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From Alps to Office: How to Hire the Best Talent from Austria

how-to-hire-the-best-talent-from-austria
In this article

Austria, nestled in the heart of Europe, is a country that captivates with its stunning landscapes and rich cultural heritage. It’s no mystery why you might want to live there–but why might you want to hire workers from Austria?

Good question! With a population of approximately 9 million people, Austria may seem small compared to its neighbors, Germany and the Czech Republic. However, what it lacks in size, it makes up for in diversity. The country is home to a vast melting pot of cultures, with a mix of Austrian, German, Hungarian, and Slovenian influences. This cultural mix contributes to the rich heritage and fascinating traditions that can be experienced throughout the country.

That inheritance has also led to Austria playing host to a unique talent specialty.  The country is renowned for its emphasis on innovation, which has produced a pool of highly skilled professionals across various industries. From the arts to education to technology, Austria boasts a workforce that is known for its expertise and dedication. 

Otherwise, Austria is a fairly regular European country. The working week typically runs from Monday to Friday, with Saturday and Sunday considered as the weekend. Austrians value their leisure time and take pride in maintaining a healthy work-life balance. This emphasis on quality of life is reflected in the country’s excellent healthcare and social welfare systems.

The benefits of doing business in Austria

Still not convinced? OK, here’s the hard sell. Austria boasts a highly skilled and educated workforce, renowned for their talent in various industries such as mechanical engineering, steel construction, food and luxury commodities, as well as chemical and vehicle manufacturing. As a result, businesses worldwide are beginning to recognize the value of hiring Austrian employees to strengthen their teams (perhaps via our competitive global employment platform, which features country-specific pricing so you can be sure to get the best deal whether you’re hiring in Austria or beyond!) 

You might also be interested to know that a significant portion of the Austrian workforce engages in part-time work. In 2020, for example, 28% of Austrian workers were not full-time employed–with 80% of that segment being women. That means Austria may be a great place to explore hiring contractors. The Multiplier platform makes the process effortless, with contract generation possible in under five minutes (seriously, we’ve timed it).

Other factors for businesses to note about hiring in Austria include the many nuances of attractive compensation packages. It’s crucial to get this right as offering the right employee benefits enhances retention, job satisfaction, and facilitates the attraction of top-notch Austrian talent. 

Read more about benefits and compensation in Austria here!

We’ve still only scratched the surface of reasons to hire in Austria. Here are three  takeaways you need to understand about the Austrian workforce.

  1. Highly Skilled: Austria boasts a highly skilled workforce, particularly in sectors such as IT, engineering, tourism, and healthcare. For instance, the country has a strong reputation for producing top-notch software developers who are well-versed in the latest technologies, making it an excellent pool for tech-related remote jobs.
  2. Competitive Compensation: While Austria has competitive salary levels compared to other European countries, when hiring remotely, businesses might be able to negotiate better rates due to cost-of-living differences. For example, the cost of living in Austria’s capital Vienna is “significantly lower than in other major European cities”, potentially leading to money savings without compromising on talent quality.
  3. Remote Working Masters: The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the trend towards remote work globally, including in Austria. Even prior to the pandemic, Austria had one of the highest rates of employees working from home in the European Union at 18.1% compared to the average in the EU, which was 12.3%. This presents a distinct opportunity for businesses to access a wider talent pool that’s already adapted to remote working environments.

How does that sound? We know this is a lot of information to take into consideration. That’s why at Multiplier we pride ourselves on offering dedicated, 24/5 support tailored to specific countries–so you can sit back and relax in the knowledge that the professionals have things under control. 

Now you’re speaking their language

Picture this scenario: you’ve hired and onboarded talent from Austria, and now you’re wondering what makes them tick. Consider these tips for effective communication with your Austrian colleagues, starting with the stuff that helps no matter where they’re based:

  1. Clear Communication: Clearly communicate job expectations, company culture, and goals to ensure alignment. Regular check-ins and feedback sessions can help keep everyone on the same page.
  2. Leverage Technology: Use technology to facilitate collaboration and communication. Tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Trello can help manage projects effectively.
  3. Integration: Make efforts to integrate remote workers into the company culture. Virtual team-building activities or occasional in-person meetings (if possible) can foster a sense of belonging.
  4. Legal Compliance: Ensure all employment contracts and practices comply with Austrian labor laws, even when hiring remotely. Luckily, with Multiplier, our easy-to-use platform ensures compliance is guaranteed, with automatic contract generation that dots the Is and crosses the Ts.

Now onto the Austria-specific stuff. If there’s one thing Austrians tend to love, it’s skiing. A whopping 34% of the population like to send themselves hurtling down one of the country’s many mountains–the highest percentage in Europe, behind only Lichtenstein and Switzerland. So why not ask them about it?

If your Austrian colleague or candidate is more of an indoors type, there are still plenty of things you can use as fuel for conversation. Austria boasts a wealth of cultural highlights (it was the birthplace of Mozart, don’t you know?) so there’s every chance they might be a culture-vulture. Feel free to drop the Vienna State Opera or Schönbrunn Palace (former summer residence of the Habsburgs, and a UNESCO World Heritage site) into conversation and see if their eyes light up.

Speaking the truth

Of course, if you really want to impress your new hire, you could try picking up some Austrian German terminology. Like the equivalent of “hello”, for instance. Unlike in Germany, where “hallo” is a more popular greeting, “servus” is the greeting of choice in Austria. It derives from a contracted latin phrase which essentially means “at your service”. If you’re saying hello, another good phrase to know is “goodbye”. Austrians often say “pfiat di”, a shortened form of a phrase meaning “may God protect you”. Neat!

That’s the salutations sorted, but how about some work terminology? Let’s start with a phrase an Austrian might use when faced with an impossible deadline (we’ve all had them): das geht sich alles einfach nicht aus. This multi-purpose phrase means “it just doesn’t work out”. And if you’re the one suggesting the impossible deadline, they might follow it up with “bist du deppert?”—AKA ”are you crazy?”

Lastly, with the modern workplace being so digital, some more technological vocabulary might come in handy. “Wie in meiner vorherigen E-Mail erwähnt is how an Austrian would say “as mentioned in my previous email”, for instance. Then there’s “schreib mir auf Slack“, which can be used for “hit me up on Slack”, and “lass uns auf Zoom treffen” for “let’s have a Zoom meeting.”

Did you know?

Now that we’ve got the serious business out of the way, let’s have a quick look at some Austrian fun facts.

Austria was once a major European power as the core of the Austro-Hungarian or Habsburg Empire. Lasting from the fourteenth century right up until the conclusion of the First World War. 

But that’s ancient history: nowadays, no discussion of Austria would be complete without mentioning its most famous living son: Arnold Schwarzenegger. That’s right, before making his name in the US as a bodybuilder, Terminator, and all around American action hero, Schwarzenegger spent his formative years growing up in the Austrian town of Thal.

Austria is also a culinary powerhouse, principally thanks to the influence of its capital city, Vienna. Home to all manner of pastries, such as the world-famous Apfelstrudel, the city also specializes in meat dishes like Wiener Schnitzel. Yum!

Hungry for more Austria info?

We’ve got you covered! So far we’ve talked about the big picture, but our talent wiki page contains all the nitty gritty information you need to make your Austria hiring plans an astronomical success. Click the link for details on statutory leave, public holidays, talent sourcing locations, and much, much more!

Taxes: 

  • Employers must contribute 21.23% from a monthly gross salary, broken down into Sickness (3.78%), Unemployment (3%), Pension (12.55%), Accident (1.20%), and Miscellaneous (0.7%)

Employee benefits:

  • 13th-month salary
  • 14th-month salary
  • Health Insurance
  • Accident Insurance
  • Old-age Pension Insurance
  • Insolvency Guarantee Fund

Visa requirements:

  • Citizens of Switzerland and the European Economic Area (EEA) can work in Austria, but non-European citizens need a Schengen Visa to enter Austria
how-to-hire-the-best-talent-from-austria

Make international employment possible with Multiplier

And that’s the lowdown on hiring in Austria. Now you’ve heard the benefits, make your dreams a reality with Multiplier. We’re here to help businesses boost their productivity with exceptional global talent, whether from Austria or anywhere else!

Our presence in over 100 countries worldwide showcases the breadth of expertise we possess. Multiplier is a one-stop solution for all your global hiring needs, so why not talk to our experts and book a demo today?

Picture of Will Smith
Will Smith

Content Writer

Will is a Content Writer at Multiplier. With a background in technology journalism, he is passionate about busting jargon, getting to the heart of complex topics, and writing pieces you'll enjoy reading.

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