06 November 2025
For financial institutions across Europe, finding the right talent can be a major challenge – especially when recruiting from abroad. Through its Staffing Solutions offering, Varrlyn supports both institutions and candidates in ensuring a smooth journey from hiring to relocation and onboarding.
Many companies may succeed in finding the right person for the job – but what if they are not in the same place? Many global hires will look to relocate to the location of their new employer, especially when it comes to specialized roles – and the employer will usually play a lead role in facilitating the move.
Though many financial firms will find great talent abroad and hope to bring them in-house, there are several challenges that can make this difficult. There are the legal complexities of visa, housing, and moving, but there are also additional problems that delays and poor onboarding can bring.
“In the first place when it comes to hiring from abroad there were quite a lot of formalities that needed to be in place,” says Stephan van der Windt, Managing Director at Varrlyn Staffing Solutions, an arm of Varrlyn.
“I still remember the first new hires that we brought over to the Netherlands. We had to fill a very extensive set of forms, providing dozens of documents for their work permits. When you have any flaws in this process, it can result in large delays – or in the worst case, the work permit getting rejected.”
Indeed, for non-EU (or EEA) citizens, a work permit is generally required to be employed in most European countries. The process typically involves securing a job offer from an employer in a specific country, who then often initiates the work permit application on behalf of the prospective employee.
The right candidates
Finding the right candidate will invariably involve relying on a company’s network or other forms of finding talent, like using LinkedIn and referrals.
“It’s not only about the best candidate with the best skills. We also need to find people who can blend into a Dutch organization,” Van der Windt notes.
“They need to be able to fit the culture, but also we want to be sure that someone will be able to settle and stay in the Netherlands. It’s in no one’s interest if after a year – or even after five years – someone does not feel at ease or at home and wants to move back to their home country.”
Van der Windt points to South Africa and India as prime locations for great financial talent. With great higher education institutions and high proficiency or native levels of English, talent from these countries is valuable to European firms.
Navendu Vimal, a candidate that made the move to the Netherlands through Varrlyn Staffing Solutions, described the process as “really smooth,” with full support from the team on the specifics of the job offer and with other practicalities.
“Making a move from a different country requires a lot of commitment from an individual,” says Vimal. “There is one thing that needs to be highlighted, which is the constant and immediate support from the back office team for anything and everything. Basically, one can discuss all the problems and seek support along the journey. Also their commitment for me to settle have been heartwarming.”
Beyond just paperwork
Besides all the formal requirements, it is important for companies to help their new talent with feeling at home in their new setting. Making a move to a new country is a daunting process, so Varrlyn’s teams work to provide some relief to that anxiety.
“We don’t want to only provide capacity to our clients. We want to make sure that both for our clients as well as our workforce, we have a well-connected community,” notes Van der Windt
“We do this by organizing team events, continuous coaching, providing learning opportunities, and overall ensuring someone will feel at home in their work and socially. We truly feel that this benefits everybody who is involved.”
Some other bonuses can help sweeten the deal for new talent, like for example trainings, personal development opportunities, and fitness offerings. Taking care of employees in this regard is part of maintaining cohesion in a team.
“Knowing the complexities and challenges in hiring, onboarding, and retaining talent, we also offer these services in this respect to our clients,” adds Van der Windt.
“Specifically we see that the personal touch or being able to fully support someone’s transition to the Netherlands is not something our clients can provide. That was another trigger where clients have reached out to us to ask for our help.”
Ultimately, prioritizing a people-first approach is crucial for financial organizations seeking to attract and retain global talent. By streamlining the complex relocation process, companies can ensure their international hires succeed professionally and also thrive personally in their new home.