Eindhoven mayor identifies world war on expat talent

Identifying the increasing worldwide need for expat talent, Eindhoven’s Mayor is calling the issue a ‘war for talent’.

According to the city’s leader John Jorritsma, the Netherlands simply doesn’t have enough locally grown talent to feed its multinationals as well as its 6,500 SMEs without trawling overseas. Speaking to local media, he said it’s not just foreigners who’re needed as it’s now all about talent the country doesn’t have due to its limited education facilities and comparatively small population. The mayor wants internationals to become part of Eindhoven’s eco-system, but knows he’s competing with Shanghai, Stockholm, Silicon Valley and elsewhere for the brightest and best.

One of his concerns is that, once highly talented expat individuals arrive, everything’s fine for a while until they realise the Dutch aren’t exactly the most friendly nation as regards newcomers. Socially, he says, expats are totally unsure as to their positions within established society due to differences in language, culture and day-to-day interaction with locals. He believes language courses are essential, as are exchanges of views, experiences and information on contrasting lifestyles, all of which allow internationals to become part of the Dutch system. He’s also concerned about expat spouses and families, although Eindhoven has a good selection of international schools fine for wealthy parents but unattainable by start-up SME owners.

As in the vast majority of favourite expat entrepreneur destinations, expats in Eindhoven tend to join the ‘expat bubble’ as the easiest way to integrate with their own kind rather than attempting to become part of the overall community. Local English language media helps improve the expat experience by networking, and the Expat Centre is good for practical issues, but one problem is the division between the city’s expat fast-trackers and its highly educated residents as well as the rest of the city’s residents. The two sides need to interact, with bridges now being built between locals and internationals. It’s all about having locals realise the vast majority of expats need to interact within the general community as well as within their own group, however large.