Big Four accounting and consulting firm KPMG has been named the top company to work for in the Netherlands by LinkedIn, which examined millions of data points to come to its analysis.

The global business network platform has been compiling its prestigious Top Companies List across major countries for a number of years, and has now also launched its analysis of the Dutch market. The ranking lists the country’s 25 top employers for career growth, with KPMG at the top of the inaugural list.

The professional services firm has more than 3,500 professionals in the Netherlands, helping clients with audit, accounting, consulting, corporate finance, digital transformation, and tax services. “We are delighted to spearhead LinkedIn’s list of top companies,” said a delighted Caroline Tervoort-Visser, Chief People Officer of KPMG in the Netherlands.

The ranking is compiled on the back of big data analysis, leveraging data from the career paths of millions of professionals in the Netherlands, as well as how companies are attracting and investing in talent. LinkedIn says that its list of top employers aims to help Dutchies with exploring the next step in their career.

“It’s important to find a workplace that will allow you to advance your ability, grow your skills, and that encourages diversity,” stated LinkedIn in its release. “The top companies in the Netherlands focus on creating great career opportunities with flexibility in the workplace.” 

Working at KPMG means…

KPMG prides its workplace on a number of pillars, according to its employer website. Culture is one of them: “At KPMG you find an open and informal culture. You quickly get a lot of responsibility and the freedom to develop yourself, both professionally and personally.”

A steep learning curve is another: “At KPMG you can grow rapidly due to the diversity of projects and the different innovations you can contribute to.”

This against the backdrop of a corporate social responsibility that puts “people and society” at the heart of its purpose. “We are committed to a better world through the work we do for our customers, the social impact projects we support and in our own business operations.” 

It goes without saying that KPMG’s Dutch wing highly values diversity, equity and inclusion. “We strive for a working environment where everyone feels involved and valued, and where there is room for all colleagues, regardless of origin, age, gender or work disability.” Because, at KPMG they are convinced that a diverse and inclusive culture “leads to more trust, more growth and better results.” 

Summing it up, Tervoort-Visser said: “At KPMG, we think it is important that you can be at your best and we work hard on that every day. We create a healthy work environment where you have the freedom to develop yourself.” 

With its top position, KPMG punches above its weight when it comes to company size or global branding. FMCG giant Unilever for example ranks 6th, Philips ranks 11th, while chemicals company DSM took home the 8th spot. Major competitors of KPMG such as PwC, Deloitte and EY stand at number 10, 12 and 16 respectively.

While KPMG Netherlands is much smaller than major KPMG member firms in large markets such as the UK, US, Germany or Australia, the Dutch arm has a special place in the firm’s heritage. The Dutchman Piet Klijnveld was one of the founding fathers of KPMG, representing the ‘K’ in its brand, with the P, M and G coming from the surnames of fellow founding fathers from the UK (William Peat), US (James Marwick) and Germany (Reinhardt Goerdeler).

The full list of LinkedIn’s Top Companies List for 2021 in the Netherlands:

1. KPMG
2. Capgemini
3. TNO
4. ING
5. Deltares
6. Unilever
7. The Kraft Heinz Company
8. DSM
9. Atos
10. PwC
11. Philips
12. Deloitte
13. Royal HaskoningDHV
14. Nike
15. Volkswagen AG
16. EY
17. IKEA
18. Ericsson
19. MSD
20. VodafoneZiggo
21. Anheuser-Busch InBev
22. Arcadis
23. Aegon
24. Hewlett Packard Enterprise
25. ProRail