Agefi Luxembourg - novembre 2024

Novembre 2024 37 AGEFI Luxembourg Droit / Emploi By Arnd HESSELER (portrait), Dr. Jörk JARICK andChristian von SCHIRACH, zeb consulting* T he shortage of skilledworkers has become an omnipresent issue for boardmembers and HRmanagers in the financial services industry – and that’s a good thing! It can be explainedwith a combination of cross-industry effects resulting from the demographic gap, which is due to the yearswith lowbirth rates, an agingworkforce withbaby-boomem- ployeeswho are increas- ingly reaching retirement age, and a change in values that is leading to less loyalty to the employer and therefore to increasing turnover rates. For financial services providers, there is another in- dustry-specificeffectthatmakestheshortageofskilled workersarealthreat:thesignificantlydecreasingem- ployer attractiveness throughout the industry. Thewar for talent is over – the talents havewon Quantitativesimulationsofdemographicallyinduced departuresandunwantedturnovershowahomoge- neous picture across all financial services providers, which can be summarized quite bluntly: by 2030, banks and insurance companies will lose an average of 30%of their currentworkforce. NewHRStrategies aremandatory The problem has been recognized and everyone is workinghard tofinda solution.HRstrategies are re- vised across the board, as the establishedHRdepart- ments’ previous outline of the core functions is no longer sufficient when it comes to defining a future- proofcourseofaction.Forthefirsttime,HRstrategies are systematicallyderived fromthe business strategy andunderpinnedwith specificKPIs andmeasures. More sophisticated projects also take into account a reverse channel fromtheHRstrategy to thebusiness strategy. Initiatives are being launched to increase employer attractiveness.Applicants andem- ployees are given the same status as cus- tomers, and application processes are often optimized end-to-end. Staff reten- tion is geared towards theneeds of differ- ent employee groups (including age groups) andfinally extends beyond fruit baskets, employeediscounts andcheerful corporate events. Excessive focus on staffing levels But the impetus for action among many companies is currently partly exaggerated or mis- guided, because: when it comes to employee recruitment, de- velopment and retention, there is often too strong a focus on the company’s quantitative staffing level. Driven by concerns about staff shortages, some companies lose sight of the qualitative aspect of staffing. For instance, “type 2 errors” in recruitment, i.e.wrongly rejected applicants, are minimized, but “type 1 er- rors”, i.e.wronglyhiredapplicants, are increasingly being overlooked. Even in times of skills shortages, reorganization is indispensable At the same time, strategic realignment and even re- structuring are still part of normal business activities. The news is full of reports about major downsizing programs at large companies such as SAP, RTL, Bosch, Liebherr, ZF, Continental, Unilever, Bayer, Deutsche Bank, etc. Obviously – and this has not yet been fully recognized by many decision-makers in banksandinsurancecompanies–therecanbeaneed for staff reductions even in times of skills shortages. If you look at the development of staffing levels at several companies that have regularly had waves of downsizing in the past, you can see that staffing levels have always shown a long-term trend of growth despite short-term slumps following downsizing programs. What does thismean forHRmanagement? Staffreductionprogramsareathingofthepast,pres- ent and future – even in times when the market is short of skilled workers. Companies still require the necessary know-how and tools to carry out staff re- ductions professionally and successfully. At the same time, however, they need to radically re- think the concept and design of staff reduction pro- grams. When skilled workers are scarce, staff reductions have to be managed much more intelli- gently than before. Tools that were formerly used across the boardmust be sharpened considerably to enable staff reductions without falling into the traps of skills shortage. Newwork concepts neednewcutbacks Thedownsizingprogramsofthepastalreadytookso- cial responsibility into account. Companies have also learned that it’s not only important to focus on em- ployeeswholeavethecompany,butthatappropriate measures are also needed to support the large group of employeeswho stay. Efforts to achieve socially responsible layoff processes, often combined with negotiations with employee representatives, have led to the quantita- tive reduction targetsbeingachieved throughahigh proportionof employeeswho leave the companyby their own choice. Assuming an appropriate age structure, partial and early retirement programs are popularsociallyresponsibledownsizingoptions.Yet theyregularlyproducetheeffectthatcompaniespay employees for leaving and thenhave tofill the same positions again. Voluntary separation programs are alsooftencharacterizedbyagreat deal of vagueness, and so employees who are in demand on the job market and quickly find a subsequent job leave in exchange for a severance package. Thishasanegativeeffectoncosts,butaboveallanun- wanted damaging impact on quality, which against the background of the skills shortage is significantly more important. Financial services providers are ethical companies Tomake one thing clear: socially responsible aspects areandremainakeyprincipleinstaffreductionpro- grams. Especially in times of a shortage of skilled workers, it’s essential for employers to act ethically. And there is amuch higher demand for profession- alism. The challenge, both for employers and em- ployees,istoensurethatstaffinglevelsaresustainable in terms of quantity and quality. As skilled workers are scarce and costs and effort involved in recruit- ment are increasing considerably, employers should not layoffemployeeswhoperformwell in roles that thenhave tobefilledagain. Qualitative aspectsmust beconsideredwithamuchstrongerfocusthaninthe past,bothinrecruitmentand,inversely,inseparation. Nomistakes should bemade here! The precise identification of employees to be laid off isthereforeakeyelementinstaffreductionprograms. Unfortunately, the performance management tools usedareoftennot informative, let alone future-proof. Inadditiontostrategicallyidentifyingthefunctionsto be reduced and individually identifying employees who are not the best fit, the next challenge is to reach an agreement with employee representatives, who often shy away from considering the issue from a qualitative perspective. Respectful dissolution of employment relationships no longer a taboo This iswhere the final aspect of modern downsizing programs comes into play: a professional approach that employees perceive as comprehensible and fair. Inthiscase,traditionalapproachesmeetmodernones. Open, bidirectional communication has always been a basic prerequisite for successful change. At the same time, modern working relationships need to be freed from the antiquated notion of hav- ing to last for a lifetime. Nobody owes their em- ployer lifelong loyalty. Changing employers is not a taboo, nor is there anything shameful about an employer realizing that the working relationship has gone out of sync. The paradigmof treating employees like customers also applies here. Just as banks and insurance com- paniesmanagetopartwithcustomersprofessionally without causing unnecessary damage, the mutual separationintheemploymentrelationshipmustalso behandledprofessionally.Oneaspect shouldnot be underestimated:thechancesofnewemploymentfor laid-offemployees on the labormarket are currently increasing significantly. This makes the dissolution of employment relationships considerably less dra- matic. In fact, such changes often offer clear advan- tages for employers and employees alike. *zebconsultingisastrategy,management&ITconsultancyspecializing in financial services in Europe. For more information, visit our website www.zeb.lu Staff reductions in times of skills shortages C ette annéemarque deux décennies d’en- gagement au service des clients de l’étude, guidée par lesmêmes valeurs fon- damentales : excellence, proximité, international, réactivité et disponibilité. Fondée en 2004, DSMAvocats à la Cour est une étude luxem- bourgeoise indépendante et full-service. Depuis ses débuts, DSM s’est distinguée par sa vo- lonté d’entreprendre et de rele- ver les défis aux côtés de ses clients, tout en cultivant un en- vironnement de travail dyna- mique et motivant, en phase avec ses valeurs, ses aspirations ainsi qu’avec l’évolution constante de la société. Le succès de l’étude repose sur l’énergie de ses équipes et la confiance de ses clients, dont cer- tains l’accompagnent depuis le début. Aujourd’hui, l’étude compte 6 associés, soutenus par une équipe d’environ 40 collabo- rateurs, dont plus de 20 avocats. DSM continue de gagner en re- connaissance, figurant parmi les meilleures études luxembour- geoises dans des classements in- ternationaux tels que Chambers, Leaders League, Legal500, IFLR1000 et World Tax. M e Marie-Paule GILLEN, Part- ner, «Depuis mon arrivée en 2012, j’ai eu le privilège d’accom- pagner DSM dans son dévelop- pement et de contribuer à notre expertise en droit bancaire et fi- nancier. La confiance que nous accordent nos clients est la clé de notre réussite, et je suis fière de pouvoir continuer à les conseiller dans un environnement dudroit financier en constante évolution et toujours plus complexe.» M e Renaud LE SQUEREN, Part- ner, commente : «Je remercie les équipes pour leur excellent tra- vail et nos clients pour leur confiance. Nous sommes impa- tients de poursuivre notre colla- boration.» «Je suis très fier de notre évolu- tion en tant qu’étude full-service de premier plan, à taille hu- maine.Notre succès repose sur le dévouement de nos collabora- teurs et la confiance renouvelée de nos clients et partenaires, que nous remercions sincèrement. Nous continuerons à croître en restant attentifs aux évolutions législatives et aux besoins de nos clients», ajouteM e MarioDI STE- FANO, Managing Partner. DSMAvocats à la Cour célèbre ses 20 ans De g. à dr. : Jean-Philippe FRANCOIS, MarioDI STEFANO, Marie-Paule GILLEN,Alex PHAM, Renaud LE SQUEREN,AlbanCOLSON©DSM F EDIL Employment Services (F.E.S.) et le Fonds de formation Sectoriel pour l’Intérim (FSI) ont présenté le 7 no- vembre les résultats de la première enquête d’opi- nion sur le travail intéri- maire au Luxembourg. Cette enquête, menée par ILRES en mai 2024, permet de mieux appréhenderlesgrandesreprésen- tations et opinions associées à l’in- térimauLuxembourg,parlesinté- rimaires et le grandpublic. Une perceptionplus positive de l’intérimpar les intérimaires Alors que 74% des intérimaires ont une bonne ou très bonne opinion de l’intérim, seuls 61% des résidents interrogés parta- gent cet avis. Demême, 83%des intérimaires recommanderaient l’intérim à un proche en re- cherche d’emploi, contre seule- ment 61% des résidents ; ce chiffre tombe même à moins d’un résident de nationalité luxembourgeoise sur deux. Cet écart peut s'expliquer par l'expé- rience positive et directe du sec- teur que vivent les intérimaires. En revanche, il est probable que certains résidents associent en- core l’intérim à une forme de précarité, influençant ainsi leur perceptionde cemode de travail. L’intérim, tremplin vers l’emploi ou choix de vie ? 61% des intérimaires souhaitent poursuivre l’intérim, un chiffre grimpant à 70% chez les 18-24 ans et 69% dans l'HORECA, soulignant ainsi l’attractivité de ce type de contrat. De plus, 84% des intérimaires estiment que l’intérim leur permet d’acquérir une expérience professionnelle, tandis que 74% pensent qu’il les aide à apprendre différents mé- tiers, renforçant ainsi leur em- ployabilité. Par ailleurs, 63%des répondants considèrent que l'intérimles aide à accéder à des emplois en CDD ouCDI, illustrant son rôle essen- tiel en tant que passerelle vers des postes plus stables. L’intérim : un levier de compétences et d’autonomie Un pourcentage élevé d’intéri- maires reconnaît l’impact de l’in- térim sur leur développement professionnel : 79% affirment avoir amélioré leur capacité d’adaptation, 72% renforcé leur sens des responsabilités, 71% leur esprit d’équipe, et 70% gagné en autonomie. Ceschiffresillustrentlerôleessen- tiel de l’intérim en tant qu’envi- ronnement formateur, per- mettant aux travailleurs de ren- forcer des compétences clés et de s’épanouir professionnellement. L’intérim se révèle ainsi être bien plus qu’une simple ligne sur unCV : il offre un cadre pro- pice au développement person- nel et à l’acquisition de compé- tences durables. La satisfaction des intérimaires souligne un peu plus l’impor- tance du Fonds de formation dédié au secteur de l’intérim, qui permet aux entreprises de travail intérimaire établies au Grand- Duchéde formerplusde3.000 in- térimaires par an, pour un total estimé à plus de 35.000 heures de formation en 2024. Intérim au Luxembourg : entre réalité des intérimaires et image publique de gauche à droite : Mathilde L AMBIN , administratrice au FSI, Marc L EBRUN , président de FES, et CorentinG OMMERY , chargé d’études pour ILRES