There is a shortage of qualified specialists in Germany - and not just in the IT sector. However, there are two ways to recruit well-trained and qualified employees. suitable personnel for their own IT projects.

The shortage of skilled workers in the IT sector

The shortage of skilled workers in the IT sector in Germany had reached a new high by the end of 2023. According to a Study by the industry association Bitkom around 149,000 IT positions remained unfilled! This record figure makes one thing clear: there is a constantly growing need for qualified IT specialists. And the supply cannot meet this demand. 

Companies that nevertheless find a way to attract qualified IT specialists are at a clear advantage. They can take on more customers and projects, deliver better services and work more efficiently. Those who do not have enough staff, on the other hand, may have to turn down new customer projects and postpone existing ones.

Two ways to find qualified workers despite a shortage of skilled workers

1. IT - Recruitment 

The first solution to the shortage of skilled workers in the IT sector lies in the IT recruitment agency. The central role here is played by the recruitment agency, which places employees (in this case IT specialists) with companies. This means that the company does not have to spend months recruiting, but instead receives qualified specialists from the recruitment agency - without any effort on its part. The employees placed in this way are then employed directly by the company.

2. temporary employment

In contrast to the recruitment agency, the Temporary employment is a temporary type of employment. There is no conventional contract between employee and employer. Rather, employee leasing involves a company borrowing employees from another company. The employees are not employed directly by the borrowing company, but are merely loaned.

The legal framework for temporary employment is set out in the Act on the Regulation of Temporary Employment (Temporary Employment Act - AÜG) to find. 

In which areas are foreign IT specialists deployed?

Foreign skilled workers are employed by German companies in all kinds of sectors, for example in the care sector, the Production and logistics, construction and agriculture. 

In the IT sector, for example, foreign specialists are employed in the following areas Software development, IT security and system administration. Many data scientists and AI experts from abroad are also employed in Germany.

What are the advantages of employing foreign IT specialists?

Foreign IT specialists employed through a recruitment agency or within the framework of temporary employment have many advantages. The most important advantages for companies include the following: 

  1. Counteracting the shortage of skilled workers
    By relying on foreign workers, companies can overcome the German skills shortage.
  2. Save time and money
    Instead of spending a lot of time and money on fruitless recruiting, recruitment agencies take over the entire process from A to Z!
  3. Gaining new perspectives
    By employing IT specialists from abroad, companies can gain new professional perspectives, e.g. new approaches to solutions.
  4. More flexibility
    The temporary employment model in particular enables a high degree of flexibility, as companies know from the outset how long the leased employees will be working for the company.

Employing foreign skilled workers: What to bear in mind

The first thing to consider is the legal framework. These can be particularly complex when employing foreign specialists. In order to comply with them and avoid fines, it is advisable to work with an experienced service provider who knows the legal framework well and knows how to navigate it. 

Secondly, companies must ensure that the workers they hire - whether on a permanent or temporary basis - are truly qualified, both linguistically and professionally. Here, too, you can play it safe by working with an experienced partner. 

We have been active in the fields of temporary employment and personnel placement for many years. We specialize in the Eastern European region. We have numerous partners there who help us with the selection of qualified specialists. 

If you have any questions on the subject of foreign IT specialists, or on temporary employment or recruitment in general, please contact our team!