Construction Staffing Austria: Talent Solutions
Austria’s Construction Boom: Manpower Strategies for Employers
Austria has historically been a destination for labour migration from Turkey and South-East European countries. This can be traced back to the 60s and 70s when Austria started recruiting “guest workers”.
Austria faces current labor shortages in sectors such as healthcare, STEM, and construction, and once again, Austria is becoming a desirable location for qualified workers from around the world. The government and private industry have started to encourage labor mobility to provide a steady influx of skilled labor into the country. For example, besides the seasonal arrangements governed by quotas, in 2022, the government modified the Red-White-Red Card to ease access for qualified workers from third countries seeking employment in Austria.
Construction Talent Shortage in Austria
Austria is currently in a strong economic position. However, medium-sized businesses have too few employees to fully exploit their potential. Data highlights that 79% of Austria’s companies face difficulties in finding employees, and 56% have to accept sales losses due to a shortage of skilled labour.
Key reasons behind this talent shortage are:
- Demographic Shifts: Austria’s ageing population results in a shrinking labour pool. Young people are less interested in joining construction because working conditions are perceived to be less attractive and wages lower than in other industries.
- Seasonal Fluctuations: The construction sector is highly seasonal. The demand for workers keeps on fluctuating, with peak periods requiring a sudden influx of workers. This leads to a dependency on temporary and migrant workers, often unreliable and inadequate for high demands.
- Skill Mismatches: The green transition of the economy calls for new skills; these skills are not being supplied by the education and training system, which creates a mismatch and thereby exacerbates the shortage of labor.
The whole of Europe is facing a historical shortage of construction workers which is threatening development in all parts of Europe. To meet the demand for skilled trades manpower, the European industry is now dependent on a constant supply of semi-skilled or unskilled labor from Africa and Asia.
Overcoming Infrastructure Recruitment Challenges in Austria
If you are looking to engage, recruit, and retain employees in the construction industry, Oman Agencies can help you address the talent gap in four key ways.
- Industry expertise
Backed by our experienced Austrian immigration lawyers, we handle everything from the initial process to the skilled workers’ acclimatisation with Austrian culture. As a leading Austrian construction staffing agency, we ensure exceptional service tailored to your needs.
We diligently navigate candidates through the Austrian immigration process, sourcing the right candidates with the required skills, streamlining the Austrian immigration process for hiring skilled construction workers, and visa stamping in their home countries.
- Tailored staffing and training
With a team of experts who understand the cultural nuances and professional requirements, we conduct tailored training programs for all of our applicants (depending on the job role and the applicant’s needs). These trainings include:
- Language and culture of the country of employment.
- Soft skills for the workplace.
- Hierarchy, culture and mission of the employer’s organisation.
When bringing onboard international talent, it is not just about creating a workplace for the new hire or discussing the policies and procedures. It involves overcoming cultural, language, and procedural barriers to create a cohesive and productive relationship between the employee and the organisation.
- Seasonal Hiring
Whether companies have a seasonal hiring need that calls upon a specialised skill-set, require reinforcement during an employee absence, or want to evaluate fit before making a longer-term hiring commitment, contract staffing is the best choice. Our contract staffing process enables companies to mitigate the risk associated with wrong full-time hire, high cost, and compliance errors.
- Austria’s Red-White-Red – Card (“Rot-Weiß-Rot – Karte”):
With the aim of attracting skilled labor into the workforce, the Austrian government developed an immigration system called the Red-White-Red Card, which benefits both the immigrants and the Austrian labor market.
This visa provides a simple and effective way for non-EU nationals to work and live in Austria.
Our professional consultants at Oman Agencies will guide you through every step in your Austria Red-White-Red Card visa procedure, as we realize how complicated it may get with the immigration system.
Summary
The construction sector in Austria faces critical labor shortages driven by demographic changes, skill mismatches, and high demand for construction projects. Recruiters across the EU need to rethink their recruitment processes to better align with country-specific trends. By adapting their approaches accordingly, they will be able to help the companies hire and retain top talent who can lead growth and innovation in a changing job market.
One of the most effective recruitment strategies is to partner with a staffing agency. If you want your business to gain a competitive edge in the Austrian construction industry, Oman Agencies is the most reliable partner for quality service, training modes, and industry-specific insights. This company offers a highly curated pipeline of talent, ensuring that businesses have an ongoing flow of niche skill sets to strengthen their core and secure their future.
Feel free to connect with us to learn how we can help transform your hiring process!
