

Our approach to relieving concerns for our clients primarily focuses on introducing South African expats. We consider this the first step in our process. In general, South Africans experience a lower threshold compared to, for example, Europeans, due to cultural similarities. Language plays a crucial role in this, as Afrikaans is closely related to Dutch. This allows South African professionals to integrate more quickly at the Dutch level, which often eases concerns for our clients. The main concern we hear from clients is the language barrier. That’s why we aim to reassure them that this is less of an issue than it may seem. While this remains a challenge at times, we do our best to address those doubts upfront.

When I think of a true “Yes moment,” it was successfully placing a tech professional who had applied through our website and was eventually hired by one of our clients. That moment confirmed for me that my efforts are gradually paying off — and that I can truly make a difference in the lives of techprofessionals.