International talent as the key to startup growth
Scaleups are already taking a pioneering role in international collaboration: In three out of four companies, English is the main working language, and almost half of the employees are from abroad. This global orientation is not a coincidence, but a necessity. The German labor market alone cannot cope with the growing Demand for skilled workers According to a study by the Stepstone Group and the StartupAssociation Specialists are particularly sought after in the areas of IT (69 percent), sales (46 percent) and marketing (33 percent). In an interview with Munich Startup, Magdalena Oehl, deputy chairwoman of the Startup Association and founder of the HR-Tech platform Talent Rocket:
"We have to realize that highly qualified talent can choose where they want to go. Germany is no longer necessarily the first choice. I think we're worsening our situation by making it so difficult for them to come to us."
Outdated visa processes slow Germany's innovative power
The outdated visa processes are a particular stumbling block for young talents, explains Magdalena Oehl:
"Visas sometimes take far too long. In some countries, visas are issued within 10 days. In addition, processes are hardly digitized here. During the process, you often have no way of tracking where you are or when you can expect a response. Everything is very fragmented, with responsibilities distributed among different authorities. Talented people never know exactly when they can start working, while at the same time they may already have an employment contract with an interesting tech company. We urgently need to catch up on this."
The shortage of skilled workers threatens to slow the momentum of the startup scene. Without digitalization and simplification, Germany will remain a mere spectator in global competition. 93 percent of scaleups already recruit internationally, primarily in South Asia and North America. Modernization is needed, says Oehl:
"90 percent of all startups with more than 25 employees say they've had to forego growth because they couldn't fill positions. This means that the skills shortage doesn't stop at startups either. I think it's crucial that we position ourselves in such a way that we can attract and, above all, retain talent."
Magdalena Oehl also discussed the issue of the shortage of skilled workers at startups with Stefan Drüssler (Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer UnternehmerTUM), Axel Täubert (Head of Startups Google Cloud) and Arno Eggers (Head of Munich Startup) at the Munich Startup Festival discussed.
