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Small German firms hope to get refugees working

More than half of small and medium-sized companies in Germany believe the mass migrant influx can help alleviate the country's shortage of qualified labour and most are willing to hire refugees, a survey revealed on Tuesday.

Published: 26 January 2016 14:25 CET

Small German firms hope to get refugees working

A refugee from Guinea during a training course as a welder in Bremen, February 2015. Photo: DPA

According to the survey conducted by accountancy firm EY (Ernst & Young), so-called SMEs, or small and medium-sized enterprises, – which are mostly family-owned and -run and make up the backbone of the German economy – regard the shortage of qualified employees as their most pressing problem.

Two out of every three firms say they are finding it difficult to recruit qualified workers and 49 percent of the SMEs surveyed estimated that the shortage was hitting revenues.

Nationwide, the companies calculated they had a shortage of 326,000 workers, leading to a shortfall in annual revenues of €45.9 billion euros.

More than half, or 55 percent, of the companies polled predicted that the arriving refugees would help alleviate the shortage and 85 percent of them said they were prepared to hire a refugee.

Nearly 1.1 million asylum seekers arrived in Germany in 2015.

Experts believe the influx will help boost domestic demand in the short-term, but the long-term economic consequences depend on how quickly and effectively the refugees are integrated into the labour market.

Last month, the German central bank, or Bundesbank, said many of the new arrivals could initially find it difficult to get a job because of their young age and lack of qualifications.

According to the EY survey, the SMEs finding it hardest to recruit qualified workers were those in the construction and energy sectors and those in eastern Germany.

The biggest obstacle for hiring refugees was the lack of German language skills, EY found.

SEE ALSO: Rural Germany an 'integration laboratory' for refugees

Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Munich ranks third in German cities with the highest total GDP, behind Berlin and Hamburg, but in terms of GDP per capita, it’s higher than both of them.

It also consistently ranks high, often highest, in terms of average household income.

As of 2023, nine of the 40 companies listed on DAX, Germany’s stock index, were based in Bavaria. Seven of those are based specifically in Munich.

While Frankfurt is commonly known to be Germany’s business capital, Munich can claim the title of Germany’s insurance capital, which is saying something, as Germany is home to some of the largest insurance firms in the world, like Allianz.

Beyond the state’s capital city, a number of international companies are based elsewhere in Bavaria, particularly in the Franken region, near Nuremberg.

Which companies actively hire English speakers?

Bavaria, and Munich in particular, is home to a number of companies at the forefront of international business. But the state is known for its traditional, sometimes conservative, culture, which affects its business culture as well.

Whereas companies embracing English as their primary business language are easy to find in Berlin, the practice is less common in the south. That said, there are some notable exceptions.

Sportswear giants, Adidas and Puma, both have their headquarters near Nuremberg in Herzogenaurach, and regularly recruit English speaking international talent.

“As an international company, our teams reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities,” Jon Greenhalgh, Senior Manager Media Relations for Adidas told The Local. “Fostering a culture of inclusion where we value and leverage differences, ensures that we can authentically engage with our employees and truly connect with our consumers.”

He added that around 40 per cent of Adidas’ Germany-based employees are foreign nationals, from over 100 different countries.

Siemens and BMW rank among Bavaria’s top employers, and are also known to hire their fair share of foreigners.

“In Germany, we recently had around 2,000 open positions,” Konstanze Somborn told The Local on behalf of Siemens AG.

He added that Siemens operates in 190 countries. “That is why we value international teams very much…English as a common language is very usual.”

READ ALSO: ‘Which German companies want to hire foreigners?’

Similarly, BMW hires workers from a variety of backgrounds.

“Every year, we hire lots of internationals and welcome them to the BMW Group,” Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl, a press spokesman for BMW Group told The Local.

But not all of these positions are available to non-German speakers.

Ketterl added that BMW’s working language is German in the country, even though, “English is an indispensable entry requirement as the second corporate language in many areas of the company.”

Check job boards and follow best practices

If it’s your first time applying for jobs in Germany, make sure to change your resume to the German format, even for English positions.

While Germany is home to its own job boards, like Xing, LinkedIn is probably the best place to start. In addition to searching for positions based in your preferred location, you can check relevant groups, like Munich Startups, to broaden your horizons.

The English Jobs in Germany website is also a good resource to start with.

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