News
Better through the pandemic with temporary work
Better through the pandemic with temporary work
Around 72% of the companies surveyed reported negative effects due to unavailable permanent staff during the pandemic. This makes flexible staffing solutions all the more crucial, which is why almost 55 percent of HR managers rate commercial temporary staffing as an important factor in times of pandemic. These are the key findings of the fourth edition of the DEKRA Temporary Staffing Report, which is based on an online survey of 388 HR managers in Germany.
- Temporary staffing even more important for every second company during the coronavirus crisis
- Significant resurgence in demand for personnel and temporary workers in 2021
- Eight out of ten HR decision-makers rely on digital HR solutions
- Artificial intelligence an interesting future aspect for around 46 percent
The German labor market has changed dramatically since the start of the coronavirus crisis. Most companies have had to adjust their staffing requirements to the current pandemic requirements on an almost weekly basis: This was often accompanied by restricted working conditions, longer periods of short-time working, but sometimes also by unexpected additional work and acute staff shortages. The DEKRA Arbeit Group took a closer look at these developments in the current issue of the DEKRA Temporary Work Report 2021-22 and asked about the specific effects on customers. “The coronavirus pandemic has completely changed our private and professional lives in one fell swoop,” says Suzana Bernhard, Managing Director of the DEKRA Arbeit Group. “Despite the lockdown and social distancing rules, we have managed to work even more closely with our customers and employees in view of the current results and successfully master the day-to-day challenges.”
Pandemic-related personnel changes and development
Almost three quarters of the companies surveyed (72%) reported negative personnel effects across all sectors as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Even systemically important sectors that are in high demand, such as logistics, the healthcare sector and utilities, were equally affected by the staffing effects and sickness-related staff absences.
This makes the positive development of the labor market in 2021 all the more pleasing. In the second year of the pandemic, almost half of those surveyed recorded an increase in the number of permanent employees (46%) and temporary workers (44%). The forecast for the current year is even more positive, with around 64% of companies reporting an increase in permanent employees and 46% in temporary workers. Overall, the staffing situation is easing across all sectors, although pandemic-related consequences such as significant fluctuations in production due to delayed supply chains could persist in many sectors of the economy.
Digital change in the HR sector
In addition to the purely employee-related changes, the pandemic has also had a direct impact on everyday organizational HR life. With the start of the first lockdown in spring 2020 at the latest, the urgency of digital transformation has been recognized in all sectors of the economy. The survey participants were therefore also asked about their current and future digitalization progress. Six out of ten HR decision-makers have so far only given their own level of digital development an average grade (range 4 to 7 on a scale of 10). And only 7.5 percent already rate their digital change process as very good or even excellent. However, the reasons for this overall impression are not due to HR managers' enthusiasm for digitalization: Around 64 percent have a fundamentally positive attitude towards digitalization in HR. One in five HR decision-makers even speak of a very positive development with regard to the digital transformation.
Artificial intelligence in human resources
Innovative digital solutions are also well received by the survey participants. When asked about their attitude towards the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the application process, 31.4 percent are still undecided. However, almost half of those surveyed consider this digital future trend to be a positive (38.4 percent) or extremely exciting option (8.0 percent). However, the majority of HR decision-makers can only imagine using AI at the beginning of the application process. Just under 26 percent limit the use of AI to the area of job advertisements. Around 49 percent go one step further and also see a supplementary implementation perspective in the pre-selection of applicants. Overall, the digital transformation seems to have arrived in companies and HR departments in the long term.
Further content on the two topics “Personnel planning in times of crisis” and “Digital change in the HR sector” can be found in the complete edition of the DEKRA Temporary Employment Report 2021-22. Click here for the Download:
