German IT companies barely looking for staff abroad

Over the last two years at least one in five German IT companies has had to refuse a client request owing to lack or shortage of qualified personnel. In spite of this, few companies have considered the opportunity for looking for qualified IT staff abroad: a total of 85% of the IT firms that participated in a survey of the situation of the job market conducted by Monster.de and CeBIT said that they have neither hired staff from abroad, nor have ever considered it as an option. Some 200 German IT-companies took part in the study presented by the Personalwirtschaft journal in a recent publication which outlines its main findings.

The article refers to the study’s conclusions that companies are calling for simplification of the processes for recognition of foreign university degrees. Another issue that firms have unanimously pointed out is easing the conditions for entering and staying in Germany.

Germany’s IT industry could be left out of the global ‘War for Talents’

The situation with German IT companies active in the field of employer branding is slightly different. According to the survey, some 64% of these companies are willing to attract more applicants (and to set incentives for their core workforce to stay with the company) through increasing salaries. Some 69% of the firms have stated readiness to boost the employment appeal of their jobs in order to attract new personnel.

Flexible recruitment called for

Long-term success could be guaranteed only through combining several employment channels. In addition to increasing their attractiveness as an employer or in developing an employer brand, in 2013 the firms in the German IT sector should start actively searching for and contracting expatriate staff. This would not only lead to filling in vacancies, but also to stabilizing labor costs, since the wage expectations of foreign applicants are usually lower than those of their German counterparts.

Number of Bulgarians working in Germany increasing

The number of Bulgarians who apply for a social insurance in Germany is constantly growing. As recent figures of the Federal Employment Agency show, in 2012 the number of Bulgarian working in Germany stroke a new record at 25 840.

German labour market – very popular

Since 2000, the employment in Germany has been registering annual increases. What is striking is the rapid rate of increase of the Bulgarians in Germany particularly in the years 2010-2012. During this period, the number of Bulgarians who make their living in Germany grew by about 5000 people annually. This can be explained by the poor economic situation in Bulgaria that until about 2008 experienced a genuine economic boom. The quick recovery of the German economy after the crisis and the ensuing demand for working force may have also contributed to the growth of Bulgarian immigration.

Zahl der Bulgaren, die in Deutschland arbeiten.
How many Bulgarians are working in Germany? The graph shows a constant increase from 2000  to 2012.

The trend is expected to continue in 2013 – 2014

The rising Bulgarian workforce flow to Germany is expected to continue in 2013, although the weaker German labour market could curb the rate of increase. As for 2014, when regardless of the economic development of Europe the transitional restrictions for Bulgarians are due to fall off, the dynamics of the immigration inflow to Germany is certain to gain momentum. Therefore, the number of Bulgarians seeking employment in Germany is expected to reach record–high levels over the coming years.

In 2013 Balkaninvest HR consultancy will continue to support this workflow dynamics so as to adjust it to the needs of German employers and to assist them with professional services.