Inhaltsübersicht
- 1 Counteracting the skills shortage: Innovative measures fill your skills gap!
- 2 Skills shortage in all sectors: an expensive phenomenon
- 3 Causes of the shortage of skilled workers in Germany
- 4 Work-life balance and flexible working models
- 5 International competition
- 6 Automation and digitalization
- 7 Which sectors are particularly affected by the shortage of skilled workers?
- 8 Which sectors are particularly affected by the shortage of skilled workers?
- 9 Experts wanted – skills shortage causes costs and slows growth
- 10 Measures and solutions for recruiting and employee retention
- 11 Develop your own skilled labor strategy
- 12 Media visibility and employer branding
- 13 Preventing emigration
- 14 Train specialists
- 15 Internal personnel development: Further training and skills development
- 16 Using digital tools
- 17 Optimizing processes – the tepcon instructor helps
- 18 Training specialists made easy
- 19 Overcome the shortage of skilled workers with the tepcon instructor: Get support!
- 20 Frequently asked questions
- 21 7 effective strategies to counteract the shortage of skilled workers
- 22 Conclusion: skilled workers at the heart of corporate strategy
Counteracting the skills shortage: Innovative measures fill your skills gap!
A change is taking place on the labor market, driven by the shortage of skilled workers: in all professions, across all sectors, there will soon be or already is a shortage of millions of skilled workers. Recruiting skilled workers has now become an expensive problem for many companies, because: The few workers available for vacancies not only have to be found and hired, but also have to be trained at great expense.
The challenges for the economy are enormous and are set to increase as the baby boomers retire and younger people do not follow in the same numbers.
Support for the high demand for recruiting comes from the field of digital technologies. Read our article on securing skilled workers to find out what causes the shortage of skilled workers, what you can do as a company to get the best skilled workers in the industry and how you can save time, money and personnel when onboarding with digital helpers.
Skills shortage in all sectors: an expensive phenomenon
The shortage of skilled workers in Germany is one of the most pressing problems facing companies today. There is a significant shortage of qualified specialists in almost all sectors, which is having a lasting impact on the economy, society and the labor market. According to recent reports from the Federal Employment Agency, over half a million jobs in Germany are unfilled, putting many companies in a difficult situation. The Institute for the German Economy has calculated that there will be a shortage of around 3 million workers by 2030, and this figure is set to rise.
The shortage of skilled workers is not only an obstacle to economic growth, but also an expensive phenomenon that leads to considerable bottlenecks due to the high demand for qualified workers in a wide range of sectors.
In many regions of Germany, companies are being forced to slow down their growth or even cancel projects because they cannot meet the demand for skilled workers. Vacancy periods of more than 100 days on average, as calculated in Hamburg in fall 2024, are no longer a rarity.
Causes of the shortage of skilled workers in Germany
A look at the causes of the shortage reveals a variety of reasons, ranging from demographics and digitalization to global competitive influences.
Demographic change
One of the main reasons for the shortage of skilled workers in Germany is demographic change. More and more older people are retiring from working life, while at the same time fewer and fewer young people are joining the workforce. The much-cited “baby boomers”, the baby boomers born between the mid-1950s and the end of the 1960s, are retiring or have already left the labor market. 15 million people currently belong to these baby boomers. The population is ageing and there are not as many new recruits, which is leading to an increasing shortage in various sectors. Particularly affected are professions in the technical and medical fields, where the supply of labor is already no longer sufficient to meet demand. However, the IT sector, construction and STEM professions are also already struggling with the consequences of the skills shortage.
Work-life balance and flexible working models
The desire for a better work-life balance is also becoming increasingly important. Younger people in particular want more flexible working models, such as remote or hybrid workplaces, which enable them to achieve a better work-life balance. Family-friendly working conditions are in demand, and older people also want solutions that allow them to retire early and with flexible working hours.
Companies that rely on rigid working hours and little flexibility are increasingly losing out in the competition for qualified specialists.
International competition
Recruiters today have to reckon with increased competition from all over the world:
International competition for the best talent is also contributing to the worsening situation. In a globalized society, skilled workers are no longer bound by national borders. They have the opportunity to work in other countries that offer them better conditions. More and more skilled workers are finding attractive employment on the international skilled labor market, particularly in professional fields that require working from home or remotely.
This leads to an exodus of well-trained people and exacerbates the bottlenecks in the German labor market.
Automation and digitalization
Advancing automation and digitalization are rapidly changing the world of work. On the one hand, new jobs are being created in all professional fields, such as information technology, which require high qualifications.
On the other hand, jobs are being lost in many traditional sectors due to automation. However, even in the sought-after IT and STEM sectors, it is difficult to meet the demand for skilled workers, as there is often a lack of specialized expertise.
The newly created and constantly changing skills market is also ensuring that the demand for well-trained specialists is constantly increasing.
Which sectors are particularly affected by the shortage of skilled workers?
The consequences of the skills shortage affect almost all sectors, but there are some that have a particularly large number of vacancies and are desperately looking for solutions.
Nursing and healthcare industry
There is a shortage of thousands of qualified specialists, which not only leads to an overload of existing staff, but also jeopardizes patient care.
Craft
Many craft businesses have to turn down orders because they lack the necessary skilled workers.
IT and technology
Digitalization is creating new jobs, but the shortage of specialists in areas such as software development and IT security is glaring.
Construction industry
Construction projects are delayed or do not even get off the ground due to a lack of personnel.
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Which sectors are particularly affected by the shortage of skilled workers?
The shortage of skilled workers has far-reaching consequences for the German economy. The lack of qualified specialists means less added value, which has a direct impact on economic growth. Competitiveness declines.
Experts wanted – skills shortage causes costs and slows growth
Small companies and SMEs in particular have difficulties compensating for bottlenecks because they can only make attractive offers to skilled workers to a limited extent, for example. Companies face competition not only on the market for their products, but also on the labor market, where the “war for talent” is in full swing. This is noticeable in all regions of Germany, with traditionally economically strong areas, such as Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, reporting an increasing number of vacancies that cannot be filled in the long term.
This costs money and growth opportunities: Companies have to turn down orders, postpone projects or cut back on production because they do not have enough skilled workers available. This not only affects the growth of individual companies, but also that of the economy as a whole.
The skilled workers still available on the market are also becoming more expensive: Due to the shortage of skilled workers, qualified specialists are in the fortunate position of being heavily courted by companies. Small and medium-sized companies are often unable to keep up with the more flexible and attractive offers of large companies.
The shortage of skilled workers is not least a burden on society. Health and care provision is being jeopardized and the workload of existing specialists is increasing, which in turn leads to higher staff turnover.
Measures and solutions for recruiting and employee retention
To counteract the shortage of skilled workers, companies need to take targeted measures. Despite the general need for skilled workers and a lack of applicants, solutions can be found with a well thought-out skilled worker strategy. Sometimes these are methods for successful recruiting, sometimes it is enough to save the existing workforce work by optimizing processes and procedures. Talented employees not only want to be found, but also encouraged to stay with the company – employer branding and employee retention are also ways of countering the shortage of personnel.
Develop your own skilled labor strategy
Step one in the battle for more staff: Check the current situation in your company.
A successful strategy begins with an analysis of your own needs. Companies need to know in which areas they need skilled workers now and in the future. Based on this, they can take targeted measures to meet these needs. It is important to scrutinize both your own processes and the framework conditions.
Media visibility and employer branding
The media play a decisive role when it comes to being perceived as an attractive employer. Employer branding, i.e. the targeted development of a strong employer brand, helps companies to stand out from the competition when competing for skilled workers.
The aim is to attract young and experienced talent through clear positioning in the media. A strong employer brand boosts visibility and increases the chance of attracting suitable applicants to vacancies.
Recruiting today is no longer limited to job advertisements on your own website and a call to the employment agency. Advertise the vacancy on all social media channels, use tools or a suitable platform for the job search. Not all companies, especially in the SME sector, have yet discovered the possibilities of digital media for recruiting and are missing out on a lot of potential.
Preventing emigration
Another important aspect of a skilled labor strategy is to prevent the brain drain. This includes an attractive corporate culture that meets the needs of employees. Those who feel comfortable not only stay in their jobs longer, but also work more motivated and efficiently – this has long been known from relevant studies.
Flexible working hours, the option to work remotely and a good work-life balance are decisive factors in retaining employees in the long term. Also look at the individual circumstances in your company: Perhaps creative ways and means can be found in individual cases to retain certain skilled workers.
Train specialists
Are you looking for ways to counteract the shortage of skilled workers? Then it’s worth taking a look at your own skills development.
If you can’t find qualified specialists on the job market, you have to train them yourself. With sound in-company training and targeted further training, you can attract the skilled workers you need for the company yourself. This commitment also strengthens employee loyalty to the company.
Internal personnel development: Further training and skills development
Personnel development is not just a short-term measure to cover the current shortage, but also a sustainable strategy. Companies should offer internal training opportunities in order to continuously develop existing staff. Targeted, individual personnel development not only strengthens employees’ skills, but also ensures that the company as a whole remains fit for the future.
Using digital tools
Digital tools such as the tepcon instructor offer companies valuable support in dealing with the shortage of skilled workers. For example, modern technologies optimize the onboarding of new employees and reduce the effort required for personnel development. Efficient knowledge transfer and storage is one way of relieving the burden on your employees and thus also reducing staff shortages.
Digital tools not only save time, but also valuable manpower that is urgently needed elsewhere.
Optimizing processes – the tepcon instructor helps
An important step in counteracting the shortage of skilled workers is the optimization of internal processes. Where processes are repeated – i.e. basically at almost all workplaces and in all professions – digital work instructions for precisely these processes can save a lot of time. This leaves employees time for other things.
The tepcon instructor helps companies to simplify their processes and make them more efficient. Clear instructions and standardized processes not only allow regular procedures to be carried out optimally. New employees are also trained more quickly, which in turn frees up valuable skilled workers.
Digital tools not only save time, but also valuable manpower that is urgently needed elsewhere.
Would you like to find out more about efficient quality management?
Training specialists made easy
The challenge of training qualified specialists quickly and efficiently is made much easier with the tepcon instructor. The digital instructions can be created in just a few minutes, and it only takes seconds to share them with all employees. The tepcon instructor is a tried-and-tested and sophisticated software for digital instructions. Thanks to its user-friendly interfaces, simple implementation and the possibility of using it on various end devices, the application saves time and nerves at every stage of use.
Clear and structured processes, such as those provided by the tool, significantly shorten the onboarding of new employees. This not only saves time, but also valuable resources. In addition, the tepcon instructor ensures that existing knowledge is retained within the company and can be passed on directly to new employees.
Your benefits from the tepcon instructor will quickly become apparent: in addition to the savings in personnel, you will soon notice an increase in quality and productivity, processes will become more transparent for all employees and, last but not least, the instructor will enable you to secure internal company knowledge in an uncomplicated way.
Incidentally, the instructor also supports you in training employees from the international market: all instructions can be translated into dozens of languages with a single click.
Overcome the shortage of skilled workers with the tepcon instructor: Get support!
The shortage of skilled workers in Germany poses major challenges for companies. However, with the right measures and a well thought-out strategy for skilled workers, this bottleneck can be overcome. A combination of digitalization, targeted personnel development and modern tools such as the tepcon instructor makes it possible to respond efficiently to the consequences of the skills shortage and cover the demand for skilled workers in the long term.
We support your measures in dealing with the skills shortage with sophisticated tools. Let us show you our demo version and book a consultation: the tepcon instructor can also make a big difference in your company!
Our customer advisors Sascha Spitz and Simon Wegner look forward to hearing from you!
Frequently asked questions
What are the main reasons for the shortage of skilled workers in Germany?
How big is the skills shortage really?
What measures can help combat the skills shortage?
This includes the targeted further training of employees, the training of in-house specialists and an improvement in employer branding. It is particularly important for SMEs to build an attractive employer brand in order to attract qualified people.
In addition, digital tools such as our tepcon instructor help to optimize work processes and reduce personnel requirements.
How does the tepcon instructor help to save personnel?
How can further training alleviate the skills shortage?
7 effective strategies to counteract the shortage of skilled workers
What is the skills shortage?
- The shortage of skilled workers refers to a situation on the labor market in which the number of qualified applicants in an occupational field or a specific job is lower than the demand from companies.
- In the long term, the shortage of skilled workers can affect the entire economy, but it is evident in certain sectors, occupational groups or regions.
Statistics and facts on the shortage of skilled workers in Germany
- There were almost 1.8 million vacancies at the end of 2023 – and the trend is rising.
- Skilled labor shortages are spreading nationwide and are becoming more widespread in some occupational fields.
- There could be a shortage of up to seven million skilled workers in Germany by 2035.
Causes and consequences of the skills shortage
Demographic change and global competition
- Demographic change and globalization are the main causes of the shortage of skilled workers in Germany.
- Well-trained and educated employees in sought-after sectors can generally choose their jobs.
Lack of attractiveness of training and technology boosts
- The lack of attractiveness of training and the advancing digitalization in many sectors of the economy are contributing to the shortage of skilled workers.
- New job profiles are emerging that require a high level of specialist knowledge that many employees do not have.
Effects on digitalization and companies
- The shortage of skilled workers can hinder digitalization and the competitiveness of companies.
- There is no simple solution, but a variety of measures that need to be combined.
Skilled labor strategy: recruiting and employee retention
- Companies should review their recruiting channels and use new technologies to attract talent.
- The Federal Employment Agency states that the average vacancy costs in Germany are around EUR 29,000.
Employee retention through individual personnel development
- Employee retention is an important aspect of the skilled labor strategy.
- Companies should motivate their employees to develop their skills and continue their professional development.
Employer branding and talent development
- Employer branding is an important aspect of the skilled labor strategy.
- Companies should strengthen their employer brand and promote talent.
Measures to overcome the shortage of skilled workers
Develop a unique selling point and create a convincing career page
- Companies should work out their unique selling points and create a convincing careers page.
- A company’s career page is one of the most important channels for recruiting.
Offering attractive employee benefits and optimizing the application process
- Companies should offer attractive employee benefits and optimize the application process.
- A positive onboarding experience is important for recruiting skilled workers.
Using employees as brand ambassadors and leveraging digitalization
- Companies should use their employees as brand ambassadors and take advantage of digitalization.
- Digitalization can support the recruitment and retention of skilled workers.
Conclusion: skilled workers at the heart of corporate strategy
The importance of skilled workers for companies and the need for an effective skilled worker strategy
- Skilled workers are of crucial importance to companies.
- An effective skilled labor strategy is necessary to overcome the skills shortage and strengthen competitiveness.
