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By Michael Rothe
Everything has its price. And what is scarce is most expensive. That's the way the market wants it. The scarcest commodity in the German economy is skilled workers. A good one in two companies can no longer fill vacancies. Service providers in particular - for example in the catering and transport sectors - are short of personnel, while the need in industry is not quite so great. Not yet.
Baby boomers are retiring, and the labor market will be short about seven million people by 2035. Predictably, demographics have Corona adding to the shortage. Low-wage industries are complaining about migration, even more so in times of high inflation.
The tide has turned. Today, bosses have to apply to employees. And they recognize what you and their work are worth - and their power. A representative Forsa-According to the survey, almost four out of ten employees can imagine changing their employer. In the 18 to 29 age group, almost one in two (48 percent) would even entertain the idea.
But why do employees quit? According to the employer portal Kununu money is only the 4th most important reason. Before that: more attractive field of activity, better work-life balance - and right at the top: management behavior. The crisis shows which boss is any good. Autocrats have a hard time. Quiet Quittung, the silent dismissal with service by the book, is becoming a buzzword among dissatisfied employees.
The battle for minds is raging. "If you want to win the competition, you have to become active and attractive," says the DGB. Employees are being sought after for meaningful jobs with good pay and opportunities for development. In some places, a 4-day week and a 5-hour day are being introduced. And it works, even with full wage compensation.
Nevertheless, the employers' camp is worried about Germany's competitiveness, and some people are complaining about a feel-good oasis, because the willingness to sacrifice all needs for a career is declining. Workation, i.e., home offices with a sea breeze, or gig working, i.e., temporary small jobs, are new buzzwords.
There are more important things at stake than naps for civil servants
More important than nap time for civil servants, as one Leipzig City Council recently demanded, is a job "which corresponds to the abilities and inclinations, a permanent and preferably secure employment, a fair salary, the chance to further qualify and develop internally as well as a pleasant working atmosphere" brings it the Dresden Chamber of Commerce and Industry-President Andreas Sperl to the point.
How do we distribute the work? Vacancies can only be filled to a limited extent by the 2.5 million unemployed, because half are only qualified as helpers. Can technologies and digitization reduce the number of jobs and help save personnel? Experts see training and continuing education as the key to solving the problem. Every tenth person still leaves school without a diploma.
Experts agree that without targeted immigration of foreign skilled workers - under fair conditions and not at dumping wages - it will not be possible to close the gap in this country in the short term. This requires money, less bureaucracy and an appropriate welcoming culture. Instead, the Free State prefers to deport well-educated people who have been integrated for years. In addition, the "gray gold" is becoming more and more valuable. The elderly and their knowledge are an untapped treasure.
The magic word, however, is "appreciation," as shown on the Meeting of the alliance of skilled workers emphasized time and again. In the Free State, the lowest wages are paid nationwide, and collective bargaining coverage is the lowest. Meanwhile, Saxony's employer president, Jörg Brückner, is calling for retirement at 70, the reversal of the deduction-free pension at 63, and fewer public holidays. "It is not the East that works too long, but the West that works too short," says Brückner, who also rejects educational leave.
Something has to change in the Free State. According to the DGB index, 57 percent of Germans have a "good job," and 43 percent of employees in Saxony say the same. Among the top 650 employers, as determined by Stern and the online platform Statista, ten are in Saxony. "What a great opportunity we have because there is the shortage of skilled workers and labor," says Commerce Secretary Martin Dulig. And he's probably right about that.
This is what the scientist says
Prof. Michael Uhlmann, Managing Director of the ATB gGmbH, Chemnitz: „The perfect employer does not exist; the consideration is always a snapshot. True beauty comes from within: a total package of remuneration, working hours, vacation, normative and emotional things. The mix makes the difference. Appreciation goes beyond money. Bonding comes from a good working atmosphere - and not by everyone being on a first-name basis or no longer having to wear a tie. These are consolation plasters for things that don't go well. Our legislation lags behind practice: for example, with the 4-day week, project work and mobile work."
This is what the business mediator says
Kathrin Rieger, head of the ZAROF. Ltd., Leipzig: "Today, creating good working conditions means more than paying a fair salary and having good vacation arrangements. An attractive employer pays attention to a good relationship with employees and lives the values of promotion, appreciation and a good feedback culture. The key here is listening! Someone who leaves a company primarily leaves because of poor social relations and because they do not feel heard. Listening sincerely, reflecting self-critically and developing collaboration further - that's what it's all about."
This is what the management consultant says
Daniel Probst, founder and partner of Daring & Trefflich, Leipzig: "When structures become more unstable on the outside, companies need inner support. Managers must be ready to learn and develop personality development, self-awareness, therapy, coaching, cultural taboos. We try not to be an employer any more, working at eye level in a partnership in which everyone makes their own contribution on their own responsibility. We don't take ourselves and our money too seriously, evaluate monthly the contribution per turnover/customer/back office. This works: appreciative, in the sense of the others and almost never selfish."
