The Audit Company continues to grow with Kula staffin

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Interview with Edward van Vught (partner) of The Audit Company

Amsterdam, June 5, 2025

Due to a shortage of Dutch audit professionals, The Audit Company got in touch with Kula staffing in late 2024 to see how the aforementioned two organizations could strengthen each other. After two successful placements in spring 2025, it was time to evaluate the cooperation.

What kind of organization is TAC?

The Audit Company (TAC) is a modern and expert accountancy organization, focused on performing assurance assignments, where quality is of paramount importance. With offices in The Hague, Amsterdam and Almere TAC focuses on clients who are looking for an accountant with a personal approach, an office that really knows its clients and is involved. We also see this as an important precondition for delivering quality and added value.

To deliver a personal approach and quality it is essential to have good employees, which are a basis of our success. We therefore attach great importance to a personal and pleasant working atmosphere. A strong bond with our employees ensures commitment and continuity, which is also reflected in the relationship with our customers. A good atmosphere within the team radiates to the outside world – to our customers and to our services.

The stronger the relationship with the client, the greater the trust and the more we can do for them. We are proud of our long-standing partnership with an established group of major audit clients, both domestic and international.

Why did you partner with Kula?

Our growing success also brought with it a distinct challenge: finding good people. For that reason, we as a firm are always open to all ways to attract and retain talent – both through traditional avenues and innovative solutions.

The partnership with Kula fits perfectly within that vision. This innovative approach aligns with our need to move with the times, without losing our core values. By partnering with Kula, we are combining the best of both worlds: our own experience and culture with their fresh, contemporary perspective on attracting talent from South Africa.

In short, we consciously choose to move forward – while maintaining quality and having an eye for people.

How did the collaboration come about?

The collaboration came about through our network. A mutual relationship indicated that we might be open to working together and hiring staff from South Africa. As a result, Kula made initial contact with us. During the subsequent conversations, it soon became clear that there were shared ambitions and a complementary approach, which formed the basis for a constructive and lasting cooperation.

Satisfied with how the recruitment and selection process went (staffing)?

Overall, the recruitment and selection process went very smoothly and efficiently. We quickly received relevant and high-quality resumes, always combined with video messages that added an extra dimension to the candidate presentation. Interviews were well organized and efficiently set up, which ensured a smooth process.

Communication throughout the process was also clear and pleasant. Although things went a little less smoothly with a few candidates – people who initially seemed to be on board but dropped out – this actually confirms that our selection process is solid and well thought out. All in all, we look back on a successful process with a great result.

How did employee onboarding go?

The onboarding went very well, although the situation differed slightly for each employee. For example, one of them already had parents living in the Netherlands, which clearly facilitated the integration.

Although in the Dutch team everyone speaks English and therefore there is no communication problem between them and the South African colleagues, in practice among themselves there is often a quick switch to Dutch, especially during informal moments such as jokes or mutual conversations. It is striking that even though the new colleagues themselves do not yet speak Dutch very well, they often understand it very well and are able to connect with the team effortlessly; since they both speak Afrikaans. They always stay hooked and show a lot of initiative in making social and professional connections.

In terms of housing, this did present some challenges, but through our joint efforts, housing was found. All in all, the cooperation between us, Kula and the employees is very good which makes for a smooth onboarding.

What is it like to have people from South Africa on the team?

Adding colleagues from South Africa has enriched our team in a special way. They not only bring new perspectives and fresh energy, but also add to the dynamics within the team. In an environment where we also work with international clients, that cultural diversity is a huge asset.

The collaboration feels very natural and enjoyable. A fine balance has developed between professionalism and spontaneity, contributing to an open, lively working atmosphere. For example, a great example of this was the trip to Paris with one of the South African employees, which was not only valuable in terms of content, but also incredibly fun socially.

What are the benefits of working with South Africa professionals?

There are many advantages to working with people from South Africa. We will name the most important ones:

• Scale up quickly:
  Availability and flexibility allow South African specialists to be deployed quickly to scale up teams when needed.
• Strong communication:
  They speak excellent English and also understand Dutch well, which makes cooperation smooth and efficient.
• Highly educated talent:
  Many of these professionals are educated at renowned universities, such as Stellenbosch University, known for their high academic standards.
• Audit-level quality:
  Output is of a high level and meets the requirements of (international) audits and quality standards.
• Cost advantage:
  Remote working with South African professionals offers a financially attractive alternative without sacrificing quality.

In short
A smart choice for organizations looking to grow with high-quality, reliable and cost-effective support.

Are there any drawbacks?

While the benefits are obvious, there are also some concerns that are important to consider:

• You need the right clients:
  Not every client is immediately accustomed to working with a South African employee. It is important to guide clients well in this model and ensure a good match between client and employee.
• Responsibility toward the employee:
  Entering into a partnership also means commitment. Dropping out quickly (“an escape”) not only feels unprofessional, but can also be annoying for the professional involved who emigrated to the Netherlands for this job
• Specific Dutch laws and regulations; professionals from South Africa are not familiar with issues such as the Wwft and the Guidelines for Annual Reporting. So you have to take this into account. In addition, the professionals who work with us have a CA-SA title (Chartered Auditor – South Africa) which certainly represents a certain level of knowledge and skill, but does not have the powers as the Dutch RA title.
• HR aspects require attention: Things like contract forms, time zones, and compliance differ just a bit from what you are used to locally, and thus require a bit more attention and coordination.
• Remote working; collaborating with colleagues remotely in South Africa can create challenges and for this reason TAC has not opted for this for the time being. Of course, there are also advantages and we certainly do not rule this out for the future. Thus, there is a maximum of one hour time difference with the Netherlands.

In short
They are not major obstacles, but they do require a deliberate approach. Experience shows that this small investment pays off handsomely in quality, reliability and value.

 

How do you as an organization look to the future when it comes to staffing and remote?

We take a flexible and results-oriented view of the future of auditing. For us, one thing is key: finding the right people who deliver quality, no matter where they are. Whether locally in the Netherlands, or (remotely) from South Africa, we are open to all possibilities.

Because we have now established a strong relationship with Kula, we can scale up quickly and efficiently when the situation calls for it. If, for example, we do not succeed in finding the right match in the Netherlands, we smoothly switch to our international talent pool. This way we always remain agile and can serve our customers optimally, without compromising on quality or continuity.

In essence: we do not choose one fixed model, but the best solution per situation. With that on the future of work, where flexibility and collaboration are key.