“If I’m very honest, 15 years ago something didn’t necessarily have to change in recruitment-but mostly in me,” Sjoerd explains. “My background was totally different. I came from the army, was a truck driver and then worked as an intermediary in logistics. I was actually hardly knowledgeable about recruitment.”
What he did take with him later turned out to become the core of WannaFlex: the importance of specialism. “At Worktrans, I saw how important it is not just to deliver someone quickly, but the right person. If you really understand what a job entails, you are seen on both sides as someone with added value. That’s where trust begins.”
That conviction formed the basis of WannaFlex. First as a specialist in software testing, later as a partner within the entire Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). “We started with one clear focus, and that made us strong. But at some point we were challenged to look broader. A customer needed more than just testers-he was looking for support across the entire SDLC. That was a tipping point.”
That broadening was not an easy choice. “Internally there was resistance, and I understood that. Our specialty was deep. But I saw it as an opportunity. We took that step and proved that we could also deliver the same quality within roles such as developers, product owners and data engineers. That really accelerated our growth between 2020 and 2025.”
But growing did not automatically mean doing everything.
“In 2026, we made another important choice. Not broader-but deeper. From market demand, but also from a clear conviction: where can we continue to guarantee our quality?
More is not always better. That’s why we focus on interim and project secondment, going deeper into our areas of expertise. Roles that don’t fit there, we deliberately let them pass us by.
Because in the end, it’s not about doing everything-but doing the right things exceptionally well. And that suits WannaFlex.”
The road to this was anything but straight. “The moments no one sees are perhaps the most important. Doubt, low energy, choices that don’t work out. I learned that how I’m in the game-my discipline, my mindset-directly affects the business. If that’s not right, you see it in the results.”
One of the biggest lessons came when WannaFlex almost toppled over after growing too fast. “We hired a director before the foundation was really in place. Costs were rising, but results were lagging. That taught me that growth requires foundation: a clear strategy, processes and execution. Only then does it become scalable.”
Today, WannaFlex stands as a mature player within the IT market, with strong expertise within analysis, design, front-end, back-end and testing. “We have shown that we can really help IT managers. Not just by delivering quickly, but by understanding what they need and bringing the right interim specialists who make an immediate impact.”
According to Sjoerd, the difference between an agency and a true partner is in the way they work together. “A partner relationship is equal. You are critical of each other, you share insights and work together toward the best result. That requires trust, transparency and integrity. That is something we have always maintained.”
Yet his greatest pride is not in sales or growth. “It’s in personal development. Who I have become in this process. As Jim Rohn says, it’s not about the goal, it’s about who you become as you achieve it.”
Looking back on 15 years of WannaFlex, he smiles.
“We created something that matters. And maybe now for the first time I can really say: I’m proud of that.”
