Raphael Bohne
Research expert covering professional services
Randstad - statistics & facts
Randstad is a Dutch multinational staffing and human resources consulting company headquartered in Diemen, a town within the Amsterdam metropolitan area. Their name refers to the Randstad region of the Netherlands, a megalopolis comprised primarily of the four largest Dutch cities: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht. The majority of revenue generating by Randstad originated from recruitment services for temporary and permanent staff, with significant revenue streams also from the recruitment of senior professional staff, and outsourced HR management and consulting services. The company has played a significant and influential role in the staffing industry worldwide.
Randstad through the years
Throughout the 1970s the growth of Randstad was limited by government regulation introduced in response to fears that temporary employees circumvented workplace regulations. Ironically, this included a requirement that temporary workers not be paid more than permanent staff, which served to increase demand for temporary staff. Randstad (and the broader industry) successfully fought these regulations, and the government restrictions on temporary staffing were gradually relaxed during the 1980s. The changed market environment led to growth which culminated in Randstad being floated on the stock market in 1990. At this time most of their operations were located in the Netherlands, but throughout the 1990s and 2000s Randstad concentrated on international expansion through both acquisitions and opening new branches. The strategy was successful, as Randstad have been ranked amongst the largest staffing firms in the United States.Industry discrepancies and global perspectives
Between 2010 and 2020, the revenue of Randstad saw consistent year-on-year growth, notwithstanding a slight drop in 2013 and a more significant one in 2020 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. This growth broadly matched the overall industry trend, with the second-largest global staffing company, Adecco, also seeing a similar growth pattern. The third-largest global provider, ManpowerGroup, has experienced less-consistent growth throughout the same period and is yet to return their revenue to its 2011 peak.
