Working environment - the key to recruiting specialized human resources

Difficult to recruit despite real demand

Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Chi Lan - Director of Duc Anh Transport and Logistics Company (Vinh Tuy Ward, Hanoi) said that for her business, for many years, the most difficult positions to recruit are maintenance staff - equipment operation, logistics teamwork, heavy truck drivers.

According to Ms. Lan, the common point of this group of human resources is the requirement of high professional skills, long training time, strict professional discipline and high labor intensity. "The recruitment demand is real, orders are stable, long-term production plans, and salaries are competitive, but the source of suitable candidates is very limited," said Ms. Lan.

A survey by the Hanoi Employment Service Center shows another reality: the labor supply for specific industries is already scarce, training for these positions requires a long time, high costs and strict academic discipline. Meanwhile, many young workers tend to choose "easy to enter" and "easy to get out" occupations with flexible working hours, instead of sticking with occupations that require long-term commitments.

In addition, the skills of a part of the workforce have not kept up with the requirements of new technology. When machinery and production processes are constantly upgraded, untrained workers are easily "delayed", unable to meet recruitment requirements despite the huge demand for human resources.

Mr. Nguyen Van Phu - director of a construction enterprise in Thanh Xuan ward (Hanoi) said that with special positions, enterprises with increased salaries still "miss" workers

Many people think very simply that when there is a shortage of human resources or looking for candidates for specific positions, the first reaction is to increase salaries and allowances. However, reality shows that in specific industries, salary is only a necessary condition, not a sufficient condition. The experience of decades at my company shows that for employees, attractive salaries are only meaningful when they are enough to compensate for professional pressure, health risks and the exchange of time and family life. In many cases, the salary increase is not commensurate with the intensity of work, causing workers to consider carefully before returning or staying long-term, Mr. Phu analyzed.

Working environment - the biggest "bottleneck"

Ms. Nguyen Dinh Thuc Quyen - Human Resources Director of THL Group (Dong Da Ward, Hanoi) commented that with high-quality human resources and specific human resources, the solution to recruitment is not only in salary but also needs a more comprehensive plan.

On the business side, in addition to paying competitive wages, it is necessary to redise the working environment in a sustainable direction, organize reasonable shifts, reduce long overtime; invest in technology to reduce labor burden; focus on labor safety and long-term health care. In particular, build a clear career path. When workers see a future career, opportunities to increase their income, and move to a less arduous position due to seniority, they will be willing to stay long-term, said Ms. Quyen.

Mr. Le Quang Trung - former Deputy Director in charge of the Department of Employment said that the lack of human resources in specific industries is not only a matter of recruitment, but a problem of job quality and the sustainability of the labor market. When wages go hand in hand with a humane, stable and promising working environment, human resources for "difficult" sectors can be truly unblocked.

Mr. Trung analyzed that the working environment is the biggest barrier for specific industries.

Firstly, the pressure and high intensity of labor last when many specific positions require working in shifts, on duty at night, working overtime, taking great responsibility while the workforce is thin. This causes workers to quickly fall into a state of overload and exhaustion.

Second, labor conditions are not really guaranteed in the long term. The harsh, toxic environment, risk of occupational accidents, legal risks or high occupational stress make workers consider between income and health. When health is eroded, it is difficult to keep high salaries.

Third, there is a lack of a clear career path. Many special workers said that they do not see a long-term development path: after a few years of hard work, income increases slowly, and promotion opportunities are limited. This makes them choose to switch to other jobs more easily, even though their initial income is lower.

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