Schiphol job fair attracts 1,500 prospective employees, offers incentives

A total of 1,500 candidates registered for the job fair on Saturday at Schiphol, a spokesperson reported. The airport, which has been struggling with staff shortages in recent months, is offering a number of incentives to recruit more workers.

Even before the fair opened at 10 a.m., a line of candidates for work in security, baggage handling, cleaning and catering, as well as prospective platform employees and ground stewardesses, was forming. Schiphol recently announced that it would be handing out a bonus to staff to incentivize people to work at the airport. This includes a summer allowance of 5.25 euros per hour on top of the normal salary, among other things.

The spokesperson called the turnout "fantastic and beyond expectations," speaking on behalf of the approximately 50 companies that hope to recruit new staff as soon as possible. "We even had to stop the registrations due to the fire service requirements." In contrast, about 300 people attended an earlier job fair in the spring after 400 registrations.

At the job fair, interested parties could have conversations with potential employers. Some companies already had employment contracts ready to sign. Among the companies present were airline KLM, baggage handler Aviapartner, car rental companies Hertz and Sixt, fast food chain McDonald's and the large security companies Securitas, Trigion and G4S. Prospective employees were welcomed with coffee, cake, brownies and sometimes left with a small gift, but in some cases also with a registration bonus of 400 to 600 euros.

One 25-year-old from Rotterdam is looking for a job as a ground stewardess and registered for job interviews with companies such as Menzis, Aviapartner and DNATA. "But I do have some demands, because I'm a working mother and therefore want flexibility. I hope those circumstances are respected, we'll see," she said.

And 70-year-old Ruty Vorswijk also registered with a number of security companies. The retired BOA at the municipality of Haarlem says that he wants to make himself useful to society again. "I know how important it is to act now, otherwise aviation will not be able to move."

Schiphol CEO Dick Benschop called the number of people who registered "high and positive." For weeks, the airport has been suffering from exceptional crowds and a major staff shortage in, among other things, security, baggage handling and cleaning. With the recruitment campaign, the airport hopes to better cope with the upcoming summer crowds.