The question of whether there is a shortage of skilled workers in Switzerland can be answered quickly. Rarely have there been more vacancies in Switzerland than at present. A trend can be seen that professions with medium to high qualification requirements are becoming increasingly difficult to fill. The definition of skills shortage is that there are far more vacancies than workers to fill them, which is consistent with observations on the Swiss labor market and confirms the skills shortage. Professions such as engineers, designers and skilled trades are most affected. In relative terms, companies have the most problems filling vacant positions in these areas. As is so often the case in crises, it is the small companies that suffer the most. Logically, this trend is also hitting SMEs in Switzerland the hardest. When it comes to recruiting new staff, they are in competition with the numerous international corporations based in Switzerland.
SMEs as losers
Sufficiently qualified employees are in short supply in many occupational groups. According to Adam Smith, when there is a shortage of supply, the price also rises. In addition to rising wage costs, there are further demands on employers. Employees are aware of their situation and are looking for the most promising position for them. The decision is often made in favor of a large corporation, which can outdo SMEs with its numerous benefits, higher salaries, more modern work premises, promotion and career opportunities and many other goodies for employees. It is therefore not surprising that the study "Strategies against the shortage of skilled workers" came to worrying conclusions back in 2017. A quarter of SMEs in Switzerland stated that they currently do not have enough skilled workers, and more than half of recruiting companies are struggling to find suitable candidates or cannot find any for their vacancies.
Into the future with innovation
SMEs need to be more attractive to employees than ever before. They must skillfully play to their strengths against the larger players and operate with innovative concepts. Innovation is an important cornerstone here. Particularly in industry, which is having a hard time with Switzerland as a production location in these challenging times, only companies with innovative ideas, efficient work processes and capable staff will be successful in global competition. Not only does the company become more attractive to young, dynamic employees, but it also gains an advantage over its competitors at home and abroad. Innovation is a broad term and cannot be covered in one article, so the focus here is on automation. Simple but time-consuming processes in production are predestined to be automated. Staff are thus available for more important or complicated work steps and are freed from monotonous and unsatisfactory work. The job becomes more attractive, the staff more satisfied. Anyone who thinks of automation in terms of large production halls and huge industrial robots is only seeing one of many possibilities. One of the most exciting approaches to automation is collaborative robotics - especially for SMEs!
Cobots as a solution
With the help of cobots (collaborative robots), companies are able to increase productivity with low investment costs and deploy their staff more efficiently. Switzerland still has huge potential to improve in this area. Although we are considered one of the most innovative countries in the world, we do not live up to this reputation when it comes to the digitalization of production processes. According to the World Robotics Report 2021, published by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), Switzerland only ranks 18th in this area. Switzerland must continue to push ahead with development in this area. Even partial automation can cushion the effect of the shortage of skilled workers and at the same time lead to greater efficiency, planning reliability and process optimization. Another not insignificant advantage is that companies have the option of continuing to produce at their home location at full capacity in the future, which can also be increased under certain circumstances. Because if the experience of recent years has shown one thing, it is the vulnerability of global supply chains and the value of domestic production. where all the expertise is based. The good news at the end: Ways out of the staff shortage do exist. But you have to set out and take action to find them. You shouldn't wait too long to do so.
The Cobotdays 2022
In May 2022, our Cobot Days will take place over four days at three different locations. This year, we are organizing these four interesting days together with our certified integration partners. We will present solutions and opportunities for companies to counteract the staff shortage and position themselves successfully for the future. A day dedicated entirely to collaborative robotics and its potential. Participants can expect a mixture of workshops and presentations, paired with interesting live applications and many opportunities to exchange ideas.
