Einige Positionen benötigen mehr Zeit als erwartet. Nicht weil die Stelle unattraktiv wäre oder der Markt inaktiv ist, sondern weil Timing, Erwartungen und Umstände nicht sofort zusammenpassen. Diese Suche war ein klares Beispiel dafür.

Die Position war bereits seit längerer Zeit vakant. Nach einer ausgedehnten Suche waren bereits mehrere Routen erkundet worden. Wir näherten uns dem Punkt, an dem sowohl wir als auch der Kunde begannen, daran zu zweifeln, ob der richtige Kandidat überhaupt noch zu finden sei. Trotzdem hat uns der Kunde dazu ermutigt, uns die Sache noch einmal genauer anzusehen.

Wir haben das Briefing im Detail überarbeitet, unsere ursprünglichen Annahmen neu bewertet und unsere Suchstrategie angepasst. Dadurch konnten wir Profile und Kanäle erschließen, die bisher noch nicht voll ausgeschöpft worden waren.

Dieser erneuerte Ansatz erforderte Geduld und Konsequenz. Letztendlich führten uns diese Kriterien zu einer Kandidatin, die aufgrund ihrer umfangreichen Erfahrung, ihres einschlägigen Hintergrunds und ihrer allgemeinen Eignung sofort hervorstach. Bereits in den ersten Gesprächen war klar, dass sie das Potenzial hatte, eine hervorragende Besetzung zu sein. Dies bestätigte sich im Laufe des Interviewprozesses, in dem sie einen starken Eindruck hinterließ und reibungslos durch jede Phase vorankam, was schließlich zu einer erfolgreichen Vermittlung führte.

Es gab weitere Umstände, die diese Suche komplexer machten. Die Stelle war so lange unbesetzt geblieben, weil eine frühere Kandidatin bis zur Angebotsphase gelangt war, sich jedoch dazu entschieden hatte, zu ihrem vorherigen Arbeitgeber zurückzukehren. Dies führte dazu, dass sowohl der Kunde als auch wir den Prozess mit besonderer Vorsicht und Feingefühl angegangen sind.

Rückblickend zeigt diese Vermittlung, dass Beharrlichkeit, Flexibilität und klare Kommunikation bei anspruchsvollen Suchen den entscheidenden Unterschied ausmachen. Auch wenn ein Prozess schon fast abgeschlossen zu sein scheint, lohnt es sich für Kunden und Kandidaten, weiterhin Zeit und Mühe zu investieren, um das richtige Ergebnis zu erzielen.

Wenn Sie an einer anspruchsvollen Aufgabe arbeiten oder Schwierigkeiten haben, die Erwartungen beider Seiten in Einklang zu bringen, können Sie sich gerne an uns wenden. Wir schauen uns Ihren Fall gerne genauer an und prüfen, wie wir Sie unterstützen können.

After two years of growth our team stabilized at about 11. As from our start in 2009, we record all relevant job openings and potential assignments. This has always been for internal analysis purposes. For the first time we will give you some insight into treasury labour market developments. Team Germany and Belgium will be the first in this, keep an eye on what they publish. What I can say is that we see a gradual growth in all our markets.

We do see a shift in the three most common sources of success in recruitment:

1. Active search by employers themselves, often by internal recruiters;
2. Hiring managers going into their warm networks sourcing their new employees;
3. Recruitment agencies.

The first source remains important, advertising used to be print or job board oriented, nowadays social media, both for advertising as well as direct approach becomes more prominent. We notice that recruitment colleagues with a generalist approach have it harder than niche players like we are.

In the interim market we read and hear a lot around regulatory and compliance topics. There is a lot of concern but reality is that nothing changed for those companies who need temporary support. Especially Ron had an excellent second half of the year and we do not see that market slowing down.

As to the seniority of the candidates we find a new position for, we see an increase in success at group treasurer level. Personally I think in 2024 a bit too much of my time went into our internal organisation. In 2025 I enjoyed working on assignments at senior level. What is nice this does not go at the expense of junior assignments, we find from second career step up to retirement and are able to mirror this into our team: junior consultants for junior candidates, senior for seniors. And what is not standard in our industry, our consultants stay with the most junior already almost 2 years in the team.

One market plan I am very happy with, how it evolves, is our focus on what we internally call “treasury providers”. When we started, we had a sole focus on corporate treasury. Increasingly our clients asked for candidates with an expertise in consultancy, with TMS providers and from banks. And we were able to deliver. Very organically, these providers started asking us for staff and that client group is growing. We now have two specialized recruiters for this market.

A further nice development, not scheduled, was an increase in DCM and other funding assignments. Next to cash, risk, IT and other sub task fields, we always found funding experts but now the revenue share of this group grew, especially in the German market. Often this career station is the last before rising to group treasurer level and the strategic impact of these job holders can be huge.

As to what you can expect from us, we will not drastically change our ways. We remain niche recruiters, knowing more about corporate treasury than others and in most cases know the candidate before we find his/her next job. Two aspects will be prominent: technology (AI) and events.

I will not try to cover all that will change due to technology in our organization. But you might have noticed that Monique and Bianca both left our team after being with us over 10 years. In both cases, their initiative. In both cases to choose a whole new path in their career: HR and care. We will miss them and wish them well. Monique did a lot of meeting planning. As some of you might already have noticed, we implemented automation, where you can plan directly into our agenda.

This is a new, convenient and efficient way. Bianca worked a lot on updating and coding of files, so consultants can make the best matches. It will not surprise you that AI can make coding partly redundant. We are very happy Yvonne started because Monique and Bianca did so much more and not all can be automated.

In times that LinkedIn, WhatsApp and other channels become more prominent and many live meetings are replaced by video meetings, we notice that real dialogues remain essential in building real relations. This is why we will continue to invest in events. You can expects us at Eurofinance, FinanzSymposium, ATEB, ATEL, DACT and other events. Especially with the people of treasuryXL we have some exciting plans and personally, I will continue to moderate webinars.

Of course I will not and cannot disclose all details of our operations and plans but I want to wrap up with an internal, shared ambition. As confirmed at a recent DACT event, treasurers have a chance to have an increased impact on the strategy and results of their organization. Often their plans are solid, the step to take is claiming a place at the table. This also applies to leadership of teams. Success of treasury relies on quality of team members and how they are managed. This of course implies that the owner of a treasury recruitment process is the hiring manager. Our ambition is to support all hiring manager in reaching next level leadership impact.

On behalf of Team Treasurer Search, looking forward to making 2026 a success with you.

Pieter

I recently placed a really promising candidate who the client liked right away and wanted to move forward quickly. When it came to negotiations, there was a mismatch in expectations, the offer didn’t fit what we had discussed initially.

This is exactly where my role as an external recruiter shows its value. I stepped in, talked to both the candidate and the company, clarified everything, and smoothed out the miscommunication. In the end, the issue was resolved and the match went through successfully, with the salary aligning with both sides’ expectations.

Moments like these really show how working with an external recruiter can add unexpected but important value. When companies make full use of their recruiter, it avoids rushed decisions, leading to better results and a smoother, more enjoyable process for everyone involved.

My colleague recently had an intake meeting with an NGO that was looking for a part-time permanent position to set up a small treasury function. Since this was something completely new to the organization, my colleague quickly realized that building it from scratch would normally require several years of experience. However, she also pointed out a potential issue: once everything was up and running, a senior candidate might quickly get bored and move on.

To solve this, she suggested starting with an interim professional who could design and establish the treasury function, and later hand it over smoothly to a junior colleague in a permanent role. That is where I came in. As soon as I heard the story, three names immediately came to mind.

After a short introductory call with the client, I reached out to my three interim contacts and proposed them for the assignment. The first interviews were scheduled very quickly, and despite the holiday season, the follow-up meetings soon followed. The decision was made in no time, and now my interim professional is about to start building the NGO’s brand-new treasury function.

How could it be any other way?

With a client where we had previously made a successful placement, we were once again invited to find them an Interim Group Treasurer and a new Interim Risk Manager. Thanks to our strong partnership and a crystal-clear briefing of their needs, we were able to present suitable candidates within just 24 hours.

The summer holidays could have slowed things down, but not this time. The hiring manager stayed fully engaged, even taking video calls from his holiday spot!

As a result, we had contracts signed and sealed within just one week of the initial intake. Now that is what we call teamwork.

This past month has been a great reminder of how powerful your network can truly be when it comes to making the right match. I was able to support several clients simultaneously, all with very different needs,  including a Treasury Director Risk role and an Investor Relations Manager.

The key? Staying close to both sides of the market and knowing exactly who to call when the right opportunity comes up.

One of the highlights was successfully filling a “tough-to-crack” role through someone in my extended network, someone I had spoken to over a year ago. That connection, built on mutual trust and a bit of patience, turned into a perfect fit for a so-called “warm” client of ours. It was a great reminder: the best matches don’t happen by chance; they are built over time.

Juggling multiple candidates and clients at once pushed me to be sharper than ever. Communication had to be clear, consistent, and quick. I have learned that managing expectations on both ends, is half the battle. And sometimes, the best thing you can do for a candidate or client is simply to listen before offering advice.

Looking back, I realize how much my earlier experiences shaped this month’s success. From learning how to ask better questions to recognizing when someone is truly “ready for the next step,” every interaction adds up. This job is about people, not just placements – and every good match reflects that.

On to the next!

Working with an external recruiter should and definitely can be more than just sending over CVs. When you treat your recruiter as a true partner, you get more out of the relation.  Like a faster process and stronger matches.

One of my clients truly understands that. They actively involve me in profile definition & search processes,  and trust my judgement. That allows me to introduce candidates who might not fit perfectly on paper, but have the right mindset and potential to deliver more than the obvious ones.

That is exactly what happened this month and is therefore the match of the month. I spoke to someone with no experience in the industry of our client but saw his potential and a the potential great fit. The client trusted my advice, invited him, and one interview later, he is about to start with our client.

This is the second successful placement in two months for this client,  more candidates are still in  process. This is when recruitment becomes more efficient, more enjoyable, and simply more successful for everyone involved.

Last month we celebrated that Monique joined Team Treasurer Search 10 years ago. At the time we were a 4 person team, all working remotely most of the time. In 2015 that was rather uncommon. Together we are on a special journey with many highlights!

The team grew to 15 members, we moved into an office-centre and after a while bought our own office building from 1919. We evolved from a group with just support and consultants to a team with specialists consultants (interim, Germany, senior, etc) and specialist support (marketing, control, data entry, etc). And from Venlonaren just speaking Venloosch to many nationalities and company language English.

During this time Monique became a pillar the team can build upon. She learned new tasks, new software and brought her English language skills to the level where it should be. Luckily she was flexible in picking up new tasks, sometimes handing them over and train new team members. She is what we call in Dutch a “cultuurdrager” (company culture carrier) with a special focus on waterproof communication processes and keeping it personal.

As colleagues we consider ourselves lucky having her in the team and hope she will stay with us for a long time.

On behalf of the Team, thank you Monique and congratulations.

One of our clients reached out after struggling to retain junior analysts. The hires were qualified, motivated, and capable, but they kept leaving. The reason? Long commutes. Despite great onboarding, the location was simply too much of a hurdle, and turnover remained high.

We knew it was time for a more strategic approach. Instead of casting the net wide, we narrowed the focus, targeting candidates in our network who lived closer, valued stability, and were looking for something long-term. Within a short time, we introduced a shortlist of strong local profiles.

The client chose someone who not only matched the role but also happened to live just around the corner. Since then? A team that’s stronger and more stable.

Sometimes, it’s not about changing the job, it’s about changing the search.

Looking to make your next hire last? Let’s talk about how a targeted approach can make all the difference.