There are currently queues in the shops – many cash registers remain unmanned. You can forget about a quick consultation at the bank – your colleagues are on vacation. And your favorite restaurant is closing early – the service staff is unavailable. In short: there is a shortage of workers, even more than usual.
Anna Nowshad Partner in Consulting at Deloitte Austria, has also noticed this trend: “It is a tension. For several years now, we have observed that companies are paying significantly more attention to their personnel costs, and this despite ongoing Skilled labor shortage.” Due to the difficult economic situation, some companies have had to do without personnel reserves and instead tighten their belts, she explains. This gap is even more noticeable during the holiday season, as a lack of Workforce can only be compensated with difficulty by the other colleagues and the “scope for extra staff” is no longer affordable.
Gerhard Furtmüllerresponsible for human resources, management and organisation at WU Vienna, sees the changed work structure as another reason for the staff shortage: “For a long time, companies were spoiled when it came to finding employees. It was an employer market in which it was relatively easy to find staff.”
This has changed, which the expert particularly noticed in the tourism branch stands out: “Back then, the red carpet was rolled out when the Federal President came, and today it’s when the head chef comes.” That’s why employees are now even more important than customers on the priority list, he says. For example: “Even in high season, you can find businesses with days off.”
More work?
If you have less Employees operations have to be scaled down, says Gerhard Furtmüller. But that is usually not feasible. Instead, companies expect the same level of performance from their smaller teams: “Companies don’t want to leave anything behind and are therefore focusing on a more efficient distribution of their employees’ skills,” explains Anna Nowshad.
This is how products and Services offered that are easier to process and for which, in the best case, no specially trained staff is required, says Furtmüller: “The teams are becoming leaner, more agile and flexible.” To this end, work steps are also being outsourced and handed over to external parties. Nowshad confirms this, and she advises companies to resort to more flexible working arrangements: “We notice that the shortage of workers can be more easily cushioned by making more use of the flexible use of skills of employees and less on individual fixed jobs.”
Less summer?
How sustainable this Personnel measures areremains to be seen, says Furtmüller. What is clear, however, is that the framework factors are becoming more extreme: “It has always been an up-and-down cycle. But now we are dealing with multiple crises that are not easy to resolve. As a company, you have to take action, adapt and restructure.” With all of these strategies, one thing should not be lost sight of: “Summer used to be considered a break. That is no longer noticeable today.”
In recent years, the work has increased and the Rest phase shortened. “If you always go 100 percent, there is a risk of burnout,” says Furtmüller. This is not only important for the employees, but also for the company: “Innovation and motivation arise in Summer slumpi.e. in the breather.”
How do companies deal with the summer slump in employee turnover? The KURIER asks.
With around 700 employees, the transport and logistics company LTS is one of the largest in Austria. Christoph Kargl is Managing Director
“There are no more lulls”
- Christoph Kargl, Managing Director of LTS Transport
“Unfortunately, we feel the shortage of workers especially in the summer,” says Christoph Kargl (pictured left), Managing Director of the transport and logistics company LTS, – and immediately gives the reason for the summer lull: “In our industry, there are many employees with a migrant background. It is common for them to want to spend the summer months in their home country.”
How does the company manage the workload? “We try to compensate for it as best we can. Many employees are particularly hardworking, forego the Vacation and do overtime. They earn good money in the summer.” However, for Kargl, the problem is far from being solved: “As an employer, I don’t think that’s sustainable. Everyone needs a break sometimes.” Hiring more staff would be an option if there were actually interested applicants. “Many only apply for the AMS Stampso that they can make the most of the summer,” says the managing director.
Seasonal operation
During the year, the Labor shortage less: “We are a small transport company with 550 full-time employees, which is usually enough.” The high season is in October, “when orders are extremely high.” Summer has always been considered a slow month: “Orders tended to drop, so we didn’t have to compensate for anything,” he says. It was only through offers like “Amazon Prime Week” that demand rose rapidly – and summer became a challenge.
What to do? “Managers and Head of department We have to be more proactive in order to keep our employees,” says Kargl, listing bonuses as incentives. “We cannot prevent long-term leave and we do not want to do that, but we want to make staying more attractive in order to avoid absences.” Longer Delivery waiting times or even a standstill are not an option: “If there is a shortage, the additional performance has to be provided elsewhere.”
Serge Bensa-Cruz is the owner of “Bros. Pizza” in 1070 Vienna. Once a year, the Bensa-Cruz team goes on a company outing. This year, they went to a music festival in Linz.
“I am looking for lovely people who are interested in crafts”
- Serge Bensa-Cruz, owner of “Bros. Pizza”
Serge Bensa-Cruzowner of “Bros. Pizza” in Vienna, does not notice the summer lull: “There may be a shortage of skilled workers, but there is no shortage of young people looking for work,” he is sure. In his restaurant, he not only employs skilled workers, but “also people who have no experience in the gastronomy have a.
His focus is on the Motivation and personality of the applicants: “I expect a lot from my employees and don’t take just anyone. That’s why I’m looking for nice people who are interested in the trade.” The boss himself takes care of the training of the beginners and trains them, depending on the case, to be service staff or pizza bakers.
More than money
Bensa-Cruz currently has twelve employees. And with that number alone, you have to “expect that someone will always be on vacation. That’s how it should be and everyone knows that,” says the restaurateur. He himself always expects a full team – plus one: “You have to think about reserves. There can also be cases of illness.”
His holiday motto: The Chef eats last. Why? “Of course you can simply pass the extra workload on to the team, but that is not sustainable,” he says. “It is more sustainable to create good working conditions.” The team is then more resilient, goes the extra mile voluntarily“and not because they are forced to bear additional burdens.” And any overtime worked would be compensated anyway.
Serge Bensa-Cruz’s ace up his sleeve: “I don’t chase after every euro.” Instead, he invests in team spirit and takes his employees on more often Company outings – this year to a music festival in Linz.
Günther Rossmanith is a franchisee of the “Mango” on Mariahilfer Straße
“There have always been bottlenecks”
- Günther Rossmanith, franchisee of “Mango”
“There have always been bottlenecks,” says Günther Rossmanithfranchisee of the “Mango” on Mariahilfer Straße. “My parents always said that you can’t find workers in the summer. The employer is the AMS and the workplace is the Danube Island,” he says. This description is consistent with his experience in the fashion industry, as he also receives hardly any applications in June and July. “I’m lucky though,” he says. “In our business, it’s all about for quick sorting of goods, because for customer advice. Industries where customer advisory are currently struggling with a shortage of staff.”
Rossmanith currently has enough employees – 41 in total, most of whom are part-time employed : “We have had enough applications since autumn, but even after the selection process only a third stay beyond the probationary period.” However, he is preparing for such cases and is keeping the number of his Employees currently higher than he needs, “so that we have a reserve.” From the Fashion industry he knows that “you have to keep things tighter”. “Unfortunately, you can’t change the rent. Then it happens that you hire fewer temporary workers and the Workforce generally have to be reduced.”