Randstad Belgium

 

For over 40 years, Randstad has been providing companies and employees in Belgium with staffing services. That mission has evolved through the years along with the needs of the job market. From its beginnings as a temporary employment agency, Randstad has developed into a leader in matching demand for and supply of labour and HR services. Randstad, with its global headquarters in the Netherlands, is the third largest staffing company in the world based on revenue.

 

In 2007, it generated revenue of €9.2 billion, with a net income of €384.9 million, from its 2,886 branches located in 19 countries around the world. In Belgium, Randstad employs weekly 35,400 people working for 17,000 different clients, making it the most important private employer in the country. Its multiple subsidiaries guarantee its position as an allround service-provider in the area of human resources: Randstad Belgium, Randstad Construct, Randstad Household Services, Randstad Professionals, Randstad HR Solutions and Randstad Training.

The services it offers are divided into five categories. Mass-customised is what Randstad considers to be its ‘regular’ business. This includes staffing, permanent placement and (high-volume) specialties. The in-house category involves on-site presence at the employers’ premises, to handle total HR management, including recruitment and selection, training, planning, retention and management reporting. Interim professionals, the third category, matches specialists and consultants with professional qualifications in ICT, technology, finance domain and life sciences to interim middle and senior management positions. Finally, HR solutions includes HR project management, HR management and HR consultancy services. What makes the company special, though, isn’t just the many services it offers. Randstad instead differentiates itself on the basis of its values, philosophy and certification.

 

Randstad actively promotes the interests of everyone in the employment chain. This goes far beyond employees and employers, and includes its own staff, shareholders and other stakeholders such as ministries, trade unions and suppliers. Since the beginning, the company has recognized that by helping everyone – for example, by helping companies and institutions develop networks, Randstad benefits as well.

Randstad’s philosophy is based on the understanding that doing business is a continuous process of interchange between commerce and society, to the benefit of both. For that reason, the company makes sure to represent equally the positions of the two sides of the job equation: both the employer and the employee. Its CSR activities – including work on diversity and involvement with international development organisation Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), reflect this inclusive philosophy.

 

Being a responsible member of the Belgian community is a priority for Randstad, which was the first business in Belgium to gain SA 8000 accreditation. This international ethics standard covers topics such as child labour, forced labour, health, safety, trade union rights, discrimination, working hours, pay and communication.

 

“A company whose essential activity is to create connections between people and employment cannot do otherwise than be involved in society,” explains Herman Nijns, Managing Director, Randstad Group Belgium. Randstad also holds ISO 9001:2000 certification. This focus on “fair play” and ethics, along with Belgian pride, has led Randstad to sponsor another top performer: Justine Henin, the Belgian World Champion tennis player. The company sees Justine as an excellent representative of its own values: she strives for perfection, she is innovative, she is a source of inspiration and she works hard to win. She is also involved in the fight against doping in sports, and was awarded the UNESCO ‘Champion of Sport’ prize in June 2006. With her international image highlighting strength of character, commitment to excellence, fair play and integrity, she is an ideal platform for Randstad’s international branding.

 

Randstad’s growth continues apace, thanks to its buy-out of Dutch staffing company Vedior. While this merger will result in the company becoming the 2nd largest staffing company in the world, for Randstad its true importance lies in the expanded market presence it brings. The merger will significantly increase Randstad’s position in specialist areas for skilled workers like nurses and accountants, the fastest-growing segment of the staffing market. It will also strengthen Randstad’s overall situation, as demand for workers slows in some European countries.