Staffing MS implements unique double sourcing model for GVB

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Staffing MS implements unique double sourcing model for GVB

GVB transports between eight-hundred-thousand and a million passengers a day by tram, bus, metro and ferry. With over 4,000 employees including temporary and external professionals, the company is among Amsterdam’s biggest employers. It is also one of the best employers and clients in the capital. Staffing Management Services and HeadFirst, both part of HeadFirst Group, administer external hiring in a unique way for this diverse organisation.

Eric Meijer, Senior Technology, Staff and ICT Recruiter at GVB: “GVB’s ambition is to become the best employer in Amsterdam. We want this not only for our own employees, but also for our contingent workforce. A well-structured hiring process and proper processing of contractual and financial matters are a pre-requisite for this. In Staffing MS, we have found a professional organisation that supports us as a partner.”

Double sourcing-model

To achieve its mission of safe, hospitable, comfortable and reliable public transportation, GVB also wants to hire the best external professionals. Staffing MS was commissioned for this. Staffing MS uses a double sourcing model, which guarantees finding the best professionals in two steps.

  1. Open market strategy. A public recruitment desk allowing all suppliers and freelancers in the market to offer for assignments.
  2. Closed network strategy. An intermediary (for GVB, this is HeadFirst) is used to actively approach its ‘warm’ network of suppliers and freelancers on specific assignments. A must in periods of shortage. The best candidates are presented by the recruiter in the MSP’s independent process.

Hiring partner

Meijer: “We have great expectations of our hiring partner. They need to supply us with quality external professionals. We want this to be at the best possible value for money, so that hiring takes place cost-effectively, without detriment to operational standards. What’s more, the contractual management of these flex-workers needs to be properly administered and compliant. To realise this, we attach great value to having a reliable partner. Staffing MS more than meets our expectations.”

Enhanced partnership

Knowledge integrator, HeadFirst has been a contracting party for the hiring of independent professionals and suppliers of professionals since 2013. From this master agreement, HeadFirst administers the contracting, time tracking and billing for professionals hired through the GVB hiring marketplace. As from 1st May 2018, the external hiring of HR professionals will be added to this list. This third addition brings an extra dimension to the collaboration between GVB and HeadFirst Group.

Want to know more about the double sourcing model? Please get in touch.

Staffing MS wins new clients

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Staffing MS wins new clients

Independent expert in external hiring, Staffing Management Services, has announced a series of new client partnerships. Part of HeadFirst Group since November 2018, the company will be taking care of external hiring for Basic-Fit, the Nationale Ombudsman and Gemeente Enschede, among others.

Hiring Desk & Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS)

Staffing MS is a leading open-market-strategy service provider through Inhuurdesk.nl and its Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). These enable (semi-) government organisations to hire external professionals in line with the European procurement rules. This public hiring desk solution is there to give all suppliers and freelancers in the market the possibility to offer for assignments direct.

As of 1st April, the recruitment desks of Gemeente Enschede and the Nationale ombudsman will be available online. Earlier this year, Gemeente Woerden and NL International Business also decided to call in Staffing MS. In addition, Gemeente Hengelo recently joined the Inhuurdesk Twente.

Basic-Fit Hiring Desk

For-profit organisation, Basic-Fit recently opted to use Staffing Management Services. Staffing MS will be guiding the company towards a centralised, efficient contract management and billing process for freelance professionals. Over 400 freelancers currently work for Basic-Fit Nederland. The solution will subsequently be rolled out for Basic-Fit Belgium and Luxembourg. More than 700 freelancers are active in both countries.

Wouter Waaijenberg, Managing Director at Staffing MS, is proud of the new collaborations: “2019 has got off to a fantastic start for us, as we welcome new clients. We are delighted that engaging clients are choosing (one of) HeadFirst Group’s specialist services. This development demonstrates that we are not only growing quickly as a result of takeovers, but are also achieving strong growth autonomously. Thanks to its unique compilation of companies, HeadFirst Group has a solution for any external hiring scenario and is looking forward to a promising 2019.”

Continued collaboration

Services to Aon Nederland are also continuing. Staffing MS has been providing the company with sourcing, contract management and total financial and administrative processing since 2013. And successfully, too, because the insurance firm has advised that it will continue making use of Staffing MS’s services for the next three years. “Of course, we are extremely happy that Aon Nederland values our partnership in this way. In recent years we have worked hard to take our service provision to the next level. As a result, our services are even more closely aligned with the needs of Aon Nederland”, comments Waaijenberg.

About HeadFirst Group

Alongside the companies HeadFirst, Myler, Source, Proud Company and Designated Professionals, Staffing Management Services is a part of the HeadFirst Group. HeadFirst Group is the market leader in external hiring of professionals: matchmaking, contracting, payrolling, global sourcing and Managed Service Provision. At present, thanks to HeadFirst, over 9,000 professionals are at work at approximately 200 clients in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg every day, with HeadFirst Group achieving an annual turnover of around 900 million euros.

Fewer stages, less paper and less manual work

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Fewer stages, less paper and less manual work

Have you heard about the benefits of our e-invoice solution? It makes Staffing MS invoice processing even faster! We can relieve you of the cumbersome administrative burden and help you optimise the invoicing process.

What is an e-invoice?

An e-invoice is a structured digital file that is delivered electronically. The invoice is created in UBL-format (XML file), whereby all data is tagged with code. This code is then used by a program that supports UBL to instantly recognise the invoice details and integrate it – entirely automatically – into the accounting.

Why does Staffing MS use e-invoices?

Since 2017, suppliers to the national government are obliged to send e-invoices for new purchasing agreements. In addition, on 18th April 2019 it became mandatory for all contracting authorities to have the necessary facilities for receiving and processing e-invoices like the government. PDF invoices are no longer permitted. However, the government mandate was not behind Staffing MS’s move towards e-invoices: e-invoicing offers a super-fast billing process that saves you lots and lots of time. It is not only reserved to (semi-) government agencies, but offers an effective solution for a great many clients.

How does e-invoicing work?

In order to be able to produce the invoices digitally, Staffing MS works together with Storecove on the PEPPOL network. Via this network, the e-invoice is submitted directly to your accounting software in the form of an entry. As long as the accounting software is configured for processing UBL invoices, all you need to do is verify and approve the entry. Naturally, Staffing MS ensures that all e-invoices meet current legal requirements.

What are the benefits?

  • Ease: processing is fully automated
  • Efficiency: paperless process
  • Precision: no errors with digital processing
  • Safety: ISO27001 compliant hosting

The consequences of WAB for payrolling

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The consequences of WAB for payrolling

The Wet arbeidsmarkt in balans (WAB or Balanced Labour Market Act) had come into effect on 1st January 2020. The act has many consequences for payrolling. We go through them for you here.

Primary measures affecting payrolling

Up until this year, temporary work agency and payroll contracts were equal in terms of legal status. The definition of the temporary work agency contract remains the same, but the payroll contract is being given its own definition within the legislation. According to the definition, payrolling only applies when 1) the payroll employer is not performing any allocation function in the market, which means that the payroll employer does not engage in the recruitment and selection of the payroll employee and 2) the worker is made available to the client exclusively.

Same legal status as hirer’s employees
With the introduction of an independent legislative act on the payroll contract, payroll workers will receive the same legal status and employment conditions as workers employed by the hiring organisation. As such, the legal provision for successive temporary contracts – a maximum of three temporary contracts in three years – applies.

Temporary work agency CAO no longer applicable to payrolling
The CAO (collective labour agreement) for temporary work agencies will cease to apply for payroll companies. This means that the agency clause and exclusion of the duty to continue paying salary on the ground of illness, can no longer be evoked in the case of payrolling.

Payrolling in sector 45
Furthermore, as of 1st January 2020, all temporary work firms will be classified in sector 52. Specialist temporary work firms can now still be classified in the industry sector they specialise in. Payroll companies are to be classified in sector 45. It is anticipated that, from 2020, a higher Sickness Benefit and Return to Work Scheme for the Partially Disabled (WGA) premium will apply in both sectors 45 and 52.

Higher pension requirements
In addition, the legislation includes mandatory pension requirements for payroll companies. Given the complexity of the pension rules, these requirements will only be introduced one year after the WAB, on 1st January 2021. These new pension requirements will mean that the existing StiPP-pension will no longer be sufficient.

Other measures affecting payrolling

Besides the above, there are a number of other measures in the WAB that are applicable to all organisations in the Netherlands, including payroll companies.

Right to (decreased) severance pay
Under the WAB, all employees will be entitled to severance pay from their first day. The severance pay will, however, diminish for longer contracts. This is to narrow the gap between flex work and permanent work. The government hopes that this will make it more appealing for employers to offer employees permanent contracts.

Higher WW premium
In addition to the right to severance pay that is effective from day 1, a higher WW (unemployment insurance) premium applies for temporary workers. Both measures make flex work more expensive. The WW premium becomes cheaper if employers offer an employee a permanent contract.

Transitional provisions
Although the payrolling rules in the WAB enter into force immediately on 1st January 2020, there is a transitional period in place for the legal position of temporary work agency contracts entered into before 1st January 2020 and that extend beyond that date. The flexible, temporary work agency rules and hirer’s remuneration may no longer be applied to any subsequent employment relationship that falls under payrolling.

Questions?

Do you have questions about the WAB? Get in touch with Robert Robert van Asch. Robert is a payroll specialist at HeadFirst Group, of which Staffing MS is a part. With over thirty years’ experience in the accountancy trade, Robert and his team take care of payrolling and salary administration on behalf of our clients.

Consultancy ever more important in changing hiring process

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Consultancy ever more important in changing hiring process

Change. Sounds simple. In reality, it’s more complex. All change is faced with resistance; even when the change is an improvement. Paul Oldenburg, Business Developer at Staffing Management Services, explains how the managed service provider helps its clients change in the context of external hiring.
Successfully implementing a hiring programme and overcoming resistance internally within the organisation are two major challenges companies face when it comes to external hiring. Staffing MS – part of HeadFirst Group -, offers its clients a business consultancy service. “Our experts, with decades of practical experience in the market, consult on strategic HR policy and the role of external hiring as a part of this, with a well-grounded hiring policy as the end product”, explains Oldenburg.

Diverse stakeholders

Multiple departments and line managers are involved in the implementation of a hiring programme. Not only Sales, but HR and Operations, too. The change essentially impacts the entire organisation. The greatest risk is that ownership of the hiring process is not clearly assigned. Oldenburg perceives this to be the main reason why the follow-up and governance of the hiring programme is often left ‘hanging’. “In most cases, Sales initiates professionalisation of the hiring process, but they are neither willing nor able to remain the process owner. This admittedly falls within the remit of HR, who in turn, are reluctant: their priorities lie elsewhere.”

It surprises Oldenburg, considering that external professionals have at least as much impact on the organisation’s returns. Particularly if they are working on innovative projects. Oldenburg is therefore a strong advocate for HR’s involvement from the very first meeting. “We will only engage in a consultation once all parties are sitting around the table. We do get the occasional raised eyebrow in response, as though to say “Is that really necessary?””

Unpicking the hiring problem

Over the years, Oldenburg has learned that clients are in search of concrete solutions, first and foremost: “We can complicate matters, but all clients want is an answer to a problem. They don’t want to be left facing all kinds of consequences of technological and societal developments, or with changes in legislation and regulations. That’s why we offer expert advice based on the current situation and requirements.”

To assess these, Staffing MS sets out in search of answers to questions such as: ‘What does current hiring look like and how is it structured / organised?’, ‘How flexible does the structure need to be?’, ‘What is the most suitable contingent workforce?’, ‘What is the best way to manage deployment of temporary and external professionals?’. “We use this analysis to map out the hiring process and policy, from which we draw conclusions on, among others, recruitment maturity, the efficiency of existing hiring processes, governance and policy regarding external hiring and potential missed opportunities for optimising the way hiring is structured”, explains Oldenburg. “The insights and analysis of the current hiring situation are used to put forward a proposal containing points for improvement, solutions and possibilities in the area of external hiring.”

“The main things organisations want to know, are whether they are paying over the odds, where the risks lie and which roles they may no longer be able to fill.”

A key starting point for the analysis is a scan of existing contracts and a data analysis. Oldenburg: “In the case of freelancers, the DBA (Employment Relationships Deregulation) Act act plays an important role. We analyse the impact of this, and to what extent freelancers are being recruited lawfully. A DBA act scan is performed to this end, and we provide a concrete step-by-step plan for mitigating the risks of the act. In addition, a data analysis offers insight into the total spend on external hiring and the ratios between the various suppliers.

But it also provides an inventory of the rates at which professionals are being hired. “We can compare the rates being offered on the market, benchmarked rates (market rate) and rates that similar hirers are hiring at. By contrasting hourly rates, cost savings can be made on the hourly rates of external professionals when hiring and deploying them in future”, says Oldenburg.

Successfull implementation

Once the hiring policy has been formulated and the external workforce identified, the real challenge begins: the implementation. Oldenburg can rely on over ten years of experience as an MSP expert here: “We have a significant edge over consultancy firms, who are often looking on from the side lines. The fact that we are hands-on, as it were, adds value.” This approach not only enables the organisation to consult on process design, but to also expertly oversee implementation.

This can be done by outsourcing the hiring process (to Staffing MS or A.N. Other) or by jointly putting in place an external hiring structure. “Implementation of the hiring policy and standardisation of the hiring process often results in resistance on the part of users and existing suppliers. We carry out the implementation with care in order to turn that resistance into support for the hiring policy. Besides overseeing the implementation, Staffing MS also offers coaching on the hiring process”, concludes Oldenburg.

This article was published on consultancy.nl on 9th July 2019.

MSP in the Netherlands

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MSP in the Netherlands

Is MSP conquering the Netherlands? We are indeed seeing Staffing MS’s Managed Service Provider service add clear value to more and more employers. But what does MSP in the Netherlands actually entail?

The Managed Service Provider relieves the burden

A Managed Service Provider takes care of external hiring on behalf of companies and organisations. An MSP acts as an extension of the HR team and purchasers, takes processes off their hands and optimises wherever possible. It is a service that goes beyond that of the usual contract management parties and intermediaries.

Of course, the MSP also provides complete administrative contract management, including on- and off-boarding, digital file creation, invoicing and reporting. And just like the intermediaries, it performs candidate search and matching. But above all, the MSP is the party that runs through business planning with HR teams and purchasers and plans external hiring requirements for the long- and short-term. A large proportion of their responsibilities are taken off their hands, and a well-functioning recruitment plan is created and implemented. That includes creation of the requests. The MSP professionals thus represent a fully-fledged discussion partner who ‘know’ the business and have a direct line to the client’s HR and purchasing teams.

Because the provider serves multiple clients, oversees a comprehensive network of suppliers and is equipped with advanced Vendor Management System solutions, an MSP can often not only relieve Dutch companies of some of the burden, but also achieve some serious cost savings within the complex hiring chain.

Key driver for MSP in the Netherlands: labour shortage

The corporate and (semi)government worlds fish in one and the same pond, of course. And despite tentative predictions that the market is beyond boiling point, we still find ourselves in strong competition for roles at MBO+, HBO and WO-education level in particular. In a ‘seller’s market’ like this, whereby the employees are the sellers, it is of course very important that the hiring is conducted by a party that knows the market. A party that can do more than external hiring alone and can take care of contract management. A partner with whom organisations can discuss their business operations on both the tactical and strategic level, planning their hiring needs jointly. For more and more businesses in the Netherlands, the use of an MSP to take care of the full hiring process and tackle scarcity in the market is proving the go-to solution.

Greater need for MSP in the Netherlands due to complex legislation and regulations

The fundamental debate taking place on the balance between temporary and permanent work in the Netherlands will have escaped nobody’s attention. Many employers are enthusiastic about the contingent workforce, which keeps fluctuations in the volume and type of employees manageable. At the same time, the politicians are concerned with the legal position of less highly educated employees in particular, who are also increasingly being forced into such flex-structures.

In concrete terms, policy makers have responded with new laws such as the wet DBA (deregulering beoordeling arbeidsrelatie) and the Wet arbeidsmarkt in balans (WAB). This legislation is intended to create clarity, yet does not always succeed, to put it mildly. This is another reason why companies and organisations are seeking out a business partner: someone who not only ‘processes requests’ but is also capable of proactively addressing changes in legislation and regulations and of shielding clients from the potholes.

Keen to familiarise yourself with the service package of a Managed Service Provider?

Want to know more about how an MSP goes about this in the Netherlands? Talk to the experts; a party with a long track record in delivering MSP services to companies and (government) organisations. At Staffing MS, we perform the role of MSP to our clients on a daily basis. We keep a handle on and administer their total end-to-end hiring process. We maintain a huge network of suppliers and freelancers, which generates better quality candidates, faster. Our streamlined MSP-chain provides an efficient, cost-saving (10-20%!) and seamless administrative process you no longer need worry about. What’s more, we make sure that we always do this in accordance with the laws and regulations applicable at the time – even if they change from one day to the next.

Want to know more about our Staffing MS approach? Get in touch. We’d be happy to talk you through it. Please contact us.

Staffing MS launches optimised Hiring Desk

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Staffing MS launches optimised Hiring Desk

Managed Service Provider (MSP) Staffing MS – part of HeadFirst Group – is known among other things as a specialist Hiring Desk provider. Over 50 organisations are already making use of the hiring desk in the form of a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) and / or marketplace, supported by Staffing MS. Each and every one of these businesses will soon benefit from an optimised portal. First in line are Inhuurdesk Groene Hart en Inhuurdesk Alphen aan de Rijn. Wouter Waaijenberg, Managing Director at Staffing MS, explains the advancements made.

A hiring desk for public and private

1st July 2016 saw the revised Public Procurement Act (aanbestedingswet) come into effect. It meant that organisations with a public procurement obligation needed to re-think their hiring strategy. Many of them moved over from a hiring marketplace to a DPS. “With a number of ‘lawful’ amendments, it was possible for the popular marketplaces to become appropriate for use with a DPS, so that (semi-)government organisations would also be able to hire external professionals in line with the European rules on public procurement. The DAS is a lawful support tool that is available as part of the Recruitment Desk. All with a common goal: to advertise assignments and facilitate contract management.

The Hiring Desk is also deployed by the MSP in the private sector, particularly for ‘open market’ strategy, whereby independent professionals and suppliers of professionals can register with the client’s Hiring Desk free of charge to be able to respond to open assignments.

Developments

The first thing you notice about the Hiring Desk is the new style. Waaijenberg: “During its development, a lot of attention was given to user-friendliness for professionals and suppliers wanting to be informed about hiring assignments. The style is contemporary and fresh, yet the open assignments are clearly listed on the homepage.”

The second update concerns a direct link with Nétive VMS, which makes it possible to automatically post requests on the Hiring Desk, based on their status. Awards are also posted instantly on the back of assignments created for a request. “Previously, our consultants had to input requests in two places in order to publish them externally on the Hiring Desk. This is no longer necessary, meaning that the throughput speed for a request is even shorter. Considering the number of requests we process on a daily basis, this is a huge optimisation for both consultant and client”, comments Waaijenberg.

Lastly, the portals received the latest security updates and were brought up to speed with current technology standards. A well-maintained website is not only more user-friendly for the visitor, but is also safer. Plus, Google places well-maintained websites higher up in the search results. “Significantly advantageous for drawing client requests to the attention of specialist professionals”, concludes Waaijenberg.