Companies are increasingly experiencing a shortage of local workers. This is one of the reasons why employers are looking abroad. But the process is not always easy and can often give rise to a number of legitimate concerns. Unless you have a reliable partner by your side. in which case employing foreigners can be done smartly and efficiently.
Current situation on the Czech and Slovak labour market
According to data from the Labour Office, unemployment in the Czech Republic was around 3.6% at the year’s halfway point. In international comparisons, this rate is repeatedly one of the lowest in the whole European Union. Because overall unemployment is low, firms in certain sectors cannot find enough skilled workers.
According to analyses, 66% of companies faced a shortage of workers last year. Such companies tend to be extra large, with more than 5,000 employees. Most noticeably, there is a lack of know-how in the manufacturing and construction industries, but also in transport and healthcare.
And the situation is similar in Slovakia, although employment is falling. According to data from the Slovak Statistical Office, in the second quarter of 2024 total employment fell by 0.3% year on year. Slovakia is currently facing a combination of early retirement coupled with low unemployment and an unclear industrial situation.
In June of this year alone, 98,400 unfilled jobs were registered in Slovakia and this number is still growing.
Other factors, such as the geographical distribution of vacancies, the qualifications of applicants, and the outflow of labour abroad, have also had a bearing on the labour shortage.
Is employing foreigners an appropriate solution?
Slovakia first introduced a national visa system to facilitate the employment of foreigners in key sectors. The quota of 10,000 visas has been exhausted and roughly 668 foreign employees had arrived in the Slovak Republic by June 2024.
In the Slovak Republic, 117 employers have used employees on national visas. As of 28 August 2024, the residence visa system was stopped due to the exhaustion of quotas. Now the employment of third-party nationals works on the principle of residence cards.
In the Czech Republic, the situation is leading to greater openness towards foreign workers. Compared to Slovakia, however, the entire recruitment process takes longer due to the more complicated administration. According to the records of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in the Czech Republic approximately 942,000 foreigners (in various employment relationships) were working at the end of 2023. Foreigners thus accounted for 18.6% of total employment.
SYNERGIE. Specifics of the professional selection of suitable candidates from foreign countries
“Our priority is always to find local employees. However, the current labour market often does not allow us to do so. Tens of thousands of workers are just not available, so we turn elsewhere and look abroad. However, many employers fear that agencies will just bring workers here and not care about how they work or how well they’re adapting. SYNERGIE has another approach, however” reassures Jakub Sedláček, Staffing Director of CZ&SK, describing one of the main reasons why many clients avoid foreign employees.
It’s not a matter of mass recruitment, but of detailed selection
SYNERGIE approaches the recruitment of foreign employees differently. It provides a comprehensive process: from the selection process (personal interviews) to the integration of foreign workers – not only into employment but also life in a different cultural context. Our experience in the Slovak and Czech markets allows us to offer a unique perspective and solution.
What does the whole process look like?
- Careful selection, not mass recruitment: We do not carry out mass recruitment, but careful selection based on criteria set by the client. Each candidate undergoes thorough vetting and testing. We travel back and forth to the countries where the employees come from to conduct interviews in person. Selected candidates are pre-trained in their country using special training simulators that correspond to their future job description.
- Comprehensive care: We provide all the essentials, from travel, accommodation, legal matters, bank accounts, and telephones to ensuring the smooth course of integration.
- Language training: Candidates undergo intensive language training before arriving in the country. One of the decisive criteria is knowledge of English at a sufficient level.
- Cultural orientation and onboarding: We provide thorough onboarding that includes information about the country, culture, customs and appropriate behaviour.
- Continuous support: We have coordinators available for both employees and employers to deal with any issues.
- Focus on quality: We choose those people who really want to work. Our thorough vetting ensures you get motivated and qualified staff.
20% of visas in June were used by employees supplied by SYNERGIE
Areas such as India give us access to highly motivated and hardworking employees. But our strategy differs from normal practices. SYNERGIE takes a direct approach – we send our own dedicated teams directly to the countries where recruitment takes place.
Results so far:
The situation in Slovakia clearly shows that with the right approach, employing foreigners can significantly help solve current problems on the labour market.
We are here to help you find the best talent, no matter where they come from. Contact us to find out how we can work together to solve your HR challenges.
The information in this article is valid as of August 29, 2024.