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Use Case Transdev: How Giant Data Helps Transdev Win — in Tenders and on the Labour Market

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Transdev is a leading transportation provider in the Netherlands and operates internationally in mobility solutions. Its success depends in part on the ability to quickly and effectively attract the right talent — from bus drivers to mechanics and traffic controllers. In an increasingly tight labour market, Transdev is not only searching for talent, but also for market opportunities. Giant plays a key role in this.

Sonja Klijn, Manager of Recruitment at Transdev Netherlands, leads the recruitment strategy and employer branding together with her team. Data, innovation and stakeholder management are at the heart of their approach.

Sonja Klijn, Recruitment Manager, Transdev Netherlands
Sonja Klijn, Recruitment Manager, Transdev Netherlands

Sonja Klijn, Recruitment Manager at Transdev Netherlands, leads the recruitment strategy and employer branding together with her team. Their approach is driven by data, innovation, and stakeholder management.

The challenge

Transdev faces several key challenges:

Winning tenders in competitive regions

Public transport tenders are always a balancing act between quality and price. To ensure price doesn’t become the decisive factor, you need to be creative in demonstrating the quality of your service. Labour market intelligence now plays a more critical role in this than ever before.

Justifying the recruitment strategy to the board

The war for talent demands significant investments in recruitment and employer branding. To secure internal buy-in, these decisions must be backed by solid data.

Running effective campaigns in a tight labour market

Transdev doesn’t aim to cast a wide net — they want to engage the right people with the right message, in the right place. That requires clear insights into audience behaviour and preferences.

Sonja Klijn
Sonja Klijn

“In tenders, we want to demonstrate that we understand the local labour market. With Giant, we have that knowledge at our fingertips — and it provides the evidence we use in our proposals.”

The approach

  1. Strategic — for leadership and tenders

Giant is used to support recruitment plans in board meetings and tender submissions:

  • Labour market tightness, talent availability, and hiring feasibility are mapped per region.
  • Scenario planning is done for each concession area (e.g. North Holland North or Limburg): “What will it cost to recruit enough drivers here?”
  • Giant insights are included as appendices in RFPs to demonstrate that Transdev has a realistic workforce plan.
Sonja Klijn
Sonja Klijn

“Data gives us confidence. It helps us build credibility with our internal stakeholders, such as senior leadership and hiring managers.”

2. Tactical — employer branding and campaigns

  • Target audience analyses are conducted per region (e.g. work motivations, media usage).
  • EVP and benefits are tailored to local preferences — for example, a focus on work-life balance in urban areas vs. job security in shrinking regions.
  • Giant reports are used as input for campaign briefs shared with external agencies.

3. Operational — vacancy and ad targeting

  • Giant is used to target job ads geographically and demographically.
  • Recruitment campaigns are optimised based on data insights such as preferred job platforms and willingness to commute.
  • It provides a clearer understanding of why some roles (e.g. mechanics in Almere) are harder to fill than others.
Sonja Klijn
Sonja Klijn

“Thanks to Giant, we can show that if we’re awarded this area, we already have a recruitment plan in place — backed by data.”

The Results

Added value in tenders

Giant data has been successfully used in at least four major tender processes since 2023. In two cases, a well-substantiated recruitment plan proved to be a key differentiator between Transdev and its competitors.

Decision-making with stronger internal support

Presentations to senior leadership have become more compelling: with Giant, investment approval for three recruitment campaigns was fast-tracked.

25% better targeting

Campaigns based on Giant audience profiles generated 25% more high-quality applications for driver roles in urban areas compared to generic campaigns.

Increased trust among internal stakeholders

HR, operations, and recruitment now collaborate more closely, using shared, objective data to align on recruitment opportunities and challenges.

Conclusion

Transdev demonstrates how labour market data not only supports talent acquisition, but also drives market success. By integrating Giant into strategic planning, recruitment strategy, and campaign execution, Transdev is building a recruitment organisation that is sharp, data-driven, and future-ready.