Hungary may be at a competitive disadvantage in the fight for guest workers

By: Trademagazin Date: 2024. 10. 03. 11:32

Over the past three years, more than 100,000 guest workers have arrived in our country, many of them from distant countries – from the Philippines, Indonesia, Mongolia or Kyrgyzstan – who will be able to be employed by companies in a simplified manner from 2021. The experience of the past years shows that there are many misconceptions on the part of employers about workers from third countries (non-EU member states) and their employment, as a result of which visiting guest workers experience inappropriate treatment and working conditions. Therefore, both our country and the company often have a bad reputation, which can be a huge disadvantage in the fight for labor with other countries in the region – pointed out Ákos Jáhny, the executive director of Get Work Trend, at a recent professional conference.

At the moment, the retention and recruitment of Hungarian employees is more emphasized by domestic companies, however, in the medium and long term, it will be necessary to host an additional 100,000 guest workers in Hungary due to the labor demand of incoming investments, the aging of society, the emigration of young people and the expansion of the economy. In our country, 30-40 thousand people retire every year and there is no adequate supply; in the manufacturing sector, for example, business growth is no longer possible without guest workers from distant countries.

The employment of third-country nationals brings serious advantages to Hungarian companies, with their help the planning of production and capacities can be ensured, so they are a stable and predictable option in the constantly changing market conditions, and they also contribute to the retention of Hungarian jobs. At the same time, according to recruitment and hiring companies, there are still many misconceptions about this in the corporate sphere.

“There are unspoken misconceptions, for example, that workers coming from the other side of the world will definitely not miss work, even if they are sick, and of course they should be paid less, and they can be expected to work overtime. In general, they pay less attention to them and their needs, since they are only committed to them in the short or medium term. This is an absolutely wrong attitude, as this can damage the employer brand, jeopardize the success of subsequent recruitment campaigns, the prospects for sustainability, but also harm the Hungarian labor market as a whole. The problem is that only a fifth of third-country workers come through a qualified employer, i.e. a licensed temporary employment agency, even though the regulation of simplified employment is tailored to this activity, which is why a new government decree is currently being prepared.”

Ákos Jáhny, managing director of Get Work Trend, pointed out at the conference.