Standing out in a crowded market is something Career Control has been succeeding at for twenty years now, according to owner Boudewijn Ingwersen. The secret? Investing in long-term relationships. With which UP lent a helping hand through Recruitment Marketing Automation.

“Just this past week, I heard from several clients that our strength lies in making a high-quality match between a professional and an organization’s culture,” says Boudewijn Ingwersen, owner of Career Control. “They were impressed that we not only know and understand our candidates so well, but also thoroughly fathom our clients’ cultures. That has everything to do with our vision on connection and building long-term relationships.”

Long-term connections

Career Control helps professionals secure permanent jobs through recruitment and selection (and thereby helps companies fill vacancies). Furthermore, the organization, based in Eindhoven and Utrecht, deploys so-called ATHLETES: its own professionals who continue to develop themselves. They operate in the Finance & Control, Data & Process, and Credit Management sectors. Ingwersen believes in these long-term connections, with both clients and candidates. “We don’t really believe in ad hoc solutions. Companies that want to quickly solve their structural staffing problem now are too late. They would be better off hiring an interim professional to bridge the time needed to find the right employee for the long term. We explicitly invest in collaboration and close contact so that we can ensure the filling of permanent positions in a timely manner. Naturally, we can then also provide temporary staffing.” Career Control gives concrete form to long-term relationships with clients and candidates in various ways. Examples include networking events, return days, round table sessions, but also the special Athletes program, in which its own professionals are guided to the top through training and development.

Sticking to one's own vision

In the pursuit of long-term relationships, there is at least one major challenge in the 2022 market. Ingwersen: “Our target audience, whether on the client or candidate side, is truly being spammed by everyone and everything. They receive so many offers and requests that it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to stand out.” Career Control has chosen to stick to its own vision and not be tempted into cowboy tactics to reach the target audience. In short, keep investing in relationships and keep doing fun things. To this end, Career Control enlisted the help of UP. “The goal was to generate a continuous new stream of clients and candidates through lead generation. Marketing Automation was deployed for this purpose. By regularly telling stories and sharing content, we can connect even better with our target audience and remain relevant.”