Russian companies have made concessions to workers due to staff shortages

According to information published in RBC, Russian companies are taking various measures to find and retain employees in conditions of acute labor shortages. They are raising wages, lowering requirements for candidates and more often offering remote work opportunities.

One of the main strategies of employers is to increase wages. However, currently its size is determined not only on the basis of productivity, but also taking into account labor shortages. This is noted by Natalya Danina, chief expert on the labor market at hh.ru. It is noted that such an increase in salaries may accelerate inflation, as reported by the Central Bank.

In addition to increasing wages, employers also began to reduce requirements for the qualifications, education and age of applicants. This strategy requires an effective system of internal training and personnel development to compensate for the missing skills of candidates, notes Elena Ustyugova, senior partner at the NEO consulting company.

Additionally, companies strive to attract and retain staff by offering a hybrid work format, mobilization armor, training programs and comfortable office spaces, according to RosExpert Pulse “pulse surveys”. According to hh.ru, in the first half of this year, the number of vacancies with remote or hybrid work modes increased by 162%, and with the mention of reservation or deferment – by 255%.

To fill vacancies, employers are increasingly hiring employees nearing retirement age, young job seekers and people with disabilities, as well as freelance workers, including the self-employed. Some companies import personnel on their own and involve convicts in the work.

According to the Central Bank, an August survey revealed that 60% of enterprises faced a shortage of personnel, especially specialists. 80% of companies overall have this problem. The reasons for such a serious shortage of personnel include the demographic collapse of the 1990s, increased mortality due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the departure of some Russians after the start of the SVO. Along with this, high demand for labor is also associated with the development of domestic production and an increase in government orders.