A job interview in the Netherlands is a conversation between people who expect to be treated as equals. It is informal in manner and direct in content: first names from the start, plain questions, plain answers, and feedback that is given rather than hinted at. Candidates from countries where interviews are more formal or more guarded sometimes read this as rudeness or as a lack of interest. It is neither. This guide describes what the rounds look like, what the questions are really asking, and what counts as a good answer.
The rounds
Most processes have two or three rounds. The first is a short call with a recruiter or HR, 20 to 30 minutes, by phone or video, to confirm the basics: your interest, your availability, your salary expectation, your permit situation, your level of Dutch if the role cares. The second is with the hiring manager, usually with a colleague present, and goes through your experience in detail. The third, where there is one, is a case, a presentation, a technical exercise or a conversation with the team you would join. Larger companies, banks and the public sector sometimes add an assessment: online reasoning tests and a personality questionnaire, occasionally a half day at an assessment centre with role plays. You can ask what the assessment covers; they will tell you.
First rounds are increasingly held by video. Later rounds are mostly in person, and the employer expects you to come to the office for them if you are in the country. If you are abroad, say so and ask for video; it is a normal request.
Manner
Be on time; punctuality is taken literally. Shake hands, use first names when they do (they will), and sit down when invited. Dress is a step more relaxed than in London or Frankfurt: in most offices a jacket without a tie is the upper end, and in technology companies a clean shirt is enough. Small talk is brief. Interviewers usually start by describing the company and the role for a few minutes, then turn to you.
Dutch directness goes both ways. Interviewers ask “Why did you leave?”, “What went wrong there?” and “What are you bad at?” and expect a real answer. In return, you can ask “What is the salary range?”, “Why is this position open?” and “What would make you decide against me?” without causing offence. A candidate with no questions is read as not interested.
The questions behind the questions
- “Why the Netherlands, and how long do you plan to stay?” Asked of almost every international candidate. The employer is investing in a permit, onboarding and possibly relocation, and wants to know you have thought about living here. A concrete answer about why you chose the country, where you will live and what you have already arranged is worth more than enthusiasm.
- “Tell me about a time when…” Competency questions are the backbone of the second round. Answer with a specific situation, what you did, and what came of it, in that order, with numbers where you have them. Avoid “we” when you mean “I”; the interviewer wants to know your part.
- “What are your salary expectations?” Often asked in the first call. Have a gross monthly figure ready, know whether you are quoting with or without the 8% holiday allowance, and ask for the range if they have not given it. Being unable to name a figure is read as unprepared, not as modest.
- “How do you deal with feedback?” Not a trick. Dutch teams give and expect frank feedback, in meetings and in front of others; the question tests whether you will take it as information rather than as an attack.
- “Do you speak Dutch?” Answer with the truth and a level. “A2, I have lessons twice a week” is a good answer. “I plan to learn” without any step taken is a weak one.
What impresses, and what does not
Specificity, preparation and honesty impress. Knowing what the company does, having read the job description closely, and being able to say exactly what you did in each job on your CV, with the problems as well as the successes, puts you in the top group. Overselling does not work: a candidate who claims expert level in everything is probed until something gives, and the Dutch have a phrase, doe maar normaal, that captures the preference for people who do not make themselves larger than they are. Name-dropping, long speeches, and praise of the company you have not substantiated all fall flat.
Hierarchy is flat. You may be interviewed by someone two levels below the role, and their opinion counts. Treat everyone you meet, including the person at reception, as part of the decision.
After the interview
A short e-mail the same day, thanking the interviewers and adding one thing you did not get to say, is appreciated and not expected. Most employers say when you will hear back; if that date passes, a polite e-mail asking for an update is fine. Rejections are usually brief and come by e-mail; you can ask for feedback, and often you will get a useful sentence or two.
If the answer is yes, the next conversation is about terms: salary, contract length, probation period, start date, working hours, pension, holidays, and, where relevant, relocation and the permit. References are usually asked for at this point, not earlier. Read the contract before signing; ask what the CAO is, if there is one, and which salary scale the role is in. There is no expectation that you sign on the spot.
Preparing
- Reread the job description and your own CV; be ready to explain every line of both.
- Prepare three or four specific stories with a result, matched to the requirements in the job description.
- Prepare a gross monthly salary figure and your answer on the Netherlands and the permit.
- Prepare questions about the team, the work and the decision process.
- Check the route and arrive early, or test the video link; be plain, be concrete, be yourself at normal size.
The documents that get you to the interview are covered in the guides on the CV format and the motivation letter; the overview of applying in the Netherlands places the interview in the whole process.