In this blog series, we are going to interview all our Partners and learn how the pandemic is affecting different countries around the globe.

Breadhunter joined InHunt World in 2019 and has been helping companies in Austria since 2012.

Last week, we had a chance to talk with Thomas (CEO of Breadhunter), and we asked him a few questions:

First of all, how are you? We hope that you and your family have stayed healthy during this pandemic.

Thank you, and yes, I feel well and happy that our daughter was born during the first lockdown, so this was a great light during these times. Businesswise, I also do good, because I am used to working in the home office also in non COVID19 times, so this was not a challenge for me, and working with 70% international clients and 30% clients in the DACH area was a good mixture, not being so much affected by this pandemic.

How’s Austria at the moment, or how has it been the last 6 – 7 months?

A great country, small and fast-moving like a speedboat, so I like how our government worked during the last seven months, and I am optimistic that the nightmare will be soon over and be can return to normal, but in a more reflected way of life.

And what about business and the general atmosphere? How the companies are holding up, have there been a lot of layoffs?

Companies struggle, from automotive to manufacturing to OEM’s and even the Event industry. Now, these companies are the winner, who have savings and/or not so high business costs, like e.g. me, working from a coworking space and my home office room. Some positions were on hiring freeze for five months, but since September, the market is starting again, and companies wanted to catch up on the losses from the last months by running forward. On the other side, some black-sheeps used the pandemic to fire their employees and do total turnarounds regarding the company strategy.

How do you see the end of 2020? And what about 2021?

I believe the main overkill regarding small and midsize companies will come between January 2021 and May 2021, after the suspended taxation will restart. All corona aid is spent on daily business costs. But I hope that in the 2nd and 3rd Quarter of 2021 we are all back in business.

What do you think about the future? What is going to be the biggest difference in Austria in you compare to the situation before the pandemic and the possible situation after?

Austria is or was sometimes the sales and experiment country for Germany and some European companies. If these companies recall their businesses and employees and close their Austrian locations, it will not be so easy for some industries. The hospitality industry down, the Event industry too, so we will see how it goes; if not, COVID20 is around the corner.

What kind of roles do you think companies are going to need the most after the pandemic? Do you think there’s some big difference before and after COVID regarding recruitment and headhunting?

I believe there will be a bigger selection and disruption of the recruiting and headhunting industry in the future. The mass recruiting companies will be getting cheaper and more like a Galilee for jobs salves, and on the other side, the small, exclusive boutique headhunters will arise, a branch in which I see Breadhunter. Quality and Technology will be more critical, knowing the right candidates, not matching them by keywords and social media tools. In the end, it’s all about trust and friendship and the view behind the mask to find the top candidate. This costs time and money, and if clients are not willing to invest in these two things, they are still getting generic candidates and employees.

What tips would you have for foreign job seekers who would like to come and work in Austria?

Work with a local headhunter, who knows the market and with friends and recommendations. Austria is a different market, and people know each other and like to fill the free slots with friends and people they know, and sometimes they also create a new good job to a profile they like. Yes, it takes time to make friends here and build trust, but if you are IN one day, you are in for a lifetime. It’s like in NYC a bit ?

InHunt World is a Global Headhunting Network that connects the best local headhunting companies around the world. Our Partners are always carefully selected and tested before joining InHunt World so that our Customers can trust that they will receive the best headhunting service every single time, no matter where in the world the need is located.

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