The HR professionals who attended the event considered it to be a professional event, where the most relevant challenges of the city's and the region's white collar market were discussed in a round table discussion and in a relaxed atmosphere. Although the word "challenge" had already filled the shelves of the IKON restaurant by the end of the professional programme, the tasks are still numerous.
The event's roundtable discussants explored how the old and the new HR strategies can coexist in the same regional HR market. How do a company that has been operating in Debrecen for years and a company that has recently started an investment see the HR challenges in the region? The participants of the discussion:
The moderator was Mariann Tál, Head of Executive Search & Direct Search at JobGroup.
In the past years, they have announced nearly HUF 12 billion in capital and the creation of 20,000 jobs, said Zoltán Pécskay. These are incredibly high figures, which show that there is a huge demand for jobs to be met, while at the same time - after investment development - there are also urban development needs to be met, such as housing and infrastructure development. Supporting these processes is no small task for the now enlarged EDC and DIF team of 75 people.
One of the main topics of the HR session was the competition on the labour market and wage developments. Anna Dedéné Novotni and Dr. Áron Szekeres agreed that a strong wage competition has started alongside the market competition, which will hopefully stop and balance out. Each company has different corporate values, so they can appeal to a different workforce. At the Hajdu Group, resonance with family values is a priority, e.g. the majority of colleagues are non-career, experienced, even expatriate, family-oriented workers. And in the case of BMW, those who want to work in the German automotive industry are likely to have plenty of opportunities to speak English, but also to travel abroad and experience the additional benefits of a multinational company.
In addition to wages, other benefits, including those that take account of individual needs and life situations, and the cultivation of internal career paths are becoming increasingly important for retaining and attracting staff. It is already apparent that urban culture and leisure opportunities will also have a significant impact on the retention of the workforce. The importance of a skilled workforce and training itself was also discussed during the event. Professionals stressed that electricians are the most in short supply and that there will be an increasing need in the future for even white collar professionals who can keep up with the latest technologies and automation. BMW, for example, trains its own employees. One thing is for sure: attractive wages are no longer enough, other benefits must be offered to those who want to keep their workforce.
Many exciting topics were on the agenda, but there was not enough time for individual discussions. What's for sure is that the atmosphere of the event, the satisfaction of the participants and the topics raised clearly show that Debrecen is a city to talk about, so we will continue to participate in the HR "challenges" related to the city's intellectual workforce 😊.
