Five Things You Need To Know About Working With The Dutch

Whether you live in the Netherlands, work remotely with Dutch colleagues, or collaborate with Dutch clients and suppliers, understanding how the Dutch work and communicate is essential for increasing alignment, creating strong relationships, and building effective global teams.

Here are the Top 5 things you need to know when doing business with the Dutch.

#1 – The Dutch Are Direct

One of the most important values for the Dutch is directness. They prefer a low-context communication style where ‘Yes’ means ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ means ‘No’. Good communication is seen as clear and precise to avoid confusion and be most efficient. The Dutch may bluntly give negative feedback but don’t mistake their communication style for rudeness. The Dutch value your time and theirs and want to be succinct.

#2 – The Dutch are Consensus-Driven

The Polder Model, or the Consensus Model, is essential in Dutch decision-making. Regardless of their position and experience, everyone is asked for their input on projects and in meetings. This might seem like a waste of time to outsiders, but the Dutch believe decisions will be better when all input is given.

The Polder Model has been a favoured way of reaching consensus for centuries. It dates back to the Middle Ages when Dutch farmers, nobles, and citizens needed to collaborate efficiently in the ongoing “battle” against all waters surrounding us. It is widely used during team meetings, gatherings, and other types of sessions.

Dutch organizations tend to have a horizontally orientated hierarchy. This means employees of all levels are present to make their voices count during any reunion. The voice of the intern is prioritized as much as the voice of the CEO. The Polder Model has created a sense of equality amongst all parties involved. This allows anyone to contradict, interrupt, or correct the other. This might as well be the intern telling the boss that “he/she is wrong”.

The ‘polder model’ solves problems via dialogue, with every party having an equal say. This approach can create synergy. The ‘polder model’ is often an alien and frustrating concept to internationals. The idea is not so bad, as circling around a problem helps society see its interests. They are collaboratively coming to creative solutions.

#3 – The Dutch Have A Great Work-Life Balance

The Dutch believe that quality of life is more important than one’s career. Year after year, The Netherlands is rated #1 for the best work-life balance by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Working long hours or on weekends in not common in most industries. In fact, if one stays late at the office, it may be seen that you are not working efficiently.

It is true that most of the Dutch work from 9AM to 5PM every day. It is funny to watch how every morning and every afternoon, you see big streams of hundreds of people cycling to work. This has a lot to do with the lives we have outside of work: we play sports, we are members of certain clubs that meet at night, we like to go for a drink with colleagues and/or we just need to pick up the children at day-care. Work is an important part of our daily routine, but our yoga class at 7PM is as well. We therefore do not see the necessity to work the whole day, every day, because “we have other things to do too”.

An example could be the Dutch mother with two children on her bicycle, one on front and one on the back. She has two big, heavy grocery bags hanging on her steering wheel. It is raining, so she is also holding an umbrella to keep herself and her children somewhat dry. She is wearing sportswear, because she went to her regular group class at the gym before picking her children up. She needs to go home and have some quality time with her family. All these elements are just as important to her as her day-to-day job, and she would not have the time for them if she stayed late at work.

#4 – The Dutch like Rules & Order

Now that you know the Dutch are crazy about efficiency, it probably comes as no surprise that they also like rules and order. Do not expect your Dutch colleagues to make exceptions for you or grant special favors just because you have a good relationship. Rules are put in place to be followed. Be prepared to make decisions based on policies, procedures, and logic.

Efficiency might be one of the most common characteristics a lot of Dutch people have. Without rules and regulations, efficiency cannot be guaranteed. As we’ve discussed above, the Dutch want to end their workdays at 5PM; this cannot be done without being as efficient as possible.

Efficiency goes hand in hand with what is the most vital, yet unwritten rule: you must be on time. Punctuality is highly valued and prioritized by the Dutch. If you agree upon a meeting at 9AM, be there at 8:50AM. People have made the effort to clear their agendas especially for this meeting and probably have another one straight after. It can therefore not be delayed or running long. If you happen to come in late, it could be interpreted as you not appreciating their time and/or the meeting itself. This can set a negative tone for the rest of the meeting.

You should keep this in mind when trying to make a good first impression in any situation. Being on time for a job interview contributes greatly to the first impression you make on your future employer. Punctuality can even impact the outcome of a date.

#5 – The Dutch Build Relationships Over Time

When it comes to relationship-building, some cultures are referred to as peaches, while others are coconuts. Peach cultures are very warm and friendly on the outside, and they have a tendency to trust others quickly. Coconut cultures seem more closed off and distant on the outside, and trust must be earned. The Dutch are more like coconuts. While they are a fun and friendly bunch, making friends may take more time than in other countries.

To those from other cultures, the Dutch may seem cold, distant, and not very fun to interact with. As for doing business with them, they do not like to “waste time” on informalities. When talking business, a Dutch person does not want to hear about your family. This does not mean that he/she is not interested, only that they wish to keep personal lives separate from the working sphere. However, once work is done and goals have been achieved (of course as efficiently as possible), the Dutch are more than happy to seal the day with a drink in a nice bar. Be aware that they won’t open up to you entirely from the beginning, but rest assured, if you will be working together for a longer period of time, you are most likely to build a strong and deep relationship.

You can expect a business partner to be direct, straight-forward, and honest, especially if you “dare” to come in late for a meeting. Nonetheless, you will be treated as an equal and shown praise for your opinions. And, if the business partnership is going well, the result can be lifelong friendship…after 5 PM.