History

A company's history tells it's story. For Undutchables we want to relive Undutchables' history by sharing a few glimpses of how it all started. It has been a good ride. Through the ups and downs, we were able to foster a beautiful company and community with strong values. We hope to continue the work we do and we thank everyone that has been a part of our story. Let's look back at the years that made Undutchables.

Each year on February 5th we celebrate the foundation of Undutchables and our growing years of business success, we are proud of what Undutchables has achieved and the exceptional team we have in place. Ilse Visser & Judith van Der Klundert founded this company in 1996 when they realised the need for an international recruitment agency in the Netherlands.

Today, the company has grown to become a symbol of community and family and their DNA still lives on…

The Beginning

Ilse Visser and Judith van der Klundert founded Undutchables on the 5th of February 1996 in an attic in Amstelveen. At that time, of course recruitment agencies existed, but they saw the need for an international recruitment agency in the Netherlands, with Undutchables making it's name as the pioneer in international recruitment.

1998/1999
In 1998 they moved office to Amsterdam. This was also Undutchables’ first year hosting the Undutchables Eurovision Song Contest Party. The party that would go on for years and make it’s name amongst employees, candidates and clients alike.

When creating Undutchables, Ilse and Judith probably never realized that they were making more than just an agency. They have managed to create a community and a tight knit family of employees. The family culture that they have nursed endures to this day.

a long way from home

In the early 2000s co-founder Judith passed away of breast cancer. The whole organization felt the loss. Ilse Visser, with the support of then General Manager Paula Verstappen, continued to work hard to keep their vision alive. Undutchables experienced an immense growth in the 2000s and opened 4 new offices in Rotterdam, Eindhoven, Utrecht and the Hague. In 2008 the company even went international with Undutchables London opening their doors in London, Southampton street. That is the year, however, that the economy came crashing down and forced the company to close their doors. But just as the saying goes, "when one door closes another opens". And so it did.

A new age

With a strong team and fueled by Undutchables’ 4 core principles (partner, enterprising, personal touch and expertise) Undutchables continued to maintain prominence in the (international) recruitment industry.

2017 - A new door opened

In the beginning of 2017 Eindhoven colleague, Karin Bjorkman moved back to Sweden and she took a piece of Undutchables with her and founded Undutchables in Stockholm. And so, Undutchables Sweden, now Beyondo, was born.

A new look

2017 was the year for a new look. The Undutchables website received a full makeover. Out with the old and in with the new!

2018 - A new leader

The years prior to and up until 2018 have experienced their fair share of changes. One paramount change in the growth and future of Undutchables took place in 2018. 2018 was the year that Undutchables’ longtime commercial manager Nick van der Dussen was named, with the blessing of Ilse Visser and former General Manager Paula Verstappen, Undutchables’ new owner and General Manager. A fresh leader meant a fresh outlook on the company’s vision, naturally without losing sight of what has anchored Undutchables in it's success throughout the previous years.

With a focus on technology and the technological developments within this industry Undutchables continues to establish itself as the leader in the international recruitment market.

Challenges and Opportunities

2020 started of with flying colors however 3 months in the world came to a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But just as Undutchables rose above the previous years and their challenges, so did we in 2020. We were able to quickly adapt and ushered in the age of hybrid work. We transformed our offline operations and switched most of our business to online.

2021 - Silver Jubilee

In 2021 we celebrated a serious milestone - 25 years of Undutchables! Once COVID restrictions were lifted our whole team took a well-deserved trip to Valencia for a festive birthday weekend.

Rebuilding, Reinventing, and Reconnecting

2021–2022: Re-emerging After COVID

After the global pandemic, Undutchables entered a period of rebuilding reconnecting with clients, candidates, and colleagues in new ways. Recruitment, like so many industries, had changed. Hybrid work became the new normal, and our teams adapted quickly. Through online events, digital meetups, and creative social campaigns, we helped internationals navigate the evolving job market. 2022 became, in many ways, the year of the employee, as flexibility, work-life balance, and purpose took center stage.

2022–2023: Celebrating Milestones Together

In early 2022, when the COVID restrictions where over, Undutchables proudly celebrated its 26th anniversary, a joyful reminder of how far we’ve come. Despite the challenges of recent years, our people remained the heart of everything we do.
We refined our employer branding and strengthened our online community, continuing to champion the value of multilingual professionals in the Dutch job market. Our digital presence grew stronger, making Undutchables more accessible to international talent than ever before.

2023–2024: Embracing Innovation and the Launch of U-connect

By 2023, Undutchables embraced a new era of innovation. Digital tools and data insights became essential to our work improving the way we connect candidates and companies. During this period, we proudly launched U-connect, our digital freelance platform designed to bring freelancers and companies closer together. We also began integrating AI-powered recruitment and marketing tools, using smart automation and analytics to enhance efficiency while maintaining our personal, human approach.

2024–2025: Growth, Culture, and Sustainability

In this phase, Undutchables focused on sustainable growth — investing in our people, refining our services, and strengthening our internal culture. We expanded partnerships across regions and continued to nurture a workplace where diversity and inclusion thrive. Our mission remained clear: to build lasting bridges between international talent and Dutch employers, ensuring everyone feels at home in their career journey.

2026: 30 Years of Undutchables

On February 5, 2026, Undutchables proudly celebrates 30 years of connecting people and cultures.
From our early beginnings to becoming the Netherlands’ leading multilingual recruitment agency, our story is one of resilience, innovation, and community.
As we look ahead, we continue to evolve combining human connection with smart technology while staying true to the values that have guided us from day one.

This decade has already brought growth, change, and success to Undutchables and our partners. We are committed to upholding our core values - personal, expertise, enterprising, partner - and carrying our banner of continuous improvement into the future. We look forward to working with you in the years to come!