The customer support job market in 2023

Recruitment needs within customer support 

The demand for Dutch speaking customer support professionals has been high for years. Bao-Han: 'In this job, you are constantly in touch with Dutch speaking clients, who prefer to speak in their own language'.  

The shortage of Dutch speaking customer support employees increased significantly during the covid-19 pandemic. Bao-Han: 'Many expats left the country and Dutch customer support staff took over their jobs. Therefore, Dutch became the language of communication in most customer service departments. Even though companies can fish from the international candidate pool again, they still find it difficult to switch back to English', Bao-Han said. 

Mastering the English language remains important, Bao-Han observes, also for Dutch speaking customer service departments. 'There are plenty of people calling customer service departments who barely speak Dutch. You have to be able to communicate with these customers as well'.  

Most in-demand customer support professionals in 2023:  

1. Customer service representative 
2. Head of customer service 
3. Administrative sales assistant

Source: Jobfeed.nl

Top 3 most in-demand skills among customer support professionals in 2023: 

1. Extraversion 
2. Command of multiple languages 
3. System knowledge 

Source: LinkedIn Talent Insights

What do customer support professionals value most in their employer in 2023? 

1. Growth opportunities 
2. A good salary 
3. Work from home opportunities 

Source: Walters People Salary Survey 2023

Salary trends within customer support 

Salaries for customer support staff have increased in recent years due to the high demand for these professionals; the average salary for starters is currently around 2500 euros. Bao-Han: 'After one or two years, most customer support professionals want to earn more, but this is not always possible due to a lack of growth opportunities in the role. That is why many customer support professionals move on to another job after one or two years. Customer support is a good starting point for a sales position that offers many opportunities for growth'.

Bao-Han expects that salaries for customer support employees will continue to rise, but moderately. 'Employers bidding against each other to bring in a new employee is something you see less often. But regardless of this slight stagnation, the future is looking bright for customer support professionals.’

Learn more

Do you need direct advice? Please contact Bao-Han Nguyen, managing recruitment consultant for customer support roles, at bao-han.nguyen@walterspeople.nl or +31 (0)20-796 9040 and let us help you with your recruitment needs.