"Good growers from the Netherlands always in demand"

There is more than enough cultivation knowledge available in the

Netherlands and internationally there is always demand for Dutch cultivation knowledge. The work of recruiter Frans Neijenhuis of The Recruiting Specialist may seem almost simple due to this, but nothing is further from the truth. "We always aim for a 100% match, but in practice this isn't always realisable, unfortunately."

A grower of leafy vegetables in Australia, a transport planner for Italy and a production chef of tomatoes in Switzerland. These are just a few of the vacancies that Frans Neijenhuis and Marinus Geurtsen of The Recruiting Specialist try to fill. Almost three years ago he founded his own recruitment company with Marinus Geurtsen, specialised in fruit and vegetables, floriculture and transport and logistics. 

The Recruiting Specialist works both nationally and internationally. Neijenhuis notices that there is a lot of demand for good cultivators on the international market. "Tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers are common cultivations, but there are also new developments in which companies produce leafy vegetables using LED lighting in a closed factory, which they are looking for specialists in. And there is always good international demand for good growers from the Netherlands."
Is there enthusiasm from Dutch growers for this kind of work? In percentages not many Dutch growers want to move. There is more enthusiasm for three to five year projects." This is possible: then the Dutch growers with the Dutch know-how can work with the local people. "Within three to five years they have educated people enough so they are able to do most of it themselves."

There are less functions for cultivation specialists. "If they're there, it's usually Dutch companies that are internationally active. These people still go abroad on a project bases. This could be three weeks away and one week back or even shorter periods. They don't have to move abroad. But we have companies in the Netherlands who are looking for someone due to changes in personnel or in growth." TRS also regularly mediates in management and commercial jobs: sales leader, buyer for South America or seller for Scandinavia. Important for candidates who want a commercial job is having mastered languages. "If you can speak French, German or Spanish and have experience, it's certainly a advantage."

Neijenhuis himself has been active in personnel recruitment for around five years, 3 of which are with The Recruiting Specialist. If you were to hear him speak you would think the work was quite simple: there is demand and supply for cultivation knowledge and he phones around a bit. But this is not the reality, laughs Neijenhui. "Sometimes it's quite difficult to get the right person in place. We don't send through CV's with only half a match. We want a 80-90% match minimum to be as sure as possible that it fits." And even if the CV is right, there can be other hurdles. "Mentality is certainly very important. If you have someone who is very direct and the company is very familiar, it's not going to work. If there's no clock it won't work." If they manage to find a suitable person, it can lead to special moments. "Once we were doing a certain project in which we were stuck in work permits, but after a lot of calls and emails, we managed to figure it out," he says. "There were a lot of questions from both sides: the candidate has to stay motivated and so does the company. When this happens, it's a real kick."
The administrative arrangements are a challenge anyway. "At the moment, for instance, we are bringing a Romanian cultivation specialist to Switzerland and a Mexican who is coming to work for a British company in the Netherlands. It isn't always easy, but they are the best candidates for the jobs."

Ageing
In horticulture ageing is a topic and there is often talk of the shortage. "I notice little of it. We are also working with the universities and there is enough young blood there." It is also a topic of conversation among companies. "If the average age is high, they look for young blood to prevent the problem in ten years. They fill up from the bottom." It is positive that companies are working on it, but there is also a flip side. "Companies are sometimes afraid to hire people above fifty - but if you do that you know for certain that they are very loyal and that you will have them for fifteen years. Younger candidates, on the other hand, may be looking for a new challenge after a few years. This doesn't always happen, if the companies continue to offer people enough of a challenge, the chance is smaller that it will orientate itself. Sometimes I'd like to see companies choosing experience over age. Companies can certainly benefit from knowledge and experience." 

Fruit Logistica
Next week The Recruiting Specialist can be found at the Fruit Logistica, in hall 1.2, stall A-12. The company will be here for both employers and employees. "It was a very good fair for us last year, so we're looking forward to it. We made a lot of contacts at a fair like this, with people who don't yet have vacancies or plans for a new job. This could happen in the near future, and you already have your contacts for it."

For more information:
The Recruiting Specialist
De Houtakker 51
6681 CW Bemmel
+31 481 471152
www.therecruitingspecialist.nl.