WHY / We Help You

For Companies & Hiring Managers

1. What does WHY – We Help You specialise in, and who do you typically work with?

WHY – We Help You is a specialist recruitment and selection agency based in Putte, Belgium, serving companies across the Kempen, Antwerp, and Flemish Brabant regions. Founded by Philip Pousset in 2022, the agency focuses exclusively on permanent recruitment — finding the right person for the right role and staying involved long after the placement is made.

Typical client profile:

• SMEs and mid-sized companies with 40 to 100 employees, where direct access to the CEO, CIO, or HR decision-maker is possible

• Growth-oriented companies looking for experienced, motivated employees for internal roles

• Organisations in the Mechelen, Kempen, Antwerp, Leuven, Brussels, and Hasselt areas seeking a hands-on local recruitment partner

• Companies that value a long-term partnership over a transactional supplier relationship

WHY deliberately does not work with every company that approaches them. Before accepting an assignment, Philip and Ann visit the client's office to assess the culture and team dynamic. If the fit is not right, they will say so honestly rather than take on work they cannot deliver with confidence.

2. What types of roles can WHY – We Help You fill?

WHY handles permanent recruitment and selection across two core areas of expertise, reflecting the complementary backgrounds of the founding team:

IT and technology profiles — Philip Pousset's area of deep specialisation, built across 20+ years in IT recruitment:

• Software developers and engineers

• Business analysts and functional analysts

• IT project managers

• Helpdesk and technical support profiles

• IT management and leadership roles

Finance, banking, and insurance profiles — Ann Willemsens' domain, rooted in years of professional relationships in the Belgian financial sector:

• Finance and accounting professionals

• Banking and insurance specialists

• HR professionals within financial services organisations

WHY also takes on well-defined roles outside these sectors on a selective basis, where the client relationship and profile brief are a strong match for the agency's approach.

3. How does WHY – We Help You's fee structure work?

WHY operates on both a retainer and a contingency model (no cure, no pay).

Fees are calculated as a percentage of the placed candidate's annual gross salary, in line with standard Belgian market practice.

For specific fee arrangements on senior or complex assignments, contact Philip or Ann directly to discuss the scope of the search before engagement begins.

4. How does the WHY recruitment process actually work?

WHY uses a structured four-step methodology — Scan, Plan, Match, Boost — that distinguishes their approach from transactional recruitment:

1. We Scan — Philip or Ann visits your office in person to absorb the company culture, understand the team dynamic, and identify exactly what kind of person will genuinely thrive in your environment. This is not a phone briefing. It is a physical presence in your workplace.

2. We Plan — A tailored recruitment strategy is developed for the specific role. The right sourcing channels are selected, and candidates are screened before you ever see a profile.

3. We Match — You will receive a maximum of one to three candidates. Not a long list — a short, considered selection of people who are genuinely relevant. If WHY cannot identify a strong match, they will tell you rather than send weak profiles to fill a quota.

4. We Boost — Placement is not the end of the process. WHY stays in contact with both the client and the candidate after onboarding, supporting the broader employee lifecycle and flagging anything that needs attention before it becomes a problem.

5. How quickly can WHY – We Help You deliver candidates?

Timelines vary by role complexity and market availability, and WHY will always give you an honest picture upfront rather than an optimistic promise they cannot keep. For niche IT or finance profiles in a competitive market, finding the right two or three people takes time — and rushing that process is how bad placements happen.

What you can expect:

• A clear recruitment strategy and realistic timeline agreed before the search begins

• Regular updates throughout the process, including honest communication if the search is proving difficult

• Direct contact with Philip or Ann at every stage — not a junior account manager

If a role is particularly complex or the profile is rare, WHY will discuss this openly at the scan stage so expectations are aligned from the outset.

6. What are the red flags that would make WHY decline an assignment?

WHY will turn down an assignment if, after the company visit, they believe a placement cannot be made in good conscience. Signals they watch for include:

• A poor internal atmosphere or visible tension between team members

• No clear plan for how new employees will be onboarded, guided, or developed

• An internal hiring process that is too slow, too bureaucratic, or misaligned with what candidates in the market expect

• A client mindset that treats candidates as commodities rather than people

This is not a commercial risk for WHY — it is a deliberate quality filter. Placing the wrong person in the wrong environment damages the candidate, the client, and WHY's reputation. None of those outcomes are acceptable.

7. We already have an internal recruiter. Why would we still work with WHY?

Internal recruiters are valuable — but they face real constraints. LinkedIn posts generate volume, not quality: a single vacancy can attract 50 to 100 applications, most of which require time to screen, respond to, and reject. That is time your HR team could spend elsewhere.

WHY brings a different kind of value:

• An active, curated network of IT, finance, and insurance professionals — including people who are not actively looking but are open to the right conversation

• Market insight on realistic salary expectations, profile availability, and competing opportunities

• A sourcing approach built on relationships, not algorithms — meaning the candidates WHY presents are pre-qualified and genuinely motivated, not just keyword matches

• A long-term perspective that treats your company as a partner, not a transaction

For Candidates

1. What types of roles does WHY – We Help You recruit for, and am I a good fit?

WHY – We Help You recruits for permanent roles across two main sectors, at a range of experience levels:

IT and technology:

• Developers, engineers, and architects

• Business and functional analysts

• IT project managers and programme managers

• Helpdesk and technical support profiles

Finance, banking, and insurance:

• Finance and accounting professionals

• Banking specialists

• Insurance professionals and advisors

• HR professionals within financial services

WHY focuses on companies in the Kempen, Antwerp, and Flemish Brabant regions of Belgium. If you live or work in this area and are open to a new permanent role — or are simply curious about what is in the market — WHY is worth contacting.

2. Do candidates pay any fee to register or be placed?

No. WHY – We Help You's fees are paid entirely by the hiring company. There is no charge to candidates at any stage — not for registration, not for being put forward to a client, and not upon placement. This is standard practice for all legitimate recruitment agencies.

3. I am not actively looking, but I might be open to the right opportunity. Is it worth contacting WHY?

Yes — and this is precisely the type of candidate WHY works best with. Philip and Ann do not rely on job boards and mass applications. They build relationships with professionals over time, which means they are often able to introduce an opportunity before it is ever publicly advertised.

If you are in IT, finance, or insurance and are based in or around Kempen, Antwerp, or Flemish Brabant, it is worth having an initial conversation. You are under no obligation to act on anything, and WHY will not put your profile forward to any company without your explicit agreement.

4. What does the recruitment process look like once I make contact?

WHY runs a personal, unhurried process. You will speak directly with Philip or Ann — not a junior researcher or an automated screening tool. The process typically looks like this:

1. Initial conversation — by phone, video, or in person — to understand your background, motivations, and what you are looking for

2. If there is a relevant active role, they will share full details before presenting your profile to any client

3. If there is no immediate match, your profile is retained in the network for future opportunities

4. Interview preparation and guidance if you progress to client meetings

5. Honest, two-way feedback throughout — including if a role does not move forward and why

WHY meets candidates in person whenever possible, particularly before presenting them to a client for the first time. They believe you cannot make a genuine match without having met the person.

5. How does WHY handle feedback — and will I hear back if I am not selected?

Yes. WHY considers candidate communication a non-negotiable part of the process. One of the most consistent criticisms Philip and Ann hear from candidates about other agencies is the silence — CVs sent, interviews attended, and then nothing. WHY commits to keeping you informed at every stage, including if the answer is no.

This extends beyond the placement itself. If WHY places you in a role, Philip or Ann will stay in contact after you start — not to check a box, but to make sure the match is working as expected for both you and the employer.

6. I had a bad experience with a recruitment agency in the past. What makes WHY different?

It is a fair question, and one Philip welcomes. The honest answer is: the proof is in the follow-through, not the pitch.

A few practical differences worth noting:

• WHY will not send your CV to multiple companies simultaneously or without your knowledge

• You will always know exactly which company is seeing your profile, and why

• Philip and Ann visit every client company before placing anyone there — so when they recommend a role to you, it is because they have been in that office and believe it is genuinely a good environment

• They limit their shortlists to one to three candidates per role, which means if you are being put forward, you are a considered recommendation — not one of fifteen names in a bulk submission

The best evidence, as Philip says, is the feedback from candidates who have been through the process. WHY's verified client and candidate reviews are available on Talent Business Partners.

WHY – We Help You specialises in permanent recruitment and selection for IT, finance, and insurance profiles across Kempen, Antwerp, and Flemish Brabant. Verified reviews available on Talent Business Partners.