Senate wants to fill civil service positions faster

Vacancies in the public administration of the State of Berlin are to be filled more quickly in the future.

The aim is to offer suitable applicants a quick start, said Senator for Finance Stefan Evers (CDU) on Tuesday. Up to now, it has not been uncommon for hiring procedures to take up to eight months, a fact that makes the administration unattractive for some applicants. Therefore, it is important to find better solutions in cooperation with staff representatives in order to accelerate the recruitmen and hiring process.

Personnel development program 2030 approved

The project is part of the Personnel Development Program 2030, which the Senate passed on Tuesday. It lists numerous other ideas for attracting more people to jobs in the state administration in times of a shortage of skilled workers. The projects include a gradual alignment of pay in Berlin's public sector with the federal level, modernization of the civil service law for more flexibility in staff deployment and systematic further training for employees.

Digitization and artificial intelligence

In addition, digitization and artificial intelligence are to help improve administrative processes and offerings. There are also plans to purchase or build housing for new employees. Evers announced a concept for so-called employee housing for the coming month.

Challenges due to shortage of skilled workers and demographic development

The personnel development program was adopted against the backdrop of a significant shortage of skilled workers and demographic developments. According to a report published in April by the Senate Department for Finance administration, in January 2022 there were 130,418 employees in 121,269 full-time positions in the Berlin state service. By 2031, about 43,000 employees in 41,000 full-time positions will retire due to age, or one-third. At the same time, the number of applicants is dwindling.

Competition for new employees is high

Berlin's civil service has to be the city's most attractive employer, Evers said. When it comes to recruiting employees, howeverm Berlin faces tough competition from federal authorities and private companies. According to Evers, the number of employees in the state civil service in the future will not be the one current plans project - there are already 7600 unfilled positions.