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

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