03 Jan 2025

Temporary employment: What are the advantages of foreign skilled workers?

We will give you a brief overview of the shortage of skilled workers in Germany and the importance of international skilled workers in strengthening the German labour market. We also show the advantages of foreign skilled labour.

What is temporary employment? 

Temporary Worktemporary labour, personnel leasing, Temporary employment agencyAll these terms refer to the same solution. It is about borrowing labour from other companies for a limited period of time. The workers are therefore not employed by the company itself, as is the case with conventional employment. 

Labour leasing can take place from German to German companies. However, skilled workers can also be leased from abroad by companies based there. In such cases, this is referred to as temporary employment of foreign skilled labour. This model has numerous advantages, which will be explained in more detail below.

Advantages of foreign specialists

1. covering the shortage of skilled labour

The main advantage of employee leasing in general, and of foreign workers in particular, is that it offers the Shortage of skilled labour can be counteracted. This allows companies to draw on a pool of skilled workers who are not available on the conventional labour market. 

As there is a shortage of qualified labour in many sectors, for example in care, IT, production and construction, hiring skilled workers from abroad is an important solution for obtaining qualified labour despite the shortage of skilled workers.

2. increased flexibility

Another advantage of foreign skilled labour is the increased flexibility that companies benefit from. By hiring out employees, companies can react quickly and easily to staff shortages. Finding permanent employees would take much longer.

Particularly in the case of seasonal fluctuations or short-term projects, it is possible to deploy skilled labour in line with demand without having to make long-term commitments.

3. very good cost efficiency

Employing foreign skilled workers through employee leasing can be extremely cost-efficient for companies. This is because, on the one hand, there is no need for the numerous costs and time-consuming recruitment processes associated with conventional employees.

And secondly, companies often benefit from comparatively lower labour costs, as the salary expectations of skilled workers from abroad are often lower.

4. high motivation and work ethic

Foreign Skilled workers are often said to be highly motivated and willing to perform, as they want to take advantage of their "opportunities" in Germany. German companies therefore benefit from committed and determined employees who deliver top performance for a predetermined period of time. A great asset for any company!

Challenges in the temporary employment of foreign skilled workers

So much for the many advantages of foreign skilled labour. On the other hand, there are some challenges that should also be mentioned here. 

First and foremost, these are language barriers or cultural differences that can lead to misunderstandings and delays. Workshops and familiarisation courses are recommended as a solution here. And, of course, the language qualifications of the labour force must be checked before employment.

The many legal framework conditions also play a role. They are in Act on the Regulation of Temporary Employment (Temporary Employment Act - AÜG) to find. Failure to comply with them can result in severe fines.

Why a reliable personnel service provider is essential

To To overcome these and other challenges, it is advisable to work with an experienced personnel service provider. They can check and guarantee the qualifications of the workers as well as organise transport, catering and accommodation on site. 

We have specialised in the temporary employment of foreign skilled workers for around 35 years - particularly workers from Eastern Europe. Thanks to our large network abroad, we help German companies to employ qualified specialists from all kinds of sectors, from logistics and IT to agriculture and care. We place qualified personnel from Poland, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia and other countries. We take care of the entire process, from the selection of workers to transport, accommodation and catering on site.

Would you like to recruit foreign specialists for your company? Then write to our team! We will reply within a short time, and will be happy to provide you with an initial, non-binding offer. And, of course, we will answer all your questions on the subject of temporary employment from abroad!