Your employees are the most important company asset you have. Finding the right talent ensures your company will grow and experience minimal turnover. However, recruiting and hiring are more difficult in a foreign country such as Austria, where you have to learn how to hire Austrian employees, figure out the country’s employment compliance laws, and handle the other aspects of your expansion.
Fortunately, G-P offers Employer of Record services to customers looking to hire employees without establishing a subsidiary first. We can hire Austrian employees on your behalf and onboard them in just a few days. As a result, your employees will be productive sooner, they’ll enjoy a positive hiring experience, and you’ll stay compliant.
Recruiting in Austria
You can’t staff your Austrian business until you know where to find the right people. Demand for new talent is high, so many companies will hold their own job fairs to attract locals and expats. We recommend advertising positions in all available media types, including newspaper and internet classifieds. Some of the most popular online job sites include:
- Jobpilot
- Der Standard
- dermarkt.at
- Public Employment Service Austria (AMS)
Personal relationships are considered essential in Austria. As soon as you hire a few employees, you can establish a network. Your existing employees can then recommend other candidates, especially if you create a well-rounded referral program.
Laws Against Discrimination in Austria
An important part of staffing and recruiting in Austria is making sure you follow the correct laws to stay compliant. Do not discriminate against a potential candidate based on their birth, sex, class, age, ethnicity, religion or views, or sexual orientation. Employers should also not choose a man over a woman or vice versa if the candidates have the same education and experience. In the country’s higher education field, specific regulations, laws and requirements prohibit gender-based discrimination, including:
- Laws against direct and indirect gender discrimination in public employment
- Laws against sexual harassment and gender-based harassment
- Career advancement for women
- Affirmative action plans for women
The Equal Treatment Act and the ratification of the Directive of 2000 add more protections for workers in all industries. Civil servants who work for the federal government are covered under the Federal Equal Treatment Act, while agricultural workers have the Anti-Discrimination Acts laws. Currently, both direct and indirect discrimination are prohibited related to recruitment, wages and salaries, voluntary social benefits, vocational training, conditions of employment, and employment termination.
How to Hire Employees in Austria
Austria employment compliance laws allow employment contracts to be concluded in writing, verbally, or implicitly. If a contract is not in writing, employers must provide their employee with a Dienstzettel, a statement of terms and conditions including workplace, duties, and wages, upon hire. We recommend putting strong, written contracts in place when you’re hiring workers. Ideally, these contracts will spell out benefits, compensation, termination requirements, and more. All salary and compensation amounts should be in Euro instead of another currency, and you should make sure the contract is in the local language.
Austria Employment Laws
Austria’s employment compliance laws are different from those in other countries. Companies with five or more employees have to set up a work council, the size of which depends on the total number of employees. As an employer, you need to give the work council at least one week of notice before you notify an employee of their dismissal. The work council can also request that the employer consult the council before dismissing the employee.
All employees in Austria have free access to government and labor support if they believe they’ve been treated unfairly throughout their employment. Many employees choose to file complaints with the labor tribunal. Since these protections strongly favor employees, we recommend working with a consultant or global PEO that can help you hire new staff members.
Onboarding in Austria
Every company operates differently, which is why you’re free to onboard employees using a process that’s best for your business. However, you can take certain steps to make employees more comfortable and confident in their new positions, including the following actions:
- Onboard multiple employees together to save time and encourage bonding
- Provide on-the-job training
- Review the employment contract and any other important company documents
- Travel to Austria to be there in-person for the onboarding process
Benefits of Hiring Outsourcing in Austria
If you work with G-P, as a global PEO, we can help you hire Austrian employees in just a few days. Our Austria hiring outsourcing services ensure that we can source top talent for your open positions and help you stay compliant throughout this process. As the Employer of Record, we’ll also take on all the responsibility of compliance for you.
Work With G-P To Expand Globally
If you’re considering an expansion to Austria, G-P can help you expand faster through Austria hiring outsourcing. Get in touch with us today to learn more and get started.