Flemish company gives €7,500 bonus to staff who quit after 3 months

An unconventional HR initiative from accountancy and audit firm Vandelanotte in the West Flemish city of Kortrijk promises an exit bonus of up to €7,500 to new employees who decide to leave after only three months of work.

Normally, staff who choose to leave their employer do not receive a bonus, but the Flemish audit firm is now changing that: employees who decide to resign within one month of being hired receive a €2,500 bonus. This amount increases to €5,000 after two months, and to €7,500 after three months.

While it seems counterintuitive, Vandenlanotte’s aim is not to get rid of new hires quickly, but instead to stress that their employees love working for them, and will not leave “for any money in the world.”

“We are sure that when people come to our company, they will be satisfied,” CEO Nikolas Vandelanotte said on Flemish radio. “That is why we want to bet money on it. If an employee is not so satisfied here, we will still pay them a bonus depending on how long they have stayed with us.”

If new employees stay longer than three months, the company invests the amount that would have gone to their leaving bonus in the team, to organise a fun team event.

The offer only applies to employees who already have some work experience, Vandelanotte stressed.

“There is scarcity in the labour market everywhere, also for experienced accountants. Of course, we are not going to hire just anyone. All candidates will go through our standard selection procedure.”

The firm has about 50 vacancies in Flanders, and is looking for about 20 people in West Flanders alone, Vandelanotte clarified in an interview with De Morgen.

The firm acknowledges that the rule may seem “somewhat bizarre”, especially for a company that claims to be an expert in finance. “If our clients came up with this idea, as accountants we would probably call them crazy.”

However, a large anonymous survey has shown that a majority of the firm’s employees agreed that there was “nothing” that could convince them to leave Vandelanotte. “This is a signal to future employees. If you come to work for us, we are pretty sure you will not want to leave for any money in the world.”

(PRESS)

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