In a world where recruiters are overwhelmed by spreadsheets and systems, Geert-Jan Waasdorp takes a refreshingly different approach. As the self-proclaimed creative mastermind behind Intelligence Group, he doesn’t just sell data, he delivers insight. And that insight can be the difference between a failed recruitment campaign and finding the perfect candidate.
“The real puppet master in the labour market isn’t an ATS, data, tech, or even a TA leader – it’s the candidate,” Waasdorp states with conviction. This may well be his most important message: we spend hours talking about technology, systems, and tools, yet rarely focus on what truly matters. “We forget to talk about the one who matters most in the market – the candidate.”
This philosophy stems from a deep understanding of market dynamics. While organisations continue to invest in increasingly complex technologies, candidates have already moved on – from Facebook to Instagram, to WhatsApp, and now Signal, from Snapchat to TikTok.
Waasdorp’s approach to data is both pragmatic and unexpected. While many professionals get lost in percentages and tables, he focuses on the stories data tells. One anecdote captures this perfectly: when he enthusiastically shared that 82% of a target group prefers part-time work, someone asked if he’d be just as excited if it were 78% or 85%. “There’s no real difference in your understanding between 78, 82, or 85,” he realised. “The only conclusion my clients need is that part-time work matters in recruitment.”
For Waasdorp, good data serves two key purposes. First, it should build trust by confirming what people already know. But more importantly, data should surprise and challenge perspectives. “I use data to surprise you. I always look for data that isn’t the most well-known, but rather unique, new, or emerging.”
A perfect example of this came when he used OnlyFans as a case study in a presentation. “I said: OnlyFans is the fastest-growing new social community in the world, with around 300 million unique users.” Half the room shifted uncomfortably—especially those who knew what OnlyFans is.
The point wasn’t that companies should actually use OnlyFans for recruitment, but rather that they need to be willing to explore new, fast-growing platforms where their target audience is active. “You shouldn’t overanalyze data. It’s about using it to surprise people, to make them think differently and take a chance.”
These insights lead to practical solutions. Take software developers in a highly competitive market. With average monthly salaries around 6,000 euros, companies that can only offer 4,000–5,000 euros often feel powerless. But with the right data analysis, you can identify which companies are successfully hiring within that lower range. “You can define your target audience by salary, even if it’s below market average.”
According to Waasdorp, there are three essential data indicators every TA leader should focus on. First: the supply-demand ratio. “In the Netherlands, it’s currently around 1 to 5, meaning the average candidate can choose from five open roles.” For highly specialised roles like electrical engineers, this can go up to 1 to 70 — a near-impossible situation that requires creative solutions.
Second: the size of the talent pool. “You need to know how big the pond is before you start fishing.” But perhaps most interesting is the third datapoint: candidate expectations during the application process. “They want a conversation on equal footing. They ask: why do you know everything about me, but I don’t even get a two-minute introduction from the hiring manager?”
In the recruitment world, Waasdorp speaks of an evolution from three to four B’s: buy, build, borrow, and bot. “When we’re looking to fill a role, the first question should now be: can AI, an agent, a robot or a co-worker do this? Only then should we ask whether we need to buy (recruit), build (train), or borrow (hire externally).”
That first B – bot – marks a fundamental shift. Waasdorp predicts that between 75 and 90 percent of traditional recruitment processes will be automated: “Matching, screening, selection, pre-selection, scheduling – on top of what we already automate like writing job posts, publishing them, and creating (video) content.”
For organisations without legacy systems, Waasdorp paints a compelling picture of the future. “You have all your information in a holistic database, where everything can be dropped unclassified and free from rigid data cells. And you can access it instantly by simply talking to your recruiter agent.”
Imagine saying: “I’m looking for 25 engineers in the Barcelona area, willing to work three days a week at this salary. Who do we already know in our database, and can you reach out to them?” An AI agent would then handle matching, outreach, pre-screening, and even the first interviews.
This already exists, and it is undeniably the near future for companies and agencies that are not locked into legacy systems and long-term contracts.
LinkedIn and Indeed may be the dominant players today, but Waasdorp believes their decline is inevitable — though not imminent. “They make money by keeping recruiters unproductive,” he argues. “They deliberately slow down the market because their business model depends on it.”
The problem isn’t just technical, it’s emotional: “When you talk to a TA leader, they’ll say they can’t do without LinkedIn or Indeed. But ask them if they like using them? No.” That lack of affection, Waasdorp predicts, will ultimately lead to their downfall, as newcomers enter the space and are more readily embraced.
Perhaps Waasdorp’s most powerful belief is this: no recruitment challenge is truly unsolvable.
An example: hiring 500 cybersecurity specialists in the Netherlands may seem impossible. But if you expand your search to include English speakers or offer four weeks of Dutch lessons, suddenly it becomes achievable.
“The problem wasn’t the labour market. The problem was the language preferences that were imposed.”
Despite his strong focus on data, Waasdorp is clear that numbers do not solve problems. They help uncover solutions.
“If you don’t have a problem, you don’t need data. I’m not going to sell you data if there’s nothing to solve. Even if you’re paying five times the market rate. If that’s not a problem for you, just keep doing what you’re doing.”
Data should always support the story, not the other way around.
“Data can help by offering new insights and fresh angles to do things better than before. But if your instincts are solving the problem, then you don’t need data.”
For all his focus on data and technology, Waasdorp’s most important insight is fundamentally human. When, after fifteen years in business, he listed his top fifteen highlights as an entrepreneur, not one was about revenue or products.
“All fifteen were about the joy of working with your team. The moments where you laughed until you cried.”
This perspective brings everything full circle to his core message: listen to the candidate, understand their behaviour, and use data to create meaningful connections. In a world saturated with technology, human connection remains the most important ingredient for successful talent management.
For organisations that want to stay ahead in the competition for talent, Waasdorp’s message is clear:
“If you truly understand the candidate and respond to their needs, you do not need all the fancy tools. You will simply win in the market.”
Geert-Jan Waasdorp will speak at the Global Talent Strategy & Intelligence Conference in Amsterdam from 22 to 24 September, where he will share his vision on the future of talent intelligence with TA leaders from across Europe.
