The shortage of skilled professionals is one of the central challenges facing Germany’s economic and social development. Businesses in almost every sector are looking for qualified employees. The need is particularly evident in healthcare and social services, education, technical occupations and many other specialist fields.
The OECD Economic Survey of Germany 2025 illustrates the scale of this challenge. Among the OECD countries examined, Germany has the highest proportion of businesses reporting serious difficulties in filling vacancies.
Recruiting internationally is therefore an important part of a viable long-term workforce strategy. It gives businesses access to additional skills and opens up new professional and personal opportunities for individuals.
Recruitment is only the beginning
Public debate often centres on visas, qualification recognition and recruitment. These foundations matter. Successful international recruitment requires transparent procedures, reliable processes and a professional approach to finding suitable candidates.
Yet lasting success is often determined by what happens next.
Signing an employment contract marks the beginning of a new chapter. International professionals need to find their feet in a new organisation, a new working culture and often a new social environment. Businesses, in turn, need to learn how to bring together different expectations, experiences and ways of communicating.
International recruitment should therefore be understood as part of the long-term development of people and organisations, rather than as an isolated hiring process.
The role is not the only consideration
International professionals want to know more than which position they might take. They want to understand the opportunities available to them in Germany, how they can develop their careers and whether an organisation puts its commitment to diversity into practice.
Several factors matter here. They include a genuinely welcoming culture, clear responsibilities, good leadership, transparent development opportunities and reliable points of contact.
Teamwork is equally important. Different expectations around responsibility, hierarchy, feedback or initiative can lead to misunderstandings. Businesses should therefore prepare both the incoming professional and the existing team. Leaders and colleagues need opportunities to develop intercultural competence and agree on shared ways of working.
Helping people arrive is not enough. They need reasons to stay.
Retaining international professionals means creating opportunities for professional and personal development. People stay where they feel welcome, can use their skills and see a credible future for themselves.
This also means considering individual circumstances early on. Which qualifications does the person already hold? Where is further professional or language development needed? What support will help them get started? And what development opportunities can be offered over the longer term?
A successful workforce strategy connects recruitment, selection, training, integration and organisational development.
Successful internationalisation means more than bringing people to Germany. It means giving them good reasons to stay and build a future together.
ExCaMa supports businesses where international recruitment, integration, skills development and intercultural organisational development meet. We focus on lasting solutions that take account of both organisational requirements and people’s aspirations.