Christiaan van der Horst

Workforce Strategy | Talent Leadership | Organizational Transformation

The Randstad, Netherlands

About

I build structure, clarity and execution in recruitment and people operations within fast-moving organizations. With 17+ years of experience across consultancy-driven, MKB+ and corporate environments, I’ve operated in roles ranging from recruiter and recruitment lead to broader leadership positions. My focus has shifted from execution to direction: taking ownership of recruitment performance, decision-making and scalability. I combine hands-on recruitment expertise with operational leadership. I bring structure without slowing momentum, make clear choices, and position recruitment as a predictable, business-critical function. I work closely with leadership, HR, employer branding and marketing to align people strategy with organizational goals. My style is pragmatic and outcome-driven. Short lines, clear ownership and accountability for results. I’m comfortable operating between strategy and execution and act as a sparring partner at management and MT level. Over the years, I’ve built and guided recruitment and people-focused teams across Europe, supporting growth and transformation for organizations including Rabobank, ING, Vattenfall, Capgemini and Exact. Currently available for interim recruitment and people assignments (2–5 days per week). For the longer term, I’m focused on roles where recruitment and people strategy are structurally embedded in organizational growth.

Experience

  • Talent & Recruitment Lead at Talent Hub - AFAS Campus Member
    Mar 2026 - Present · 4 mos

    Responsible for shaping and scaling Talent Hub within the AFAS ecosystem. Combining advisory and hands-on execution: – driving recruitment strategy and structure – actively sourcing and placing AFAS professionals – building scalable, sustainable recruitment processes Focused on turning a strong network into a consistent, high-performing talent engine.

  • Founder | Talent Acquisition Specialist at Jobsuits
    Sep 2010 - Present · 15 yrs 10 mos

    Providing governance-driven talent strategy and senior recruitment support across three core pillars: • Talent Governance & Advisory Structuring processes, suppliers and decision frameworks; advising leadership on scalable, predictable talent operations. • Interim & Embedded Solutions Steering recruitment teams and critical hiring streams through senior interim or part-time leadership. • Strategic & Executive Search Targeted search for senior specialists and engineering leaders, delivered discreetly and with consistent quality.

  • Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist (public) at BECIS | DIOR
    Feb 2026 - May 2026 · 4 mos

    Becis | Dior supports central and local government as well as semi-public institutions in strengthening their information management, governance and digital maturity. Within this context, I contribute to further developing and professionalising recruitment. My focus is on refining processes, bringing structure and strengthening the alignment between talent, consultancy delivery and sustainable growth. Besides this, I'm actively involved in the operational recruitment of experienced Information Advisors and Managers.

  • Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist IT | Recruitment Director at OpenValue
    Feb 2025 - Oct 2025 · 9 mos

    Leading recruitment strategy for a fast-growing collective of Java experts (160+ professionals). Focused on scaling high-performance teams using open-source technologies and industry best practices.

  • Lead Talent Acquisition Business Partner IT at Exact
    Jan 2024 - Dec 2024 · 1 yr

    Led high-level talent acquisition initiatives across technical departments. Successfully sourced niche IT talent in a competitive market. Aligned hiring practices with business growth strategies.