Talent and Culture: Boards as Guardians of Workforce Strategy

In the Netherlands, the role of non-executive boards (Raad van Commissarissen, RvC) is evolving rapidly. 

Beyond financial oversight, boards are now expected to safeguard long-term resilience by treating people and culture as strategic assets. The combination of labor scarcity, demographic shifts, technological disruption, and societal expectations makes workforce strategy a central issue in corporate governance. 

This whitepaper explores how Dutch boards can position themselves as true guardians of talent and culture. It examines the board’s role in four key areas: leadership development, diversity and inclusion, reskilling and lifelong learning, and hybrid work. By placing human capital at the heart of board agendas, Dutch companies can build sustainable competitive advantage while responding to the demands of stakeholders and society. 

The Workforce Imperative for Dutch Boards

The Dutch labor market is among the tightest in Europe. According to government projections, by 2030 industries such as semiconductors, technology, healthcare, and infrastructure will face acute shortages of skilled professionals. Competition for talent is no longer a cyclical challenge, but a structural one. 

At the same time, employees are redefining what they expect from employers. Beyond salary, people seek purpose, flexibility, inclusion, and opportunities for growth. Organizations that fail to provide these elements risk losing talent to more progressive competitors. 

Finally, external stakeholders are raising the bar. Investors, regulators, and society at large increasingly scrutinize companies’ human capital performance. Under the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), boards will be required to disclose not only financial results, but also workforce policies, diversity metrics, and social impact. 

For Dutch non-executive boards, these developments mean that human capital strategy can no longer be left as a management afterthought. It must be integrated into governance as a core pillar of long-term value creation. 

Boards as Drivers of Leadership Development

Succession planning has always been a board responsibility, but today the scope must be broader. Leadership development is not just about replacing the CEO; it is about building a resilient pipeline of future leaders who can navigate disruption. 

Non-executive directors should actively challenge management on the depth and quality of talent pipelines. This includes ensuring that potential successors for executive roles are identified and nurtured, and that leadership development programs are aligned with future strategic needs. 

Boards can also add direct value by mentoring senior executives, supporting leadership assessments, and advising on cultural alignment. Moreover, they must insist on clear KPIs that measure leadership effectiveness and development outcomes. By embedding leadership into governance, boards safeguard continuity and strengthen organizational adaptability. 

Dutch example: ASML, as a global leader in semiconductor equipment, faces massive talent shortages. Its supervisory board plays a critical role in overseeing not just CEO succession but also the development of leadership capacity across engineering, operations, and international management layers. The board’s oversight ensures that talent pipelines align with global expansion. 

Embedding Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Governance

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have moved firmly onto the governance agenda in the Netherlands. The recent legal requirement for listed companies to meet gender quotas at the top is only the starting point. Boards that treat DEI as a compliance exercise miss the bigger opportunity: building inclusive cultures that attract and retain top talent. 

The board itself serves as a symbol. A diverse and inclusive Raad van Commissarissen not only enhances credibility but also improves decision-making by bringing different perspectives into strategic deliberations. Boards should hold management accountable by linking DEI progress to executive remuneration and ensuring regular, transparent reporting. 

Dutch example: DSM-Firmenich explicitly links its sustainability and diversity objectives to business performance, with supervisory board oversight. The board monitors diversity in leadership pipelines, reinforcing inclusion as part of the company’s innovation-driven culture. 

Embedding DEI into strategy strengthens innovation, enhances employer branding, and reflects the values of Dutch society, which prizes equality and inclusiveness. In this way, boards become active guardians of organizational culture. 

Reskilling and Lifelong Learning as Strategic Necessities

Technological transformation, particularly through AI and automation, is reshaping the world of work at unprecedented speed. Many existing roles will change or disappear, while entirely new roles will emerge. For companies to thrive, reskilling and lifelong learning must become strategic priorities. 

Boards must ensure that management invests sufficiently in workforce development. This means treating training budgets not as discretionary costs, but as long-term capital investments in human capability. By doing so, organizations future-proof their workforce and enhance agility. 

Dutch example: Philips, undergoing its transition from a diversified conglomerate to a focused health technology company, has made workforce reskilling central to its strategy. Supervisory board oversight ensures that learning and development initiatives are integrated into business transformation efforts. 

Non-executives should ask probing questions: 

• What proportion of the workforce is currently being reskilled? 
• How are investments in learning tied to the company’s future strategy? 
• Are managers accountable for building learning cultures in their teams? 

Hybrid Work Models: Balancing Flexibility and Cohesion

The Netherlands has long been a pioneer in flexible working. The rise of hybrid models, accelerated by the pandemic, has become a defining feature of the modern workplace. Yet while flexibility is popular with employees, it poses governance challenges around culture, cohesion, and inclusion. 

Boards must oversee whether hybrid work is enhancing or eroding organizational effectiveness. Remote work can weaken informal networks, limit inclusion, and dilute culture if not managed well. Conversely, it can improve engagement, productivity, and work-life balance when designed thoughtfully. 

Dutch example: Ahold Delhaize, as a global retail group, has actively embraced hybrid work for its central functions, while balancing the realities of frontline retail work. Its supervisory board monitors how hybrid work policies affect both engagement at headquarters and operational excellence in stores. 

Key questions for boards include: 

• How is hybrid work affecting productivity, innovation, and collaboration? 
• What is being done to maintain culture across digital and physical spaces? 
• Are hybrid policies inclusive across different demographics and life stages? 

Human Capital as a Core Element of Corporate Governance

The fiduciary mindset of Dutch boards is expanding. Financial capital remains critical, but human capital must now be viewed as equally strategic. This requires boards to demand explicit human capital strategies rather than relegating workforce issues to HR appendices. 

Integration into governance means: 

• Regular human capital reporting as part of board packs. 
• Clear metrics on employee engagement, turnover, leadership pipeline, and diversity. 
• Alignment with strategy: ensuring that people policies directly enable strategic priorities. 
• Transparency in reporting to external stakeholders, aligned with CSRD obligations. 

This shift reflects the Dutch governance tradition of stakeholder orientation: companies are accountable not only to shareholders but also to employees, customers, and society at large. 

Implications for Board Composition and Individual Members

This expanded focus on talent and culture has direct consequences for the composition of non-executive boards. Traditionally, supervisory boards in the Netherlands were dominated by individuals with financial, legal, or general executive backgrounds. While these remain important, the new world requires boards to complement these skills with expertise in human capital, organizational culture, digital transformation, and sustainability. 

For individual members, the demands are equally significant. Non-executives who built their careers in a very different corporate era must now adapt. The ability to understand hybrid work models, scrutinize DEI metrics, or oversee workforce reskilling was not part of the classic governance toolkit. Today, it is indispensable. 

To adjust, board members should: 

• Engage in continuous learning on emerging workforce trends and technologies. 
• Diversify board profiles by welcoming individuals with HR, digital, or cultural transformation expertise. 
• Collaborate across generations, ensuring that younger voices enrich board debates with fresh perspectives on work and culture.
• Adopt a growth mindset, recognizing that governance today demands curiosity, adaptability, and openness to new paradigms.  

This shift marks a profound cultural change in governance: boards must evolve alongside the organizations they oversee, embracing a learning journey that mirrors the one they expect from management and employees. 

Practical Steps for Dutch Boards

To strengthen their guardianship role, non-executive boards can take the following steps: 

1. Establish a dedicated People & Culture Committee, similar to audit or remuneration committees. 

2. Mandate quarterly human capital dashboards with leading indicators. 

3. Engage directly with employees through site visits, town halls, and listening sessions. 

4. Tie executive evaluation and remuneration to human capital outcomes. 

5. Benchmark board practices against international peers, while leveraging Dutch traditions of consensus and polder-model governance. 

The Board of 2030: A Vision for Dutch Governance

Looking ahead, the composition and operating model of Dutch non-executive boards will change fundamentally. By 2030, successful boards will no longer be judged solely on financial acumen or risk oversight, but on their ability to safeguard human capital as the core driver of competitiveness. 

The Board of 2030 will have several defining features: 

1. Balanced Expertise 

• Financial and legal competence will remain essential, but will be complemented by expertise in talent strategy, digital transformation, sustainability, and culture. 
• At least one board member will typically have deep experience in HR, organizational development, or workforce strategy. 

2. Generational and Cognitive Diversity 

• Younger voices will be present at the table, ensuring boards understand shifting expectations of work, purpose, and flexibility. 
• Cognitive diversity — blending analytical, human, and creative perspectives — will be recognized as a driver of innovation and resilience. 

3. Dynamic Learning Culture 

• Boards will embrace continuous learning through scenario planning, digital upskilling, and exposure to workforce trends. 
• Annual “board learning journeys” on themes like AI, sustainability, or new work models will be standard practice. 

4. Closer Connection to Employees 

• Supervisory boards will not only meet executives but also engage directly with employees at different levels. 
• Mechanisms such as employee advisory panels, workforce listening sessions, and digital feedback dashboards will be integrated into governance. 

5. Integrated Reporting & Accountability 

• By 2030, human capital metrics will sit alongside financials in annual reports. 
• Boards will hold management accountable for measurable outcomes in leadership pipeline strength, DEI progress, employee engagement, and reskilling. 

6. Purpose-Driven Stewardship 

• Beyond compliance, boards will serve as cultural stewards, ensuring organizations stay aligned with Dutch societal values of fairness, inclusion, and sustainability. 
• Stakeholder engagement will be a central part of board identity. 

Conclusion

By guiding leadership development, embedding diversity, overseeing reskilling, and shaping hybrid work, boards move beyond financial guardianship to cultural stewardship. In doing so, they ensure that talent and culture are recognized as the true drivers of sustainable value creation. 

Dutch boards are uniquely positioned to lead this evolution. With their stakeholder-oriented tradition and consensus-based approach, they can set an international benchmark for treating human capital as a core element of corporate governance. 

But the challenge is also personal: individual non-executive directors must adapt to a world very different from the one they grew up in. The Board of 2030 will demand broader expertise, deeper cultural awareness, and a stronger connection to the workforce. Those who embrace continuous learning and diversity of thought will thrive; those who do not risk obsolescence. 

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About the Authors

Jan-Bart Smits is a Managing Partner at Stanton Chase Amsterdam. He began his career in executive search in 1990. At Stanton Chase, he has held several leadership roles, including Chair of the Board, Global Sector Leader for Technology, and Global Sector Leader for Professional Services. He currently serves as Stanton Chase’s Global Subsector Leader for the Semiconductor industry.   

Divya Gautam is a Partner at Stanton Chase Amsterdam with more than 18 years of international experience spanning consumer products, healthcare, FMCG, startups, scale-ups, and Big 4 consulting. She advises clients on leadership, digital strategy, and organizational growth, drawing on her cross-cultural background in Asia-Pacific, India, and Europe. Divya combines strategic insight with authentic leadership, helping organizations align culture with long-term goals.