Shortage of skilled workers: What job seekers want from employers

Our employees are our most important capital – that’s a sentence that bosses always throw out. Presumably, without really believing yourself. At the moment, it is likely to gain new recognition in many companies. Because there is a desperate need for staff in many places. In the second quarter of the year, around two million jobs were vacant. Particularly affected: gastronomy and tourism. Both industries were completely idle during the Corona pandemic. Large parts of the staff turned away as a consequence and did not return. The shortage of skilled workers is also clearly noticeable in crafts and care. Those who are looking for a job can often choose their position at the moment.

Just like André Mechelhoff from Osnabrück. The electrician has clearly noticed how times have changed: “In the past, you had to fight each other to get a job,” the 28-year-old recalls. However, he didn’t have to look far for a new job these days. He was practically “thrown after him,” as he puts it. Mechelhoff could choose from several offers, his current boss offered him a four-day week and good pay. “It’s a liberating feeling” after he had to give up his old job due to the corona. Many people are likely to be like him at the moment. Applicants and employees who are already employed are currently in a good starting position due to the shortage on the job market if they want to negotiate about their pay or other decision-making factors.

A shortage of skilled workers becomes a vicious circle

However, despite the job and negotiation opportunities that are on offer, the shortage of skilled workers is apparently becoming more and more of a burden for the employees themselves. This is the finding of a representative survey conducted by the Respondi Institute on behalf of the job portal “meinestadt.de” among members of non-academic professions. “meinestadt.de” presented the results to the star and RTL exclusively available in advance.

The summary of “meinestadt.de” CEO Mark Hoffmann: “We are in a classic dilemma.” On the one hand, he explains, there are “great opportunities to find a new job.” At the same time, the great shortage of skilled workers in companies means that those who are already employed have to work more and more. “At the end of the day, this binds employees less to the company.” The result: Employees who are willing to emigrate, the shortage of skilled workers is exacerbating itself. A vicious circle.

The figures from the study support this: Around 64 percent of those surveyed stated that they felt the shortage of skilled workers. More than a quarter say they work overtime, and around a third currently have more work to do.

The results in detail:

The extra workload obviously means that employees look around “outside” more quickly, after all there are enough jobs. Torsten Withake, Head of the NRW Regional Directorate of the Federal Employment Agency, confirms that the labor market is currently very employee-friendly. Unlike during the corona pandemic, trained specialists have very good chances of finding a job. The better qualified, the better the chances, he says. There are also regional differences. “If you are a gas and water fitter in Münsterland, for example, then you can certainly choose your jobs,” Withake gives as an example. In addition to skilled trades, there is also particular demand for qualified nurses, doctors and educators. What is needed in the competition for staff is a certain motivation on the part of employers to approach employees, “perhaps to be a bit more flexible than you used to be. Often the question of remuneration also plays a role,” says Withake . As a consumer, you have to be prepared for the fact that the value (and thus the price) for certain requested services will increase in the future.

In the survey, “meinestadt.de” also sounded out what is important to the courted candidates with regard to their next job and compared them with results from the past five years. All in all, in 2017 63 percent said that an above-average salary was important or very important to them – in 2022 it was around 83 percent. The desire for regulated working hours has also increased significantly. Opportunities for advancement in the company, on the other hand, became less important.

Overview: Regulated working hours are more important than opportunities for advancement

Respondents who rated the aspects below as “important” or “very important” (results rounded, maximum values ​​in bold):

Above all in the tourism and gastronomy sectors, which were badly hit by the pandemic, there was again a high willingness to switch to a “pandemic-proof” sector. Corona has apparently left its mark here. 38 percent of those surveyed could imagine such a change, and many are likely to have already left. As data from the German Economic Institute (IW) and the Federal Employment Agency show, the industry recorded the largest negative balance in 2020. This means that significantly more workers left than new ones. How other industries fared is shown in the overview below.

It turns out that the past few years have obviously turned the labor market upside down. Mark Hoffmann speaks of a change away from an employers’ market and more towards an employees’ market, which has been going on for a few years now. The corona pandemic is likely to have accelerated the development. And looking to the future, demographic change in society will also bring about further changes. This puts job seekers in a favorable position to meet their needs, but it may also mean an additional burden. For employers, not only short-term adjustments are needed, but sustainable solutions to plug the holes. Otherwise, entire sectors may eventually lie idle and the prices for services rendered will skyrocket for customers.

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