A recent proposal in the Netherlands for a law against labor market discrimination did not receive approval in the Dutch Senate. But what does this law actually entail, and why did the Senate not agree to it?

What does the law against labor market discrimination entail?

The Law on Supervision of Equal Opportunities in Recruitment and Selection, officially known as this law, was recently passed by the House of Representatives with a large majority. This proposal aims to amend the Working Conditions Act (Arbowet) and the Allocation of Labor by Intermediaries Act (Waadi). The essence was to give the Inspectorate of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW) more control over how employers select employees, thereby promoting equal opportunities in the workplace.

Discrimination in the labor market mainly affects Dutch people with a migration background and older individuals. With this proposal, the government sought to ensure that discrimination in recruitment and selection is no longer tolerated. The government aimed to achieve this by obligating companies to be objective in the recruitment and selection of new personnel. This would be enforced through stricter control by the Inspectorate SZW and sanctions for violators. Furthermore, discriminatory requests must be reported to the Inspectorate SZW.

Why was the law rejected by the Senate?

Although labor market discrimination remains a prominent issue in the Netherlands, the Senate rejected this proposal on March 26, 2024. The rejection stemmed from concerns about its feasibility and enforcement. Some senators believed that the law imposed too many administrative burdens on employers and intermediaries. There were also doubts about the effectiveness of the proposed measures to combat discrimination. As a result, they decided to vote against the law.

It is uncertain if and when the Law against labor market discrimination will be reintroduced for reconsideration. It is expected that the debate on this topic will continue, and further developments will occur in the future.

Impact on the labor market

Social organizations, including Recruiters for Justice, strongly condemned the rejection of the law. They emphasized that discrimination in the labor market is a serious problem that urgently needs to be addressed. Politicians who voted in favor of the law expressed disappointment at the lack of support from their colleagues.

Despite the rejection of the law, there are still alternative solutions to address discrimination in the labor market. These include conducting campaigns, raising awareness, and implementing measures within companies to promote equal opportunities.

Due to the increase in digitization and the rising need for cybersecurity, the demand for ICT professionals continues to grow. Despite the rise in the number of IT professionals entering the job market, there has been a persistent shortage since 2018. How is it possible that the number of IT professionals keeps increasing while there is still a shortage of IT experts?

Number of IT professionals is on the rise

There are approximately 552,000 IT specialists active in the Netherlands. They work in various sectors, including government institutions, financial entities, healthcare, and IT companies. Remarkably, since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the number of employed IT experts has increased by 39%. Additionally, the number of IT professionals unemployed since 2018 has significantly decreased.

Rising demand for IT professionals

An increasing number of sectors rely on IT expertise. Due to advancing digitization and the growing threat of cyberattacks, the demand for IT professionals is expected to continue growing in the coming years. Especially the demand for software developers and security experts shows an upward trend.

Consequences of the shortage of IT professionals

The demand for IT specialists is still growing faster than the number of employed IT professionals. There has been a shortage of IT experts for more than 5 years now. This scarcity is a major concern for employers. According to ING Research, over 44% of them consider the lack of personnel as an impediment to business growth.

Shortage of professionals forces employers to think differently

Employers are primarily seeking highly qualified candidates with up-to-date IT knowledge who are willing to work full-time. However, such candidates are difficult to find. Applicants often lack sufficient expertise or relevant work experience. Many IT vacancies have a specialized nature, causing even recent graduates to not meet employers’ requirements. Employers must therefore adjust their criteria more frequently.

With the shortage of experienced specialists, employers have an opportunity to attract and train entry-level IT professionals internally. The advantage of this young generation is their awareness of the latest developments and their ability to quickly master technical challenges.

Need personalized advice?

Are you an employer looking for IT professionals but also experiencing the drawbacks of the market shortage? Get advice from one of our Business Managers. Each of them specializes in their own field and can tell you all about the latest developments in the job market. This will give you, as an employer, a realistic view of the market and increase your chances of finding the right professional.

In the third episode of the G-Nius Podcast, Michael sits down with Douglas Huissen, the founder of SalesStep. Together, they discuss how you can optimize your sales team. Where are you now, where do you want to go, and what do you need to get there?

SalesStep is an assessment tool that helps you identify the qualities and development potential of sales individuals and teams. With this data, you can pinpoint opportunities for optimizing the sales department.

The question “How important is the balance within a team?” quickly comes up. Douglas uses the beautiful metaphor of sales and sports: “Compare your sales team to a soccer team, with 11 Ronaldos, you won’t win the Champions League. We ensure that we have the right players in all positions to become champions.”

The following questions are also addressed:

Listen to the full episode below:

In the next episode, Michael will be discussing different generations in the workplace with Viona Terleth. How do you build bridges between these generations? And how do you strengthen collaboration among them for a healthy dynamic?

Curious about all the episodes of our podcast? Subscribe to our YouTube or Spotify channel.

In the first episode of our podcast, Michael is joined by brand builder Denise Klootwijk. They discuss the benefits of branding and how to build a strong personal brand.

Denise Klootwijk is a brand builder who knows everything about branding. She describes herself as “a strategic thinker with the mentality of a Rotterdam dockworker. Incredibly enthusiastic, highly skilled, and with a raw edge.”

Through her branding agency, Buro Bruut, she helps entrepreneurs build strong brands.

During this episode, Michael and Denise discuss why it’s important to build a strong brand, both for yourself and for your business.

Topics covered include:

📌 Mission and vision
📌 Brand storytelling
📌 Difference between branding and personal branding
📌 The essence of your personal brand

Watch the full episode below. The podcast is in Dutch.

In Episode 2, we will be talking to Sam van der Steen. Sam is a culture builder who helps entrepreneurs build strong company cultures.

If you’re curious about all the episodes of our podcast, subscribe to our YouTube or Spotify channel. Our epdisodes are in Dutch. If you would like more information about this topic feel free to contact us.

The labor figures for the third quarter of 2020 show a decrease in the number of IT job vacancies during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the shortage of IT professionals in the market has remained unchanged. Talent continues to be scarce. According to research by Intelligence Group, 14% of the most scarce positions in the job market are IT-related roles.

It appears that the number of open IT job vacancies has decreased due to the pandemic. However, Intelligence Group indicates that the declining trend seems to be stabilizing. Despite the reduced demand for IT professionals, there is still a clear shortage in the IT sector job market. IT professionals remain highly sought after.

The following are the most scarce IT roles at the moment:

• Network and system technicians
• ICT managers
• System administrators
• Application programmers
• Database and network specialists

Source: Intelligence Group

Currently, application programmers are the scarcest, but their scarcity does not seem to be increasing. For an active job-seeking application programmer, there are, on average, 19 open vacancies. For the other IT roles in the top 5, the scarcity does (slightly) increase. The greatest increase in scarcity is observed among database and network specialists. When they actively search, they only have a choice of 9 open vacancies.

To address the scarcity in the IT market in a new way, recruiters often utilize new job titles. Through this approach, they aim to differentiate their open roles from other job vacancies. In the past year, nearly 28,000 new IT job titles have been introduced. The following top 10 list may provide a good reflection of the current developments and new strategies in the job market.

1. Data and Information Manager
2. BI Consultant/Developer
3. Infrastructure Services Team Lead
4. Microsoft Power Apps Consultant
5. E-Commerce & ERP Consultant
6. Intelligent Automation Consultant
7. SAP Front-end Development Consultant
8. Archives Application Management
9. Cybersecurity Advisor
10. Threat Intel COE Security Team Lead

Source: Jobdigger

Curious about all the IT job vacancies we currently have open? Check out our overview HERE.

Are you looking for IT professionals but having trouble finding them? G-Nius is here to help. With our extensive network and years of experience, we can quickly respond to your needs. Our dedicated and committed Business Managers will search for the perfect match between you as the client and the IT professional who fits the role. Interested in the possibilities? Contact us at info@g-nius.nl or call +31 (0)73 610 14 69.