By Sonja Hakala, AIRS Strategist

Often regarded as quaint tourist attractions, windmills are actually symbols of Dutch determination in the face of great odds. Centuries ago, this energy and courage sent Dutch sailors around the globe in search of commerce. Today, this aggressive pro-business attitude keeps the Netherlands at the top of Europe's economic food chain.

And the Dutch plan to stay there.

More than 55 percent of all U.S. distribution companies with offices in Europe reside in the Netherlands. Its main city, Amsterdam, commands an enviable piece of real estate, situated at the confluence of three rivers with a shipping canal extending into Germany and at the nexus of several rail lines that travel far into the continent. In addition, Amsterdam's Schipol Airport is widely acknowledged as one of the best international ports of call.

"To be located near Schipol is vital because we fly continuously and the highway network is accessible during most hours of the day," said Robin von Weiler, senior vice-president of ProLogis. "You want a location that appeals to people and where you have the necessary language capabilities."

As business, driven by technology, becomes more international, the need for people with an understanding of more than one language intensifies. Its proximity to France, Germany and Great Britain necessitates that the people of the Netherlands develop this skill. Most Dutch speak at least one language in addition to their native tongue. This facility with language is augmented by an educational system that allows the Netherlands to boast of its 99 percent literacy rate.

In addition, the government is pushing a national curriculum that will match the Netherlands' literacy rate with one based on technical prowess. This combination of language and IT skills has made the Netherlands, and particularly Amsterdam, a magnet for call centers as well as distribution and logistics services for companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Sykes, Cisco and Unisys.

As a result, the economy of the Netherlands has been more adept at weathering the economic storms that have buffeted the rest of the European Union. The country maintained an unemployment rate that hovered just above 3 percent in 2000 and an annual growth rate above 4 percent for the same time period.

Ironically, the tight labor market in the Netherlands can be used as a catalyst to encourage the Dutch to cast their eyes overseas for work. According to a study commissioned by Microsoft, there will be a shortage of 1.7 million IT workers in Western Europe by 2003. At this point in time, European firms can handle only 25 percent of the region's IT needs; U.S. firms pick up the bulk of the remainder.

This employment squeeze means that European firms cannot, in many cases, offer workers a place on cutting edge projects. This makes an opportunity to be a part of the "thrill of the new" a distinct advantage for U.S. firms. In addition, Dutch labor and tax laws currently encourage retirement at age 55, a situation that many older and experienced workers do not enjoy.

But the Dutch government, determined to keep as many workers at home as possible, is making an effort to address both these issues by supplying venture capital for domestic startups and proposing tax reform to push the retirement age to 65. Still, this could be a good time for U.S. recruiters to target candidates at both ends of the employment spectrum-those with startup energy and those with great experience.

-- Sonja Hakala is an AIRS Strategist. This article is reprinted by permission from AIRS, a global leader in Internet recruitment, tools, news and information. For more information on AIRS, please go to: http://www.CollegeRecruiter.com/pages/airs.php. Copyright © Hanover Capital Management Corporation 1997-2001. All Rights Reserved