It’s Never Been Cooler to Go Dutch

'Battle for talent'. Absolutely, we’ve all seen that headline, or versions of it. This is the reality, particularly for the creative industry. And if anything, that battle is only intensifying. We’re experiencing this first hand as we actively look to recruit more international talent to our creative agency alongside local talent. 

We’re the biggest creative agency in the Netherlands and we have certain expectations when recruiting talent to join our team. Above everything is matching on shared values of integrity, curiosity, collaboration, ambition, and a challenger mindset. In return we work very hard to nurture our talent through mentorship and training whilst providing career progression. We are very proud of our culture which is open and supportive. We continue to hire diversely whilst working to balance the ratio of women in leadership positions and within our creative departments which ultimately helps attract and retain a new generation of talent. 

Creative careers outside The Big Smoke

For young creatives looking for somewhere to build their career, Amsterdam is hard to resist. The city has already experienced a tech boom over recent years and the opportunities are endless for creative souls. The city has earned its reputation as Europe’s creative capital and rightfully so. There are countless creative companies and industries resulting in a phenomenal mix of Dutch and international minds that innovate and collaborate across a myriad of projects.

Meaningful work for global clients

We’re winning and running global brands at TBWA\NEBOKO including adidas, McDonald’s, Philips, The Vegetarian Butcher and more recently The Athlete’s Foot and ING. We develop strategy, creative and execute purposeful work right here in Amsterdam.

More and more international HQs moved to Amsterdam given the favourable tax breaks and benefits for companies and employees as well as the stability of the European Union. So, for talented creatives the work they crave has very much gone Dutch.

Be a growing fish in a perfectly proportioned pond

Amsterdam is perfectly balanced for career progression too. The city’s manageable size makes networking a breeze. You can easily flit between meetings, events and after-work socials, so people make connections IRL which is hugely valuable having moved away from the post-pandemic world of Zoom zombies.

Teams find Amsterdam’s chilled vibe sets it apart from bigger cities like London, Paris, Tokyo, or New York. And they love the lack of rivalry you often find in those more cut-throat creative hubs. The agencies here socialise together, so everyone knows each other. That means people who come to live and work in Amsterdam become part of an active creative community. There’s always something happening with a rich exchange of ideas. That sense of community is nurtured by the massive cultural scene which operates throughout the year. Amsterdam boasts art galleries galore, The Film Museum curates over 50,000 films and every imaginable genre, whilst The Next Web tech festival champions a digital reality and future possibilities and music venues like Paradiso provide a platform for new music discovery.

Company culture with empathy

Amsterdam’s intimate and relaxed vibes are mirrored in its work culture. And it’s the same for us at TBWA\NEBOKO. It’s less full-on than in other comms centres, more equal. In London, like many cities, companies are often hierarchical, but a flat structure is much more common here. So, creatives of all levels have their opinions respected and are part of a collaborative process. If you've ever felt lost in the machine, Amsterdam allows your voice to be heard, and offers a liberating career, where your imagination is rewarded.

This culture is implemented from the top-down: empathy from leadership and communication in companies like ours is putting our money where our mouth is. All this means we’re retaining people longer by providing them with incredible opportunities to develop and progress their careers. Whilst balancing the ever-increasing pressure of an economy that continues to place demands on all of us.

On our recruitment side, we’re hiring people at all levels from advertising epicentres around the world and we are delighted that Tom Broad, talent director has recently joined us from London to spearhead our talent recruitment and retention.

Injecting life into work-life balance

Here at TBWA\NEBOKO, we’re firm supporters of this city’s refreshing take on a better work-life balance. The culture here supports us all in keeping things on an even keel. Much more than bigger cities where work and commuting dominate your week. We’re part of a big city inside a small village. You can work on a global scale and enjoy a ‘small town’ quality of life. 

So, if you have what it takes to disrupt – see what’s on offer either here or reach out to Tom directly here.