HR Conference: We Have Taken the Integration of Foreign Workers Too Lightly

Foreign workers are a necessity for the economy, but we have approached their integration quite unprepared – one of the highlights from the panel ‘How to Encourage Inclusion and Integration in the Workplace’ held on Friday as part of the 8th Lider HR Conference. The introductory presentation before the panel was delivered by Diana Kobas Dešković from Spona Code, who emphasized that it is common to feel fear when entering a new environment. This fear, as she explained, is a result of stereotypes, expectations, and our behaviors, as well as the behaviors of others. At that moment, a point is reached where understanding or misunderstanding arises.

– We understand the unknown the least. As we get to know a person, stereotypes diminish – emphasized Kobas Dešković. Diversity in the workplace brings a range of advantages, such as efficiency, better engagement, and creativity. Research has shown that well-managed heterogeneous teams, composed of people with different characteristics, yield much better results than homogeneous teams. However, heterogeneous teams are not suitable for every situation; such teams contribute better in organizations that require creativity. On the other hand, when speed and efficiency are needed, a more homogeneous team is more appropriate.

Workers Have Been Lacking for a Long Time

Diana Kobas Dešković also moderated the panel, where Gordana Frgačić, regional partner for human resources for Central Europe at the delivery company Wolt, stated that foreign workers are simply a necessity. – A long time ago, I worked in Germany as a student and I have seen all this before. Germany did not seek foreign workers for social reasons, but because it had no choice – emphasized Frgačić. She added that the problem of labor shortages has existed for a long time, and Croatia entered the employment of foreigners quite unprepared.

About a hundred foreign workers have recently started working at Croatian Post, says Ivana Mirković Pogorilić, executive director of the human resources management office. – We used to be inundated with resumes from domestic workers. We still struggle with generational and geographical gaps, as we are present in every corner of the country – claims Mirković Pogorilić. However, from all workers, regardless of their age, HP expects the same willingness to work. – There is a labor shortage, that is a fact, but there is also a shortage of quality labor. More than 80 percent of our employees are in operations, and physical work is no longer attractive to young people – emphasized Mirković Pogorilić.

What Does ‘Gen Z’ Seek?

When it comes to the experiences of integrating foreign workers, Tanja Prekodravac, senior consultant for human resource management at Selectio, stated that this HR company has experience with both ‘blue’ and ‘white’ collar workers. With ‘blue’ collar workers, it is noticeable that they have not gone through the integration process to get to know our culture, assessed Prekodravac. – With ‘white’ collar workers, a significant advantage is that they speak excellent English, which facilitates managerial leadership. Additionally, such workers come to Croatia with their families, entering the integration process – said Prekodravac.

Diversity in companies is not only national but also age-related. In this context, Generation Z, born between 1996 and 2010, is becoming increasingly challenging. Maja Krištafor, employer branding professional & DEI consultant at Inkluziv Collective, states that ‘Gen Z’ is different because it is the first generation that has grown up entirely on the internet. – They exploit the labor shortage situation by demanding that the external branding of the company be the same internally; they want to feel included, they do not want to be numbers – assessed Krištafor.