Workforce

"Dedication of our Dutch employees is a strong selling point for being here in the Netherlands."
Pascal Schoutsen, Sr. Client Development Manager, Sykes Enterprises, Inc.

The Netherlands' workforce is a key strength of its world-renowned logistics capabilities. Skilled, hardworking and extremely cooperative, it is the envy of Europe for efficiency and dedication in distributing your products to the rest of the EU.

In fact, there are more than 12,000 Dutch companies driving the Netherlands' highly evolved transport sector. Here are several important reasons why the Netherlands workforce works best.

Success in many languages

In Europe, it's essential to have at least three to four languages spoken within your distribution system. On average, Dutch employees have higher multilingual capabilities than their counterparts in surrounding countries. The Netherlands high for multilingualism. The literacy rate is 99% and English is practically the second language.  The majority of the Dutch population is also fluent in German and many in French.

Productivity and motivation

Dutch workers are recognized throughout Europe for their productivity and dependability. Their working attitude is considered excellent. They're constructive, hands-on, pragmatic, cooperative and proactive.

A model of efficiency and dedication, the Dutch workforce sets the pace for European productivity.

Very little time is lost to labor disputes or labor relations as compared with Europe as a whole.  Companies will also benefit from the small number of days lost to strikes and sick time.  Importantly, the Dutch worker is also recognized for his or her flexibility and adaptability when faced with new challenges.

Labor availability and flexibility

According to an Executive Opinion Survey conducted by IMD in 2010, the availability of skilled labor in the Netherlands outpaces many of its major competitors including France, Italy, Luxembourg, the UK and Spain.

Another key labor advantage is flexible contracts  which permit you to manage workload changes more easily, and respond faster to peak shipping situations. Temporary contracts are the norm. Minimum/maximum contracts let you and your labor force agree upon weekly hours worked. Temporary workers may be hired for up to one year or longer. You also have the option of participating in labor pools with other companies, sharing the same skilled employees, as demand requires.

The Netherlands is also better at attracting talented foreigners and developing highly qualified staff.

Cost of labor

Few places in Europe compare to the Netherlands for sheer volume of highly skilled, multilingual, business-savvy workers.  Salaries are competitive, too.

As indicated by the chart below, the Netherlands is extremely competitive compared to many other EU countries when it comes to overall labor costs.

When labor costs are examined by positions specific to a logistics operation, the Netherlands also tends, in most cases, to be less expensive than its major competitors. 

In addition to straight salary and benefits, the Netherlands is comparatively well positioned when it comes to other factors that impact an employer's costs.

For example, in terms of productivity, the Netherlands scores quite well.

Another measure of total cost for labor involves difficulty in hiring a new worker and the costs to fire a worker.