Skills shortage in Austria
New contributions:
Experience the future of corporate management: let your employees manage their own data with Employee Self Service!
Why is trust-based working time so controversial? In this blog, we will tell you what trust-based working hours really mean, what opportunities and risks they entail and which legal regulations employees and employers must observe.
Trust-based working hours: flexibility or control and transparency through time recording?
Why is trust-based working time so controversial? In this blog, we will tell you what trust-based working hours really mean, what opportunities and risks they entail and which legal regulations employees and employers must observe.
Interview on the shortage of skilled workers in Austria
According to the Vienna Association for Management Consultancy, Accounting and Information Technology, there is a shortage of around 20,000 IT experts in Austria. On the other hand, increasing digitalization in all sectors means that the demand for IT specialists is growing all the time.
In our 20-year success story of Workflow EDV GmbH As a software company, we have often faced these challenges.
In the following expert interview, our HR Manager Helga Gruber, MBA She shares her personal experiences with the IT skills shortage in Austria and gives an insight into how such challenges can be overcome, especially by small and medium-sized companies.
The shortage of skilled workers in Austria is particularly acute in the IT sector. What are your experiences in this regard?
H. GruberWe are noticing a veritable "battle" for highly specialized IT specialists. German-speaking experts in particular are in high demand and various recruitment agencies and headhunters are competing for the best and most expensive candidates. Hardly a day goes by when software developers are not contacted by a recruiter and enticed with "great" job offers."
What can SMEs do to assert themselves against large companies in the search for skilled workers?
H. GruberIT specialists need creative freedom to achieve great things in their work on the one hand and confidence in their abilities on the other. Flat hierarchies and responsibility in their respective projects allow experts to recognize the meaning of their work. SMEs can score points with experts by valuing, respecting and recognizing their personality in comparison to the anonymity of a large corporation. Many experts prefer a great team to "earning a lot"."
What specific measures do you take as an HR manager to overcome these challenges?
H. Gruber: "For many years, we have been cooperating with an international student organization that very successfully places interns from all over the world with us. All interns are accepted as equal members of our team, are given interesting tasks and learn a great deal. Thanks to this integration, the young people feel very much at home with us and often come back to us after completing their studies in their home country.
Of course, we also use conventional methods such as job advertisements on various channels, schools and personal recommendations."
What is your experience of applying for the Red-White-Red Card?
H. GruberThe first time, of course, it was a big challenge and we hoped and worried until the end whether the application would go through. You also have a great responsibility towards the future employees who want to pull up stakes in their distant homeland and start a new life here in Austria.
So far, we have managed to get all applications through and once you know all the bureaucratic hurdles, it's not as difficult as it looks at first. However, I pay very close attention during the recruitment process to whether the candidates can meet all the immigration authority's criteria."
Why do so few companies take advantage of this opportunity?
H. GruberI think it's a mixture of fear of bureaucracy on the one hand and concern about whether the employees recruited will really fit into the company on the other. Often, getting to know each other only happens via online channels. The company also needs to be open, flexible and tolerant towards people. Another criterion could be the language, as the future employees usually do not speak German.
When onboarding new employees via the Red-White-Red Card, the HR department is also required to support the respective "newcomers" with their general integration in Austria, be it in the form of finding accommodation, insurance, doctors, German courses,...
In our case, this has always worked so far and I can say that since we have become such a multicultural team, working has become even more fun."
Has the applicant situation changed with Corona?
H. Gruber"We were in the fortunate position of being able to take on two new employees even during Corona. I think the onboarding worked well despite the lockdown and they were productive incredibly quickly. In general, we are receiving more unsolicited applications than before, which is probably due to the high unemployment rate."
Finally, what is your tip for HR experts?
H. Gruber: "I would advise all colleagues to Digital personnel file if you have not already done so. With it, you have all your personnel data at your fingertips and can't overlook any important deadlines, such as the expiry of a residence permit or work permit. Especially in the Corona home office, the digital personnel file is priceless!"
