The Netherlands, like many countries, is experiencing a dynamic shift in work culture. Our conversations with clients and candidates alike reflect a growing trend: employers are increasingly keen to coax employees back to regular, office based hours. But what does this mean for employees who have grown accustomed to the flexibility of working a remote job?

The Statistics

In 2021, 2 million people in the Netherlands ‘frequently’ worked remotely. Fast forward to 2023 and their number has dropped to 1.25 million. Additionally, employees who 'occasionally' worked from home rose from 3 million in 2021 to 3.75 million in 2023, confirming indications that hybrid arrangements that combine office and home-working are on the rise.

The Impact

The transition back to the office has led to tension between employers and employees. Some companies face increased turnover rates as employees seek alternative opportunities that ensure the flexible working arrangements they’ve come to value. As a result, employers are experiencing business disruption and incurring costs associated with the loss of established skilled workers. So, the question is whether the push to return to the office is truly worthwhile?

At EMEA Recruitment, we work with world-renowned businesses across various sectors, providing us a comprehensive understanding of current and emerging models for hybrid working. As a consultative business, we pride ourselves on educating our clients on how to best position themselves in the market to attract top talent.

If your business is grappling with changes to your hybrid working model/employee retention and satisfaction rates, or if you’re looking for heightened flexibility in your next career move, we are here to support you. Reach out to one of our dedicated team members and see how we can support you in your efforts.

When looking for a new role, should candidates focus on quality or quantity in the recruitment process? Sasha Gill, one of our Senior Consultants for Procurement, Supply Chain and Operations in Switzerland, explores which is paramount in a candidate-driven market…

The current recruitment market in Switzerland is candidate-driven. As a result, we are seeing an increase of job seekers being involved in multiple different recruitment processes simultaneously.

Being involved in multiple processes can be advantageous when building your personal network and for your own market-value mapping. In the current market, with recent cost-of-living increases, it is more important than ever for job seekers to benchmark their own salaries in the market. Partaking in multiple recruitment processes at the same time is one way to achieve this.

However, an argument can be made that being involved in several recruitment processes could be a disadvantage. Searching for your next career opportunity can be time consuming enough; having multiple, simultaneous processes may dilute your focus on each role and hinder your thorough research on each prospective employer.

We are keen to hear from our network whether you think quality or quantity is paramount in the recruitment process.

When it comes to searching for your next opportunity, is it quality or quantity that you aim for? Are you open to being in multiple recruitment processes at once, or do you prefer to focus your search on one opportunity at a time?

Get in touch with Sasha to let us know: [email protected]

If you’re interested in looking for a new role in Switzerland, Sasha focuses on Procurement, Supply Chain and Operations roles.

You can also take a look at the Finance & Accountancy positions we have available: https://www.emearecruitment.com/finance-and-accountancy

Or, if you’re a Human Resources professional, we may have a role available that interests you: https://www.emearecruitment.com/human-resources-

We understand how important networking is for Swiss Finance professionals.

EMEA Recruitment is proud to host virtual and in-person networking activities across Switzerland for Finance & Accountancy professionals.  

Having built a strong network of Finance professionals within Switzerland over almost 15 years, we enjoy every opportunity to meet both familiar faces and new individuals looking to expand their own relationships.

Those living and working in Switzerland will understand how valuable and beneficial networking opportunities are for career success. If you are looking to move to Switzerland, developing professional relationships and attending Swiss networking events can be helping ways to find new career opportunities.

In the past, it was common for Finance & Accountancy professionals to work at a local or regional business for the duration of their careers. Nowadays, with the impact of globalisation and evolving work environments, it is more common for professionals to work at multiple organisations, including multi-national companies.

If you are therefore looking for new opportunities more frequently, a strong professional network can help you find and secure the next step in your career.

One of the easiest places to start building your network is on LinkedIn. EMEA Recruitment is proud to connect Swiss Finance professionals through our dedicated group on the platform. If you are a senior Finance professional in Switzerland, you can request to join the group.

For in-person networking events, our Recruitment Consultants are always interested in meeting clients and candidates across multiple locations in Switzerland. If you’re interested in organising a coffee, dinner or more formal event, please contact John Bower, Director, in our Finance & Accountancy recruitment department, who will be happy to help: [email protected] 

One of the unique ways that we unite Swiss Finance professionals is through our partnership with IMA (Institute of Management Accountants). Alongside our career development resources, we are proud to host regular webinars and networking opportunities through our partnership.

We also offer Swiss Finance professionals the chance to receive a free trial membership with IMA.