Spring 2017 / Issue 53
COVER STORY
Spring 2017 / Issue 53
The Challenge of Producing & Retaining Needed Skills
In times of dynamic changes and
ongoing consolidation of the labor
market in a small scale economy, it
is very difficult to draw definitive con-
clusions on the situation, or to pre-
dict future trends. This is because
small to medium enterprises (SMEs)
have the greatest effect on the over-
all picture and their movements are
very fast and frequent, including the
way they rise and fall. The entry of
major new foreign investors who
employ significant numbers of peo-
ple in recent years furthers blurs the
picture.
What is clear, is that the official
unemployment rate fell from 31.3%
in 2011 to 23.4% in 2016, translat-
ing to a net growth of 80,000 jobs
created in just 5 years. Over 20,000
people found employment with for-
eign investors and another 19,000
additional jobs were created through
various government-subsidized
Norik Selimi,
Founder & CEO,
Motivi Group
programs to increase employment.
In the “race” to find better employees, the public administration is
a sizable player, offering several competitive advantages to potential
employees, including higher salaries. The average wage in the public
administration was a full 21% higher than in the private sector in
2016.
The demand for ICT industry profiles has seen the biggest
increase. While the need for ICT personnel is growing intensively,
our educational institutions have quite limited production capacity
(~150 graduates per year). This has already resulted in such a rapid
rise in wages that it is hard to see how further increases could be
paid by local employers.
There is also considerable regional competition for certain profiles.
Emmigration of medical personnel to European countries is another
risk to which we must pay attention as a society. It is one of the pro-
files that can most easily adapt to the labor ma rket in Western coun-
tries, and therefore they are a common “target” for headhunters.
The combination of all of these factors is making the competition
for trained staff very interesting behind the scenes. Company needs
for certain profiles often do not match those of job seekers and the
gap is growing daily. Urgent action is needed to train up specialists in
those profiles that are easiest to create, particularly in skill technical
skills. Thus, the real challenge for the next 10 years will be to produce
and retain more developers and skilled technicians.
Employee Individuality & the Need for Continuous Learning
Historians will remember this
period as one characterized by Ana Saltirova
change. Change happens very Davidovski,
quickly and young people need HR Manager, AMSM
to both continuously adapt to
changes and proactively create
them. These skills are not part of
20th Century curricula, so compa-
nies, educational institutions and
current students (future employees)
have to work to bridge this gap.
The only organizations that will last
in this new environment are those
who constantly improve, learn
and adapt by investing in informal
education.
A successful organization needs
to systematically help employees
resist passivity and conformity,
including the tendency to seek
management’s favor at the expense
of producing results. Leaders need
to encourage employees to be
the best possible version of them-
selves by constantly challenging
them. This is part of the culture of
successful organizations. In that
way, they inspire their employees
to express the “treasure” they carry
8 AMCHAM MAGAZINE
within. Undoubtedly, this approach requires more from manage-
ment, which is why it isn’t easy or common. Leadership teams
choose it because they recognize its positive, long-term effects,
both for employees and the organization. They know that the
alternative translates over time to fewer highly-motivated employ-
ees with key skills (technical or soft); high employee turnover; and
poor organizational performance.
AMCHAM MAGAZINE
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