Lisa Raaijmakers
Why and how mediators need to redefine their value in 2026
Temp & flex
Dec 9, 2025
The mediation industry is at a tipping point. In labor mediation, it's no longer about offering everything, but about value. Where mediators could grow for years by continuously expanding their services, it's now all about direction. Sepp Haans talked to Jeroen Müller and Bram van Beetz of Mr. Wolf about this in a podcast by Freshheads. Their message: if you want to remain relevant, you must dare to choose.
Doing Everything, but Excelling at Nothing
Generalists find they are losing ground while niche players are growing. “The biggest challenge is daring to choose,” Bram says. “If you're used to offering full service and that's worked well for a long time, it's hard to determine when to adjust your services. So you continue doing a bit of everything. But now that the market is normalizing, companies are forced to make choices. Those who specialize build a future-proof business.” Jeroen adds: “The old advantages of flexibility, being cheap and agile, are disappearing. This means that added value becomes the new differentiation. Employers no longer hire a broker because it’s cheaper, but because they better understand what their organization and people need.”
Mr. Wolf is a strategic consultancy, specialized in the world of secondment, staffing, and HR services. Jeroen Müller and Bram van Beetz help organizations perform during times of growth, acquisition, integration, or restructuring. They combine years of experience in staffing with major names with a concrete approach: an actionable plan within a hundred days that teams can immediately start working on. |
A Strong Staffing Strategy Begins at the Core
Sepp asks Jeroen and Bram how organizations arrive at a strong strategy. According to Jeroen, this starts with the basics: truly understanding what is happening on the work floor. “Boards need to reconnect with recruiters, job seekers, and clients. Strategy doesn’t originate in the boardroom, but at the places where the work is done.” At Mr. Wolf, they see three important conditions for strategy development: determine who you want to be, where you want to compete, and how you win there. Only when you know where you make a difference can you remain valuable in a changing market.
Technology as an Accelerator, not a Goal
Many staffing and flex organizations that Sepp speaks with notice that integrating new tools doesn’t always have the desired effect. Bram explains: “Technology should be the rocket fuel of your strategy, not the strategy itself. We see many organizations investing in tools that are supposed to compensate for something that is not going well elsewhere. That doesn't work.”
Jeroen adds: “As management, you have to ask yourself: what is the offline benchmark? So how are we doing now without technology, and what happens when we add technology? Does it make things faster, more efficient, or does it add value for the customer? If none of these are the case, you shouldn't implement technology in that part of the process.”
Is AI an Addition for Staffing Agencies?
When it comes to technology, naturally the question follows: what can AI mean for brokers? It offers opportunities to make processes smarter and develop new services. But that only works if organizations dare to experiment. “Be flexible and curious,” says Jeroen. “Try out AI in small steps, see where it really adds value, and think in scenarios. Not everything has to be done all at once.”
Growth Opportunities for 2026
In the coming years, according to both gentlemen, growth for brokers doesn’t lie in having more people, but in smarter solutions. “Growth starts with looking outward, gathering knowledge, and determining where your added value lies,” says Jeroen. Bram adds: “Those who successfully combine knowledge, technology, and capacity become truly distinctive. Then you not only solve your clients' problems but also make people’s careers more enjoyable.” The future of recruitment lies not in yet another extra platform or a new contract type, but in strengthening the connection between people, organizations, and technology.
Listen to the Full Podcast
Listen to the full podcast episode and discover how you, as an intermediary, can add value with a clear strategy, smart (AI) technology, and the courage to choose.