Skilled workers sought by startups - international talent in demand
A new study conducted by the German Startup Association in collaboration with the job portal The Stepstone Group looks at the employment situation in startups and scaleups. There is a shortage of skilled workers there, which could be remedied by international talent.
Over 500,000 employees in startups and scaleups
Startups and scaleups are becoming increasingly important as growth drivers. The study has currently identified around 522,000 employees in such companies. In 2022, there were only 415,000, an increase of 26%. And the trend is still pointing upwards: 89% of those surveyed want to continue hiring. However, the shortage of skilled workers is particularly noticeable among scaleups - innovative companies with at least 50 team members and a strong focus on growth. 60% cite it as a major or very major problem. The situation is most difficult in the areas of IT and sales.
A key approach to solving the problem is to recruit talent from abroad. 45% of employees in scaleups do not come from Germany, and consequently 74% of these companies use English as their first working language. They have long been looking beyond the borders of the EU, with specialists from South Asia and North America being particularly sought after. In general, respondents rate Germany's attractiveness as a business location as positive, with 80% praising the quality of life as well as stability and security. However, only 17% are satisfied with the framework conditions for immigration. The duration (57%) and complexity (49%) of the visa process were particularly criticised. This is where politics is called upon, with 56% of startups and 71% of startups willing to take on more responsibility themselves.
