Wierenga & De Graaf

What Wierenga & De Graaf does

Wierenga & De Graaf B.V. is a privately held Dutch recruitment and selection bureau (werving & selectie) founded in 2020 by Jan Wierenga and Leo de Graaf, headquartered at Sophialaan 1 in Leeuwarden, Friesland. The firm specializes in permanent, interim, and detachment (detavast) placements for HBO+ (higher professional education) and specialist positions, serving employers across Friesland and the broader Northern Netherlands (Groningen, Drenthe, and into Overijssel). Its service portfolio includes recruitment and selection, interim management, detachment, employer and job branding, career advisory (Loopbaan Advies Plus), outplacement, HR advisory, executive search, and ZZP-interim placement, with all services delivered under one roof alongside in-house coaches and trainers. The firm applies the standardized TMA (Talent, Motivation, Analysis) methodology for talent and motivation assessment, and uses online targeting tools, video calling, and self-service vacancy and open-application portals on its website to coordinate candidate flow. Revenue is generated primarily through success-based and retainer recruitment fees charged to employers, supplemented by detachment billings and a career advisory product priced at approximately EUR 700 excluding VAT (or free to participants via the NL Leert Door government subsidy program). The go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, relying on direct employer outreach, personal networking, sponsored events (notably FC Cambuur), and a referral network anchored by named enterprise and government clients including Rabobank, Deloitte, Aegon, Alliander, Gasunie, Antonius Ziekenhuis, and multiple Friesland municipalities and waterschappen.

Name

Wierenga & De Graaf

Legal name

Wierenga & De Graaf B.V.

Website

https://wierenga-degraaf.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wierenga & De Graaf is a Dutch recruitment and selection bureau founded in 2020, placing HBO+ and specialist candidates in permanent, interim, and detachment roles for employers across Friesland and Northern Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recruitment and Selection Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Administrative, Clerical & Office Support Direct Hire (BPACAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Workforce Development Programs (WIOA/One-Stop Career Centers) (EDAAAOAA)

Keywords

• Recruitment and selection
• Executive search
• HR advisory services
• Interim management
• Career advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeuwarden

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Werving & Selectie (Recruitment and Selection): Wierenga & De Graaf charges employers for recruitment and selection services, placing candidates in permanent, interim, and detachment (detavast) roles. Fees are structured around success-based or retainer models, with options ranging from no cure no pay to custom full-service packages including employer branding websites.
2. Loopbaan Advies (Career Advisory): Career advisory services including Loopbaan Advies Plus, which consists of an labour market scan, 4 hours of personal coaching by a certified career advisor, and a personal development plan. Funded either through government programs (NL Leert Door) or paid directly at approximately €700 excluding VAT.
3. Interim Management & Detachering: Provision of interim professionals and detachment (temporary-to-permanent) staffing solutions for employers needing temporary capacity or specialized expertise.
4. HR Services on Demand: Senior HR professionals supplied on a project basis to organizations undergoing mergers, reorganizations, or major organizational changes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Wierenga & De Graaf is a recruitment and selection bureau that places HBO+ (higher professional education) and university-level candidates in permanent, interim, and detachment roles for employers in Friesland and Northern Netherlands. The core offering is supplemented by career advisory, interim management, employer branding, onboarding support, outplacement, and HR advisory services, all delivered personally by a team of consultants from a single office in Leeuwarden.

Product overview

Wierenga & De Graaf is a recruitment and selection bureau operating as a single integrated service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering is Werving en Selectie (recruitment and selection) for permanent, interim, and contract positions at HBO+ level. This core service is supported and enhanced by add-on modules including Detachering/Detavast for flexible staffing, Interim Management for senior HR professionals, Loopbaan Advies Plus for career development, Assessments using the TMA methodology, Employer & Job Branding services, Onboarding support, Outplacement, HR Advies, Executive Search, and ZZP-Interim services. All services are delivered with a focus on personal attention and sustainable matching between candidates and employers in Friesland and Northern Netherlands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Werving en Selectie Core recruitment and selection service that matches employers with HBO+ (higher professional education) and university-level candidates for permanent, interim, and detachment positions in Friesland and Northern Netherlands. The service includes personal intake with both employer and candidate, talent and motivation assessments using the TMA methodology, and ongoing onboarding follow-up.
• Detachering / Detavast Staffing and detachment service including detavast (detachment with option for permanent contract) that provides flexible staffing solutions for employers needing temporary capacity in Friesland and Northern Netherlands.
• Interim Management Placement of experienced senior HR professionals on a project basis for organizations undergoing large-scale mergers, reorganizations, or major organizational change in Friesland and Northern Netherlands.
• Loopbaan Advies Plus Career advisory program for individual candidates consisting of a labour market scan, four hours of personal coaching by a certified career advisor, an intake interview with a recruiter, a personal development plan, and a workshop on personal story and ambitions. Available privately at approximately €700 ex-VAT or free through the NL Leert Door government subsidy.
• Executive Search Targeted executive search service for directorial, management, and key positions in Friesland and Northern Netherlands, leveraging the firm's regional network and assessment methodology.
• Outplacement Outplacement service that helps departing employees transition to new careers, including reorganization support, talent analysis, personal development planning, job hunting support, and legal advice on severance agreements.

Quantifiable outcome

• The firm has a proven track record in Northern Netherlands across permanent, interim, and detachment placements at HBO+ level

Named customers40 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

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ProbominorOthersProbo is listed among Wierenga & De Graaf's employer partner network. Probo is a technology or marketing services company in Northern Netherlands that uses Wierenga & De Graaf for its recruitment needs.
• SitechminorOthersSitech is listed among Wierenga & De Graaf's employer partner network as a client using their recruitment and selection services.
• EkwadraatminorOthersEkwadraat is listed as an employer partner/client of Wierenga & De Graaf in the recruitment services context.
• ME-ATminorOthersME-AT is listed as an employer partner/client of Wierenga & De Graaf.
• OmrinminorOthersOmrin (waste management company) is listed as an employer partner/client of Wierenga & De Graaf.
• CCI (Chamber of Commerce and Industry)minorOthersCCI is listed as an employer partner/client of Wierenga & De Graaf.
• AlliandercoreOthersAlliander (energy grid operator) is a significant employer client of Wierenga & De Graaf, regularly engaging them for recruitment of technical and professional staff.
• Royal SteensmaminorOthersRoyal Steensma (food ingredients company) is listed as an employer partner/client of Wierenga & De Graaf.
• StruktonminorOthersStrukton (infrastructure company) is listed as an employer partner/client of Wierenga & De Graaf.
• Graphic PackagingminorOthersGraphic Packaging (paper and packaging manufacturing) is listed as an employer partner/client of Wierenga & De Graaf.
• DeloittecoreOthersDeloitte (professional services firm) is a significant employer client of Wierenga & De Graaf, using their services for professional-level recruitment in Northern Netherlands.
• RabobankcoreOthersRabobank is a key employer client of Wierenga & De Graaf in the financial services sector.
• Gemeente LeeuwardencoreOthersGemeente Leeuwarden (municipality of Leeuwarden) is a significant government employer client of Wierenga & De Graaf for recruitment of professional and administrative positions.
• AegoncoreOthersAegon (insurance and pensions company) is a significant employer client of Wierenga & De Graaf.
• Zorggroep NoorderbreedtecoreOthersZorggroep Noorderbreedte (healthcare provider) is a key employer client of Wierenga & De Graaf in the healthcare sector.
• CambuurminorOthersCambuur (SC Cambuur football club) has a dual relationship: it is an employer client of Wierenga & De Graaf and Wierenga & De Graaf is a proud supporter/sponsor of Cambuur.
• GasuniecoreOthersGasunie (national gas transmission system operator) is a key employer client of Wierenga & De Graaf.
• TMA Method (Talent, Motivatie, Analyse)coreTechnology or IntegrationWierenga & De Graaf uses the TMA Method for talent assessment, providing candidates with insights into their qualities, motivations, and intelligence through standardized methodology.
• NL Leert Door (Government Subsidy Program)coreOthersWierenga & De Graaf participates in the NL Leert Door government initiative, delivering subsidized career development advice (Loopbaan Advies Plus) to eligible Dutch workers and job seekers at no cost to participants.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• YER: Dutch recruitment firm specializing in HBO+ and WO entry-level and junior-professional placements across the Netherlands. Directly comparable because it targets the same candidate segment (higher-educated professionals), operates a similar direct-hire/placement model, and is even listed as an employer client/partner of Wierenga & De Graaf.
• Maandag: Dutch recruitment bureau focused on HBO+ professionals and public-sector/interim placements. Comparable because it shares the higher-educated candidate focus, the detavast/detachering service lines, and a relationship-driven regional operating model similar to Wierenga & De Graaf's.
• Vesper: Dutch executive search and direct-search firm for senior and specialist positions. Comparable because it overlaps with Wierenga & De Graaf's executive search offering for directorial, management, and key specialist roles in the Dutch market.
• FERS: Northern Netherlands-based recruitment firm focused on HBO+ and specialist placements. Directly comparable because of overlapping regional focus (Friesland/Northern Netherlands), similar candidate segment, and an explicit commercial relationship with Wierenga & De Graaf as a listed employer client/partner.

Broad incumbents

• Page Personnel Netherlands: Dutch arm of Page Personnel, focused on temporary, contract, and permanent support-function and junior-professional placements. Comparable as a direct-hire competitor in the Dutch recruitment market, particularly for entry-level and support professional roles adjacent to Wierenga & De Graaf's segment.
• Brunel: Dutch-origin international staffing and recruitment specialist active across multiple disciplines and seniority levels. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the same Dutch recruitment market with overlapping specialisms (including detachering and specialist placements) but a much wider portfolio and geographic footprint than Wierenga & De Graaf.
• Randstad Nederland: Dutch arm of the global staffing leader, offering permanent placement, detachering, and HR services across all seniority levels. Comparable because it competes for the same Northern Netherlands employer relationships and overlaps on direct-hire and detachering service lines, though at vastly greater scale and breadth.
• Robert Half Netherlands: Dutch arm of the global Robert Half group, specializing in finance, accounting, and professional support placements. Comparable as a broader incumbent competing for similar professional-level hires at Dutch employers, including Friesland-based organizations.
• Hays Netherlands: Dutch operations of the international Hays recruitment group, with strong focus on professional and qualified (HBO+/WO) permanent and contract placements. Comparable because it competes for the same specialist/professional segment and the same Friesland and Northern Netherlands enterprise clients, but with a national and global footprint.
• Michael Page Netherlands: Dutch arm of the global Michael Page Group, focused on permanent and interim placements for HBO+/WO professionals and middle-to-senior management. Comparable because it targets the same candidate seniority and uses a similar direct-hire / search-and-selection model, but operates at far greater scale and brand recognition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=hoNgIYHWdy4
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wierengadegraaf
• Instagraminstagram.com/wierenga_de_graaf
• Xx.com/WierengaDeGraaf
• Facebookfacebook.com/wierenga.degraaf.lwd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Wierenga & De Graaf