Haia Aaraj
Recruitment Consultant
After writing about why treasury professionals stay with Belgian companies, I was asked whether a Netherlands version would say anything new.
The honest answer is that it would not give four completely different reasons.
Treasury professionals in both countries care about trust, the quality of their manager, flexibility and development. Those foundations are familiar. The difference is in the questions people ask before they decide whether a new role is worth the change.
Trust becomes transparency
A treasury professional wants to believe in the company they work for. That is true in Belgium and the Netherlands.
The Dutch version of that question often sounds like this: do I understand how decisions are made, how pay progresses and where the company is going?
Professionals want a clear view of the arrangement. They look at salary, bonus potential, development opportunities and expectations around office attendance. They also want to know whether management will support the treasury function when the next investment, refinancing or transformation project comes along.
Clarity does not mean every decision will go the employee’s way. It means the reasoning is visible and consistent.
That can be a strong reason to stay. People are often willing to accept a decision they do not fully agree with when they understand how it was reached.
A good manager becomes a manager who gives room
A supportive manager matters everywhere. Treasury teams are small, and the relationship with the manager shapes the daily experience of the job.
In the Netherlands, autonomy may be an especially important part of that relationship. Professionals want to be trusted with their area of responsibility. They want access to decision-makers and the freedom to raise concerns, improve processes and take ownership of projects.
A manager who checks every detail can make a technically interesting role feel narrow. A manager who gives people room can make a demanding role feel worthwhile.
That room needs boundaries. Treasury professionals still need priorities, feedback and support when a decision carries risk. Autonomy works when expectations are clear and the manager remains available.
Flexibility becomes respect for time
Hybrid work is no longer a line in a vacancy text. People want to know how it affects their week.
How long is the commute? Which meetings need to happen in person? Can the team work together without treating home-working days as a sign of lower commitment?
These questions matter because changing employer can mean changing a person’s entire routine. A candidate may be interested in the role, the salary and the company, then decide the move asks too much of their time.
The employers that retain people make the working model understandable. They explain why the team meets in person, give managers consistent guidance and judge performance by the work rather than by office visibility alone.
That is a retention decision, not just a workplace policy.
Growth becomes expertise and influence
A new title is one way to grow, but not the only one.
Treasury professionals can develop by owning a TMS implementation, improving cash forecasting, leading a refinancing or gaining more exposure to FX, funding and financial risk. They can build experience with automation, analytics and international operations.
Those opportunities matter because treasury is changing. Organisations need professionals who can understand the numbers, improve the process and explain the implications to people outside treasury.
Someone may stay in the same role for several years if the scope keeps expanding and the work remains interesting. The title may not change quickly. The contribution can.
That only works when the employee receives ownership, visibility and recognition. More tasks are not the same as more development.
The Dutch and Belgian stories are close, but not identical
The comparison does not need a dramatic conclusion. There is no need to force a cultural difference where the evidence points to common ground.
The same four foundations appear in both markets: trust in the company, a good relationship with the manager, a working model that fits daily life and the chance to keep developing.
The emphasis can differ. In the Netherlands, transparency, autonomy and respect for people’s time may deserve more attention. In Belgium, the full employment package, including benefits, salary structures and regional context, may play a larger part in the conversation.
For employers, the practical question is not which country has the better retention formula. It is what the individual employee needs to keep choosing the role.
Salary still matters. So does the title. But an experienced treasury professional is also deciding whether the move will give them a better working relationship, a clearer future, more influence or a working week that fits their life.
That is why retention starts before someone resigns. It is built through the everyday experience of the role.
