Future Place Leadership has analysed the drivers and barriers influencing international talent mobility across key global markets: Egypt, South Africa, Turkey, Brazil, India, Mexico, Italy, Great Britain, and Taiwan. The purpose was to develop a deeper understanding of how international talent perceives the Netherlands as a career destination. (A similar study has also been conducted for Sweden.).
Background
Future Place Leadership was invited to develop a proposal for a Netherlands Talent Index, delivered within our product portfolio as an International Talent Perception Study.
Commissioned in collaboration with the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy – responsible for attracting and retaining international talent – this initiative also engages the Netherlands Point of Entry (NPoE) and members of the Talent Coalition.
With labour shortages at historically high and structurally persistent levels – driven by demographic change and socio-economic transitions – there is an urgent need for deeper insight into how international STEM talent perceives living and working in the Netherlands.
Understanding these perceptions is critical to shaping effective, evidence-based Talent Attraction Management strategies aligned with national goals.
Key Questions
The study addresses fundamental questions within the Dutch talent ecosystem:
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Do international talents’ perceptions of the Netherlands align with their expectations of life and career opportunities?
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How does the Netherlands compare to other countries in terms of perceived quality of life and career prospects?
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Do talents choose destinations based on countries or regions?
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How do perceptions differ across STEM profiles and target groups?
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To what extent do stakeholder assumptions about the Netherlands’ attractiveness reflect reality—or misconceptions?
The solution
The outcomes of the Study answers the questions above and shed more light on potential discrepancies between own government and stakeholder assumptions and those held by the target group considering a move to another country to work and live. The methodology followed these 3 steps:
1. A questionnaire drafted to gauge perceptions regarding working and living in the Netherlands distributed to panels of 200 STEM talents in 8 (eight) different countries: Egypt, South-Africa, Turkey, Brazil, India, Mexico, Italy, Great-Britain, and, Taiwan. The target group was defined as: aged between 25-45 years, highly educated STEM talent, and employed in STEM sector
2. A raw dataset of anonymized answers of the ca. 1600 respondents
3. A report including to the point graphs, explanatory texts and recommendations.
Results
The findings of the report are currently being activated in the following way:
- Feed into a Talent Attraction Management strategy development and agenda setting;
- Translate appreciated features of a life-career in the Netherlands into optimised and/or customised propositions towards international STEM talent in general and subsegments of this group of professionals in particular. The sub-segments can either relate to nationality, skill-set (profession), household, age group and other variables
- Address assets that are being perceived ‘not too well’ by the respondents. These assets either need a better / other display or need improvements in terms of quality and/or quantity to meet the expectations of this target group;
- By comparing perceptions held by the STEM talents regarding NL versus other countries we may better understand our position in terms of rankings, know what best practices elsewhere we may learn from;
- By comparing perceptions held by internationals already in the Netherlands with those amongst the highly educated still abroad, we may better understand what pre-conceptions actually exist. Changing (false) preconceptions amongst the target audience abroad is one way to convert awareness into interest into action, or in recruitment terms: candidates into actual hires.
- Check assumptions ‘of the self’ (that is the organisations involved in talent attraction and retention at the national, regional and local level) as regards ‘ knowing your customer’ and the talent journey to the Netherlands as a career destination. Which of our own conceptions regarding ‘what the customer wants’ prove to be true, what others prove misconceptions?
- Feed into the discussion on Place Branding: what ‘Place’ should be most prominent in acquisition efforts abroad? The national or regional brand? At what stage in the talent journey might the regional brand become more relevant?
In summary
The Study gives a clear picture of perceived pleasures and pitfalls that exist in the minds of international STEM talent regarding the Netherlands. Perceptions are always real for the beholder. It is the clients’ task to influence perceptions to better serve the talent acquisition goals. The Study will increase awareness of our own bias and help to demystify misbeliefs we hold.
Who are these studies for?
- For government at national, regional and local level responsible for (the marketing of) a competitive business and residential climate with the aim to foster relocation decisions by both FDI and talent, in favour of their Place.
- For innovation districts to develop, deliver and optimize a proposition in alignment with the expectations of (lead)clients. Goal is to attract and/or retain businesses and talent for the district.
- For companies with an urgent demand for talent exploring international labour markets for talent acquisition and retention of internationals currently working in their organization.
- For educational and knowledge institutes to support their acquisition and retention activities aimed at international students.
- For employers in the public domain that consider attracting talent from abroad.
- For local service providers in real estate, healthcare, childcare, banking and the legal / immigration domain that would like to better understand the expectations of their (lead) clients.
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Contact & queries
Get in touch with us if you are interested in knowing more about the report and how we can help your region to get better at attracting talent.
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