Companies in Belgium are facing mounting challenges when it comes to hiring new employees, and while the government has implemented various measures to improve the recruitment flow, employers are now also being called on to tackle the situation.
At 400,000, Belgium's annual number of vacancies remains "exceptionally high," Flemish public employment service VDAB reported. Employers are being asked to lend a helping hand by opening up vacancies to profiles that do not appear to match the job requirements.
"The tightness in the labour market will certainly not disappear. The shortages we see in the labour market are structural," Wim Adriaens, Managing Director of VDAB, said.
"After all, the underlying reasons remain. Think of the ageing population: for every 100 people who retire, only 82 young people enter the labour market. And digitalisation is also changing jobs. It is important for employers to take this into account," he said.
Training and support needed
The number of vacancies that are being published by companies in Belgium has decreased since last year when it reached near-record highs, but the increase in the number of vacancies compared to the period October 2018 - September 2019 (before the pandemic) sits at 36.2%.
Meanwhile, there are currently 183,000 job seekers in the country, which seems a lot. However, matching these with the right company and role is more challenging, as employers look for people who fully match the profile they have in mind, but this could see them missing out on potential, VDAB stressed.
"Employers still too often look for the ideal candidate and therefore miss out on many potential employees. Your new employee doesn't have to completely match your vacancy from the start. With the right training and support, you can bring out the hidden gem in every employee," Adriaens stated.
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To better tap into this reserve of employees, Flemish Minister for Employment Jo Brouns has launched a campaign to highlight that there are hidden gems among these people.
"'For me, the workspace is the biggest school in Flanders. The tightness in the labour market also means an opportunity: by believing in what people can do, after good training during work, they will be all too motivated to get involved in a company," he noted.
