What makes a Great Recruiter - David van der Velden

What makes a Great Recruiter - David van der Velden
10 August, 2022

Thank you to David van der Velden, Regional Talent Acquisition Lead at DSM, for joining us on the EMEA Recruitment podcast.

“For me, recruitment is a team sport.”

Early in the episode, Paul Toms delves into why David chose a recruitment career. Although a career in recruitment wasn’t part of his initial career path, David has always known he wanted to help and have a positive impact on people’s lives.

David believes having an efficient and effective recruitment process depends on the relationship with the hiring manager or candidate.

He explains that the people involved in recruitment must agree on the expectations right at the beginning, share opinions and work continuously to shape the process together. DSM takes its share of the responsibility, challenging itself throughout and providing constructive feedback to improve the process for both parties.

During the pandemic, DSM was one step ahead. Two weeks before the Netherlands went into lockdown, DSM was prepared and already working from home. This was due to leadership being clear from the initial phase and the level of trust DSM employees had in each other. David adds that, if you are going to work virtually, then it’s okay to hire people virtually.

Later in the episode, Paul asks for David’s thoughts on the true cost of the wrong hire. It is clear some organisations are unaware of the consequences of a bad hire and the costs involved. David advocates the quality of candidates over speed.

Onto an alternative topic, listeners will later gain insights into the digital recruitment tool DSM is implementing into its business model to make the process more efficient. David explains that, although business intelligence and data will have a huge impact on recruitment, the need for people will also prevail; both need to integrate.

“The tool alone will not do it and the people will also not do it on their own.”

Listen to the end of the episode to find out the two things David would have liked his past self to know when beginning his recruitment career. These tips will help ambitious recruiters progress and reach their career aspirations.

For any food lovers listening, you will also discover the extent of David’s culinary skills and the dish he likes to create the most!

Listen to the EMEA Recruitment podcast on your podcast app or below: 

Or listen on YouTube:

You can also listen to this episode at: https://emearecruitment.libsyn.com/emea-recruitment-podcast-138-what-makes-a-great-recruiter-david-van-der-velden

If you’re looking for a particular part of the episode, please use the timestamps below:

02:10: The last thing to make David smile
04:55: David’s natural positivity
06:25: How does recruitment make David feel?
12:00: What makes a great recruiter
12:23: Achieving an efficient and effective recruitment process
15:40: Adapting the recruitment process during COVID-19
22:20: The true cost of the wrong hire
25:40: The impact of BI & data on recruitment
28:00: Recruitment tools
34:00: What David enjoys about his role
38:40: 2 things David wishes he’d known about recruitment
43:50: David’s routine out of the office
46:50: David’s go-to culinary dish
49:15: The easiest way to connect with David

David is happy to connect via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidvandervelden/


The EMEA Recruitment podcast is brought to you in partnership with our friends at Operation Smile, an international medical charity that provides life-changing surgery to children born with cleft lip and palate. You can find out more about our partnership through our website: https://www.emearecruitment.com/pages/operation-smile


This episode is hosted by Paul Toms, our Founder, and Rose Jinks, Senior Marketing Executive.

You can find out more about us on our website: https://www.emearecruitment.com/

Or you can follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emea-recruitment-limited/

If you’d like to connect with Paul, visit his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paultoms/

Or follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/paul_toms


If you have any feedback to the EMEA Recruitment podcast, please contact Rose: [email protected]