The civil service is struggling to recruit staff.

The unions speak of 350,000 vacancies.

Experts published a report last summer according to which the federal, state and local governments would be short of a million workers by 2030.

If the job plans adopted by politicians in the municipalities are wasted because the vacancies cannot be filled at all, then the treasurer is happy.

At the same time, however, the question is raised as to whether the public sector can fulfill its core tasks.

In Wiesbaden, major school projects are not progressing because more than a fifth of the vacancies in the building construction department are vacant.

Municipal employers must recognize that a secure job is no longer enough to attract enough employees even in times of crisis.

In the Hessian state capital, the list of “good reasons” apostrophized in this way, with which specialists are recruited and career changers are wooed, is long.

The promise of "work-life balance" including flexible working conditions is part of this.

But that's not enough.

Especially since almost half of the employees are already complaining about the high workload.

There is a risk of a spiral of dissatisfaction that will reinforce the trend.

Competitors act faster and pay better

The fact that the municipalities are struggling to find qualified workers is partly their own fault.

If you have to wait months after your job interview for a job offer, you quickly lose interest.

Especially when the competition is also desperately looking for employees and not only pays better, but also acts faster and more flexibly.

The shortcoming has been recognized, but Wiesbaden has difficulties in speeding up the processes.

Important projects fall by the wayside if there are not enough specialists available to work on them.

It is doubtful that the situation in the building authorities will improve if the construction industry slacks off.

Not only because many positions are already vacant, but also because many employees are about to retire.

Incentives are urgently needed to ensure that public sector employees work beyond the age limit or at least do not retire early.

More flexibility and more options are needed.

Non-specialist career changers could bring interesting impulses.

But in building authorities there is no getting around specialist knowledge.

In the end, all hope rests on gains in efficiency through the still sluggish digitization of administration.