HeadFirst Group ranks second on the Flexmarkt Turnover Ranking Top-100 2022, the prestigious ranking of the hundred largest flex companies in the Netherlands based on their turnover in 2021. With revenues of over 1,547.0* billion euros, the HR service provider is even the FlexTopGrowers in the 'MSPs and intermediaries' segment.
Driven by an improving economy, the need for digitalization and further flexibilization of the labor market, the demand for professionals rose to great heights in 2021: HeadFirst Group received a record number of assignments (23,263) to match candidates. The organization managed to fill these successfully. A record number of 26,938 professionals worked through HeadFirst Group at some point in 2021.
Marion van Happen, CEO HeadFirst Group, explains, "2021 was a year of connecting people. This was mainly because our core business of connecting professionals with wonderful clients was running at full speed. The year was also marked by the integration of Between Staffing Group - acquired in late 2020 - and HeadFirst Group. In addition, we launched our partnership with recruitment specialist Sterksen. This move has made us a unique one-stop shop for Total Talent Management (TTM) solutions, offering a solution for every staffing need."
Creativity required by scarcity
Developments in 2021 have been demonstrably successful. Existing large master contracts were renewed with NS, CAK, the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, among others. In addition, several new European tendering procedures and tender processes were won with Action, Airbus, Alliander, the Financial Markets Authority (AFM) and the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA).
For these and hundreds of other clients, HeadFirst Group notices that all the sails have to be pulled, because it too is facing a challenging market with major shortages - permanent and flex - of personnel. Van Happen: "That's why we have to be more creative than ever and find talent in new places. For example, we recruit talent from abroad or from traditionally underrepresented talent pools. We also let professionals work for our clients completely remotely from another country and train professionals for positions that are and will remain scarce. We make every effort to make the best possible use of all available labor potential."
Leading international platform
Meanwhile, HeadFirst Group continues to focus on strengthening the foundation of the organization. "To improve the user experience of our online platform, we are developing a new front-end. We are also applying the Lean philosophy to streamline and simplify our processes, making them more attractive to our clients and employees. We have established a Growth Board to work on product innovation, with the primary focus on a new smart matching solution for the mid-market segment. All these steps will help us achieve our main goal: to be the leading international platform in the labor market by 2025," Van Happen concluded.
* In the Flexmarkt Turnover Ranking Top-100, HeadFirst Group shows a turnover of 1,627.0 billion euros. This is the turnover including a part of 2020, calculated because of the extended financial year of HFBG Holding B.V. The correct turnover of HeadFirst Group for 2021 is 1,547.0 billion euros.
About Flexmarkt Turnover Ranking Top-100
The Flexmarkt Turnover Ranking Top-100 is published annually by Flexmarkt in cooperation with Corporate Finance International (CFI). The Turnover Ranking provides an overview of flex companies, from small to large, with diverse forms of services in staffing and hiring. In addition to staffing agencies, it includes numerous payroll companies, as well as secondment companies, zzp intermediaries and MSP service providers. This leading ranking covers more than half of the total Dutch flex industry in terms of turnover and thus provides a clear, representative picture of developments in the market.