We first study the firm-level innovation outcomes of learning by hiring high-skilled migrants. Then, giving the benefits of employing (high-skilled) migrants, we investigate different channels that firms use to access foreign talent: hiring migrants in their home country operations, or setting up activities in migrants’ home countries and hiring locally. Whereas these two studies address firms’ human capital in terms of foreign knowledge and knowledge diversification through employee mobility across national borders, the third study in this dissertation explores firms’ human capital in terms of labour flexibility through fixed-term employment. Specifically, we analyse the relationship between firm productivity and hiring workers with fixed-term contracts. Then we discuss how screening motives impact the contribution of these workers to the hiring firm’s performance.

This dissertation employs rich data from Statistics Netherlands about Dutch firms and their workers, as well as their business activities in the Netherlands and abroad. We examine Dutch firms’ innovation performance and link this with the global phenomenon of high-skilled migration. Then we expand our analysis with the hiring activities of Dutch multinational firms across their foreign subsidiaries to explain these firms’ global talent management strategies. Finally, we examine Dutch firms’ productivity in the two-tier labour market of the Netherlands to investigate firms’ motivation for using fixed-term employment. All in all, this dissertation reveals an interesting picture of the Netherlands as a country that is attractive for high-skilled migrants and well-developed for flexible employment.

Nguyen, N. H. (2022). Essays on migration, flexible labour markets and firm performance. Dissertation, Hasselt University, handle:1942/36571.

Under embargo until 27 Jan 2027.