As another year draws to a close here at Venquis, our staffing solutions team across our client service offering and talent delivery functions have taken a moment to reflect on the markets they operate in. They’ve highlighted their successes and challenges – and offered their perspectives on the year ahead. In the final article of the year, we’ve asked the team to provide their insights and expertise on the technology industry – namely within the change transformation space – across the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Nordics and Germany.
What’s next for the Netherlands tech industry?
The change transformation projects we’ve seen coming out of the Netherlands this year have been nothing short of impressive. From our ongoing partnerships with both Kiwa and Transdev, alongside a wealth of other clients across the technology and financial services industries in the Netherlands, our teams have been busy continuously scoping the market, finding niche top talent, and working with our clients to shape exciting project ideas into reality. We sat down with Client Solutions Partner, Connor Hawkins and Fulfilment Centre Pod Lead, Sawan Pancholi to discuss managing costs and talent, and regulations for companies and workers.
Budgets are tight, and costs keep climbing
While there are innovative change transformation projects taking place across the Netherlands, the Dutch technology market is facing challenges. Inflation in the Netherlands continues to be a concern, pushing businesses to carefully manage and optimise their spending. At the same time, the rising cost of living in the Netherlands – and Europe more generally – has made it more expensive for businesses to attract and retain skilled professionals, adding pressure to already tight budgets.
Dutch talent wars are heating up!
Change transformation is big business, and the competition for top talent is fierce. According to Sawan, “It’s not just about hiring anymore.” The Dutch technology market – like technology markets across the globe – is learning that retaining talent is just as crucial. Employees in the Netherlands are prioritising flexibility, personal development, and workplace culture. Companies that meet these expectations are more likely to keep their teams engaged and motivated – and attract niche talent along the way.
Freelance wars in the Netherlands remain unclear
Changes to Dutch freelance regulations are still creating uncertainty for both businesses and freelancers. While some organisations are already taking steps to prepare, others are still figuring out their next move. The Venquis Candidate Care team have been working closely with Dutch contract workers to navigate these untested waters – if you are a Dutch freelancer, please reach out to the team, who will be happy to support.
“2025 will likely bring clearer guidelines,” says Connor. “But businesses in the Netherlands will need to stay agile to adapt.”
The regulatory countdown is on!
Deadlines for major regulations like DORA, CSRD and WTP are fast approaching. Meeting these requirements is a big challenge for Dutch businesses, especially with their budgets already under pressure. One of the main things we’re hearing from clients in the Dutch technology and change transformation space is: what’s the most effective way to stay compliant without overspending? Which means Connor and the client solutions team have been able to craft several strategies for our clients to remain top of mind for talent, while being mindful of their limited budgets.
What lies ahead for the Dutch tech and change transformation market?
2025 will be a balancing act for businesses in the Netherlands. While the road ahead has its challenges, we also anticipate an uptick in change transformation projects taking place for companies looking to innovate and adapt. From smarter hiring and retention strategies to creative solutions for regulatory compliance, the companies that embrace change will have a distinct competitive edge when attracting and retaining top talent.
If you’re a Dutch company in the technology market looking to kickstart – or amplify – your change transformation strategy, get in touch with the team today.
A shake up in our Nordics team has led to big wins!
The Nordics tech industry continues to solidify its position as a global tech leader in innovation and technology, with another remarkably successful year. Home to global tech giants, such as Spotify, Skype and Klarna, the Nordics is a change transformation hub. With government initiatives and a concerted focus on building culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, the number of successful startups and unicorns emerging highlights the huge potential in the region.
Like the Netherlands, despite having a strong talent pool, the region faces a persistent shortage of skilled tech talent – particularly in areas like AI, cybersecurity and cloud computing. Equally, the high cost of living in Nordic countries can make it challenging to attract and retain international talent – especially in other tech hubs, such as Spain, Portugal and Poland, for example, which boast much lower living expenses for tech professionals.
Despite these challenges, at Venquis it has been a breakthrough year for Team Nordics. An internal shake up saw Client Partner, Steve Eastman and Candidate Partner, Rhea Jobanputra take on a new challenge and have seen incredible progress!
Big wins for change transformation in Denmark
One of the standout moments for the Venquis team this year has been establishing a solid sales and delivery function for the Nordics region in Steve and Rhea. According to Rhea, “It always makes the job easier when you’re working with someone you align with – and without bias – Steve and I are quite good at that!”
We can’t help but agree. With Steve’s headstrong approach to success, and Rhea’s excellent candidate pool – and relationships she’s fostered since joining the team – their teamwork speaks for itself:
- The team successfully placed a Venquis contractor with a leading organisation in the pharmaceutical industry
- They are finalising terms with a major player in the financial services market
- We’re in closing discussions with one of Denmark’s largest telecommunications companies
- The manufacturing sector is also bustling, with several opportunities with well-known organisations taking place as we speak.
These wins not only highlight the strength of the partnerships that Steve and Rhea are making, but emphasises the momentum we’re carrying into 2025, and the exciting change transformation projects we’re seeing across Denmark and beyond!
Change transformation across the Nordics in 2025
As we look towards the next year, the Nordics tech industry is poised for continued growth. Once more driven by strong government support, a thriving startup ecosystem and change transformation projects across emerging technologies like AI, sustainability and the metaverse taking focus.
Global economic and geopolitical uncertainties could have an impact on the Nordic tech market – this could slow growth and increase economic volatility. As such, the competition for top tech talent will become even more fierce, as change transformation projects focused on AI and automation will continue to launch throughout 2025.
For Venquis’ Nordics team, 2025 is full of promise. We’ve laid strong foundations in Denmark, with exciting partnerships and opportunities ready to thrive. With Steve and Rhea leading the charge, we’re confident this is just the start of something big for Team Nordics.
The Nordics tech market requires a change transformation partner that can support them in accessing global tech talent and supporting them on their ambitious projects from start to finish. Luckily, at Venquis, we have plenty of experience. Tell us about your project today.
The future looks bright for Germany’s tech sector
As we’ve experienced throughout the years we’ve worked in Germany, the tech industry continues to experience significant growth. Its industrial base provides a solid foundation for technological innovation and change transformation projects.
The company has embraced Industry 4.0, focusing on the integration of advanced technologies like AI, IoT and robotics – a trend that has been felt by Team Germany. In 2024, our team have seen a significant shift away from transactional supplier relationships, to a more partnership approach. This has allowed our team to deliver larger pieces of work to clients – taking the bulk of heavy lifting away from internal teams – and build strong relationships with a solid client base.
“When the market swings downwards, relationships are key,” says Tom Fernandez Buckley, Associate Director DACH region. “Our approach has allowed us to have more long-term strategic conversations and helped us build better relationships. We’re really able to embed ourselves into our client’s recruitment lifecycle now. This understanding lends to our ability to deliver better quality, faster. That’s what we call being a true partner!”
Small to medium enterprises keen on change transformation
German businesses often have a risk-averse culture, which can sometimes hinder innovation and change transformation. Indeed, we’ve seen some of our larger clients press pause on the volume of projects we’re used to supporting them on. However, we have learned that small to medium size enterprises are more optimistic, and with an agile approach, and targeted efforts, Team Germany have been able to support a large number of businesses kick start their change transformation projects in areas like AI and machine learning.
The focus for 2025 will see our team building on the great platform and standards they’ve set in 2024.
“We’re doubling down what we’re best at,” says Tom. “Technology transformation talent, with a core focus on senior and leadership hire across Data & AI, software development lifecycles, and core change.”
For more information on how to kickstart your change transformation project in Germany, reach out to the team today and tell us what you’re looking for.
Technology and change transformation across Europe in 2025
The tech industry is increasingly competitive. As we’ve seen with all of our European hubs, including France – and of course, global tech hubs, such as the USA – there are a growing number of tech start-ups and unicorns emerging to tackle a wide range of innovations and solve problems for generations to come.
With tech trends we’ve seen in 2024 continuing to gain momentum, we can expect to see a continuation of the AI & machine learning trend, with a focus on:
- Advancements in generative AI – this ranges from creative content generation we see across social media and web content (images, text and even music) to drug discovery and personalised medicine
- AI-powered automation
- Ethical AI development – this is already a huge focus for our clients. Growing focus on developing and deploying AI ethically, will continue to gain momentum next year.
We can also expect to see advancements in Cloud Computing, the Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G deployment and 6G development. While these are just a few trends our clients are beginning to focus on, we know that technology moves at breakneck speed – which means we do too. Kickstart your next change transformation project with Venquis to ensure you have the best people to embark on the quality of innovation you need to succeed.
