Labor shortages across sectors: 5 insights that shed a different light on the problem

1. The problem is not only inflow, but especially retention of staff

Many sectors focus on attracting new people. Logical, because that’s where the pain is visible. But as participant Sven Asijee from among others WijTechniek put it sharply: “We don’t have an inflow problem, but an outflow problem.” As long as people keep leaving the sector, you’re mopping with the tap running. So the question is not: how do we get more people in? But: how do we make sure people stay?

2. Managers make (or break) organizations

If there is one factor that strongly influences whether people stay, it is leadership. Good leadership creates energy, engagement and development. While poor leadership causes frustration, absenteeism and turnover.

And yet this is exactly where things often go wrong:

• managers are rarely trained for their role

• they get little time to really lead

• they are judged on output, not on work happiness

This is perhaps the biggest, and most underestimated opportunity to tackle the labor shortage problem.

3. Labor shortages are ALSO a productivity issue

We often look for the solution in more people. But an important insight from the session: labor shortages are just as much about how efficiently we work. If you can create more value with the same people, you need less new inflow and reduce pressure on the labor market.

That requires not only technology (such as AI), but also:

• organizing and distributing work differently within teams

• reducing administrative burdens and unnecessary processes

• deploying talent in work where they add the most value

There is also a role here for industry associations: making clear where productivity gains are within the sector and helping members to actually realize them.

4. Money and campaigns do not solve the problem

Higher salaries, bonuses, new campaigns. They help, but they do not solve the problem. In fact: they often shift the problem. An employee you bring in with a bonus can leave tomorrow for a party that offers just a little more.

What does work for retention:

• interesting work

• a good manager (there it is again)

• visibility of development

• stability and trust

These are not quick fixes. But they are the right ones.

5. Good employership starts with understanding your people

A recurring theme in the conversation: we put energy into all kinds of initiatives, but do we actually know what people need? Management is still often based on assumptions, while needs differ strongly per target group and are rarely really mapped out structurally.

A concrete approach that was mentioned:

• map out the ‘Maslow pyramid’ of employees in your sector

• what drives them? what do they need? what are they missing?

Because in the end this applies: you can only improve what you truly understand. And that requires letting go of assumptions and looking again.

Where do you start?

We closed the session with a simple, but confronting question: what is the first step to really improve inflow, but especially retention? There is no single answer. But one direction became clear: the greatest impact is not in new initiatives, but in improving what is already there, especially leadership and employership.