Shortage of skilled workers as a matter of existence — How companies address the shortage in the labor market

The shortage of skilled workers in Germany has reached a new level. What was perceived as a gradual development for years now has a direct effect on productivity, service quality and competitiveness. Employers are faced with the challenge of managing a consistent or increasing workload with fewer skilled workers. For large parts of the economy, it will be decided in the coming years whether organizations will remain structurally able to act or permanently lose performance.

Demographic change is structurally worsening the shortage of skilled workers

Demographic change is the central driver of today's shortage of skilled workers. While there was a growing working population in the decades following the Second World War, this relationship is now reversing. The proportion of the population of retirement age has risen from around eight percent to around 20 percent since 1950 and will continue to rise in the coming years. Over the next decade and a half, this trend will continue to intensify until around a quarter of the population reaches retirement age.

For the labor market, this development means a permanent drain of experience, knowledge and qualifications. At the same time, significantly fewer young professionals are moving forward. This shortcoming is not due to economic activity and can neither be compensated by short-term recruitment programs nor by selective qualification measures. Service areas in which processes are complex, customer contact plays a central role and knowledge is built up over years are particularly affected.

An empty job market puts employers under pressure

The labor market in Germany is in fact empty in many segments. Employers are competing for a limited supply of skilled workers, while expectations regarding working conditions, meaningfulness and flexibility have changed significantly. Traditional instruments such as salary increases or additional benefits lose their effect when there is simply no staff available.

For companies, this shortcoming means that growth, service expansion or even just stabilizing existing services are becoming increasingly difficult. The situation is particularly critical where workload does not fluctuate seasonally or economically, but remains permanently high. Insurance companies, energy providers, banks and public administrations are confronted with a constant volume of inquiries, while the available staff is continuously shrinking.

Efficiency is achieved through organization, not through higher tact

In the past, efficiency was often equated with higher clock rates. More processes per hour, shorter processing times and tighter requirements were considered a means of increasing productivity. In the current environment, this model is reaching clear limits. Higher pressure leads to overload, reduced quality and increasing fluctuation. As a result, the shortage of skilled workers continues to worsen.

Today, sustainable efficiency is achieved through better organization of work. It is crucial that tasks reach the right employee without detours, idle times are avoided and unnecessary handovers are eliminated. If a task is forwarded multiple times because it is initially assigned incorrectly, valuable working time is lost. Intelligent distribution of work specifically counteracts this effect.

Digitalization as an enabler for skilled workers

Digitalization does not unleash its benefits through maximum automation at any price, but through targeted support from specialists. Modern systems automatically classify incoming processes, organize them according to content and priority, and make them available to the employee who is best suited professionally and in terms of time.

In addition, the use of artificial intelligence provides access to existing knowledge. Cases that have already been resolved, comparable processes or structured solution suggestions are immediately available. Employees don't have to re-research or repeatedly develop content. Digitalization thus not only reduces processing times, but also reduces the cognitive load in everyday working life.

Intelligent work distribution noticeably reduces the workload on staff

A key lever in dealing with the shortage of skilled workers lies in the intelligent distribution of work. Processes are qualified as soon as they are received and not only by the employee. This significantly reduces the number of incorrect assignments and redirections. Every unnecessary change costs time and concentration.

When specialists are given tasks that match their competence profile, they work more efficiently and with higher quality. At the same time, there is a more uniform workload. Peak times in individual channels can be cushioned by flexibly distributing work. Staff experience everyday work as structured and controllable, even with heavy workloads.

Personalization increases productivity and motivation at the same time

One major gain in knowledge in recent years lies in the importance of personalization. For a long time, efficiency gains were achieved primarily by breaking down processes into individual work steps. This model led to productivity increases in the short term, but in the long term produced monotonous tasks and reduced motivation.

Today, it is clear that combining work steps into holistic processes has significantly greater effects. When an employee assumes responsibility for a complete process and knows the context, identification with the task increases. Work has a more meaningful effect, decisions are made more consciously and quality increases.