Bet on youth. As companies in Ukraine overcome staff shortage during the war
This was reported in March by specialists of the National Bank of Ukraine in monthly macroeconomic and monetary inspection. In their view, this may indicate that the business has largely adapted to military conditions and needs staff to further restore activity. "Instead, labor supply is limited by migration and mobilization. It is also likely that the job seekers have found it or refused to search through personal circumstances.
In early 2024, according to polls, enterprises further noted the increased deficit of both qualified and unskilled workers. To overcome this problem, employers are more active in attracting population groups that have previously been out of labor, "the NBU said. Focus has explored how critical is the problem of staff shortage now in Ukraine and how large companies are involved in the necessary specialists. Even before the full -scale invasion, Ukraine faced the lack of labor.
But now, when more than 6 million Ukrainians have been forced to go abroad, the economic situation in the country has become even more critical. According to the Ministry of Economy, over the next ten years, Ukraine will have to attract 4. 5 million employees to the labor market. Meanwhile, according to work.
ua, as a result of 2023, the vast majority of employers encountered a shortage of personnel, which is exacerbated by uneven restoration of the labor market in both geographical and sectoral dimensions. Analysts say that both employers in the frontal regions and west of the country may encounter staff shortages. In the first difficulty in hiring, people were forced to move to safer regions or abroad. For others, recruiting is complicated by great competition with employers.
For example, in the Transcarpathian region, the labor market recovered by 167% - employers have become much more than a full -scale invasion, and candidates are simply not enough for everyone. "It is most difficult to find candidates for vacancies in the categories" Medicine, Pharmaceuticals "and" Working Specialties, Production ".
After all, the positions of doctors and working specialties regularly get to the ranking of vacancies with the least number of reviewers from seekers," - said in analytics from specialists. The companies have confirmed that staff shortage is acute, especially when it comes to qualified professionals with good experience. "For example, in the process of selection of medical representatives in millionaire cities, out of 33 resumes for the interview, only 5 candidates are held, we choose one.
Often you have to start searching first, since the final candidates do not have a complete set of necessary competencies. In addition, the term of search of specialists With unique skills, he increased from 1-1. 5 months to 3 months or more, "-said Lilia Dubas, head of the Department of Hersions of Teva in Ukraine.
According to her, the company is particularly deficiency of specialists with highly specialized skills and knowledge, in particular in the fields of pharmacovigilance, quality registration and quality control. "In addition, in the last two years we have noticed a significant shortage of qualified marketers, even given the possibility of involving professionals from related industries such as FMCG," said Lilia Dubas.
Meanwhile, Kyivstar said that a shortage of personnel is especially felt relative to the "male" professions. "These are, for example, engineering professions in a technical directorate. It is difficult to find employees in B2B, B2C: Supervisers, trade staff. Much longer, narrow-profile vacancies are closed: auditor, Bigdata specialists. - Svetlana Konchanina, Head of the Kyivstar Talent Talents Department, shares.
The companies have confirmed that staff shortages are acute, especially when it comes to qualified experts with good experience in Kyivstar that the first six months of a full-scale war, when the number of vacancies in the labor market decreased by 70-80%, there were no problems with staffing. The market was an employer: many companies were hired on a pause, employers were reducing the staff and demand for vacancies exceeded the supply.
At the same time, the company noted that the situation is somewhat different, caused by a reduction in the percentage of foreign orders. However, finding Devops or Ntops remains the same problem as in the pre -war period. Mobilization has become one of the reasons for the exacerbation of the problem of staff scarcity in Ukraine. However, fortunately, many companies have the right to book employees, which helps them to preserve valuable personnel.
"Teva in Ukraine has the status of a critically important enterprise for the functioning of the economy and ensuring the life of the population. This allows us to book employees who occupy critically important positions to ensure the stable work of business and uninterrupted supply of pharmaceutical products," - said Lilia Dubas.
Kyivstar says that the existing booking procedure has a mechanism for booking conscripts during martial law working, in particular, in enterprises, institutions and organizations that are critical for the functioning of the economy and ensuring the life of the population in a special period. And Kyivstar is recognized as such an enterprise, since the company meets the required number of determined criteria, which is a prerequisite for obtaining such status.
"This allows us to book up to 50% of military personnel. The booking procedure is the same for all employers, it is provided at the country's level," the company said. In order to replace mobilized employees, the business resorts either to the redistribution of functions among employees, or before the opening of new - temporary vacancies. "There are cases where a new specialist was hired in the place of mobilized, who was subsequently mobilized.
However, we are waiting for our employees from the Armed Forces, their workplaces remain behind them. The company continues to worry about them, makes monthly payments in the average monthly income of a mobilized employee, Provides corporate insurance and psychological support program, which is also designed for family employees. Finally at home. "We currently have 16 such people.
The program involves the training of HRs, working with team leaders and teams, working with relatives of veteran and actually supporting the veteran," - says Svetlana Konchanina, head of the Kyivstar Talent Talents Department. To close the vacancy, I use various available opportunities. For example, they can hire people with less experience, and then invest in learning, or invest resources in technology and innovation.
For some particularly important positions, recruiting and wage supply are an order of magnitude above market level. Very often, companies resort to a specialist among those who are already working in the company. "According to our staff search and selection policy, we prefer internal candidates when filling out open vacancies.
Before announcing a vacancy in the market, we communicate about it inside the company and provide employees for 5 days for reflections and consultations with their executives. 45% We close the managerial and management positions by internal candidates, " - said Lilia Dubas. The widespread trend in Ukraine has also been the introduction of special programs that motivate the company employees to recommend their acquaintances on the open vacancy.
"In addition to traditional search channels, we have a very effective referral program for employees. In Teva, employees receive a financial remuneration in the employment of the recommended candidate and after passing the test period. It is worth adding that the recommendations improve the quality To whom they are sure, " - said Lilia Dubas. To close the vacancy, I use a variety of available opportunities.
For example, they can hire people with less experience, and then invest in training and Focus in Kyivstar said that they have started a new program of responsible employer "Negapan", which involves training and development of specialists without work experience, and where the company grows talents on their own. .
"Under the framework of the" Negapan "program, specialists are issued to the staff of the company under a fixed agreement for 1 year, they are available all programs of the employer, support of the mentor, as well as a multifaceted training program," - shares Svetlana Konchanina.
It is also important that most companies are betting on young specialists - they are introduced for their professional internship programs and employment programs with further training and special vacancies for students who provide a flexible schedule. "In Israel, a program of cooperation with the Araiel University, which is known for its strong faculties of natural sciences, health sciences and medical school, is successfully working.