Five talent trends to expect in 2023: FraBeNeLux

Across all four countries, there is a huge shortage of specialist talent in engineering, cybersecurity, cloud computing, life sciences and finance industries, amongst many others. It´s a candidate-led market - those who are available know their worth and know the demand. Organisations looking to hire in 2023 will have to market themselves more than ever before if they are to secure the talent they desire or look to upskill underqualified profiles to self-manufacture key skills. Another option could be to look beyond borders, convincing qualified candidates to relocate or offering fully-remote contracts and relying on payroll specialists to navigate the red tape.

 

The upskilling strategy mentioned above could be the easiest to implement, as it is likely to match the desires of many of the workers in the region. In a period with so much economic uncertainty, people across FraBeNeLux will be looking to move into bigger roles to reinforce their footing in companies while boosting their finances. Many will be aware of the supply and demand issue mentioned above and will be happy to put in the effort required to upskill themselves to satisfy their employers´ needs as well as their own.

 

Learn all about workers' and employers' attitudes to learning in our "Learning Mindset Report" in partnership with Go1.

 

Workers who would have accepted or even preferred temporary contracts in pre-pandemic times will continue the more recent trend of holding out for permanent placements. Responding to the skills shortages across the region, companies that might otherwise have taken a “try before you buy” approach to hiring are offering permanent contracts straight away so as not to miss out on the top talent while it´s available. We expect this to continue in 2023 and would recommend it as long as you have faith in your hiring process.

 

In parallel, and on the opposite side of the spectrum, a lot of workers are looking for more freedom and flexibility, and freelancing will grow as a result. Freelancing is already widely popular in the Netherlands and Belgium, but its growth will be particularly evident in France, where the government is offering more and more support for those looking to go at it alone.

 

Inflation across the region, and anticipated indexation rates of approximately 10% in Belgium and Luxembourg specifically, have been reducing the urge to hire for many organisations in FraBeNeLux. Companies will continue to take extra precautions to keep costs down and get hires right, though with top talent so scarce, we would not recommend waiting too long. There is no easy answer, but each organisation will need to work out what is and isn´t possible based on their current income streams and next year’s projections. In hiring processes, the younger the candidate, the more impatient they tend to be. They will not wait forever, so neither should you – especially if you want to stay competitive.

 

People are looking at the world of work in a more holistic way than ever before. People want to follow their dreams, play productive roles in society and work for companies whose values they share. To attract and retain the best talent, organisations need to think long-term about their employer value proposition, evaluating how their company culture makes employees feel about themselves. Give employees a project they can believe in, and you will reap the rewards.