Workstead
Workstead is a Dutch staffing and secondment agency that places more than 3,000 temporary workers daily from Eastern Europe into production, food, industry, cleaning, logistics, and technology roles at Dutch employers across eleven branches and six inhouse client sites.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersVeenendaal, Netherlands
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Workstead does
Workstead is a Netherlands-based staffing and secondment agency that connects workers from European countries — primarily Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, and Slovakia — with Dutch employers across six end sectors: production, food, industry, cleaning, logistics, and technology. Founded around 1998 (formerly operating as VDB Dienstverlening) and headquartered in Veenendaal, the company places more than 3,000 temporary workers on a daily basis and is supported by 157 internal employees distributed across eleven branch offices and six dedicated inhouse teams at client sites including Albert Heijn, Plukon, Total Packaging, Westfort, and Royal A-ware.
The service stack is built around a core staffing offering augmented by bundled housing (SNF-certified, fully furnished), transport (commutes capped at 45 minutes, using the GVB/Mobiliteitsfabriek I Travel Business Card system), and ongoing job-coach support delivered in workers' native languages. Underlying technology consists of an employee portal (portal.workstead.nl) for schedules, pay slips, leave requests, and housing maintenance, a mobile app distributed via Google Play, and a job portal (jobs.workstead.nl); no proprietary AI/ML systems are disclosed. An 8-step guidance plan structures the onboarding pipeline from initial contact through first day of work.
Workstead generates revenue through the spread between worker compensation (set by applicable CAO/CLA collective labor agreements) and client billing rates, structured as managed services. Distribution is sales-led and direct: recruiters use Facebook groups, the multilingual website (Dutch, English, Bulgarian, Polish, Romanian), referral bonuses (€50 net per successful hire), and an inside-sales team responding within one working day to acquire workers; employer accounts are secured through the branch network and dedicated inhouse arrangements. The company is ABU-certified since June 2024 (renewed 2025, 2026) and GDPR-compliant, with the ABU Fair Employment Code governing pay equity (equal pay for equal work) and housing costs capped at 25% of minimum wage.
Workstead firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Workstead
- Legal name
- Workstead
- Website
- https://workstead.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Workstead is a Dutch staffing and secondment agency that places more than 3,000 temporary workers daily from Eastern Europe into production, food, industry, cleaning, logistics, and technology roles at Dutch employers across eleven branches and six inhouse client sites.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Workstead industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Staffing and Secondment Services
- NAICS
- Temporary Help Services (561320)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Construction & General Labor Staffing (BPACAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Workforce & Contract Worker Monthly Housing (THAMAFAE), Workforce Management & Scheduling Outsourcing (Non-payroll) (BPACAKAJ)
Keywords
Where Workstead is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Veenendaal
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices17 records
Markets served
Workstead business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Staffing and secondment services: Workstead provides temporary workers to Dutch companies across multiple sectors including production, food, industry, cleaning, logistics, and technology. The company acts as an intermediary between European workers seeking employment in the Netherlands and Dutch employers needing flexible staffing solutions. Revenue is generated through the margin between worker compensation and client billing rates.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | — | Staffing services for Dutch employers |
| Other | — | Referral bonus for recommending new workers |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Workstead product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Workstead is a Dutch secondment and staffing agency that recruits European workers (mainly from Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, Slovakia) and places them with Dutch employers across production, food, industry, cleaning, logistics, and technology sectors. The agency manages the full employment relationship and supplements placement with furnished housing near work sites, organised commuting transport, and ongoing job coaching in workers' native languages.
Product overview
Workstead is a staffing and secondment agency that connects European workers with Dutch employers. The core offering is staffing services placing workers across production, food, industry, cleaning, logistics, and technology sectors. This is complemented by housing and transport services for workers, supported by an employee portal and mobile app. The company operates a structured 8-step guidance process guiding workers from recruitment through placement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Workstead Staffing and Secondment Services Core secondment and staffing service placing European workers (from Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, Slovakia and other countries) with Dutch client companies across production, food, industry, cleaning, logistics and technology sectors. Workstead manages the employment relationship while workers perform assignments at client facilities.
- Workstead Housing Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Workers can start working within days of initial contact, often within 4 days
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Workstead
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Workstead technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Workstead partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- CleanLeasecoreWorkstead partnered with CleanLease to provide textile cleaning services workers. After a successful implementation and migration period, Workstead temporary workers went to work at five CleanLease locations. CleanLease is an industrial cleaning company.
- Job Vision UtrechtcoreJob Vision Utrecht was officially operating under the name of Workstead Utrecht as of May 27, 2024. This acquisition represents an important step in Workstead's continued growth and commitment to service improvement. The Utrecht location at Kanaaldijk 3 was integrated into Workstead operations.
- Algemene Bond Uitzendondernemingen (ABU)coreWorkstead is a member of the ABU (Algemene Bond Uitzendondernemingen), the Dutch staffing and recruitment association. ABU membership requires compliance with the ABU Fair Employment Code and involves regular independent audits to ensure correct compliance with laws and regulations. The ABU provides a complaints mechanism for workers.
- Stichting Normering Flexwonen (SNF)coreWorkstead's housing complies with SNF (Foundation for Standards in Flexible Housing) certification standards. SNF sets strict requirements for housing including space, privacy, hygiene, fire safety, and facilities. SNF certification includes a complaint portal for residents.
- Recruitment Partners in Home CountriescoreWorkstead collaborates with recruitment agencies in workers' countries of origin (Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and others) to source European workers. These partners provide initial information about working in the Netherlands and follow ABU Fair Recruitment Charter guidelines.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Workstead competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Tempo-Team: Major Dutch staffing brand (part of Adecco Group) offering temporary and permanent placement across blue- and white-collar sectors; directly competes with Workstead for Dutch temporary staffing contracts, particularly in logistics and production.
- Randstad: Largest Dutch staffing firm (HQ in Diemen) operating across all labor segments; directly comparable to Workstead as a Dutch employment agency placing temporary workers, though at vastly larger scale and broader sector coverage including white-collar and professional roles.
- Gi Group Nederland: Italian-headquartered global staffing firm with Dutch operations; provides temporary and permanent staffing across industrial, logistics, and professional segments, comparable to Workstead in sector coverage and target employer profile.
- ManpowerGroup Nederland: Global staffing firm's Dutch subsidiary providing temporary, permanent, and outsourced workforce solutions; comparable to Workstead as a Dutch employer of record for temporary workers across industrial and logistics sectors.
- Adecco Nederland: Global staffing leader's Dutch operation offering temporary staffing, permanent placement, and workforce solutions across all major sectors; broad incumbent that overlaps with Workstead's logistics, production, and industrial verticals.
Direct peers
- OTTO Work Force: Specialist agency recruiting Eastern European workers (particularly from Poland, Romania, Bulgaria) for placements in the Netherlands and Germany. Closest direct peer to Workstead given the same cross-border blue-collar labor model, multilingual recruitment funnel, and bundled housing/transport services.
- ASA Talent: Dutch staffing agency operating ABU-certified temporary staffing across technical, production, logistics, and administrative roles; a like-for-like peer to Workstead in scale and service mix within the Netherlands.
- Start People: Dutch staffing agency (part of USG/Hays group historically) focused on temporary staffing across production, logistics, and administrative roles; directly competes with Workstead for the same blue-collar and entry-level worker segments in the Netherlands.
Emerging players
- Hays Netherlands: Specialist staffing firm operating in the Netherlands with stronger focus on white-collar and professional roles, but overlapping with Workstead in technical and industrial placements; included as an adjacent peer in workforce solutions.
Regional players
- BNNVARA / Consolidé (NL staffing consolidators): Dutch regional staffing consolidator focused on temporary labor in logistics, production, and industry across the Netherlands; comparable to Workstead in target worker profile (blue-collar) and customer base (Dutch industrial employers).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Workstead social profiles
Digital presenceWorkstead compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Workstead financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Workstead leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Workstead funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Workstead M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Workstead
What does Workstead do?
Workstead is a Dutch secondment and staffing agency that recruits European workers (mainly from Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, Slovakia) and places them with Dutch employers across production, food, industry, cleaning, logistics, and technology sectors. The agency manages the full employment relationship and supplements placement with furnished housing near work sites, organised commuting transport, and ongoing job coaching in workers' native languages.
Is Workstead a public or private company?
Workstead is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Workstead founded?
Workstead was founded in 1998. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Workstead based?
Workstead is headquartered in Veenendaal, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Workstead make money?
One revenue line is on record: staffing and secondment services.
Who are Workstead's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Tempo-Team, Randstad, Gi Group Nederland, ManpowerGroup Nederland and Adecco Nederland. Direct peers are OTTO Work Force, ASA Talent and Start People. Hays Netherlands is listed as an emerging player. BNNVARA / Consolidé (NL staffing consolidators) is listed as a regional player.
Does Workstead have an API?
No public API is recorded for Workstead.
What industry is Workstead in?
Workstead's product category is Staffing and Secondment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAEAA, Construction & General Labor Staffing, with a secondary code of THAMAFAE, Workforce & Contract Worker Monthly Housing. Its NAICS code is 561320 and its SIC code is 7361.