Why did most companies in Hungary failed the trials of the 4-day working week? Can work-life balance be achieved? How the 4 generations present in many workplaces can be well integrated? We talked to György Bőgel, retired professor of economics at CEU.

What is important for employees who are just strating their career? How does the internal labour market work at Magyar Telekom? What do IT job seekers want? Why do Filipinos want to come to Győr? We attended four exciting presentations at the HR section of this year's Business Fest in Budapest.

In recent years, the labour market in the former Eastern European bloc countries and the V4 countries has undergone significant changes, which have also changed the relationship between workers and employers. One of the key issues in these countries is the dramatic increase in labour shortages, which have been influenced by demographic factors, emigration and wage differentials within the EU, among other factors. An empirical study has investigated the characteristics of HR systems in the V4 countries. The authors of the article are József Poór, Professor Emeritus, President of HSZOSZ, MATE, Zsolt Sándor Kőmüves, Associate Professor, MATE and Gábor Szabó Szengróti, Associate Professor, Széchenyi István University.

At national level, employee turnover has fallen significantly, to 28% last year from 33% a year earlier. However, companies should not breathe a sigh of relief as this is still twice the acceptable level. And the decline is not due to an easing of labour market tensions, but to the economic difficulties of the past year and the restructuring of the labour market, according to this year's HR-Evolution national turnover survey.

Don't just count the advertising costs of hiring a worker, but also the cost of the recruiter's hours and the cost of attrition during the probationary period. Among other things, this was the topic of a presentation at last week's recruiTECH. In the first part of our series on the recruitment conference, we also look at the role of selection time and employer branding.

In 2022, more than 100,000 people took part in adult education, probably even more last year, although no final figures are available. According to Ákos Zsuffa, president of the Association of Adult Educators, the most popular areas of training included software development, business skills, finance and marketing. Although most training is available online, a recent large-scale survey shows that almost half of adult learners still believe in classroom-based training.

31% of domestic employers plan to expand their workforce in the first quarter of 2024, while 21% predict a reduction, according to a survey by Manpower. IT, finance and real estate are the sectors most likely to see the biggest increases. "There is a shortage of around 20,000 workers with the right digital skills on the labour market," Krisztina Tajthy, secretary general of the IVSZ, told HR Portal. What are companies doing to alleviate the shortage? What does the closure of the Green Fox programming school signal?

Three quarters of employees consider work-life balance important. Overall, atypical forms of work are not widely available - only 5% of employees work in home office. There are also good examples and informal arrangements, according to labour market research by the Családbarát Magyarország Központ.

In technology’s ever-changing world, the demand for competent data engineers continues to rise. With organizations striving to harness the power of data for informed decision-making, a role such as this must be included. Landing a dream data engineer job calls for proper planning and incorporation of technical expertise, problem-solving capabilities, and good communication skills.

From July to August, the number of employees at Tesco fell by 264 to 9,802, while the number of employees at Magyar Posta dropped by 304 and at Morgan Stanley by 140, according to HR Portal and company information service OPTEN's headcount trends compilation, which monitors the largest employers in Hungary.

Why did they choose Hungary? How do they feel? How is the work? How satisfied are they with their salary? Among other things, we asked three Filipino workers who have been working at a manufacturing company in Gyöngyös for four months.

How much did your organisation increase wages in the first half of the year? Do you plan to pay any compensation in the next two months? This is one of the questions HR Portal asked its readers in its July online survey.

We need to invest in digital skills, because they will soon be essential not only for working but also for functioning in society. Artificial intelligence professionals and specialists are in constant demand and can work in the highest paid jobs in the industry, for up to 1.8-2.5 million HUF per month. IT recruitment has taken a breather due to cutbacks in the sector, but this is a moment to use for recruitment if one wants to gain a competitive edge in the future. Tomek Bujok, the founding CEO of No Fluff Jobs, shared with HR Portal a 10 point guideline to keep in mind when recruiting, not just in the IT market. And what should be included in a job advertisement: first and foremost, salary ranges!

Our summary of the conference on the employment of third-country workers, organised by HR Portal and VOSZ. How many have come so far, why do we need them, how are foreign workers taxed and how can they be recruited into your business?