The Value of Diversity
Hiring internationals and multilingual talent is more than a diversity objective, it is a business advantage. Teams with varied cultural backgrounds and language skills offer improved creative problem-solving, broadened perspectives and are able to better serve customers and partners in their own language.
In an ever more globalised commercial landscape, it is important to build bridges within teams, between organisations, and especially to connect talent with their next opportunity. That’s where Undutchables comes in. For the last three decades we have helped internationals and global companies find the right fit with each other.
The labour market is changing
Although at Undutchables we have seen the value of building international teams for many years, “internationalisation” has finally become a buzz word that is taking the market by storm. As companies operate more and more across borders, the importance of cultural fluency as a complement to technical skill has become increasingly obvious. Employers need people who can navigate multilingual teams, engage international customers, and help companies scale in diverse markets. That shift expands opportunities for multilingual job seekers and raises the strategic importance of recruitment that understands both local regulations and global talent flows. Evidence of this trend appears in the types of roles where internationals are most in demand (tech, logistics, finance, customer support, sales, and digital development), all sectors that now rely on global collaboration and customer reach.
Regional nuance: Opportunities beyond capital cities
Thanks to its central location, with easy access by sea, air and land, and open and English-fluent culture, the Netherlands has long established itself as an important international hub. While many people looking to relocate to the Netherlands are often inclined to start their search in Amsterdam, the rest of the country also has many opportunities for newcomers.
Regions outside of the big cities, such as Eindhoven and Maastricht, are also home to large international communities and job opportunities. This geographic spread matters for candidates seeking affordability and quality of life, and for employers looking to tap talent across regions. Each area has its own specific appeal as well as distinct types of companies and available positions. Getting to know the regional nuances can make a big difference in opening opportunities for job seekers and companies alike. Local experts and networks can help make this process easier and provide guidance to help match multilingual candidates with the right regional opportunities.
Diversity drives better outcomes
Wherever you find yourself in the Netherlands, multilingual opportunities are popping up more and more. And it is not just about the language skills. Diverse teams bring different perspectives, lived experiences and market knowledge to the table, and those differences translate into value for organisations and individuals alike. Teams with varied cultural backgrounds are often more creative in their problem solving, better at spotting blind spots, and quicker to adapt to new markets. People who have navigated relocating and adjusting to a new country can also add resilience when facing regulatory or cultural challenges. Below we look at how these strengths translate into practical advantages for employers and what they mean for job seekers building careers here.
Concrete advantages for employers
There are several clear, practical advantages for organisations who intentionally hire individuals with international experience:
- Customer and market access – Multilingual staff can engage clients in their language and adapt services to local cultural expectations, improving conversion and retention.
- Faster scaling into new markets – Employees with international experience know the markets and the market language which helps to shorten the learning curve when a company expands abroad.
- Stronger problem solving – Cognitive diversity improves creativity and decision-making because teams share and discuss a wider range of inputs. This boost to innovation and creativity help organisations to stay top of their game and gain advantages over competitors.
- Operational resilience – A distributed set of perspectives helps companies anticipate and respond to regulatory or cultural challenges across regions and be more successfully active on the global scale.
These advantages are not theoretical: organisations that purposefully source multilingual talent and account for cultural fit are better placed to hire people who stay and grow. This will lead to better retention, improved employee satisfaction, and ultimately, long-term success for the company and team members.
Practical considerations for successful international hiring
To realise the benefits of diverse teams and make good use of the multilingual talent available in the international market, employers should combine broad sourcing with thoughtful onboarding and company culture practices.
These tips can help you expand your recruitment strategy and find top talent in a global market:
- Look beyond skills: A person’s background and life experience can be just as valuable as technical knowledge or a list of specific hard skills.
- Lead by example: Committed leadership with a clear focus on inclusion sets the tone for the entire organisation.
- Create space for dialogue: Encourage teams to share perspectives and learn from each other.
- View diversity as a strategy: it is not a side issue, but a proven driver of innovation and growth, so include it in your strategy and adjust your recruitment process to help your company grow.
When employers put these practices into action, multilingual hires are more likely to find and participate in roles where they can contribute and grow.
What this means for job seekers
For job seekers, internationalisation broadens the range of meaningful roles available, but it also changes what employers look for. Beyond technical competence and specific degrees, employers also value clear communication, cultural curiosity and examples of your ability to achieve good results in a variety of situations. When taking a career step in a new market it is also important to remember that it is not just about the hard skills on your CV, but also about the soft skills you have developed.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that while opportunities across borders are opening up for you, along with brand-new chances to share your skills and knowledge, they are opening up for your competition as well. This means that you will need to find ways to stand out from a larger and more diverse group of candidates.
Following these few helpful tips can materially improve your chances of success:
- Target the right sectors and prepare well – Focus on industries and companies that regularly hire internationals to have the highest chance of success in landing an interview. Make sure you are ready to show off why you are the best person for the job by rehearsing, preparing questions, and being on time for your conversations with potential employers.
- Tailor your application – Don’t just send generic CVs and cover letters. Use keywords from the job description, keep your CV clean and concise (1–2 pages), and share your tasks and results in a way that leaves them wanting to know more. These steps help both applicant-tracking systems and busy recruiters find your fit faster.
- Use recruiters as partners – Get CV feedback, practice interviews, and ask recruiters for honest market insight. Their guidance along with their network often turns a good application into a successful job offer, so make sure to build relationships and not underestimate this resource.
These small adjustments can help turn overwhelming global potential into personal career success in your new country.
Building lasting bridges
International recruitment is not just a talent pipeline, it is a strategy for success and the key to staying future-proof. When organisations invest in recruiting and integrating multilingual, culturally fluent people, they gain access to new markets, better decision-making and more resilient teams. When international talent crosses borders new opportunities open up for individual and professional growth.
As the world becomes more interconnected, deliberately building and sustaining bridges between multilingual talent and international companies will help develop diverse teams that are ready to connect, create, and succeed. This shared success will help international hires settle, grow and contribute for the long term.
Where to start
Are you looking for multilingual talent or a local recruiter who understands the expat experience?
Undutchables specialises in helping internationally-minded businesses hire international talent. Since opening our doors in 1996, we have consistently matched our clients with their ideal multilingual candidates by taking a personal approach that focuses on the individual, not just the job description.
Our diverse team of internationals helps companies and job seekers connect, bridge cultural expectations, and build long-term collaborations. Over the past 30 years we have built up a wealth of market knowledge, a large multilingual candidate network, and strong regional connections across the Netherlands. This experience helps us truly partner with our clients to support in everything from compliance and onboarding, to DEI and, of course, sourcing global-ready talent. We combine real-world expat experience with recruitment expertise to help candidates find opportunities to grow and employers find the global talent they need.
Contact Undutchables today for a friendly, no-pressure conversation about what success looks like for your hire or your next role.