Name

WHY Connect | Talent Agency - Bemiddeling & Coaching

Legal name

WHY Connect

Website

https://whyconnect.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WHY Connect is a Rotterdam-based Happy Talent Agency that recruits, places, and coaches Marketing, Communication, HR, and Recruitment professionals for Dutch enterprises, supplemented by team growth consulting and personal coaching services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recruitment and Talent Agency Services

NAICS

Employment Services (5613), Temporary Help Services (561320), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Help Supply Services (7363)

akta.pro primary industry

Sales, Marketing & Customer Success Direct Hire (BPACAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recruiting Administration Outsourcing (Recruitment Support, Scheduling, Onboarding Ops) (BPACAKAG), Administrative, Clerical & Office Support Direct Hire (BPACAFAF)

Keywords

• Talent recruitment services
• Career coaching
• Personal development coaching
• Team growth consulting
• Staffing and mediation

Headquarters

HQ city

Rotterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Recruitment & Staffing Services: WHY Connect generates revenue through various recruitment and placement models: uitzenden (temporary staffing), detacheren (contract/flextime arrangements), ZZP opdrachten (freelance project matching), and werving & selectie (permanent recruitment). The company also offers coaching services and customized team growth solutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

WHY Connect is a Dutch "Happy Talent Agency" that provides recruitment and staffing mediation (temporary staffing, detacheren, ZZP freelance, and permanent werving & selectie), supplemented by organizational team growth consulting, individual personal development coaching, and customized workshops. All services are concentrated in the Marketing, Communication, HR, and Recruitment professional segments and are guided by a motivation-first ("Eerst Waarom, Dan Verbinden") methodology rather than CV matching.

Product overview

WHY Connect is a service-based Happy Talent Agency offering a portfolio of four interconnected services: (1) Bemiddeling — core recruitment and staffing covering temporary contracting, freelance/ZZP assignments, and permanent placement across Marketing, Communication, HR, and Recruitment; (2) Groei van Jouw Team — organizational consulting for recruitment process design, onboarding, HR tool implementation, culture development, and HR administration; (3) Persoonlijke Groei — individual coaching and talent development aimed at career happiness; and (4) Maatwerk — custom one-on-one sessions and workshops tailored to individual or organizational needs. All services are guided by the philosophy 'Eerst Waarom, Dan Verbinden' (First Why, Then Connect), emphasizing matching based on personal motivation rather than CV alone.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bemiddeling (Mediation/Recruitment Services) Recruitment and staffing services covering temporary staffing (uitzenden), detacheren (contract/flextime), ZZP freelance assignments, and permanent placement (werving & selectie) for Marketing, Communication, HR, and Recruitment professionals across Dutch organizations.
• Groei van Jouw Team (Team Growth Services) Consulting services for organizations to design and optimize recruitment processes, onboarding, HR tooling, performance and feedback culture, HR administration, reporting, and absence case management, aimed at improving team growth and workplace happiness.
• Persoonlijke Groei (Personal Growth / Coaching) Personal development and coaching services helping individuals discover their talents, set life and career goals, and find purpose-driven work, including individual coaching sessions and workshops.
• Maatwerk (Custom Solutions) Tailored one-on-one coaching sessions and workshops designed for individuals at various career stages — from recent graduates to experienced professionals — addressing personal growth, career transitions, and organizational mission alignment.
• Jobs Portal A job listing and career matching portal where candidates are matched with opportunities based on personal motivations ('waarom') and organizational values, rather than CV alone.

Quantifiable outcome

• Organizations experience lower employee turnover, reduced sick leave, higher productivity, better results, and improved workplace culture
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers23 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Hays Netherlands: Global recruitment specialist with deep Dutch operations across professional disciplines including marketing, communications, and HR. Competes for the same pool of enterprise clients seeking permanent and contract placements.
• Michael Page Netherlands: Global specialist recruiter with a strong Dutch presence focused on permanent placement of mid-to-senior professionals including marketing, HR, and communications roles. Direct competitor to WHY Connect for enterprise marketing/HR placements.
• Robert Half Netherlands: Global recruitment firm with a Dutch office specializing in placement of marketing, communications, HR, and finance professionals. Similar service mix to WHY Connect but with significantly broader geographic reach and infrastructure.
• Yacht (Randstad subsidiary): Dutch recruitment and consulting firm specializing in placement of professionals in Marketing, Communication, HR, and Technology — directly overlapping WHY Connect's niche. Competes head-to-head for enterprise hiring in the Randstad region.

Broad incumbents

• Randstad N.V. Dutch-headquartered global staffing leader offering permanent placement, temporary staffing, and HR services across all sectors. WHY Connect competes for the same enterprise clients in the Netherlands but at a much smaller, more boutique scale with a different philosophy.
• Brunel International: Global staffing and project-delivery firm with Dutch operations across marketing, communications, and engineering disciplines. Indirect peer through shared enterprise clients and overlap in contract placement models.
• USG People (now Randstad): Major Dutch staffing and HR services brand absorbed into Randstad, focused on permanent placement and staffing across office, marketing, and commercial functions. Historical peer and competitor in the Dutch market.
• HeadFirst (HeadFirst Group): Dutch HR services and staffing group providing recruitment, managed service provider (MSP) and RPO solutions. Competes for enterprise outsourcing and recruitment mandates alongside WHY Connect's team growth practice.

Regional players

• Talent&Pro: Dutch recruitment and trainee placement firm targeting young professionals and commercial talent. While geographically aligned, its trainee-development model is adjacent rather than directly overlapping with WHY Connect's mid/senior placement focus.

Emerging players

• Maqqie: Dutch staffing platform / marketplace for flexible workforce management. Listed as a WHY Connect client and adjacent competitor in the Dutch contract-staffing space, though operating with a more technology-platform model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/why-connect
• Instagraminstagram.com/whyconnect

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WHY Connect | Talent Agency - Bemiddeling & Coaching