Workers from Asia and Africa to Save Serbian Labor Market – Modulor Offers Help with Hiring

Modulor, one of the leading international Serbian companies in the construction sector, was the first one in Serbia that hired construction workers from India over four years ago and today it has the highest number of employed workers from this country in Serbia.

– In these four years, we have hired over 200 foreign workers, mostly from India, but also Syria, Lebanon, Burundi. There are workers from all construction professions: bricklayers, carpenters, rebar fixers, plasterers, plumbers, electricians, forklift drivers, excavator drivers etc. In addition to operating workers, we have also hired several engineers from India and Syria – says the director of the company’s HR sector, Tatjana Beatovic.

According to her, in the Serbian labor market, there has been a deficit of trade professions for a number of years, and the needs for that kind of service are increasing.

– This challenge is further complicated by the negative trend in the sense of the change in the age structure of the labor force in those sectors, so the average age of the employees in construction is 55, which is a consequence of the leaving of experts to the markets where salaries are higher. In the construction industry sector, there’s a deficit of all professions, from assistant workers to engineers. In transport, there’s a deficit of buses and trucks, in agriculture, fruit and vegetable pickers, in hotel management, all professions, in hospitality, cooks and waiters. There’s a deficit of nearly all trades in textile, in the metalworking industry, there’s a lack of welders, locksmiths, CNC operators, mechanical engineers… – says the director at Modulor, adding that the dual education system, which Modulor is involved in, unfortunately does not produce sufficient results, because the interest of students in construction professions is very low.

Beatovic points out that, therefore, the demand for labor force from Asia is currently very big, especially in the construction industry, which is expanding.

– A company which employs is a company which grows, and when the unemployment rate is very low, you need to recruit workers from other countries. In the preceding five years, the number of candidates who responded to our job ads was lower and lower and that’s when we decided to turn to finding workers from abroad, primarily from Asia – says the director at Modulor.

She adds that the workers from India are hired on very demanding construction projects, which shows that they are very good and productive workers.

– For example, on the project of the adaptation of Hotel Grand on Kopaonik, we had over 50 hired workers from India. We are proud of the fact that we got a thank-you note from MK Group for a job well done in a very short amount of time – Beatovic says.

Advantages of foreign labor force

When asked what the advantages of hiring foreign workers in Serbia are, she says that those are primarily the large number of available candidates, which enables a quality choice, and their great desire to find a job and income for their families.

– The low fluctuation compared to the local labor force and the fact that the employment contracts are signed for at least 2 years secure job stability and the possibility of taking on new projects. They are ready to work overtime, because they are motivated by higher earnings. Their skills are at a high level, but they are ready to learn and develop professionally. They honor their bosses and company rules, their behavior at the construction sites and the accommodation facilities is good, and there are no challenges when it comes to abuse of alcohol – Beatovic says.

She points out that all foreign workers have a legal status, that they are registered, insured and trained for a safe and effective work:

– Their position and labor conditions are fully equalized with the labor force from Serbia. Our workers see themselves in Serbia in the long term. Some of them plan to bring their families over and remain here for a long time.

What the hiring process looks like

The procedure of approving residential and working permits for foreign workers is, according to Beatovic, simplified and accelerated and they can start working immediately upon arrival to Serbia.


– The segment of employment is less challenging compared to hiring through mediation agencies, which are only interested in sending as many workers as possible and earning on commissions, without much care for their professional competences. They negotiate well, they tend to make promises, and then it turns out later on that they are insufficiently reliable and professional. The quality of the candidates they provide is often not satisfactory, they are not productive and skillful enough. The commissions they charge to the workers are high, so, being in debt, they are not motivated enough to work. The conditions of staying and working in Serbia are often not presented accurately, the workers are justifiably unsatisfied and they are therefore less efficient. Due to this, for many of them, Serbia is only the first destination on the road to Western European countries and better salaries. In those cases, the non-valorized costs of employment are, unfortunately shouldered by the employer – says Tatjana Beatovic.

She points out that the positive experiences of Modulor with foreign workers are primarily the result of a careful selection of workers prior to coming to Serbia, but also active work on their adaptation to the environment and working conditions, regular monitoring of the work efficiency and care for the general welfare.

– At out training centers throughout India, we check, on spot, the level of the trade skills of the candidates, their psychological stability, their leading potential, their capacity for learning and fitting into the new working conditions. Our guiding principle is that only a satisfied worker is a satisfied worker and a worker who is loyal to the company in the long run. From the very beginning, we personally communicate to them the real conditions under which they will be hired, thereby reducing the possibility of misuse and their dissatisfaction – the director says.

Later on, when the workers arrive to Serbia, the company helps them in the process of adaptation and introducing them to the job, also caring for their psychological and health status and general welfare.

– We are proud of the fact that many have advanced to the positions of a foreman or operations manager and expanded their trade skill, which shows that we are on the right path. By directly selecting the workers without the mediation of agencies, we ensure a high competence and productivity and, with that, better results overall – Beatovic says.

Advice to companies looking to hire foreign workers

– A successful hiring of foreign workers is not easy to carry out. It’s advisable to prepare well and be persistent in forming a stable organization which wants to develop and learn, because employing foreign workers is the first step toward the internationalization of an organization. Companies which don’t want to offer their services outside the company’s seat eventually are better advised to turn to the local labor market and, through more favorable conditions, try to compensate for the low number of workers – says the director at Modulor.

According to her, the process of a successful selection and employment of foreign workers for a company can be split into three phases:


Help with hiring

Tatjana Beatovic points out that Modulor can help interested companies in the process of hiring, considering that it has the experience and the resources to respond quickly to their needs.

– Our company can help everyone who wants to hire workers from Asia and Africa in a systematic and professional way. The employees’ professions are not an obstacle to us, considering our long-standing experience in HR management in various industries. We can hire workers in all sectors, from construction, hotel management, agriculture, healthcare, metallurgy, wood and textile industry… – concludes the director at Modulor and adds that, in late February, the company is heading for the Indian subcontinent again in order to select workers, and for the first time, they will also hire workers from Nepal and Egypt.

tknezevic@modulor.eco
www.modulor.eco

Modulor d.o.o. Beograd

MK Group d.o.o. Beograd

Modulor

MK Group

Tatjana Beatovic

foreign workers

workers from India

workers from Asia

workers from Africa

recruitment

recruiting

occupations in demand

crafts

construction workers

hotel Grand