A specialized approach to recruiting as a solution to staff shortages in Europe

Countries in most of Europe are currently experiencing an array of labor shortages that are placing a significant strain on a number of industries. Many cafes and shops place job opportunity announcements on their doors, social networks are full of advertisements inviting personnel to join their team immediately. The economic situation of each country affects the rotation and migration of the labor force. However, common trends are now inevitable: the consequences of COVID-19, government support mechanisms,  change in habits and individual reorientation of businesses is creating additional demand for a new specialized workforce. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to quickly assemble a team of employees who are experienced and have the necessary knowledge.

In the UK, synergies between COVID and Brexit have created a significant shortage of lorry drivers and workers in food processing plants, and could lead to disruptions in the food supply chain. The owners of these companies, desperate to get the workforce back, called on the government to allow the employment of prisoners.

Along with the shortage of staff, there are more and more warnings about empty supermarket shelves. McDonalds had to withdraw milkshakes from their menus, Nandos closed 45 outlets due to a lack of chicken wings. The global supply chain disruption was mainly caused by the pandemic and staff shortages in a number of key industries, which were significantly exacerbated in the UK by the Brexit changes.

There is also a growing labor shortage in Estonia, and more and more industries are finding it difficult to find skilled workers. One of the reasons is the negative side effect of coronavirus support measures - some people no longer want to go to work.

In Estonia, there is a significant shortage, for example, of welders, care providers and IT workers. There is also a deficit of service and hospitality workers who lost their jobs after the introduction of COVID restrictions. However, employers are now finding it difficult to replace them due to changes in habits, requalification or relocation abroad. In regard to deliveries, that are becoming more and more popular the technological and legal framework is not ready to rely on driverless deliveries (drones and driverless cars), hence in this field in near future we still must rely on diligent human workforce.

Given the particular increase in the demand for a fast and efficient solution for finding specialists and a skilled workforce, the role of recruitment companies in maintaining the labor industry has spiraled up significantly, especially for companies that specialize in recruiting outside the European Union. At present, companies need an immediate solution and do not have time to provide long-term employee training programs before commencing work. Therefore, the future of recruitment companies is to ensure the availability of already well-trained employees.

One of the key pillars of this industry today is to provide job specific training in the home countries of these workers as well as to ensure performance coaching to boost the ability of non-EU workers to adjust to the new work environment and follow the trends.

Thus, two problems are solved simultaneously - high-quality workforce is provided to companies by preparing them in the home countries, as well as opportunities are created for the employees themselves to be productive and continue their career development.