Temporary work in industry: A response to the shortage of skilled labour in the defence industry

Germany is under great pressure due to the shortage of skilled labour in its industries. Companies are facing challenges due to the current political situation, which is quite chaotic, as well as the rapid development of AI. This has an impact on the labour force in that they have to learn new skills and the need for workers with special skills (dealing with climate change, using AI and being sensitive to political events) is increasing.

These specialists are in high demand, especially in the defence industry, the arms industry and in security-related industries as a whole. If there are no qualified specialists for these positions, this leads to a drop in productivity and a general standstill in all other operational functions within the company. Therefore temporary work is becoming increasingly important and in demand in the security industry. The reason for this is that it offers flexibility in recruitment and skilled labour can be sourced quite efficiently and quickly without the company having to sift through applications and haggle over salaries. It has proven to be a successful method of finding skilled labour for companies that have a high demand and to bridge work stoppages and overlaps.

The acute shortage of skilled labour in the industry

As already mentioned, temporary work or agency work is of great importance in these times. Temporary work in industry offers solutions that are tried and tested, precise and flexible. In particular, the recruitment of personnel from Eastern European countries has proven to be very successful. The main reasons for this problem are artificial intelligence and demographic change.

The defence industry is particularly affected by the shortage of skilled workers, not only due to the increased use of artificial intelligence, but also due to demographic change. Highly qualified and experienced personnel are needed who are familiar with safety standards and the necessary etiquette. Many skilled workers are also retiring and new employees are urgently needed.

Specialised professions

It is extremely difficult to fill positions for specialised activities, e.g. for

Here, demand clearly exceeds supply. In addition, the industry is competing with other sectors and other companies that have the same labour shortage. Without a well thought-out strategy, companies are at the bottom of the food chain in terms of supply and demand for these skilled workers.

skilled labour defence industry

Temporary work in transition

Temporary work offers the right solution for these sectors, such as the defence and armaments industry. Temporary staffing in industry is the ultimate when it comes to recruiting skilled labour, as it is much easier to find them than individual companies can. The broad network of existing employees at its disposal is a great help. Companies also save valuable time, as the search for new employees is time-consuming, especially when it comes to specialised staff.

Personnel leasing as an efficient solution

The beauty of personnel leasing is that companies can access experienced labour without having to enter into a long-term employment relationship. Especially in critical sectors such as the defence industry, the availability of skilled workers at short notice is a decisive factor:

  1. The costs are immensely lower compared to independent recruitment
  2. You have access to a broad network of experienced specialists
  3. Production downtimes are minimised through the rapid and flexible deployment of personnel

You can utilise all these advantages with experienced personnel service providers. Especially when it comes to recruiting from Poland and other Eastern European countries, you save costs.

Why temporary work plays a decisive role in the defence industry

The defence industry is in full swing due to its importance for Europe's security and increased defence budgets. This is due to the global war situation and growing tensions between countries. However, many defence companies are unable to meet the demand for new employees to fill the vacancies.

This is where temporary work in industry or agency work comes into question. With temporary work from Eastern Europe, you can quickly obtain qualified specialised personnel. Temporary employment agencies make sure that the skilled workers have already proven themselves in practice by having worked in safety-relevant areas. By working with specialised personnel service providers such as Zeitarbeit International, companies can secure valuable personnel and skilled workers.

What advantages does temporary work offer defence companies?

Temporary work offers many advantages for the defence sector. Temporary employment agencies know where to find the right personnel and what these personnel must be able to do. Companies benefit from flexibility and reduced workload, but also from:

  • High-quality personnel
  • Rapidly available labour
  • Lower costs for recruitment, training and administration

Defence projects are often complex, safety-critical and have to be implemented under time pressure. Temporary staffing in industry contributes to the smooth running of these processes by providing suitable skilled labour. Personnel leasing enables a company to plan safely even in crisis situations and to adapt to rapidly changing conditions.

Skilled labour from Eastern Europe: a strong pillar of industry

Skilled labour from Eastern EuropeThis statement shows the importance of employees from countries such as Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia for the German defence and armaments industry. These countries impress with their good technical knowledge, high level of commitment to their work and often also their knowledge of German.

Technical training

The technical training systems in most Eastern European countries are considered to be of high quality. The skilled workers there can familiarise themselves quickly and integrate easily into complex processes in the workplace. There are positive reports from German companies stating that Eastern European teams are very efficient in terms of both quality and reliability.

Many Eastern European countries have a well-developed defence industry themselves, so it is an advantage for recruitment agencies to recruit employees from there, as they are familiar with the defence industry. This is a clear advantage in the fight against the shortage of skilled labour in Germany.

How does recruitment in Eastern Europe work?

Successful recruitment from Eastern Europe is based on a strong network, legal certainty and comprehensive industry knowledge. Personnel service provider take care of the entire recruitment process:

  • You have a strong network of potential candidates. 
  • They are familiar with legal certainty and have industry expertise.
  • Personnel service providers take care of the entire Recruitment process from A-Z: screening of CVs, pre-selection and qualification check of applicants.
  • They organise and supervise entry to Germany, accommodation and integration into teams.
  • They ensure legally compliant and legally secure processing.

Companies benefit from the seamless integration of labour into their company through experienced partners such as Zeitarbeit International. This enables high-quality realisation and completion of projects without any loss of time.

labour leasing agreement

Challenges and security aspects in the defence sector

Employees in the defence industry have to meet high standards - more so than in other sectors. In addition to the conventional checks, such as professional skills and CVs, further checks must be carried out here:

  • Reference checks and security clearance
  • Thorough background checks often need to be carried out
  • They have to be particularly resilient and able to work extremely well under pressure - often in dangerous or sensitive situations

All of this must be taken into account by professional recruiters when hiring these individuals. Therefore, it is important to choose a temporary employment agency that has experience in dealing with this type of employee and is well acquainted with the security or defence industry.

Successful personnel strategies for defence projects

Projects for the defence industry require a specific combination of factors to be successful - including flexibility, long-term retention of skilled staff and forward planning. This makes it possible to deal with bottlenecks without losing sight of strategic personnel development.

Permanent staff and temporary specialists

One of the most effective approaches is to combine temporary staff with permanent employees. In this way, the core competences remain within the company, while additional expertise is brought in as required. Targeted recruitment from Eastern Europe, particularly for the defence and armaments industry, offers additional opportunities to fill positions with qualified personnel in good time.

Another success factor is the continuous training and qualification of employees. Companies can only grow if they invest in the development of their staff. Companies that focus on employee retention and further development remain efficient and innovative - and can hold their own against the competition in the long term.

Industrial temporary work has long since developed beyond the function of a short-term emergency solution. Sectors such as the defence and armaments industry benefit greatly from this. It enables companies that rely on experienced, flexible and international specialists to hold their own in a highly competitive market and successfully complete projects. Without temporary staffing in the industry, it would be difficult for a company to find specialised personnel these days.

Zeitarbeit International: Your partner for industry and defence

Zeitarbeit International is an established recruitment agency. We specialise in the recruitment of skilled and highly qualified workers from all over Eastern Europe. We support you in planning and realising your business goals and strategies. We also offer a strong candidate pool, legal expertise and a network within Eastern Europe. We also understand the defence and defence-related industries and the associated staffing requirements. We mediate:

  • Development engineer
  • Weapons technician
  • Mechatronics engineer
  • Armourer
  • System analyst
  • Electronics technician for devices and systems
  • Logistician
  • Safety engineer

Whether you need temporary staff or long-term partnerships - we can offer you a solution.