Credit: Jobs.lu

As 2023 draws to a close, jobs.lu set out to offer an overview of the challenges in recruiting and retaining employees in Luxembourg by carrying out a series of surveys concerning the attractiveness and competitiveness of jobs in the Grand Duchy.

Based on the latest surveys carried out among the country's managers and employees, Arthur Meulman, General Manager of jobs.lu, discussed the challenges arising in terms of attractiveness and competitiveness and outlined ways to address them. One of the major challenges for Luxembourg companies for 2023 and 2024 lay in strengthening their capacity to recruit the required skills. In the current job market, companies are struggling to attract the talent they need for their development. According to jobs.lu, the reasons behind this are manifold.

“On the one hand, we can talk about a mismatch between the needs of companies, faced with major developments driven by digital transformation, and the skills available on the job market," said Arthur Meulman, General Manager of jobs.lu. "On the other hand, Luxembourg is suffering from a loss of attractiveness. It is increasingly difficult to convince employees to come to the country to pursue their professional careers."

In this context, companies must adapt, strengthen their employer brand and pay more attention to the expectations of candidates and employees. The surveys carried out by jobs.lu among Luxembourg managers and employees in recent months shed light on the issues in this area.

“We are notably seeing a deterioration in working conditions," continued the general manager. "The labour shortage, in particular, leads to an increased workload for employees. Our survey, carried out at the start of the year, revealed that 27% of Luxembourg employees considered their workload unreasonable."

More specifically, 16% of them said they work half an hour of overtime per day, 17% one hour and 23% more than two hours. 23% said they work more than five additional hours on a weekly basis. 37.3% said they did not have enough time outside of work to care for their family, see friends or fulfil personal aspirations.

In addition to overtime, the time spent travelling to work was noted as a major inconvenience. While most employees stated that the level of remuneration contributes to Luxembourg's attractiveness, four out of ten said that the travel time is the main reason that would push them to leave Luxembourg. Moreover, the constraints associated with teleworking prompted them to reconsider their career prospects. "Priorities are changing. For 38% of employees, remuneration remains the primary retention factor. However, the possibility of working remotely or in hybrid mode now counts almost as much." emphasised Arthur Meulman.

One of the answers to this issue lies in the flexibility of working hours, according to jobs.lu. One of the surveys carried out looked at the expectations of Luxembourg employees regarding their jobs. This revealed that 75% of candidates and employees surveyed said they would like a more flexible working schedule. Achieving this could be a challenge, as most leaders are not convinced by the four-day week model. 55% of them disagreed with the statement that "the four-day week is the model for the future of our company". "The idea of combining the hourly volume of work over four days in order to benefit from an additional day of rest is far from unanimously accepted," noted Arthur Meulman. "If we need to listen and be able to respond to the expectations of employees, who are demanding greater flexibility, the challenge is above all to be able to ensure them a better daily balance between professional and family life, between work and pleasure, while avoiding sources of pressure. As such, longer working days, beyond the organisational problems that this raises, could be a source of stress."

Arthur Meulman explained that increased workload or stress might lead to higher absenteeism, potentially adding more burden on those who are present at work. He emphasised the importance of avoiding or preventing such a negative spiral. To achieve this, employers should engage mechanisms enabling their employees to organise their day with greater autonomy. This can be facilitated through flexible hours, enhanced utilisation of remote work to reduce commuting time, or the implementation of leave options for special circumstances. Well-being at work, recognition of efforts made and employees feeling listened to by management were also additional elements to take into consideration by those wishing to strengthen their employer brand.

Asked to specify which elements organisations should work on to improve their attractiveness, 54% of respondents indicated "the mental health of employees". 29% of employees felt that their managers and colleagues lacked concern for their well-being, while 47% believed they do care; 24% were unsure of the significance of “mental health”.
Arthur Meulman explained that beyond the integration of considerations related to mental health, it is crucial to provide a working environment in which everyone feels positive and confident. He emphasised that employees evaluate the quality of their working environment, especially through the relationships they have with their managers and colleagues. According to the results of a survey carried out by jobs.lu, the main elements which contribute to a quality working environment are:

  • for 78%, maintaining good relationships with colleagues;
  • for 74%, a good balance between work and leisure (without being pressured);
  • for 69%, having a superior who listens and takes into account what is said.

Arthur Meulman concluded that, in summary, employees are looking for a better balance between professional and private life. They wish to have more flexibility and a more human-centred working environment. He mentioned that employers who manage to meet these expectations will have a “real advantage” over others.