Meet Jeroen Frei, Senior Account Manager at Flexspecialisten. With nearly twenty years of experience in the temporary staffing industry, he knows how important it is to maintain a close relationship with clients—not only when everything is going well, but especially when there are issues. For Jeroen, effective account management is about staying informed, being accessible, and being honest about the situation.

He has been working at Flexspecialisten for two years and is responsible for several clients and in-house locations. There, he handles all the day-to-day tasks necessary to ensure the partnership runs smoothly: from hiring and turnover to productivity, staff scheduling, and the practical details involved.

Let Me Introduce Myself

Outside of Flexspecialisten , Jeroen is mostly busy with his family. “Way too many kids,” he says with a laugh. He also makes a point of setting aside time for his friends. Once a week, they get together to do something, such as playing pool, bowling, or darts. As of this year, he has added another hobby: riding a motorcycle.

For Jeroen, those moments are exactly what he needs to unwind from a busy workweek and family life. Fun plays an important role in his life anyway. You can see that reflected in his work as well. “If I haven’t laughed at work that day, then it hasn’t been a good day,” says Jeroen.

His career in the temporary staffing industry began in 2007. Before that, he worked at various banks, among other places, but he stumbled into the temporary staffing world by chance. The combination of people, work, and the social nature of the industry immediately appealed to him: “It’s a social world, with short lines of communication. It’s easy to connect with one another. That suits me well.”

In the years that followed, Jeroen held various positions in temporary staffing, payroll, freelance placement, and management. Each step brought new responsibilities and new insights. Eventually, his career path led him to Flexspecialisten. The first interview went well right away, and he has now been part of the team for two years.

No two weeks are the same

For Jeroen, there’s really no such thing as a set workweek. Mondays usually start at the headquarters in Oss. There, he first wants to know how the weekend went, which new employees have joined the team, whether everyone is present, and which issues require immediate attention. Starting Tuesday, he spends a lot of time traveling between various clients and in-house locations. He’s constantly assessing where his presence is most needed at any given moment.

“No two workweeks are the same. You consult with the client and your team, and you’re always figuring out where you need to make adjustments,” says Jeroen.

The nature of the interaction also varies greatly depending on the client. For one client, the focus is primarily on hiring and turnover; for another, it’s on productivity, quality, or workforce planning. Sometimes an in-house team can handle a lot on its own, while at another location, more coordination is needed.

According to Jeroen, that is precisely what makes his work interesting. He is constantly switching between day-to-day operations, the client, and his own team.

“No two workweeks are the same. You consult with the client and your team, and you’re always figuring out where you need to make adjustments.”

Well organized, even when the customer isn't looking

Much of the work related to temporary employees takes place outside the client’s direct view. This includes housing, transportation, wage adjustments, administrative tasks, and practical questions that may arise during a collaboration.

For Jeroen, that’s simply part of Flexspecialisten ’s responsibility. “Everything we need to arrange for an employee is, in principle, our job,” he explains. That doesn’t mean he turns clients away. When a client has questions about something, he explains what’s going on. At the same time, he wants to prevent clients from having to worry about issues that Flexspecialisten can resolve on its own.

His message is simple: don’t worry, we’ll take care of it. He does, however, think it’s important to provide updates. “If something comes up, I want to be able to say, ‘We’re working on it.’ And then I’ll let you know when it’s been resolved,” says Jeroen.

For him, that approach epitomizes good account management. A client doesn't have to follow up on everything themselves, but they do need to know that any question or problem will be taken seriously.

Just tell it like it is

In the way Jeroen works with others, one thing is paramount: honesty.

For Jeroen, transparency isn’t just a nice-sounding term on paper, but a prerequisite for good collaboration. As he puts it: “A client benefits most from you when you just tell it like it is.” He doesn’t believe in creating expectations that ultimately can’t be met. “You can spin a really nice story, but this is the reality. If I make something sound better than it is, I create expectations that I might not be able to meet,” says Jeroen.

That also means that Jeroen is willing to acknowledge mistakes, even when they’re on Flexspecialisten ’s side. According to him, that’s precisely where the foundation for a long-term partnership lies: “If you dare to admit that something went wrong, you’ll ultimately achieve the most in the long run.”

He expects that same openness from clients and colleagues as well. Not to hold each other accountable, but because problems can only be solved when it’s clear what’s actually going on.

Sometimes that leads to heated discussions. Jeroen doesn’t shy away from them. “They know where they stand with me. Sometimes what I say isn’t always taken well, but I’d rather not beat around the bush,” he says.

“A client benefits most from you when you just tell it like it is.”

Problems are challenges

Staff scheduling doesn’t always go exactly as planned. One week it’s about ensuring employees have enough hours; the next, it’s about transportation, productivity, or filling out a request on time. Jeroen himself prefers to talk about challenges rather than problems. In his view, the solution rarely lies in a single quick fix. It’s precisely by looking further ahead that you can prevent the same problem from arising again a week later.

That requires not only an effort from Flexspecialisten but also from the client . “You have to understand each other well. What does a client really need? What does the coming period look like? Where can we plan ahead? You have to discuss these things together,” Jeroen explains.

For Jeroen, effective collaboration is therefore a two-way street. Flexspecialisten must be accessible, deliver quality, and take responsibility. But clients must also be open about their expectations, developments, and challenges.

Always someone nearby

Flexspecialisten , works with an in-house team at several client companies. He says that makes a big difference.“You’re fully involved and fully in the loop. The in-house colleagues are really my eyes and ears,” says Jeroen. Because they’re on-site every day, they know what’s going on on the work floor, among team leaders, and among temporary employees.

For the client, this means there’s always someone nearby who can step in right away. For Jeroen, it means he has quick access to the right information. “If I want to know something, I often just have to make a call. They know exactly what’s going on,” he explains.

That presence makes it possible to go far beyond just periodic coordination. Our in-house colleagues know the organization, the people, and day-to-day operations. As a result, they can identify more quickly when something changes or when extra attention is needed.

It is precisely that commitment that Jeroen sees as an important part of the collaboration.

From Supplier to Partner

When Jeroen started in the staffing industry in 2007, he says the work revolved much more around filling a request. A client needed people, and the agency provided them. That picture has since changed. “You’re increasingly becoming a knowledge partner. It’s about much more than just supplying people,” says Jeroen. Legislation is changing, staffing issues are becoming more complex, and clients increasingly expect their staffing partner to contribute ideas regarding the broader operation.

According to Jeroen, this means that as an account manager, you become increasingly closely involved with the client’s organization. He explains: “You need to understand much more about what’s going on with a client, where they want to go, and what they really need.”

That’s why he increasingly views Flexspecialisten as an extension of the client’s organization—not just someone on the sidelines providing staff, but a partner who collaborates on the entire issue. That kind of collaboration is especially necessary when it comes to flexibility. Scaling up and down sounds simple, but according to Jeroen, behind every staffing need lies a broader picture involving planning, availability, housing, transportation, legislation, and support. “It’s not just, ‘I need twenty people—good luck with that.’ You have to look at the whole picture,” says Jeroen.

“You need to have a much better understanding of what’s going on with a client, where they want to go, and what they really need.”

Going the Extra Mile

Jeroen expects that same mindset from his own team as well.

He appreciates it when work gets done and when colleagues look beyond just what’s on their schedule for the day. “Go the extra mile. See what you can do in advance and how you can make your work better or easier tomorrow,” says Jeroen. At the same time, he gives his team a lot of freedom. That combination of trust and responsibility is something he consciously fosters.

When he started two years ago, he was still frequently called with questions about what was and wasn’t allowed. Now, the team works largely independently, and colleagues can take over each other’s tasks. Jeroen expresses that trust as follows:“I have a team I can rely on. They know what’s going on and take responsibility.”

Openness is also key within the team. Colleagues are free to disagree with him and engage in a discussion. “A good discussion ultimately makes us better.” According to Jeroen, it is precisely that stability within the team that clients also notice. They see familiar faces, speak with people who know the organization, and don’t have to explain how their operations work over and over again.

Proud of the team

When Jeroen is asked what he’s most proud of at Flexspecialisten , he doesn’t have to think twice: his team.

Over the past two years, he has seen the region grow into a team that works independently, is steadily building up specialized knowledge, and works well together. “When I first joined, I was still frequently asked questions like, ‘Jeroen, how does this work? Is this allowed?’ Now we have a team that can make its own decisions and that I can rely on,” says Jeroen.

According to him, the strength lies primarily in the combination of freedom, responsibility, and having the right people in the right places. “They’ve been given a lot of leeway, but you also have to seize that opportunity,” he explains. He also considers stability within the team to be important. Many colleagues have been working together for quite some time now and know the clients well. That ensures continuity and familiarity.

“We’re doing really well in the region. I’m proud of that. We’ve truly built something together,” said Jeroen. What’s just as important is that we laugh a lot and everyone feels free to speak their minds. “My team can say anything to me. That’s exactly what I appreciate.”

When is a day considered a success?

When asked when he drives home feeling satisfied, Jeroen has to think for a moment. He isn’t easily completely satisfied. For him, a good day ultimately comes down to a combination of results and enjoyment. For example, when a problem has been solved, a meeting has gone well, or when he’s been able to help a client look at an issue from a different perspective.

Sometimes that also means that he and a client don’t see eye to eye at first. It’s precisely when mutual understanding eventually develops and both parties find common ground that he feels a sense of satisfaction. “When a problem is solved well and everyone is satisfied, that really feels good,” says Jeroen. And there has to be some laughter. As he mentioned earlier: “Humor and fun are important to me. If you haven’t had any of that all day, then something hasn’t gone right.”

This perhaps best sums up his approach: serious when he needs to be, direct when necessary, and always with the goal of moving forward together.

With his experience, direct approach, and strong commitment to both clients and his team, Jeroen works every day to build partnerships that go beyond simply providing staff.

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