Technology

Salary Survey
Year From TRC

With the end of the year in sight, we’re

pleased to launch our 2023/2024 salary
& engagement report. Our team has
uncovered some gems in the data we’ve
collected, and it matches what we’re
seeing in the market too.

2023 has been a difficult year for many

across the Dutch tech scene. With
scale-up layoffs dominating headlines
and wages dipping to compensate for
years of overinflated salaries, it’s clear Chris Stringer
that jobs, not candidates, now drive the
market. § Founder

While everyone is feeling the pinch this year, scale-ups have been hit
particularly hard. SMEs and corporations are happily picking up the
pieces, especially those in the Fintech and renewable energy sectors.

We’re also seeing organisations of all sizes turning to younger developers

and engineers to minimise costs and to open avenues for team specialisms
in data, AI and DevOps. With so many companies putting a lot of value in
full-stack approaches, this is bound to continue.

The parity between SMEs and scale-ups that has engulfed the market has
not been seen for some time and offers fresh opportunities for anyone who
is willing to take advantage of it.

In this report, you'll see how this is impacting salaries and employee
engagement. I hope you enjoy digging into the results as much as we did
pulling it together.
2.
From TRC

Sam Holloway
§ Director

The market is focusing

on retention rather
than growth.

2022 was the year of hiring wants, and 2023 is the year of hiring needs.

Right now, the market is in retention mode; everyone is looking to

consolidate and retain their teams rather than expand them. This isn’t
surprising with how competitive and tight everything is at the moment.

When companies are looking to add numbers to their teams, they’re

looking to do so with graduate “diamonds”, those juniors who have a lot of
potential and who haven’t yet picked up any bad habits. These juniors are
able to contribute to teams immediately and are being snapped up quickly,
especially if they have experience across multiple stages of development.

This trend is also partly driven by the disconnect that exists in the salary
expectations of some experienced candidates and companies. Now that
the overinflated wages of the past are being curbed, companies are looking
for talent at lower salary bands. However, not all candidates are on the
same page, and some are looking for pay increases that are above industry
standard. Until this divide is narrowed, candidates will be unhappy with
what they see on the market.

It's also important to note that location plays a key role in this divide.
Amsterdam-based talent may still be able to obtain high salaries and
bonuses, but those who are in provinces such as Drenthe won’t be seeing
the same level of financial interest from companies.

With so much change and turmoil in the last year, there’s still so much
more to unpack in the remainder of the report, I hope you’ll find it useful.

3.
Year Recap
Market Review
Salary Insight
Job Satisfaction
Contract & Freelance
Take a Break
Moving On
Desirable Benefits
Year

5.
Another year in the
books, and a whole lot
to unpack from it.

2023 saw a steady climb in inflation and interest rates, leading to

many in the Netherlands having to manoeuvre a new cost-of-living
standard. This pinch was also felt by companies across the tech
landscape, causing wage stagnation in some areas and layoffs in
others.

Layoffs were particularly prevalent in the scale-up space. While

these organisations were hiring thick and fast last year, they quickly
realised that to navigate higher prices and a tighter market, they had
to reduce teams so that only their core members were left.

Because of this, competition for roles has never been fiercer. With
so many experienced developers, engineers and managers now on
the market, many candidates are finding it difficult to find roles that
fit their expectations and needs. On the other hand, companies are
having to fight tooth and nail to keep their A-tier players from
leaving for new pastures.

While we’re beginning to see stability and resurgence in the market,

it has been a difficult year for the Dutch tech scene, yet it’s still
standing. The resilience of the market has been on full display in the
last few months; with organisations bouncing back from what was a
concerning start to the year, things are beginning to look up.

To get to the bottom of what’s actually happening across the sector

and how it’s navigating these challenges, we reached out to our
network of engineers, managers and data scientists. Uncovering key
insights when it comes to salaries and workplace sentiment, we’ve
got to the bottom of what makes candidates tick, as well as which
companies are leading the charge.

6.
Market
To get a full view of the market, it’s essential we know who we’re
talking about when we unpack key trends and challenges. This
next section is dedicated to unearthing who our respondents are,
where they work, and what they do.

How big is the organisation you work at?

36%

20%

15%
13% 13%

1% 2%
501-1000
2-10

1001+
1

51-200
11-50

201-500

7.
Where those with 10+ years of experience
are working

36%

18%
16%
14%
13%

2%
1%
2-10

501-1000
11-50

1001+
1

51-200

201-500

Unsurprisingly, the largest tech companies seem to be enticing

those with the most experience in the Dutch tech scene, with 36%
of respondents with 10+ years of experience working at companies
with more than 1,000 team members.

Interestingly, this number has dropped by nearly 10% from last year.
This may indicate that the top companies are finding it difficult to
retain their more experienced team members. It could also be a sign
that these individuals are moving to smaller organisations to have a
more significant impact internally.

8.
Age of those in the Dutch tech space

§ 19 to 25 – 4%
§ 26 to 35 – 49%
§ 36 to 45 – 39%
§ 46 to 55 – 6%
§ 56 to 65 – 2%

The majority of those who are actively working in the 19-25 group are
working at smaller organisations. 50% are working in companies with
51-200 employees and a further 17% are working at organisations with
11-50 employees. Interestingly, 64% of this same age group were
working in organisations with 11-50 employees in last year's survey.

Chris Stringer, Founder

“This shift has occurred because larger

organisations are beginning to onboard younger
candidates. These professionals aren’t looking to
be paid overinflated salaries, offering
organisations a great option to save money in the
long run by bringing them on board
and developing them. This has meant that larger
companies are looking to younger candidates
more frequently than in previous years.”

9.
Gender breakdown

79% 20% 1%

Male Female Transgender/

Non-binary

While we saw some progress in narrowing the gender split in our last
survey, this year's responses suggest that this momentum has come
to a grinding halt. Women only account for an additional 1% of our
respondents, compared to last year. This number is worrying,
especially considering the importance of improving gender equality in
the tech space.

Women are also 2x more likely to work within companies with 50 or

fewer employees than their male counterparts. Furthermore, 58% of
the men who responded to our survey have 10+ years of experience
compared to only 39% of women.

These both suggest that there are still hurdles in place that prevent
women from entering scale-up and corporate spaces.

Diversity of ideas contributes to better products and

processes - diversity at work also encourages different
ideas, perspectives and approaches, all whilst
reducing the chance of working in an echo chamber.

“ - Product Designer

10.
Location of respondents

§ NL – 79%

§ DE – 8%

§ Other – 13%

More than half of our respondents

are based in or near Amsterdam,
showcasing that even with the latest
WFH culture, the city is the beating
heart of Europe’s tech scene.

11.
The industries that our respondents work in

Software House 1
Fintech 1
Business Services 2
Cybersecurity 3
Transport & Logistics 1

Sustainability 4
Medtech 1
Retail 2
Media 1
Education 1

Sam Holloway, Director

“We’re seeing a resurgence in consultancies in

recent months because they’re able to offer
short-term labour agreements for organisations
who may not be ready to go all in for long-term
permanent hires. We’re also seeing that
industries like sustainability and software can
hold their position pretty well in the market
even during a difficult year.”

12.
Our respondents’ specialisms

Programming
Backend
DevOps/Infrastructure
Frontend
Cloud
Data 1
QA/Test 1
Security 2
Mobile
Customer success
Marketing
Sales

13.
Most used languages

JavaScript
Python
SQL
HTML/CSS
Java
C#
PHP JavaScript, SQL and Python
finishing in the top three is not
Rust surprising when you consider how
valuable Full-Stack Developers are
Scala in the current market.

Chris Stringer, Founder

“Having the ability to perform both frontend and

backend actions allows developers to have great
flexibility in the job market. The best developers
will also have some data skills and languages
under their belt too, shown here by the
prominence of SQL. With the market as it is at the
moment, having as many skills and languages
on-hand as a candidate is crucial.”

When competition is fierce, having as many languages as possible in your

toolbox helps to place candidates in a fantastic position when it comes to
new roles or promotions.

14.
Salary
We delved into how tech workers’ salaries have
changed over the past year and whether they’re
satisfied with their current earnings and situation. In
doing so, we uncovered how many respondents have
asked for pay raises and how many were successful.

of our permanent
respondents are
happy with their
salaries.
15.
Permanent Salaries
Yearly salary €

Sector Job title Average low Average high

Frontend Junior Frontend Developer €45k €60k

Frontend Medior Frontend Developer €60k €70k

Frontend Senior Frontend Developer €70k €100k

Frontend Engineering Manager €100k €130k

UX/Design Junior UX Designer €35k €45k

UX/Design Medior UX Designer €45k €60k

UX/Design Senior UX Designer €65k €80k

UX/Design Junior Product Designer €40k €50k

UX/Design Medior Product Designer €55k €70k

UX/Design Senior Product Designer €80k €95k

UX/Design Head of Design/UX €95k €120k

Full Stack Junior Full Stack Developer €55k €65k

Full Stack Medior Full Stack Developer €60k €75k

Full Stack Senior Full Stack Developer €75k €85k

Full Stack Engineering Manager €80k €115k

Backend Junior Backend Developer €45k €55k

Backend Medior Backend Developer €55k €75k

Backend Senior Backend Developer €75k €85k

Backend Junior Software Engineer €50k €60k

Backend Medior Software Engineer €60k €75k

Backend Senior Software Engineer €75k €85k

Backend Junior Machine Learning Engineer €50k €65k

Backend Medior Machine Learning Engineer €65k €85k

Backend Senior Machine Learning Engineer €85k €100k

Cloud Junior Solutions Architect €70k €80k

Cloud Medior Solutions Architect €80k €90k

Cloud Senior Solutions Architect €95k €135k

DevOps Junior DevOps Engineer €60k €65k

DevOps Medior DevOps Engineer €65k €90k

DevOps Senior DevOps Engineer €90k €110k

DevOps Junior Infrastructure Engineer €60k €65k

DevOps Medior Infrastructure Engineer €65k €85k

DevOps Senior Infrastructure Engineer €85k €100k

DevOps Network Engineer €65k €75k

DevOps Junior Support Engineer €25k €40k

16.
 Yearly salary €

Sector Job title Average low Average high

DevOps Support Desk Manager €65k €80k

DevOps Support Desk Analyst €30k €45k

DevOps Junior Hardware Engineer €50k €62.5k

DevOps Medior Hardware Engineer €62.5k €95k

DevOps Senior Hardware Engineer €90k €110k

DevOps Junior Site Reliability Engineer €55k €75k

DevOps Medior Site Reliability Engineer €75k €95k

DevOps Senior Site Reliability Engineer €95k €115k

Data Junior Data Engineer €45k €55k

Data Medior Data Engineer €55k €75k

Data Senior Data Engineer €75k €100k

Data Junior Data Analyst €40k €50k

Data Medior Data Analyst €50k €70k

Data Senior Data Analyst €70k €100k

Data Junior Data Scientist €35k €45k

Data Medior Data Scientist €45k €75k

Data Senior Data Scientist €70k €90k

Data Junior Data Architect €60k €72.5k

Data Medior Data Architect €72.5k €95k

Data Senior Data Architect €95k €115k

Security Junior Network Engineer €40k €50k

Security Medior Network Engineer €50k €60k

Security Senior Network Engineer €60k €75k

Security Junior Cybersecurity Analyst €40k €55k

Security Medior Cybersecurity Analyst €55k €75k

Security Senior Cybersecurity Analyst €75k €95k

Security Junior Penetration Tester €65k €75k

Security Medior Penetration Tester €75k €95k

Security Senior Penetration Tester €95k €115k

Project Junior Project/Programme Manager €40k €50k

Project Medior Project/Programme Manager €50k €65k

Project Senior Project/Programme Manager €65k €85k

Project Medior Programme Director €80k €100k

Project Senior Programme Director €100k €120k

Project BI Developer €45k €60k

Project Junior Business Analyst €40k €50k

Project Medior Business Analyst €50k €60k

Project Senior Business Analyst €60k €80k

Project Junior PMO €25k €35k

17.
 Yearly salary €

Sector Job title Average low Average high

Project Medior PMO €35k €50k

Project Senior PMO €50k €65k

QA/Test Junior Test Analyst €35k €50k

QA/Test Medior Test Analyst €50k €70k

QA/Test Senior Test Analyst €70k €85k

QA/Test Test Manager €60k €75k

QA/Test Junior QA Engineer €40k €55k

QA/Test Medior QA Engineer €55k €70k

QA/Test Senior QA Engineer €70k €100k

QA/Test Junior QA Analyst €30k €45k

QA/Test Medior QA Analyst €45k €75k

QA/Test Senior QA Analyst €75k €95k

QA/Test Technical Lead €65k €100k

Mobile Junior Mobile Developer €45k €55k

Mobile Medior Mobile Developer €55k €75k

Mobile Senior Mobile Developer €75k €90k

Leadership CISO €135k €180k

Leadership CTO €120k €210k

Leadership CIO €130k €160k

Leadership CDO €140k €155k

Leadership CPO €140k €200k

Leadership Head of Development €110k €150k

Leadership Head of Security €125k €18k

Leadership IT Director €140k €205k

Leadership Head of Mobile €110k €140k

Leadership Technical Architect €110k €150k

Product Junior Product Owner €40k €45k

Product Medior Product Owner €55k €75k

Product Senior Product Owner €75k €95k

Product Junior Product Manager €45k €60k

Product Medior Product Manager €60k €80k

Product Senior Product Manager €80k €95k

Product Lead Product Manager €95k €120k

Product Head of Product €110 €150k

Pre-Sales Junior Sales Engineer €40k €55k

Pre-Sales Medior Sales Engineer €55k €65k

Pre-Sales Senior Sales Engineer €65k €90k

Pre-Sales Junior Solutions Engineer €40k €55k

Pre-Sales Medior Solutions Engineer €55k €65k

18.
 Yearly salary €

Sector Job title Average low Average high

Pre-Sales Senior Solutions Engineer €65k €90k

Pre-Sales Pre-Sales Consultant €55k €75k

Sales Account Executive €50k €75k

Sales Account Director €65k €80k

Sales Account Manager €55k €75k

Sales Customer Success Manager €45k €65k

Marketing Demand Generation Marketer €40k €75k

Marketing Partner Marketer €45k €65k

Marketing Product Marketer €50k €80k

Marketing Customer Marketer €35k €50k

Marketing Content Marketer €40k €57.5k

Transformation Change Manager €60k €80k

Transformation Transformation Manager €85k €110k

Transformation Transformation Director €95k €125k

Transformation Business Analyst €50k €85k

19.
Contract Rates
Hourly rate €

Sector Job title Low Range High range

Frontend Junior Frontend Developer €45.00 €62.50

Frontend Medior Frontend Developer €62.50 €82.50

Frontend Senior Frontend Developer €82.50 €110.00

UX/Design Junior UX Designer €57.50 €62.50

UX/Design Medior UX Designer €62.50 €77.50

UX/Design Senior UX Designer €77.50 €87.50

Full Stack Junior Full Stack Developer €42.50 €55.00

Full Stack Medior Full Stack Developer €55.00 €82.50

Full Stack Senior Full Stack Developer €82.50 €115.00

Backend Junior Backend Developer €45.00 €55.00

Backend Medior Backend Developer €55.00 €82.50

Backend Senior Backend Developer €82.50 €140.00

Backend Junior Software Engineer €45.00 €60.00

Backend Medior Software Engineer €60.00 €80.00

Backend Senior Software Engineer €80.00 €140.00

DevOps Junior DevOps Engineer €50.00 €62.50

DevOps Medior DevOps Engineer €62.50 €92.50

DevOps Senior DevOps Engineer €92.50 €140.00

DevOps Network Engineer €45.00 €70.00

DevOps Junior Support Engineer €50.00 €70.00

DevOps Support Desk Manager €70.00 €87.50

DevOps Support Desk Analyst €40.00 €55.00

DevOps Junior Hardware Engineer €50.00 €60.00

DevOps Medior Hardware Engineer €60.00 €100.00

DevOps Senior Hardware Engineer €100.00 €125.00

DevOps Junior Site Reliability Engineer €62.50 €75.00

DevOps Medior Site Reliability Engineer €75.00 €100.00

DevOps Senior Site Reliability Engineer €100.00 €140.00

Cloud Junior Solutions Architect €62.50 €87.50

Cloud Medior Solutions Architect €87.50 €115.00

Cloud Senior Solutions Architect €115.00 €140.00

QA/Test Junior QA Engineer €50.00 €62.50

QA/Test Medior QA Engineer €62.50 €87.50

QA/Test Senior QA Engineer €87.50 €115.00

QA/Test Junior QA Analyst €45.00 €55.00

QA/Test Medior QA Analyst €55.00 €70.00

20.
 Hourly rate €

Sector Job title Low Range High range

QA/Test Senior QA Analyst €70.00 €105.00

QA/Test Technical Lead €105.00 €150.00

Mobile Junior Mobile Developer €57.50 €75.00

Mobile Medior Mobile Developer €75.00 €100.00

Mobile Senior Mobile Developer €100.00 €140.00

Project Junior Project/Programme Manager €70.00 €80.00

Project Medior Project/Programme Manager €80.00 €110.00

Project Senior Project/Programme Manager €110.00 €130.00

Project Medior Programme Director €60.00 €85.00

Project Senior Programme Director €85.00 €115.00

Project BI Developer €62.50 €82.50

Project Junior Business Analyst €50.00 €62.50

Project Medior Business Analyst €62.50 €75.00

Project Senior Business Analyst €75.00 €105.00

Leadership CIO €140.00 €180.00

Leadership CTO €150.00 €200.00

Product Product Manager €120.00 €150.00

Product Junior Product Designer €50.00 €70.00

Product Medior Product Designer €70.00 €90.00

Product Senior Product Designer €90.00 €120.00

Product Junior Product Owner €60.00 €75.00

Product Medior Product Owner €75.00 €90.00

Product Senior Product Owner €90.00 €140.00

Product Junior Product Manager €70.00 €90.00

Product Medior Product Manager €90.00 €110.00

Product Senior Product Manager €110.00 €150.00

Product Lead Product Manager €130.00 €170.00

Product Head of Product €150.00 €200.00

Data Junior Data Engineer €45.00 €62.50

Data Medior Data Engineer €62.50 €90.00

Data Senior Data Engineer €90.00 €140.00

Data Junior Data Analyst €45.00 €55.00

Data Medior Data Analyst €55.00 €75.00

Data Senior Data Analyst €75.00 €115.00

Data Junior Data Scientist €45.00 €65.00

Data Medior Data Scientist €65.00 €82.50

Data Senior Data Scientist €82.50 €115.00

Data Junior Data Architect €50.00 €75.00

Data Medior Data Architect €75.00 €100.00

21.
 Hourly rate €

Sector Job title Low Range High range

Data Senior Data Architect €100.00 €125.00

Pre-Sales Junior Sales Engineer €37.50 €50.00

Pre-Sales Medior Sales Engineer €50.00 €75.00

Pre-Sales Senior Sales Engineer €75.00 €125.00

Pre-Sales Junior Solutions Engineer €37.50 €50.00

Pre-Sales Medior Solutions Engineer €50.00 €70.00

Pre-Sales Senior Solutions Engineer €70.00 €100.00

Pre-Sales Pre-Sales Consultant €55.00 €80.00

Sales Account Executive €62.50 €95.00

Sales Account Director €80.00 €105.00

Sales Account Manager €70.00 €95.00

Sales Customer Success Manager €55.00 €80.00

Marketing Demand Generation Marketer €50.00 €87.50

Marketing Partner Marketer €55.00 €80.00

Marketing Product Marketer €62.50 €100.00

Marketing Customer Marketer €45.00 €62.50

Marketing Content Marketer €50.00 €70.00

Transformation Change Manager €80.00 €105.00

Transformation Transformation Manager €105.00 €125.00

Transformation Transformation Director €105.00 €125.00

Transformation Business Analyst €80.00 €110.00

22.
The vast majority of
those within our
network have received
a pay rise in the last 12
months; in fact, it sits
at an impressive 74%.

This shows that even in economic difficulty,

organisations in the Dutch tech space can perform
well and consistently, and that the sector is still
sticking to the trend of handing out yearly pay
increases despite financial difficulties. Some of
these increases are at a lower rate than those seen
in past years, but that is because of the general
trend of ending overinflated salaries.

23.
How have our respondents’ salaries
changed in the last 12 months?

Increased 74%

Stayed the same 25%

Decreased 1%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

How do our respondents expect their salaries

to change in the next 12 months?

Increase 81%

Stay the same 17%

Decreased 2%

0% 50% 100%

Are you
happy with Yes
your current
salary? No
24.
Our permanent network is split right down the middle when it comes to
salary satisfaction.

Compared to last year, 12% more of our

respondents are unhappy with their
current salary.

It seems that there are a lot of people in the Dutch tech market who
feel that they should be receiving more from their employers.

Also, despite 74% of our respondents saying their salary has increased
in the past 12 months, 46% of that group are still less than pleased
with their current salary.

Of this group, 45% believe that their pay is

below industry standard, while 38% believe
their pay sits within the standard rate.

Incredibly 2% of this group are unhappy with their pay despite

acknowledging that it’s above industry standard while the final 15%
were unsure of where their salary sits.

Of those who believe their salary is below industry standard, only 16%
sit in a salary band, which would actually be considered below standard
for their role. This points to the disconnect between what many
candidates are looking for in terms of salary and what the actual
industry standard pay is.

While this may seem odd, the high rates of inflation plaguing the Dutch
economy will mean that what was once an industry standard pay rise
may now be falling behind. It will take some time for candidates and
companies to get on the same page on what’s considered the norm,
now that overinflated wages are being phased out.

25.
Do you think your salary is above, below or at
industry standard?

Of the 28% of our respondents who believe their salary is below industry
standard, 86% of them aren’t happy with their current pay. This
suggests that a significant minority of our network feels underpaid and
underappreciated.

This group all agreed that a higher salary elsewhere would help
persuade them to move roles. When paired with the fact that 40% of
them have 10+ years of experience, there are a lot of great people willing
to move for the right salary and situation.

What's interesting about this group is that when we dug into the
salaries, we found that 34% of those who believed their salaries were
below the industry standard were actually being paid at or above the
industry standard.

Chris Stringer, Founder

“Wages have stagnated in

some spaces, while candidate expectations of
salaries have continued to grow. This has
resulted in a divide appearing, with
organisations offering industry-standard salaries
to candidates who, in previous years, would’ve
been able to demand higher pay rises. It will take
some time for these two sides to meet in the
middle, so don’t be surprised if sentiment around
salaries remains low for the rest of the year.”

While the number of respondents who believe they are being paid below the
industry standard may be concerning, it is actually 1% lower than last year’s
results. This goes to show that there is reason for optimism in the Dutch
tech space, as its elasticity and resilience remains even during a tough year.
26.
Did you ask for
a pay rise?
§ No – 45%
§ Yes, successful – 32%
§ Yes, unsuccessful – 23%

While it’s not a huge increase, 4% more of our respondents this year were
unsuccessful in receiving a pay rise that they asked for compared to last
year, which is not surprising considering the current market climate and
partial wage stagnation.

The organisations that are suffering most in regard to unsuccessful pay rise
requests are those with 201-500 team members. 39% of our respondents
from organisations of this size told us they had asked for but failed to
receive a pay rise. This is 16% higher than the second largest unsuccessful
pay rise request rate, which belongs to organisations that have 1000+ team
members.

Chris Stringer, Founder

“These struggling organisations are most likely scale-ups,

who’ve had the hardest time with the recent market
stagnation. On many occasions, they’ve had to downsize
their teams, so they only have their key players left.
Because of this, those who remain in these scale-ups are
asking for pay rises. In years gone by, they would’ve been
able to ask for higher salaries when team numbers had
been reduced.

However, the reality is that some of these past increases

would’ve been overinflated, and because scale-ups are
now looking to save money, they can't afford to hand out
pay rises at the rate they once did, leading to more
unsuccessful pay rise requests.”

27.
 Of the 45% of permanent workers who
didn’t ask for a pay rise in the last 12
months, 42% didn’t do so as they had
just moved roles.

A further 19% didn’t ask for a pay increase because they have
standardised pay rises built into their contracts or as part of an
internal process. Both of these groups showcase that in the tech
space, candidates and clients alike are still being proactive in
searching and providing higher salaries in most cases.

15% of those who didn’t ask for a pay rise said they were waiting for
the right time to ask for one, while 16% said they’d already received
one or were happy with their current salary.

Furthermore, only 8% (compared to 9% last year) of those who did not

ask for a pay rise did so because of their company's financial situation.
This suggests that our respondents aren’t as reluctant to ask for pay
rises as organisations are to offer them. This divide in salary
perception has permeated deep into the market.

28.
Why haven’t you asked
for a pay rise?
Recently moved – 42%

Have a process in place – 19%

Happy with my current pay - 8%

Already received one – 8%

Waiting for the right time to ask - 15%

The company’s financial situation makes it difficult – 8%

of those who asked for a pay rise and were unsuccessful said they don’t
feel included and valued at their current place of work. Proper inclusion
goes a long way to retaining your team members, especially in a market
with such fierce competition. Pay is often a leading factor in determining
whether or not your team members feel valued.

This dissatisfaction has led to 45% of those who were unsuccessful in

receiving a pay rise to say they’d look to move within the next 6 months,
while a further 24% are looking to change scenery in 6-12 months. Only
7% are not considering a move at all. Simply put, if companies aren’t
offering their teams pay rises, they won’t retain them.

Furthermore, only 38% of this group feel positive about their future,
showcasing just how much stock our network put into their financial
value and worth.

29.
Job

of tech professionals
are happy in their
current role.
30.
Somewhat surprisingly, 43% of those who said they were happy at their
current role also said they were unhappy with their salary. This
indicates that a sizeable minority within our network will overlook a
lower salary if other benefits, such as career progression and training,
are provided.

Chris Stringer, Founder

“The adoption of immediate permanent

contracts may also be a significant factor here,
as organisations are beginning to move away
from what was once the standard 12-month
starting contract. This is offering permanent
candidates much greater job security which is
greatly appreciated in the current climate.”

While the correlation between pay and happiness is not as strong as

it was last year, there is a clear indication that feeling included and
valued leads to happier team members. 74% of those who are
unhappy in their current role said they didn’t feel included and valued
in their organisation.

Meanwhile 89% of those who said they are happy in their current role
also feel valued and included. This number has dropped by 7% from
last year’s survey, suggesting another factor may be having a greater
impact this year, such as salary or work-life balance. Despite this
change, making your team feel comfortable and appreciated can make
all the difference when it comes to their job satisfaction, and our data
echoes that.

31.
Are you happy in your
current role?

Very happy Happy Unhappy

Do you feel included and valued in your

current role?

Yes, I feel Yes, I feel No, I don’t

included very included feel included
and valued and valued and valued

32.
When it comes to happiness and organisation size, one group is far
surpassing the rest. Those who work in organisations with 51-200
people are five times less likely to be unhappy than any other group,
according to our respondents.

The unhappiest group sits in the 201-500 organisation size range, with
39% of them reporting that they were less than thrilled in their current
position. Identically, 39% of those who work in an organisation with
201-500 employees asked but were not successful in obtaining a pay
rise.

Sam Holloway, Director

“This once again suggests that scale-ups are

struggling to keep their team members happy
and, therefore, are having a harder time
retaining them. With layoffs and pay stagnation
plaguing these organisations, it can be easy to
see how this then leads to a decrease in job
satisfaction. We can expect to see this trend
carry on for as long as scale-ups take to find
their feet in the market again.”

Comparatively, only 20% of those who worked in companies with 201-

500 team members said they were unhappy in last year’s survey. This
number has essentially doubled in just a year, showcasing how difficult
this year has been for some organisations.

33.
Are there opportunities
to progress in your
current role?
Yes No I’m unsure

According to our respondents, organisations with 501-1000 employees

are the best for internal career progression. Over 75% of those working in
these organisations said they have an opportunity for progression. This is
by far the best result across all sized organisations.

Yet again, the worst result comes from organisations with 201-500 team
members, with only 33% of our respondents saying there are opportunities
for internal progression for them.

Of those across our network who did not feel

their current role offered opportunities for
progression…

31% have a negative outlook on their future

42% are unsure about their future

27% are positive about their future

A lack of internal progression opportunities can have an incredibly negative

impact on our respondents’ confidence, especially when it comes to their
future prospects.

34.
Have you been on any
training in the past 12
months?

§ No – 57%
§ Yes – 43%

Despite more than half of our permanent candidates not receiving

any training in the last 12 months, 95% of our network believe they
have all the skills necessary to carry out their job. The vast majority of
this group are either developers or engineers who famously keep up
to date with new languages, without the need for regimented and
prescribed training. This likely explains the low rate of training for our
respondents.

Everyone who doesn’t share this sentiment also had no additional

training in the last 12 months, suggesting there are some missed
opportunities for upskilling.

35.
Contract &
It’s time to shine the spotlight on the contract and freelance scene
and unpack whether the turbulence from the last year was felt
outside of the permanent space.

Are you satisfied with your day rate?

§ Yes – 44% § No – 56%

How long was your most recent contract?

Up to 3 4-6 7-12 13+

months months months months
36.
Have you received an extension on any of
your contracts in the last year?

Yes No
Out of those who did not receive an extension, a quarter of our
respondents reported it was because the organisation they worked for
was facing economic difficulty. A further quarter didn’t want to extend
with the organisation in the first place.

How happy are you in your current role?

Very Happy Happy

Unhappy Not sure

According to our survey, the majority of those working within the

Dutch contract tech space are happy in their current role. Meanwhile,
39% are unsure how to feel about their current situation.

Gary Thompson, Contract & Freelance Director

“This implies that there may be a large amount of

uncertainty with current freelance roles and
positions. This is likely due to the volatility in the
market, leading to greater competition and
therefore, a generally more stressful experience.
This can also mean that contractors have to
negotiate more for a desirable day rate.”

37.
100% of those who were very happy in their current role
were also happy with their current day rate,
unsurprisingly, day rate is still the main factor as to
whether a contractor is satisfied in their role or not.

How soon before the end of a contract do you

look for another role?

39%
35%

7% 7%
4% 4% 4%
Five weeks
One week

More than six weeks

Four weeks

Six weeks
Two weeks

Three weeks

Despite stereotypes of freelance work being sporadic, 88% of our

network ensures they’re looking for their next role more than four
weeks before their current one ends. This has increased from the
84% that said they did the same last year’s survey.

With uncertainty still shrouding the contract space, it is even more

crucial to ensure your contract network is active and reliable. Having
the knowledge that another role is on its way will do much to
dissuade any contractor’s concerns of the future.

38.
How do you feel about
your career prospects
this year?
§ Positive – 57%
§ Not sure – 7%
§ Negative – 36%

While there is still a lot of

uncertainty in the Dutch
freelancer community
regarding career prospects,
most of our network is still
feeling optimistic about the
remainder of the year.

Gary Thompson, Contract & Freelance Director

“The contract space is always the first to pick up when the

market starts heating up again, when companies are
looking to bring in expertise and experience, they’re much
more likely to go for a short-term contract, which has far
less risk than a permanent hire before committing to a
long-term spend.

After a lull in contract and freelance hires there is always a

bounce back because projects and programmes which
were put on hold suddenly become top priority.”

39.
break
We wanted to see how many
of our respondents have taken
breaks in their careers and how
said breaks impacted the
following years.

Have you had a break in your career?

Yes No

Of those who took a career break, 84% were men, with women making
up the remaining 16%. This would seem to suggest that men are more
likely to take career breaks than women, something that is usually
deemed as being the opposite, but our network is 79% men so the 5%
differential is not cataclysmic.

40.
Furthermore, the largest group of those who’ve had career breaks
come from organisations that have 1000+ team members, with 30%
of all breaks coming from people working at organisations of this size.

This is not surprising as those who work in smaller organisations will

have fewer people who could fill in for them if they were to take a
sabbatical. This is also confirmed by the fact that 71% of those who
took a sabbatical were from organisations with 500 or more team
members, while the remaining 29% were from organisations with
200-500 staff.

What was the

for taking a break?
Health reasons – 12%

Maternity/adoption leave – 5%

Relocation - 32%

Sabbatical – 17%

To retrain/change career - 27%

Other – 7%

41.
40%
of those who took a career break said it
had affected their career.
Of this group 82% decided to take career breaks by carrying out further
training or relocating, the remaining 18% were forced into breaks due to
reasons such as health and maternity/paternity leave.

Interestingly, 75% of those who took breaks, whether avoidable or not,

said that the break was a positive influence on their life and career.
They said it had offered them an opportunity to expand their skills, both
professionally and personally. There were also no mentions of it directly
preventing them from progressing further into their career. This
counters the often-held belief that breaks are detrimental to the career
prospects of those who take them.

The remaining 25% who were lukewarm or unhappy with their break
had all either relocated or taken a study break. When speaking about
their experiences, they alluded to training courses which didn’t meet
their expectations or difficult relocations where they were flung into a
new industry and in some cases a, new country.

of our permanent respondents who said the

break had affected their career also said that
they were unhappy with their current salary.

This number drops to 33% for those who were in contract roles. This
showcases how freelance positions are often better adapted for those
who have to relocate, while for permanent roles, it can often be more
difficult. But when combined with the other above stats it shows that
salary is not the be-all and end-all when it comes to career
satisfaction.

80% of those who took a career break to relocate were at a senior level.
This is somewhat unsurprising as these positions have greater
flexibility and financial benefits, making it easier for people to relocate.

42.
Moving
on
Now that we’ve covered everything from salaries to
job satisfaction, it’s time to review what the main
drivers are for the tech scene’s movers and shakers.
With a year of economic hardship, the landscape has
shifted from this time last year on what people are
likely to move roles for.

53% of our permanent network are looking

to change roles within the next 12 months.

§ Within 6 months § 6-12 months

§ 1-2 years § 2-3 years

§ More than 3 years § Not looking to move

A staggering 32% of our permanent network are looking for a new role in
the next three months, an increase of 7% from last year's survey. 68% of
this group are unhappy with their salary, and 55% say they don’t feel
included or valued at their current organisation.

Of those looking to move in the next year, 65% are happy in their current
role. This suggests that while their situations provide some degree of
support and comfort, several factors are still encouraging them to change
scenery. Scratching your head over what those could be? Don’t worry,
we’ve broken it down for you on the next page.

43.
Key eye-catchers

Higher salary
Career progression
New challenge
Better benefits
More experience 1
Unhappy in current role 1

Better location 1
New industry 1
Better hours 2

When it comes to reasons for leaving a role, higher salaries and career
progression are head and shoulders above the rest of the pack.
Financial security and personal development are far and away the most
likely reasons why permanent candidates would leave their current
roles.

New challenges and better benefits round up the leading group of key
factors, showcasing that many within the Dutch tech space are looking
for a new challenge to go along with better pay and benefits.

Moving away from an unhappy situation only commands the attention

of a quarter of our network when it comes to reasons to leave a role,
which is surprising with the salary information we uncovered earlier in
this survey.

44.
94% of our network look for a great
work-life balance in a new role.

While knowing the leading factors that cause people to

leave a role is crucial, it’s also important to flip the
perspective and see what draws candidates to new
roles when they’re between opportunities.

% of those who ranked these factors as important or

very important when searching for a new role.

#1 Salary – 97%

#2 Work-Life Balance – 94%

1
#3 Flexible Working - 94%
1
#4 Career Development – 92%
2
#5 Work Environment - 92%
1
#6 Challenging Role/Projects – 7%
1
#7 Benefits Package – 85%

#8 Location – 72%
1
#9 Job Security – 69%
1

These results show that those within the Dutch tech scene care
greatly about how organisations tackle challenges outside the average
job descriptions. Offering team members gym memberships,
independent business deals, team away days, and flexible hours does
a lot to help them feel valued and comfortable.

With that being said, salary remains king.

45.
 Desirable
While benefits don’t rank at the top of reasons for those leaving and
looking for new roles, they still have a significant impact on drawing
candidates to positions they may not have otherwise. That’s why we asked
our network which benefits they’d most likely look for in a new role.

Better Holiday Pension

Options

Share Health Insurance/

Incentives Medical Cover

Financial Support Life Insurance

for Professional
Studies
Maternity/
Childcare 2
Paternity Leave

Subsidised Company Car

Facilities 2 Scheme

Discounts
46.
For the third year in a row,
better holiday options
take the top spot.

Working in such a hectic and high-demand market can be difficult at

the best of times, but after a challenging year, it makes sense that
people are clamouring for more time away from work.

Financial support once again ranks high, with pensions and share
incentives both sitting within the top three benefits. While there has
not been a significant change to these benefits, that is arguably a
positive as the year has proved difficult for a number of businesses.
Being able to maintain good pensions and share incentives, even in
difficult periods goes a long way to win over candidates.

Childcare and maternity/paternity leave likely rank on the lower end of

benefits due to the dominance of men in the tech scene. With 79% of
our network being men and women traditionally being more likely to
be caregivers, it’s no surprise that these benefits remain near the
bottom of the list.

Seeing a drop in the importance of subsidised facilities is not

surprising considering that so many offices now offer hybrid or fully
remote work. With less time in the office, having the best facilities no
longer has the punch it once did.

47.
That’s
a wrap
Finding the best and brightest tech professionals
and matching them with leading companies is what
we’re all about at TRC. We’re also dedicated to
making the European tech scene a great place to
work.

From global titans to start-ups, we’re passionate

about building the best teams possible. We find a
way to get exactly what you need when you need it.

Get in touch to discuss how we can help take your

teams to new heights.

+31(0)20 723 0910

info@thatrecruitmentcompany.com