ManpowerGroup: Employers note lack of talent

Greece is one of the four countries in the world where, along with Japan, Germany and Israel, there is the highest level of labor shortages: 82% of employers in our country report serious difficulties in finding qualified personnel.

This is one of the key findings of ManpowerGroup’s annual study on the international talent gap in 2024

. In Greece it reached an 11-year high and is 7% higher than the global average of 75%.

Year after year, the number of employers having difficulty finding talent has been steadily increasing: from 42% in 2014, this figure rose to 61% in 2018, then increased by 16 percentage points in 2023 (to 77%) and will reach 82%. in 2024.

Talent shortage by sector

The sectors facing the greatest talent shortage in Greece are communications services, manufacturing and construction, where 89% of employers report difficulty finding talent.

In the energy and utilities industry, 88% of employers report staffing difficulties. In addition, 85% of employers report difficulty finding talent in the consumer goods and services sector.

In the transportation and supply chain industry, 82% of organizations cannot find the talent they need. In the healthcare and life sciences industry, the percentage of employers experiencing difficulties is 81%. In finance and real estate, this figure is 79%.

Demand for IT talent outstrips supply, with 74% of organizations reporting difficulty finding the talent they need, and employment forecast for the sector at +11%, down 21% from the previous quarter and 16% below for the same period last year.

Big business, big difficulties

Greek employers in large companies with 250-999 employees face the greatest difficulty in finding talent, with almost 9 in 10 (87%) saying they have a hard time. 84% of employers in companies with 1,000-4,999 employees also face significant challenges, while the percentage (82%) of employers experiencing difficulty finding talent in companies with 5,000 or more employees is lower. The same indicator is observed in small and medium-sized enterprises with a staff of 10-49 people. The lowest percentage of employers having difficulty finding talent is found in businesses with fewer than 10 employees (78%).

Commenting on the findings of the talent shortage study, Charalambos Kazantzidis, CEO of ManpowerGroup Greece, said: “Skill shortages are a major challenge for entrepreneurship in Greece. The shifts caused by the pandemic in the last two years have increased the degree of difficulty in finding talent. At the same time, frequent movements Talent is also a major concern, and companies need to adopt a highly motivated retention strategy to protect themselves.”

Key drivers of HR strategies for 2024

When Greek employers plan their strategic HR priorities for the next year, they note that employee well-being (24%), talent acquisition (21%) and the green transition (21%) have the biggest impact on their plans.

20% named AI and the technological transition, 18% – forced layoffs due to the difficult economy, 18% – retaining talent, even if it is not absolutely necessary and the same number – the threat of recession, 17% – “the great refusal of work”, 16 % – initiatives in the field of diversity, equity and inclusion, and the same amount – potential optimization of human resources.

Global and Greek organizations identify 3 main challenges when considering job openings that require AI skills: training staff to use it in their roles, finding the right employees, and identifying roles where AI can be used.
How Greek employers are tackling talent shortages – 2024

As the talent pool shrinks in 2024, employers are reconsidering the benefits they offer to retain top talent. 44% of employers will offer more flexible working hours, 31% will offer bonuses for attendance, 28% will offer new talent pools such as mature employees, 25% will use salary increases as a tool, and 24% will use salary increases as a tool, and 24% will retain talent even if it is not urgent need. 18% said they would reduce qualification requirements, 16% would give preference to automating individual tasks/processes, and 9% would resort to international recruiting.

*About the study:

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