From Supermarket Sales to Head of Talent: Dustin Van Gogh’s Unlikely Route Into TA Leadership
When you think of a Head of Talent, you probably picture someone with an HR background and a traditional climb up the ladder. That’s not Dustin Van Gorkom.
At 21, Dustin was one of those students outside your local supermarket trying to sell you an energy contract. Now, he’s Head of Talent at Quatt, a fast-growing clean tech scale-up in the Netherlands. He leads both Talent Acquisition and Talent Development for a company that more than doubled headcount in under a year.
This is a story about scaling fast without breaking your team, hiring people who can handle the reality of a rooftop (literally), and why having a bit of fun at work really matters.
"My passion was mostly just talking with people, getting to know them, and understanding how I could help them perform better."—Dustin
Scaling from 100 to 228 People in 9 Months
When Dustin joined Quatt in January 2024, there were 105 employees. By the time of the interview in September, that number had hit 228.
"I started out in L&D, but I got the trust and responsibility to take on Talent Acquisition too," Dustin explains. "That trust is something that seems baked into Quatt’s culture."
So what does Quatt actually do?
Quatt makes hybrid heat pumps that reduce gas usage by 60-80%. Their goal? Help 3 million homes switch to sustainable heating by 2030.
It’s ambitious. And growing that fast takes serious hiring firepower. Quatt’s TA team is already seven strong for just over 200 employees—a heavy ratio by most standards.
"You attract differently in Amsterdam than you do in a small rural village in Groningen. And a spreadsheet won't show you that."—Dustin
Building a Team That Understands Reality
The biggest challenge? Connecting two very different parts of the business:
"Installers don't use Slack. They don't check email. They want you to call them—or better yet, speak in person," says Dustin.
To bridge the gap, the team now records Dutch-language WhatsApp voice notes so installers can listen to company updates in the car.
"Our product team wants efficiency, documentation, async everything. Installers want clarity, fast decisions, and face-to-face. Our role in TA is to help translate between those cultures."
Creating Talent Acquisition Business Partners
One of Dustin’s bigger plays was restructuring the TA team. Instead of generalists floating between roles, they now operate in "clusters":
Each cluster has a Talent Acquisition Business Partner and a TA Specialist. The business partner is responsible for strategic alignment and working closely with hiring managers.
"We don't want to just take job briefs," Dustin explains. "We want a seat at the table. We want to proactively shape hiring plans and spot gaps they don’t even see yet."
He emphasizes that these roles must still be hands-on: "They should still enjoy recruiting for installer roles one day and head-of roles the next."
"Hiring seniors can actually help you go faster. They solve problems permanently."—Dustin
Hire Seniors First
Dustin’s not afraid to challenge the common startup logic that junior = cheaper = better.
"We used to ask: is this person overqualified? Now we ask: will they build the processes we actually need?"
His view: hire a senior to set the foundation, then bring in juniors to grow within it. Don’t bring in juniors you can’t properly support.
"It’s not fair to them. And it puts a strain on your team that you might not be able to carry."
Retention Tip: Focus on Energy and Fun
"We start every Monday with 30 minutes of coffee and weekend chat. No matter how busy we are," says Dustin.
It might sound trivial, but it reflects a bigger philosophy: if you’re going to work 40 hours a week somewhere, it should at least be enjoyable.
He also links this to retention: "If you create an environment people love, they’re far less likely to leave—even for more money."
Top Advice for Future TA Leaders
We asked Dustin for his most actionable advice for someone trying to get into or grow in talent roles:
"Just ask. Most of my career moves came from putting my hand up. In a fast-growing company, people aren’t holding you back on purpose. They just haven’t thought of you yet. So show up. Ask."—Dustin
He also recommended the CliftonStrengths assessment to better understand where your energy comes from.
What’s Next for Quatt’s Hiring Team
The next 6 months are set to be intense. Dustin’s team plans to hire up to 100 new roles—mostly in operations.
How are they prepping?
"We’re the engine of the growth. But I’m not going to run my team into the ground," Dustin says.
"Make time for the non-urgent moments. If you don’t make them important, the urgent stuff will always win."—Dustin
Quickfire with Dustin
Final Word
If you work in talent, Dustin’s approach is a reminder that a little self-awareness, a lot of curiosity, and some properly-placed fun can get you surprisingly far.
His career proves you don’t need a traditional background to lead in TA. You just need to understand people, stay close to reality, and ask the right questions.
As he put it best: “If you don’t ask, the answer is already no.”
Connect with Dustin on LinkedIn
Want to keep the conversation going? Reach out to Dustin on LinkedIn—he’s always open to chats and coffee.
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