Interview with Clarissa Baldwin, recruiter and trainer at GDCC, Global Data Collection company. Jobs in the Netherlands

Please introduce yourself and GDCC
My name is Clarissa Baldwin and I am the Recruiter and Trainer here at GDCC. GDCC is a Global Data Collection Company that conducts market and opinion based research all over the world. We conduct computer aided telephonic interview surveys in a variety of subjects such as IT, finance, healthcare, etc. We have a 160 capacity in Rotterdam and we accommodate surveys in around 18 different languages with a focus on the main European languages. We also operate 40-seat capacity with our partnership venture in Malaysia QPA-GDCC from where we cover the Asia-Pacific region.


What kind of candidates does GDCC is looking for?
We are always looking for native speakers of all European languages. Our requirements are that they are native speakers, they have good communication skills, good computer skills and they are enthusiastic and motivated to work. We offer flexible working hours where the candidates set their own working schedule with us to suit their own timetable. A university education is preferred, but it is not a must. They need to live within the Rotterdam region (35km) and have good English skills as English is our Internal Company language, no-Dutch is required.

GDCC demands candidates that are native speakers. As a recruiter what is your position about highly fluent and proficient people in a second or language or third language?
For us it is important to have native speakers or near native speakers because of the markets that we call. From our experience we have found that the best responses come from using interviewers who are actual natives themselves. Not only do they know the culture of the country where they are calling but it is also related to the level of fluency with the language and the ability to articulate themselves on a coherent level. If you are not a native speaker you are unable to do that when you are put under pressure. For the English team I will also consider taking International native English speakers who have completed their secondary education in English, as they have the vocabulary in their back of their minds that they can call on when they need to articulate themselves spontaneously. Accents are also a very important issue; for example we have seen in the UK market the respondents respond best to native UK speakers and the US market responds best to native US speakers, so the projects in field can have a bearing on the vacancies that we have. Also, from our experience using a candidate that is fluent with strong none native accent is a no go as this cause problems on the phone, for example, a fluent German speaker with a eastern European accent is not well received in the German market due to their accent and due to the market being very formal.

You say that university formation is expected but it is not a must. Why is that so?
Is not necessary to have an education related to the subjects we do research in. The reason that we prefer candidates with a university level is because generally students or graduates who have the experience of university education are able to adapt themselves in different environments. They are able to pick up new things very quickly; they are able to adapt themselves across projects and generally can work well under pressure. However, a University education is not a must because sometimes life experience can replace a university experience so for example, someone who has worked a lot in the restaurants or bar industry will have very good communication skills.

Revenue for GDCC increased with 32%, as did the bottom line. In the website you explained that growth was partly generated from your JV in Malaysia (QPA-GDCC), which won 2 large tracking studies but also from The Netherlands facility. How would you explain this considering the recession in Europe?
As our clients are internationally based and spread across the world, we steared away from a EU client base and really focused on our international base. Via our Malasyia facility, we generated revenues from the Asia-Pacific markets which were not affected by the crisis. The Netherlands facility on the other hand focused on the German and US markets that were not hit by the recession very heavily. Our increase in revenue is largely due to branching out to other markets as well as to a strategic approach with our client base in itself.

How do you see GDCC evolving over the next years, what are your goals and plans for the future?
The majority of work is as a service provider to full service market research agencies that actually have their computer aided telephonic interviewing facilities and studies. However, they do not have sufficient jobs to fulfill those facilities that they have, so eventually they will close and will outsource to specialized parties such as ourselves. Outsourcing will increase as it is cost driven.

How would you advise expats looking for work or for a career change in The Netherlands to best go about their search?
I would advise any expats searching for work in the Netherlands to use job boards such as Togetherabroad. As a recruiter I use many sites and resources to find candidates but I have found the best resource is job advertising boards to advertise the jobs and search for candidates directly myself. As companies advertise directly themselves onto job boards, when a candidate applies the application goes directly to the company rather than via a third party. This will give the candidate the best opportunity at finding secure and hopefully contracted work, rather than going to a job agency where they will generally only be supplied with short term work with no opportunity of a secured contract.