Digital specialists urgently needed

+++ Digital natives don't want to go to the provinces +++ Where specialists are needed +++ Skilled workers urgently needed +++

Digital natives don’t want to go to the provinces

“Small and medium-sized businesses are lagging behind when it comes to digitalization” or “Small and medium-sized companies are missing out on digitalization”: That’s what the newspapers often say. Commentators often blame company bosses. They lacked knowledge, an understanding of the new possibilities or the will to digitize.

If you ask those responsible in the companies themselves, a completely different problem emerges. Many German medium-sized companies are located away from the hip metropolises. And that's exactly where young, digitally-minded professionals don't want to go, as our infographic based on a new McKinsey survey shows. According to her, more than half of companies have problems recruiting digital specialists. The predominant obstacle is locational disadvantages. However, the managers surveyed also admit that they may not speak the language of the sought-after specialists well enough or that they may not be able to assess the required qualifications well enough.

The study also analyzes the potential for growth and value creation in the consistent digitalization of medium-sized businesses and emphasizes that medium-sized businesses in particular, where quick decision-making processes are often found, have great potential for a rapid change towards digital.

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Where specialists are needed

In 2017, the research and consulting institute B,S,S. published a skilled worker index for the entire economy. It summarizes various indicators and thus shows in one value how the need for skilled workers has developed since 2010.

Overall, the index for 2016 reached a value of 104 points, signaling increased demand compared to 2010. Looking at the individual sectors, the demand for specialists increased most sharply in the ICT sector, followed by freelance, scientific and technical specialists services and industry. Public administration and agriculture, on the other hand, experienced a much smaller shortage of young talent. There were also differences between the regions: While there was an increased need for skilled workers in German-speaking Switzerland and Graubünden, the situation in French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino has eased.

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Skilled workers urgently needed

Many small and medium-sized companies in Switzerland have problems filling their vacancies. This is a result of the recently published SME study by Credit Suisse. Accordingly, it has recently been difficult for almost half (45 percent) of the SMEs surveyed to find suitable staff. However, the search for personnel was easy for only 23 percent. This can be interpreted as an indication of a shortage of skilled workers.

However, this does not affect all sectors equally. As the study further shows, traditional industry and the construction sector in particular often have recruitment problems. The areas least affected are traffic and transportation as well as health and social affairs. In addition, there is a “Rösti divide” when it comes to the shortage of skilled workers: it is less pronounced in Ticino and French-speaking Switzerland than in German-speaking Switzerland. In addition, companies in cities find it easier to fill positions than companies in rural areas.

You can find more infographics at Statista