From reorganisation to new prospects: how LWV helps both employers and employees

When H&M announced it was closing its Customer Service Centre in Maastricht, the organisation faced a major challenge. As of 1 June 2026, 220 jobs were to be made redundant. The employees came from the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany and had a wide range of backgrounds, qualifications and work experience. H&M, a member of the LWV, approached the association for support in helping staff find new jobs.

LWV project manager Cecile van Eekelen and Joost Hack, director at NLwerktaanwerk and, in that capacity, also affiliated with the LWV, set to work. A reorganisation involves many parties, including the UWV, local authorities, trade unions and the LWV. The LWV’s strength in this regard lies in connecting departing employees with employers in the region who are looking for staff. In doing so, the LWV supports the employer during a period when the organisation is facing significant challenges, both organisationally and emotionally.

Focus on people and skills In this process, which aims to provide staff with the best possible support as they move from one role to another, the starting point is not the vacancies but the people themselves. Joost worked with H&M and the staff to draw up DNA and skills profiles.

The DNA profile highlights, amongst other things, a person’s skills, work ethic and the culture in which they are accustomed to working. The skills profile provides insight into the skills and qualities they possess. It makes deliberate use of CompetentNL, the national standardised skills terminology for the labour market. This ensures that the terms used are consistent with the language employed by, amongst others, the UWV and employers.

We then worked with interested employers to identify which profiles are well suited to the vacancies and working environments. This shifts the focus from qualifications and job titles to talent, skills and personal chemistry.

The right timing yields good results. LWV also helped to identify the right employers and to put them in touch with staff at the right time and in an appropriate manner. This is important because, immediately following the announcement of a reorganisation, staff first and foremost need clarity about what is going to happen. They are not always ready for a traditional job interview at that stage, but they are keen to find out about their opportunities and prospects with other employers.

With this vision and approach, we bridge the gap between the former and the new employer. At the same time, this took some of the pressure off H&M during a hectic period and allowed the meetings to be carefully prepared. During the Next Step Event on 19 May 2026, ninety employees were introduced to 23 pre-selected employers in an accessible way. A week later, sixty employees were in discussions with one or more employers. Two months after the event, more than fifty employees had found a new job and a further ten were still in discussions with employers.

The result demonstrates what the LWV’s role as a facilitator can achieve: new opportunities for employees, access to talent for employers, and practical support for organisations that have to part ways with staff.