How exactly the company would look like? They didn't know. But there was no lack of ambition. Wim, Albert-Mark, and Richard started with a clear goal in mind and adjusted their course along the way. "Entrepreneurship is being able to adjust plans." Ten years later, there is a leading recruitment agency with international offices and thousands of successful matches.
Managing Partners Wim, Albert-Mark, and Richard about Nomilk2day in 10 years
Long before Nomilk2day existed, Wim - without realizing it - was already involved in recruitment. At the age of 18, he and his brother Arnold caught chickens in poultry farms, but soon he discovered that he earned more by organizing shifts than by working himself. His parents charged 50 cents per mediation for phone costs. "Looking back, that was actually the start of what I do now."
Albert-Mark, you started your career in international fish trade?
"After my studies, I started with the buying and selling of fish products. A fun, educational time with international travel, which quickly introduced me to the international fish world."
How did you two meet?
Albert-Mark: "When I was ready for something else, my brother recommended YER to me. I applied as a consultant and was immediately hired."
Wim: "Albert-Mark quickly mastered the profession and together we put the food & agri branch on the map within YER."
In late 2013, you joined forces. How did that go?
Wim: "I started my own business in 2013, but we stayed in touch. We even occasionally brainstormed about assignments."
Albert-Mark: "A year later, I was also ready for entrepreneurship. We had lunch together, shook hands, and decided to do it together."
What was the plan?
Albert-Mark: "Our focus was on food and agri, where we wanted to grow further and build a strong company. How big it would become? No idea. But the ambition was there, and the rest had to take shape along the way. We just started and adjusted our goals as we grew. We had a network, clients, and strong candidates, and we knew we were good at what we did. So we did the same thing, but better. No complicated contracts, just doing business based on trust."
And did that work out well?
Wim: "In the beginning, it's just full speed ahead. Quite a few clients followed us because recruitment is still a people business."
Albert-Mark: "We made a gentleman's agreement with YER-founder Jaap Kooijman. We gave back part of our revenue from existing clients to YER in the first year."
Wim: "Jaap literally said: 'You have contributed to YER's success. We also wish you that success.' That got us started."
In 2016, things got more serious with an office and employees. How was that time?
Albert-Mark: "With the four of us in one office, there was no need for discussion, everyone followed everyone. As we grew bigger, we rented more spaces. Then there were moments when you no longer knew what the others were doing. That's how weekly meetings and evaluations were born, and we grew into a more professional agency."
Richard, you joined in 2017?
"I already knew the guys from YER. I also wanted to start for myself and spoke with different parties, but I had the best feeling at Nomilk2day. I was able to start assignments right away and had a flying start in the industry."
What sets you apart in the market?
Wim: "Together we realized that we need to differentiate ourselves with strong branding. Through a conversation with a journalist who shared her view on the power of quality and unique texts and stories, we realized that content is more important than recruitment marketing, which the competition was doing. That's why we welcomed her to our team."
Richard: "Good content spreads itself. The magazines stood out in the market. We were trendsetting in storytelling. We believe that you need to tell more than just the content of a job vacancy. As an extension of the marketing department, we help clients with the right branding and positioning of both their company and their job vacancies."
Entrepreneurship consists of ups and downs. What has stayed with you the most?
Richard: "The most intense period was my illness. The cancer, the whole process of diagnosis, chemotherapy, and recovery hit hard."
Wim: "That strengthened our partnership. Even in bad times, we were there for each other. We have three different characters and discussions are sometimes intense, but it always goes with respect because we put the importance of the business first."
How has the approach changed over the years?
Albert-Mark: "In the beginning, we saw opportunities everywhere and jumped on them. Now we look at choices from multiple perspectives, have more focus, and work more professionally. If something is outside our focus, we don't do it, but our ambition remains!"
What went differently than expected?
Albert-Mark: "Interim. We always said we only do recruitment and selection for permanent positions. But when clients came with temporary issues, we took them on; driven by entrepreneurship and our knowledge of the market. That's how we discovered that interim is a great addition. Now we have more than 40 interim managers working and the ambition to increase that to over 100 in the coming years."
How did you expand internationally?
Wim: "European clients with business in Asia were increasingly asking to fill management positions. This led to the opening of the office in Kuala Lumpur in 2022, acting as a bridge between Europe and Asia. The start in the US two years later went similarly."
What makes you proud?
Wim: "Together we have filled more than 3,000 job vacancies. A new job is life-changing, and we have a significant impact on people."
Richard: "Sometimes I don't realize how many people I know. I come across people in the strangest places who I once mediated for. That makes me proud."
Albert-Mark: "That is the strength of Nomilk2day. Together we know so many people! Many placements come about because someone in our team knows the right person. In short, Connecting Ambitions. We could never have achieved this without our team. Our employees are the driving force behind Nomilk2day. Their dedication, involvement, and expertise have brought us to where we are now."