More and more owners of temporary staffing agencies are considering selling their businesses. This is according to a survey conducted by BNR among entrepreneurs in the industry. A major factor driving this trend is the Act on the Authorization of the Provision of Workers (Wtta). Hans Pluijgers, a partner at Hogenhouck M&A who specializes in the temporary staffing industry, discussed this trend on October 23 during BNR’s morning broadcast.
“We’re definitely seeing a huge increase in the number of companies considering a sale,” said Pluijgers. “We haven’t seen this many changes in legislation in the past thirty years.”
What the Wtta Requires of Staffing Agencies
The Wtta is intended to keep unscrupulous business owners out of the temporary staffing industry. To that end, new requirements will be introduced for all temporary staffing agencies. As a business owner, you will soon be required to:
- demonstrate that you are financially reliable;
- demonstrate that you treat your employees in accordance with the rules;
- have your records demonstrably in order;
- submit a certificate of good conduct (VOG);
- pay a security deposit of 100,000 euros.
There is broad support for the goal: the bad apples must be weeded out. But the rules also apply to the many agencies that are already doing a good job. For them, the law mainly means more regulatory burden.
A perfect storm for entrepreneurs
The Wtta does not stand alone. According to Pluijgers, several trends are converging at the same time: digitization, a shortage of candidates in the labor market, and a host of new laws and regulations, including new collective bargaining agreements.
“It really is a perfect storm for entrepreneurs right now,” he says. The impact lies not only in the sheer number of regulations, but also in their complexity. “There has been a massive increase in the administrative burden. This is putting significant pressure on margins, even in the long term.”
The relationship with clients is also changing. Staffing agencies must communicate much more frequently with their clients, which in turn increases the pressure on those clients as well. “The pressure on business owners is increasing dramatically due to a huge number of additional regulations.”
Smaller agencies are feeling the impact the most
Every staffing agency will have to deal with the new rules, but they will have a greater impact on smaller agencies. Pluijgers breaks it down:
“If you have 100 people on staff and you need one person to handle compliance, then a company with 10 people on staff also needs one person for that. That’s 10 percent of your workforce instead of 1 percent.”
For a small firm, that fixed cost has an immediate impact on its bottom line. For many owners, that’s the moment to start thinking about the future of their business.
There are buyers, but they're being selective
Interest is growing on the buyer side. Both strategic players and investors are showing greater interest in staffing agencies. “But, of course, they’re taking a very close look at which companies are sound and attractive,” says Pluijgers. He expects transaction activity to increase even more significantly in the coming year.
That critical eye also applies to Hogenhouck M&A itself. There are parties that “are sailing very close to the wind—or even beyond,” Pluijgers acknowledges, though he says one shouldn’t exaggerate that. Before a company goes up for sale, Hogenhouck M&A therefore looks at:
- certifications, such as ISO;
- memberships in trade associations;
- The internal status: Is everything in good order and well organized?
“If there are still things that need to be done, we recommend making those adjustments first.” Only then should a company enter the market. That way, buyers know what they’re getting, and the seller knows what their company is worth.
A cleaner industry in the long run, but at a cost
Is the law doing what it’s supposed to do? Pluijgers sees two sides to the issue. In the short term, the agencies that have everything in order will actually face greater challenges due to the heavy administrative burden and the complexity involved. At the same time, parties that are less scrupulous can continue as before for the time being, because there isn’t yet enough capacity for oversight.
“In the long run, I do think it will have the desired effect,” he says. “But that will come at the expense of the smaller parties, in particular. And those are often the very parties that drive a lot of innovation in the market.”
It is therefore expected that the temporary staffing industry will undergo a wave of consolidation in the near future.
Listen Again and Read
You can listen to the full interview with Hans Pluijgers on the BNR broadcast from October 23, 2026. Be sure to also read the BNR article about staffing agency owners selling their businesses.
Are you considering selling your temporary staffing or secondment agency, or would you like to know how the new rules will affect the value of your business? If so, please contact Hans Pluijgers.
