Stakeholders must meet a number of criteria during recruitment and selection: applicants are screened morally, healthily, in terms of motivation and family background. It is also important to know that domestic companies turn to foreign workers not because of savings, but out of necessity.
Differences in the perception of guest workers can be seen across the country: in the western regions there are predominantly no problems with their presence, but in the eastern part of the country more problems can be perceived - Dávid Maier, an expert on the Asian workforce, told the Index, who emphasized that workers from third countries come to Hungary because they have adequate leave with existence.
"The labor shortage depends on many factors, but perhaps the easiest way to summarize the phenomenon is as follows: an employer cannot hire and employ an adequate number of employees or employees who meet the expectations at a given workplace with the salary and job offer he offers," summed up Dávid Maier of the Asian Labor Force -expert, who also touched on the fact that Hungarian jobseekers and employees often receive complaints from employers that they are lazy or do not show up at work.
The reason for this is that the attitude towards work has changed for many, or they prioritize remote work when looking for work, or the conditions offered are not suitable for them.
You have to look at the whole picture when talking about labor shortages. In Hungary and Europe, the aging society fundamentally affects the labor market, and the international situation has damaged the European employment environment. Previously, the pandemic, now the war situation, constantly causes new challenges. In addition, the wage level in Central and Eastern Europe lags behind that of Western Europe, which in these countries adds to the problem and leads to an increase in emigration to the West.
According to Dávid Maier, there is a big difference in the way Western and Eastern Europe handle the changed circumstances.
Previously, the former tried to deal with the labor shortage mainly by involving employees from Central and Eastern Europe and by integrating immigrants into the labor market. At the moment, it appears that they are no longer able to attract an adequate number of and qualified workers from the eastern half of the European Union, and the integration of those coming from outside Europe has mostly not brought the expected success either.
Germany has been struggling with a labor shortage for quite a few years - it is estimated that millions of people are missing from the market - and opinions are divided on how to fill it.
"If the number of legally issued work permits for third-country nationals were increased, they would have a greater influence on who comes from where and with what professional qualifications. They could filter the people arriving there more effectively, but Western European countries have mostly chosen a different strategy so far," Maier concluded.
On the other hand, the majority of countries in the eastern half of Europe are trying to channel migration into a legal channel and want to adapt it to the needs of the respective countries - within strict limits. This is also happening in Hungary.
In Hungary, third-country employment started during the last decade, in 2016. At that time, employment opportunities were partially simplified, but this only affected Ukrainian and Serbian workers. Then a year or two later, around 2018, the first major Asian wave arrived. In 2019, 50,000 to 60,000 workers from third countries worked in Hungary. The epidemic situation initially hindered these processes, but nowadays their number is increasing again, 80-90 thousand workers can be classified in this group. The trend is clearly visible, the number of workers from third countries has almost doubled in seven years.
For a long time, workers from third countries could only be hired into their own staff. Their work can now be used through qualified rental companies, which gave the industry a significant boost.
Currently, approximately thirty qualified temporary staffing companies work in this way with foreign staff, from the countries specified in the legislation - stated Dávid Maier, who underlined: the applicant must meet a number of criteria for the intermediary and rental company during recruitment and selection: applicants are screened morally and medically , motivation and family background. When the selection has been made, the full administration begins, the end result of which is that an application must be submitted to the National Directorate General of Immigration. This is followed by a 60-70-day administrative process, where a decision is made, whether the submitted application is supported or rejected - the procedure is simplified for qualified temporary staff.
If the employee is added to their own staff, the professional authorities will check whether there is a Hungarian employee for the position, the latter always have an advantage.
The Asian workforce expert emphasized that the belief that foreign workers are cheaper than Hungarian workers is wrong.
Domestic companies turn to foreign workers not because of savings, but out of necessity, an Asian worker is often 30-40 percent more expensive, not to mention the fact that their integration and employment are also more difficult - especially at first.
In the case of foreign workers, accommodation must be arranged, an interpreter must be hired occasionally, and they must be integrated into the organization in some way.
"On the labor market, they do not replace Hungarian workers with foreigners, but replace the missing workforce with them. "Sometimes the lack of labor causes such great losses to an employer (lost income, fewer shifts, stationary machinery fleet), or companies simply receive such fines for exceeding a deadline that they prefer to get a couple of busy hands quickly, even if it is significantly more expensive," he said. added Dávid Maier.
Foreign workers are usually granted a permit for two years. Wages, contributions and other costs are borne by the employer: this means the actual employer, where people physically work in their own staff, or the qualified rental company that "lends" them.
"For workers coming from abroad, this opportunity is a big financial step forward, for many, the dream of coming to Europe will be fulfilled," assessed the expert.
Foreign workers mainly sleep in workers' hostels, where sometimes several nationalities are mixed. They may rent a family house, or in some cases stay on site in various suitable properties.
Opinions are divided on whether foreigners and domestic workers should be mixed or separated in the workplace: "In many ways, mixing them with Hungarian workers is a better solution, because this way many conflicts can be avoided. Separation always creates a problem in the end. It is better if they work together with the Hungarians," says Dávid Maier.
On the whole, foreign workers like to come to Hungary, but at the same time they clearly see that salaries are lower compared to Western Europe, he added. But this is also often true for expenses, which guest workers know as well. The standard of living, the climate, the safety and the general friendliness of the people are valued in Hungary.
There are differences in the perception of guest workers across the country. In the western regions, the arrival of such workers does not usually cause problems, but in the eastern part of the country, more problems can be perceived.
In order to ensure proper integration, it is essential that the existing workforce receives information about the arrival of foreign workers - unfortunately, many people fail to do so - and that the residents of the area, the police, the mayor's office, and local advocates must be informed appropriately and in good time. Thus, the chance of conflict is much lower.
Adequate communication in this area is also extremely important.
It is also important to mention that the stay of third-country workers in our country is tied to work.
If your employment and thus your purpose of residence ceases, you must, as a general rule, leave the country and the territory of the Schengen area within a specified period of time. Otherwise, it becomes illegal because the purpose of the stay is not verified and the permit has expired or been revoked.
Contrary to popular belief, these employees work hard if they are well recruited and selected, and typically choose overtime, as they come away from their families for two years in many cases in order to leave with a decent existence and to eventually use the income they earn back home.
