Greater success rate attracting international talent through new Dual Career Service
Now that the Twente labor market is tighter than ever, more and more companies are choosing to attract suitable candidates from inside and outside the EU. Expat Center Oost-Nederland (part of World Trade Center Twente) and The Chain Company offer companies an internationally proven successful career program to the traveling partners of the international employees, called the Dual Career Service. Unfortunately, they often get lonely in the Netherlands if they cannot find a suitable job themselves. The consequence for partners who move with them and are overlooked in their professional and social integration? ... The highly skilled migrant and his or her partner return to their mother country and the employer can once again look for an extremely scarce new employee..
WHO ARE THOSE KNOWLEDGE WORKERS?
Think of specialized software developers, software architects, specialists in the field of IoT (Internet of Things), university lecturers and other knowledge workers with a Master's, PhD or Postdoc title in technological fields in particular. Specialists that are extremely scarce in our country and are therefore increasingly being flown in. An excellent solution for companies that want to guarantee their continuity on the one hand and, on the other, want to grow further where this would otherwise not be possible.
'The specialists who are recruited often bring a partner or family with them, who
also have to get settled here. It regularly happens that when the partner can't
find a job here, he or she does not want to come to the Netherlands at all or
after arrival they become homesick anyway and the whole family leaves
after a while.'
Although the higly skilled migrant's job is the reason for (temporarily) leaving the familiar environment behind, the overall picture must be right: challenging job, nice house and living environment, good school for the children and thus a continuation of the partner's career. If the latter does not succeed, the person returns to the home country (as it has been shown that in many cases the partner of the highly skilled migrant determines whether they stay here) and thus the employer of the highly skilled migrant has another problem.
A job for the partner
In order to optimally support these people in building up an existence here in The Netherlands, Expat Center East Netherlands and The Chain Company started a unique cooperation so that also the partner can continue their career on their own level here. All highly skilled migrants who report to ECEN are facilitated in finding a suitable job for their partner, who can thus build up their own existence, develop professionally and therefore also gain more social independence.
UNIVERSITY TWENTE ACHIEVES SUCCESS WITH DUAL CAREERS
Under the name Dual Career Services, this international career program for the partners of knowledge workers is offered through the employers in the region. Through The Chain Company they follow a program in which they learn how to apply for a job in The Netherlands. For example, what are cultural issues you can avoid, what are the do's and don'ts in the Netherlands, which job boards are relevant for you. In short, how to get a job as quickly as possible with a company that recognizes your talent and knowledge, and where you turn your job into a serious career.
As an employer, the University of Twente has successfully offered these Dual Career Services for many years, to the partners of its academic staff.
Mette Strubbe, Policy Advisor Human Resources of the University of Twente: " A few years ago we designed the service together with The Chain Company in the context of a warm welcome in a professional onboarding trajectory for our employees and their partners. Families coming to the Netherlands for a job at UT go through a lot of changes and need to be well supported. If a partner of our employee also wants to work, it is important that we facilitate. Because The Chain Company has an excellent network and experience with this target group, in many cases we have succeeded in finding a job for the partner."
SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION
In short, recruiting people from outside the Netherlands is only a sustainable solution when the employer also thinks about facilitating the partners in finding a job in their field and level, in order to let them build an existence in the Netherlands as well. Feeling at home is very important and a critical success factor in employing knowledge workers. Both the Expat Center East Netherlands and The Chain Company have extensive experience in supporting companies that (want to) work with knowledge migrants. With this extra service the package becomes even more complete and the recruitment of international specialists more successful.
If you would like more information about Dual Career Services, please contact Expat Center East Netherlands ([email protected], www.ecen.nl, 074-2503325) or The Chain Company ([email protected], www.thechaincompany.nl, 074-2469210).