Given the equal wage conditions for Slovak and foreign employees, it is more advantageous for employers to hire domestic workers. Employing foreign workers is much more administratively demanding, with the entire process taking several months for employees from third countries. Due to the shortage of domestic labour, searching for employees outside Slovakia is a necessity for us.
Companies that indirectly search for these employees and temporary employment agencies play an important role in the process of employing foreigners. The companies in the Energy Group employ Slovaks who belong to the Hungarian and Roma national minorities, mainly in agricultural production in eastern Slovakia.
The second group consists of employees from European countries, mainly Romania and Serbia, who work in engineering production at Slovarme and HKS Forge. Colleagues from former Soviet countries such as Georgia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan also work in this field.
The third significant group consists of colleagues from Ukraine who work in engineering companies and in care services at ZOS Krajné. We even have a colleague, Eri, from Japan at this partner company. ‘In care services, it is not important which country you come from or what nationality you are, what is important is your relationship and approach to our clients who depend on our help. And our colleagues have that, whether they are from Slovakia, Serbia, Ukraine or Japan,’ said Jana Súkupová, director of ZOS Krajné.
At the HKS Forge, after all the administrative processes had been completed, the first new colleagues from India started work as blacksmiths and machinists. "Our new colleagues from India are quickly settling in, as they already have experience of similar work from their country. It is important for us to prepare conditions for them that remove any language or cultural barriers so that they can smoothly integrate into the entire forge team," said GR HKS Forge, Ing. Slavomír Gregor.
The employment of foreigners in Slovakia is an integral part of the modern economy. This process brings many benefits, such as filling labour shortages, improving the quality of the labour market and promoting diversity. On the other hand, there are also challenges related to administrative processes, integration and cultural adaptation. Our companies in the Energy Group are prepared to provide adequate support to ensure that the integration of foreigners into our companies runs as smoothly as possible.
