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Zzp'ers working as store salesmen, childcare workers, teaching assistants, waiters or bartenders work in the Netherlands on average at the lowest hourly rates. They also have a relatively low scarcity indication, which predicts that the prospect of rate increases is limited. On the other hand, relatively few self-employed workers are active in these occupational groups, compared to the total of nearly 1.2 million. These insights were published in the Talent Monitor by HR service provider HeadFirst Group and labor market data specialist Intelligence Group.

Focus on labor market base

Enforcement of the DBA law recently received attention due to a report by the Court of Audit. The conclusion: the tax authorities are unable to combat false self-employment effectively. Marion van Happen, CEO HeadFirst Group: "The most acute problems with false self-employment occur at the base of the labor market, where hourly rates are low. We therefore look with interest at the MLT advice of the SER, which proposes to apply a 'legal presumption of employment' at a rate below the maximum daily wage (30,- to 35,- euros per hour)."

The Talent Monitor zooms in on this group of self-employed workers. It shows that painters and cleaners of construction works and construction workers of structural work have an average hourly rate of €30 or higher and are very scarce. They therefore have a rosy financial perspective in the labor market. Creative and performing artists are also scarce, although their average hourly rate is much lower at €23. Occupations that have a harder time include waiters and bar staff, domestic helpers and cleaners, childcare and teaching assistants and salespeople in stores. They work for an average hourly rate of €20 or less and the scarcity indicator is low. Relatively few self-employed workers are active in these occupational groups, totaling only a few tens of thousands. Hairdressers are an exception: we have more than 25,000 freelance hairdressers in the Netherlands, albeit working at an average hourly rate of €23.

Let entrepreneurs do business freely

In addition, the report shows that self-employed professionals with an hourly rate of €70 or higher are overrepresented in professional groups such as software and application developers and analysts, lawyers and doctors. Specialists in sports & fitness and traditional & alternative medicine are largely found in the €35 to €70 rate group. All are (very) scarce professions, which is generally reflected in rising rates.

Van Happen: "More than half of all self-employed people in the Netherlands have an hourly rate of €35 or higher. This large group of self-employed people who consciously choose to do business in freedom, have a strong negotiating position and are very satisfied with their working conditions should not be ignored. If the new cabinet focuses on appropriate measures for occupations with lower hourly rates, we can successfully move toward clarity for all self-employed workers and their clients."

The Talent Monitor "Zzp'ers: protect or set free?" is available for free download here.

Tomorrow afternoon, the Labor Market Policy Committee debate is scheduled. With 36 topics on the agenda, I expect a scattered debate, with a different focus for each party. Leading up to it, I am happy to share some insights regarding the zzp dossier and the current state of affairs.

For a long time it was quiet around the DBA law, but last week the corresponding enforcement moratorium received the necessary attention again due to a report by the Court of Audit. The conclusion was clear: the Tax Administration is currently unable to effectively combat false self-employment. The much-discussed outcome is expected to come up during the debate, in part because the PvdA earlier requested that State Secretary for Taxation and Fiscal Affairs Van Rij join the debate. The request could not count on a majority, but that the report is on the minds of politicians is clear.

Wet DBA affects the employment of professionals
Despite the continuing uncertainty regarding enforcement, replacement of the DBA Act and the further development of the web module, we see that the number of highly skilled zzp'ers (independent professionals) continues to increase. Professionals who consciously choose entrepreneurship and are usually hired by one client for a longer period of time (14 months on average) because of their knowledge and expertise. Detailed information that we have previously set out in the report 'De zzp'er bestaat wél wel', a must-read for politicians and policy makers concerned with the zzp-dossier.

At the same time, we observe a striking development among clients who hire independent professionals. They more often commit themselves - usually in good cooperation with intermediaries - to a maximum deployment period of two years, whether or not laid down in their hiring policy. Although the DBA law is not (yet) being enforced and there is as yet no clarity on an alternative plan, it can be said that the "law" is having an impact.

Focus enforcement on specific sectors
Enforcement of the DBA law in the higher segment of the labor market is undesirable. I therefore recommend focusing on sectors, where the percentage of vulnerable zzp'ers is high. Zzp'ers who work at low hourly rates, struggle to build up financial buffers and forced zzp-ship is more widespread. Although only 7% categorize themselves as "forced self-employment" (+/- 80,000 workers in the labor market), it is important that we fight this together and protect vulnerable workers.

Results of the web module pilot previously showed that in sectors such as construction, hospitality and transportation, the likelihood of "indication in employment" is highest. This sectoral approach is in line with the Belgian model with its Labor Relations Act. In our neighbors to the South, false self-employment is effectively combated by (1) clearer distinctions between employees and the self-employed and (2) stricter enforcement in sectors where the risk of underpayment and financial vulnerability is greatest.

The MLT opinion of the SER also provides more clarity regarding enforcement. A concrete example from this advice is the "legal presumption of employment" under the maximum daily wage of €30 to €35 per hour. This directive will promote enforceability and is also aimed at sectors where vulnerable self-employed workers would benefit from greater protection and certainty. The limited quantitative and qualitative capacity of the Tax and Customs Administration, as concluded in the report of the Court of Audit, can then be optimally utilized.

Nuance in the discussion
In summary, this report is yet another page in the self-employed chapter and so far it remains unclear what the next step is going to be in this dossier. I miss the nuance in the political-social debate about self-employed workers at the base of the labor market. The lion's share of the self-employed population consciously choose entrepreneurship and are very satisfied with their working conditions. Let's be mindful of this development, because we incredibly need all workers in times of tightness. HeadFirst Group is happy to think along with the next step.

Simone Groeneveld has been appointed Managing Director MSP services by HeadFirst Group, a market leader in HR services and platform for professionals. Simone joined Staffing Management Services, HeadFirst Group's primary Managed Service Provider, at the beginning of April. Under her leadership, Staffing MS will take the next step in its growth in the Benelux and beyond.

Simone Groeneveld has over twenty-five years of experience in HR services, both in MSP, RPO and staffing. For the last fifteen years she has held various management and executive positions, mainly with large international service providers, some of them from abroad. Simone on her new role: "There is a wonderful challenge to further develop MSP services - in combination with the total HeadFirst Group ecosystem of solutions. With respect and undiminished attention to the successfully built base of Staffing MS and current clients, we will continue to innovate towards Talent Solution Provider. I believe that setting up good processes, which we as MSP are already very good at, and careful talent management is a golden combination."

Next step in growth
HeadFirst Group already made changes at the top of the organization earlier this year with the arrival of Marion van Happen as CEO, giving Han Kolff room to focus even more on his role as chairman of the board. The growth strategy in Europe is his main pillar in this regard. In that light, the appointment of Simone Groeneveld is a logical step.

Marion van Happen: "With Simone we are bringing in a very experienced professional who is used to leading international and dynamic organizations. She knows what it is to roll up her sleeves - befitting the Rotterdam mentality of Staffing MS - and combines that with decisive leadership. At the hand of Simone - and with the inspired commitment of all colleagues - Staffing MS will take the next step of growth in the Benelux and the rest of Europe."

About HeadFirst Group
HeadFirst Group is a leading, international HR service provider and the largest platform for professionals in the Netherlands. The organization offers a diversity of HR solutions: Managed Service Providing, Recruitment Process Outsourcing, intermediary services (matchmaking, contracting) and HR consultancy. An average of sixteen thousand professionals work daily for over four hundred clients in Europe, with which HeadFirst Group realizes an annual turnover of over 1.6 billion euros. The main brands of HeadFirst Group are the intermediaries HeadFirst and Between, MSP service provider Staffing Management Services and RPO and recruitment specialist Sterksen.

HeadFirst Group, market leader in HR services and platform for professionals, appoints Marion van Happen as its new CEO effective February 1, 2022. Marion takes over the role from Han Kolff, who will focus on the company's international growth ambitions from his role as chairman of the board. Marion will be in charge of the group's activities in the Benelux.

Leading platform
HeadFirst Group has grown significantly in recent years to become the market leader in HR services in the Dutch labor market. The acquisitions of intermediary Between and recruitment specialist Sterksen in 2020 and 2021 have further strengthened HeadFirst Group's position as a full-service provider. HeadFirst Group's platform has recently been expanded with additional services for professionals and partners, including a learning & development platform and tailor-made financials services. For clients, the platform has been enriched with targeted talent pools and direct sourcing.

Marion, CEO: "I am greatly looking forward to this new challenge. First, my focus is on getting to know all colleagues and key relationships. Next, my focus is on the strategy for the coming years, which is unchanged: rolling out the tech roadmap, growing into a fully data-driven organization, offering next level services, becoming the leading platform in the Netherlands and realizing European expansion."

International growth
Han, Chairman of the Board said, "We are very pleased to have Marion join us. With her track record in our industry, she is ideally suited to further expand our position as a technology- and innovation-driven labor market platform. With her arrival, we as a board can focus even better on HeadFirst Group's expansion in Europe. We look forward to rolling out our growth strategy with Marion."

Marion has over twenty years of experience in HR services, staffing and recruitment in various commercial and management positions at home and abroad. Her last position was that of Chief Operating Officer at RGF Staffing the Netherlands, formerly known as USG People. Prior to that, Marion was general manager of Unique. She brings highly relevant expertise in digital transformation, innovation and operational performance management.

Han and Marion share news of changes to HeadFirst Group's leadership team in this video:

About HeadFirst Group
HeadFirst Group is a leading, international HR service provider and the largest platform for professionals in the Netherlands. The organization offers a diversity of HR solutions: Managed Service Providing, Recruitment Process Outsourcing, intermediary services (matchmaking, contracting) and HR consultancy. An average of fifteen thousand professionals work daily for over four hundred clients in Europe, with which HeadFirst Group realizes an annual turnover of over 1.5 billion euros. The main brands of HeadFirst Group are the intermediaries HeadFirst and Between, MSP service provider Staffing Management Services and RPO and recruitment specialist Sterksen.

Organizations have long been able to afford the luxury of filling the shortage of permanent employees with temporary, external professionals. Those days are over: even in the flexible labor market there is scarcity on all fronts. Hourly rates are rising fast: by 7% on average. This scarcity is forcing organizations to look at the entire labor force in an integral way. Recruiting, binding, motivating and developing the right talent is paramount. The form of contract is becoming less and less relevant. Thus, 2022 could well be the year when Total Talent Acquisition (TTA) actually takes off. Expert Alexander Crépin shared his vision on ZiPconomy.

Start with a living lab
One of the key challenges to getting started with Total Talent Acquisition (TTA) is setting up a single TTA process. How do you ensure that all open positions are picked up in a "one-stop shop" fashion and that the hiring and hiring processes are uniformed? However, the step from the as-is situation to this is huge. The advice: start small, start a living lab. This can be done using just two steps:

1. Start by handling all requests in one central location. You could call this the TTA Desk or the Inflow Service Point (ISP).
2. Then, in line with Agile thinking, engage in multidisciplinary learning with each other. This offers the opportunity to work pragmatically result-oriented, and thus the expertise of all stakeholders can be utilized step by step to achieve the intended TTA gains. For example, you can choose to start working within a certain department and/or with a certain type of roles first. Look together at how the two entry tracks can be arranged to fill the position in a customer-focused, efficient and effective way.

In the way outlined here, existingbest practicesof recruitment and external hiring can be brought together much more easily. It is also possible to experience, without too much risk, how best to implement TTA to optimize the inflow of talent. It also avoids having to invest directly in systems and tools, for example for integrations or switching to a new solution that better supports TTA. These are processes that are best started only when there is a good picture of the operational implications of TTA.

You can read the entire article by Alexander Crépin his hand at ZiPconomy

Wednesday, December 15, 2021, the long-awaited coalition agreement "Looking out for each other, looking forward to the future" was presented. For the labor market, the new administration has an important goal: reform to reduce burdens, improve social security and combat poverty. 'So that working pays, being an employer and entrepreneur remains attractive, our well-being increases and staff shortages in vital sectors can be met.' Han Kolff, CEO HeadFirst Group, responds to the proposed plans.

Rutte IV wants to invest €500 million annually to implement "a number of major reforms," guided by the principles of the Borstlap Commission and the MLT advice of the SER. Solid reports and largely good plans, but now the hard part begins: implementation. This also applies to the premise 'genuine self-employed people are supported and entrepreneurship is stimulated', which has not been further elaborated. I underscore the point of view wholeheartedly, but it depends on making the right choices. Translating words into action requires manpower, knowledge and a clear vision.

The current tightness in the labor market only compounds this challenge. Hastily implementing generic and ill-considered plans can have fatal consequences. We saw this with the introduction of the DBA law, when many independent professionals (zp'ers) experienced loss of income due to reluctant clients. Indeed, many self-employed people are still experiencing inconvenience: the lack of clarity has meant that more than half have found it more difficult to find a suitable assignment. This is on top of the self-employed, nearly 40 percent, whose assignments have been terminated prematurely by clients in recent years due to concerns and lack of clarity around legislation. We absolutely cannot use any further increase. We desperately need every professional group, in whatever form of contract, in the coming years.

Further development of web module
Despite criticism of the web module from industry associations and zzp-interest groups, the focus for the replacement of the DBA law is mainly on the further development of this questionnaire. To create both political and social support, a crucial step is for the Lower House to hold a substantive debate with Karien van Gennip and Marnix van Rij - ministers of Social Affairs and Finance and key players in this discussion - on the pilot results of the web module. The web module can provide certainty in advance, but it is essential that relevant officials at the department restart the conversation with field parties to critically review the underlying system of questions and make fundamental adjustments.

The outcome must not lead to reduced hiring of the self-employed, who are not in need of help and do not need protection against false self-employment. I emphasize this emphatically, because clients and intermediaries do not benefit from unrest and uncertainty either. For situations of intermediation, the web module is not ready, nor has there been a pilot phase. The intermediary industry is happy to help with the further development of a workable web module, so that we can prevent unrest and demand drop-out from self-employed workers.

Enforcement on employment relationships
To "combat false self-employment, there will be better public enforcement in the case of suspected employment". As we discussed in a roundtable discussion with FNV Zelfstandigen, ONL voor Ondernemers and TNO, enforcement on labor relations can have an important function for the balance on the labor market. Important to protect vulnerable and forced self-employed workers and offer security, at the same time we must keep an eye on the diversity of the self-employed population and give conscious self-employed entrepreneurs in the higher segment the freedom to do business. Start enforcement step by step in the sectors, where we know there are many vulnerable self-employed workers working at lower hourly rates. The SER opinion provides guidance for this and keeps the labor market above €35 open and workable.

Stay in conversation with field parties
I advise politicians to stay in conversation with industry associations, intermediaries and self-employed advocates. These are the specialists when it comes to connecting supply and demand in the fragmented and very tight labor market. As one of the parties guiding people from work to work and contributing to the sustainable employability of employed people, we are happy to do our part. In the coming years, we are happy to work and - more importantly - implement the plans to make serious work of the labor market of tomorrow.

'The self-employed person does not exist' is a cliché that has regularly recurred in the political-social debate in recent years. It indicates that the total group of more than one million self-employed persons without personnel is very diverse. This makes policy development difficult. To arrive at future-proof and implementable policies, facts and figures are crucial. Therefore, ZiPconomy, HeadFirst Group and ONL for Entrepreneurs presented the report 'The zzp'er wélél! Facts about the self-employed without staff'.

What facts and figures stand out? What are the conclusions in a nutshell. Hugo-Jan Ruts (founder and editor-in-chief of ZiPconomy) presented the most important insights. And what can or should these mean for the coalition agreement and policy of a new cabinet? In a round table discussion Frits Huffnagel (founder Castro Communicatie) discussed this with Irene van Hest (Sector Head FNV Zelfstandigen), Ronald Dekker (Labor Economist TNO), Han Kolff (CEO HeadFirst Group) and Hans Biesheuvel (Co-founder ONL.

Participants were invited to join online and actively participate in this by asking questions of the table guests and responding to statements and polls. Check back on the roundtable discussion below:

About the report
With the report 'The self-employed do exist. Facts about the self-employed without staff' - compiled by independent knowledge platform ZiPconomy - HeadFirst Group and ONL for Entrepreneurs present valuable facts, figures and insights about the self-employed. The goal: to map the heterogeneity and diversity of the target group and raise the public debate about the labor market to a higher level.

Flexible workers, more specifically self-employed workers and professionals employed by secondment agencies, are expected to become 7 percent more expensive on average in 2022. A highly educated professional can increase the hourly rate by an average of 5 percent. For the practically educated, the hourly rate will rise even more: 10 percent. This is according to a rate prediction model for 114 professions developed by labor market data specialist Intelligence Group, which it is presenting for the first time this year in cooperation with HR service provider HeadFirst Group.

Notable rate increases and decreases.
The largest increases are expected within practically trained occupational groups. Especially among machine mechanics (44.6%), plumbers and pipe fitters (36.7%), carpenters (32.6%), electricians and electronics mechanics (28.5%), assembly workers (28.5%), agricultural and forestry workers (25.8%), welders and sheet metal workers (24.8%) and truck drivers (23.9%) are reaping the benefits of the scarcity of their skills. Among highly skilled professionals, it is electrical engineers who can make or see the hourly rate rise the hardest (>20%), followed by managers in sales and marketing (15.3%) and ICT (14.3%). Database and network specialists and structural and nature engineers can also expect their rates to increase by at least 10 percent.

Only the practically educated occupational groups bus drivers and streetcar drivers see their rates under pressure, with a small decrease of 1.3 percent. For the highly educated, this is true of librarians and conservators (2.6 percent) and logistics managers (8.2 percent).

Han Kolff, CEO at HeadFirst Group: "It has been a long-held desire to bring predictive power to the hourly rates of hired professionals. This offers freelancers and secondment companies insight into their market position, equally clients can use the forecast to budget hiring costs for next year. A next step in the smart use of data in organizing flexible labor."

Vacancy rate of great influence
The rate forecasting model is based on nine factors, including the income development of freelancers, inflation, economic growth and vacancy rate. Geert-Jan Waasdorp, director and founder of Intelligence Group: "Rate increases are primarily explained by a constant year-on-year increase of 1.8 percent. Logically, inflation plays an important role in this, but the development of the vacancy rate - the number of vacancies per 1,000 jobs - also has an influence. As this decreases or increases and thus the market becomes tighter or wider compared to the previous year, the rate moves with it. These two factors largely explain the variance in the forecasting model."

The Talent Monitor 'Forecast rate development professionals 2022' is available for free download at hfgroup.headfirst.group.

About Intelligence Group
Intelligence Group is an International Data & Tech company in the field of labor market and recruitment data. Intelligence Group focuses on the collection, storage and enrichment of labor market related data for the purpose of improving the recruitment of personnel (or employees) by employers and the employability/labor market opportunities of employees. This data is made available to clients in a wide variety, via reports, dashboards and APIs.

About HeadFirst Group
HeadFirst Group is a leading, international HR service provider and the largest temporary employment platform for professionals in the Netherlands. The organization offers a diversity of HR solutions: Managed Service Providing, Recruitment Process Outsourcing, intermediary services (matchmaking, contracting) and HR consultancy. An average of fifteen thousand professionals work daily for over four hundred clients in Europe, with which HeadFirst Group realizes an annual turnover of over 1.5 billion euros. The main brands of HeadFirst Group are the intermediaries HeadFirst and Between, MSP service provider Staffing Management Services and RPO and recruitment specialist Sterksen.

An increase in rates is predicted in virtually all occupational groups for self-employed workers and professionals employed by secondment agencies. This emerges from a rate prediction model for 114 professions developed by labor market data specialist Intelligence Group, which it is presenting for the first time this year in cooperation with HR service provider HeadFirst Group. Han Kolff, CEO of HeadFirst Group, spoke about it with BNR.

Flexible staffing is expected to be about 7% more expensive next year, with appropriate differences within occupational groups. 'We expect the biggest increase on the practical side of the market, with an average increase of 10%. Where there are large shortages of skilled workers - such as plumbers, carpenters and assembly workers - hourly rates will even go up by >20%.'

Vacancy rate
'Because of scarcity, inflation trends and COVID-19, it is an exorbitant year to develop a forecasting model. These are very important trends,' Kolff says. 'The vacancy rate - the number of job openings per 1,000 employee jobs - is the biggest indicator that determines how rates develop. If year-on-year the number of vacancies increases, that's a sign of scarcity and you'll see rates adjusted accordingly. So you will sometimes have to pay a little more for sought-after professionals.'

More freedom
Kolff argues for more freedom in the labor market. 'Perhaps other legislation can provide more room on the flex market. Zzp'ers do not always have it easy. At the bottom of the market we must protect people well, so that they are not forced to work for too low a price. And for the top of the market, there must be freedom to do business. The market is blunted by legislation, because it leaves no room for further growth.'

According to Kolff, it is very interesting to see which occupations are going in which direction. 'But the distribution could be a lot better, people should be better guided from job to job. That's what we as the Netherlands must continue to focus on.'

About the report
A long-held wish has come true: to make hourly rates predictable. We do it in the Talent Monitor 'Forecast rate development professionals 2022'! The next step towards more datadriven hiring and a good hold for freelancers and secondment agents in the flex market who want to know what they are worth. In the report we make statements about the expected rate increase/decrease in 114 professional groups, with extra attention to 51 professional groups in which mostly highly educated professionals are active. The report is free to download from our hfgroup.headfirst.group website.

CEO Han Kolff in conversation with BNR - audio clip