Direct and egalitarian: Dutch culture produces proactive flex workers

Abroad, typical Dutch directness is often experienced as a lack of respect. Openly criticising your boss is simply not done in most countries. But this egalitarian culture also brings many advantages. Research conducted by Page Personnel has found that temporary workers are much more pro-active in the Netherlands than in the rest of the world.

Fear struck into the heart of Mexican Carlos Gomez when he started his job as a manager at Heineken’s Dutch headquarters. In Mexico, his employees simply did as he told them. But he soon noticed that things were quite different at the Amsterdam offices. “Dutch people don’t care who’s boss,” he explains to web magazine Business Insider. During meetings, employees openly criticise his proposed policy and sometimes they take over the entire meeting. “Sometimes I wonder what happened to respect,” said Gomez.

Honest or rude

This is a typical example of notorious Dutch directness. While the Dutch often see it as ‘open and honest’, foreigners often experience it as rudeness. Particularly when employees ‘openly and honestly’ challenge their own boss’s decisions. Although management books often recommend this egalitarian company culture, it is far from common practice in most countries. Top-down decision-making is the norm not just in Latin America, but also in European countries like France and Spain.

Egalitarian climate

The question is: which of these two approaches is more effective? This undoubtedly depends on the situation. But the ‘lack of respect’ Gomez sees in his Dutch employees turns out to have one great advantage: temporary workers perform much better in an egalitarian climate where everyone can evaluate everyone else - including the boss.

More pro-active

Temporary workers in the Netherlands are much more proactive than those in other countries. Research conducted by Page Personnel shows that nearly 70 percent of Dutch temp and freelance workers will try to solve a problem on their own. This number is remarkably high compared to other countries. The global average is a mere 43 percent.

Moreover, temporary workers in the Netherlands are also much more positive about their jobs. While just under 54 percent of temp workers is content with their jobs globally, in the Netherlands contented workers account for 72 percent.

Autonomous approach

This is a great advantage in a job market where companies are increasingly using flexible contracts. Moreover, most employers feel it is important for their temporary workers to work autonomously. 83 percent of the research respondents say this is one of the most important characteristics. But it is one that does not work well in a hierarchical company culture.