Battling the shortage of skilled labour

Rescued: PROGEDO helps combat the shortage of skilled personnel

The shortage of skilled labour has been a topic for discussion within the German IT industry and technology companies for years: No action has been taken other than that many companies are cooperating with the universities and are spending more money to recruit German professionals.

Rising salaries and more gimmicks such as table-football and chill out zones for the Feel-good manager. Sometimes job offers read like advertisements for a Club Med holiday resort. The work ethics of many a foreign employee seem near to refreshing in comparison. Despite the show running put on by some companies every second IT company is disappointed and dissatisfied due to the many open positions needing to be filled.

Opening up to more qualified workers from abroad would do Germany good

It is surprising that given the unrelenting globalization, only a large number of start-ups recruit from abroad whilst German middle -sized and many established large companies still prefer under- qualified expensive personnel speaking German. Start-ups aren’t just binding interesting “digital natives” and highly qualified graduates per se, but are also improving their cost structure. Corporate language is therefore usually English which should predominate anyway as Germany is an export- orientated economy….

Problem identified – problem averted

There are two issues that supposedly prevent companies employing foreign specialists with high potentials in Germany:

1. Recruiting is complicated and expensive, takes forever and bears incalculable risks

2. Foreign workers are not linguistically and culturally integrated, German language skills are indispensable

The first issue can be considered solved, as services such as PROGEDO relocation offer a one-stop solution. In addition, the introduction of the Blue Card provides a simple, reliant and very efficient framework that truly functions well for immigration to Germany.

Expenses speak for recruiting abroad.

Costs accrued from recruiting abroad compared to hidden costs when recruiting German employees or expenses generated due to unfilled positions are absolutely justifiable. In addition, these costs solely occur for the actual occupancy of a position. Should the person recruited terminate his employment within the first year, then the recruiting company usually finds a replacement free of charge.

The risk of this happening is however virtually impossible where good preparation and empathetic support in visa procurement, home-search and settling-in in Germany is provided

Some companies have difficulties with international corporate culture

Due to the dependence of German companies on the high technology sector and on export, heads are shaken in wonder when it comes to language skills. The problem in most companies is that German employees are simply overwhelmed with meetings and workgroups held in English. Foreign newcomers often speak better German after one year than the German employee English!

The English language has become an imperative qualification, without which one is not much use in the technology sector – not even as the boss! The problem starts at the top as it´s not unusual in some companies that the executive floor speaks the worst English, with fatal consequences for the German economy – as well as for the companies themselves.

Unemployment figures are sinking – the number of vacant positions rising!

The Federal Government, hardly known for being innovative even regards an import of some 10.000 qualified workers as necessary in order to keep the German economy running.  Astounding that this same economy prefers to stew in its own German juice, demonstrating that it does not wish to pose the key question of competitiveness: Where can sustainable qualified labour be found?

In order to remain the world champion in export, we need to become world champion in importing qualified personnel. See the writing on the wall.