The number of foreign workers in Slovakia continues to grow constantly due to labour shortages, especially among workers from India, who are now the most rapidly growing nationality making up the foreign workforce in Slovakia.
Currently, there are more than 9,000 Indian nationals employed in Slovakia within the foreign labour force in Slovakia. The trend represents the growing trend of European businesses looking beyond their own borders for potential talent to fill gaps in their employee base.
Labour Shortages Continue to Pressure Employers
There continues to be a strong need for qualified people in Slovakia. Current industry reports estimate a shortage of 40,000-50,000 qualified workers in Slovakia, particularly for manufacturing, automotive, and engineering industries.
In view of the ongoing local recruitment issues, many companies have reported that they are unable to maintain their levels of production because of a lack of qualified applicants; therefore, to address this shortfall, companies will need to hire internationally, as opposed to just looking locally for potential qualified candidates on an as-needed basis.
Government Expands Visa Quotas
To meet these challenges, the Slovak Government has raised the annual visa quotas each year, meaning that many more non-EU workers (such as those from India) are now able to work in Slovakia.
The increased number of foreign workers will reduce some of the strain felt by employers trying to hire additional workers. However, in order for employers to hire foreign workers, they need to have a well-organised process in place for recruiting foreign workers, including documentation management and compliance with applicable laws, as well as the onboarding of new employees.
Indian Workforce Gains Ground
There has been a rise in the number of workers from India being employed for both skilled and semi-skilled jobs. These people work in a variety of industries, such as:
- Manufacturing & production
- Logistics
- Engineering & technical services
- Hospitality & service industries
- construction
There are many things that inspired employers to seek more Indian talent; some of those things include their ability to adapt, to communicate in basic English, and to have a strong work ethic.
Companies are also able to quickly add talent from India when needed because there is a large talent pool available there.
How Dynamic Staffing Services Supports Employers
Companies expanding their talent pool beyond national borders very often reach out to experienced recruitment partners to help with the international recruitment process.
Dynamic Staffing Services (DSS) has built a reputation as a leading provider of international workforce solutions, helping companies to solve hiring challenges around the globe. With over 480,000 successful placements globally, DSS has worked in every sector and with companies facing similar labour shortages.
In Europe in particular, Dynamic Staffing Services provides a structured approach to help employers:
- Source and identify qualified candidates from India
- Pre-screen, assess skills, and conduct initial interviews
- Provide documentation and assist with mobility processes
By providing a structured recruitment process, employers are able to significantly reduce the average time required to hire, as well as to manage their recruitment process more predictably (especially for companies that need to hire multiple overseas workers) through the recruitment of candidates in second and third country markets.
Key Challenges for Employers
While many employers find solutions through international hiring, employers also face several key challenges when recruiting internationally:
- Visa/work permit management
- Compliance with local employment legislation
- Verification of candidates’ skills and experience level
- Onboarding/integration of candidates
If any one of the above areas is not managed successfully, your company’s rate of speed to complete the hiring will be negatively impacted.
In this situation, using specialised recruitment support to assist your organisation with these challenges may provide an effective solution, particularly for employers with a high, ongoing recruitment need for large numbers of employees.
Future Trends With Employers and Workforce Planning
The demand for foreign labour in Slovakia is anticipated to continue increasing. The continuing lack of supply in Slovakia’s local labour market, coupled with ongoing improvements in industry, means that companies will likely continue to implement international employment strategies to meet their needs.
As the number of Indian employees in Slovakia increases in the coming months (and likely throughout Europe), companies will adjust how they recruit new workers for their businesses.
To develop sustainable future workers, companies will need to create reliable, strong labour pool supply lines. Recruitment through structured processes using experienced recruitment agencies will help to enable successful international hiring.
If your company is interested in recruiting international skilled workers and building reliable future employees, please contact Dynamic Staffing Services at clientservices@dss-hr.com!
