Shortage of skilled workers in construction: We had to start with ourselves”
The situation seems paradoxical: the company is economical BZ construction, which has specialized in the construction of prefabricated basements and foundation slabs since 2002, has been extremely successful. The construction company with its headquarters in Schrems enjoys a high reputation among customers and suppliers and the order situation is good. And yet the worm is still there. The company can hardly find any apprentices or good skilled workers; fully trained apprentices leave the company. What makes the situation even worse: some long-standing employees are about to retire, and overall the company is fighting against employee departures. Can a cultural change save the company from difficulties?
“We simply didn’t have a good reputation in the labor market and were thus driving our employees away ourselves.”Jürgen Zeiler
Change starts within
The question that Zeiler, one of the three managing directors at BZ-Bau, was dealing with at the time probably affects many companies at the moment - and not just in the construction industry: How can I keep my best employees and at the same time motivate them? find qualified specialists? It was clear to him that short-term individual measures were not enough.
"It makes no sense if we only do external marketing and want to sell ourselves well. We have to start making changes internally that then have an external impact."Jürgen Zeiler
Today, a little more than a year and a half after this insight, the company appears to have changed. The number of employees is continuously growing, new apprentices are joining and a new apprentice program is in the starting blocks. In addition, the company's efficiency metrics have improved significantly. What has happened in the past few months?
The “magic word” is employer branding. “This term – and the associated opportunities and strategies – are not familiar to many entrepreneurs or are reduced to pure advertising campaigns,” says Cristoph Fabikan. He is the founder of the employer branding agency Belistic and has been intensively concerned with the changes in the labor market since 2015.
Clear vision
At the end of 2023, he started working with the company BZ-Bau - with the aim of establishing an attractive corporate culture in order to improve the image on the job market. With the ambitious vision of positioning the company as a top employer, top training provider and thus a leading company by the end of 2026.
Sounds good, but how can this be implemented in practice? Especially in an industry in which – as Zeiler also says – the tone is often harsh. And – which certainly affects many industries – there is a lack of understanding of what makes the young generation tick.
Rethink leadership
Fabikan has developed a two-year program to solve problems like these. The focus of the program is the change in leadership culture: from foreman to manager – those who lead teams must see themselves as such. In four modules, participants learn how to lead with empathy, communicate effectively rhetorically, understand the changing values in the world of work and become a role model through convincing behavior. The focus is on voluntariness, personal growth and a clear attitude.
“Leadership begins with yourself.”Cristoph Fabikan
25 managers, foremen, construction managers and management were present at the kick-off of the program. And quite surprisingly: everyone volunteered that they wanted to be part of the change. Zeiler was fully aware that hard decisions would have to be made in the course of this process: “Not all employees will go along with this development; it is also a kind of cleansing process.” The decisive lever for successful change lies with the management itself. "Change only happens when the managing director himself believes in it and drives it forward. The managing director must be the agent of change," Fabikan is convinced.
Zeiler therefore consciously followed this path: "I got to know many colleagues, especially their private sides. The openness and trust that was created cannot be imposed from above." Since then, Fabikan and the managers have met every two weeks to open up new perspectives on how to interact with each other through workshops, role plays and lectures. Today the effect can be felt throughout the entire company, on several levels.
Measurable successes
The number of applications has increased and new apprentices are starting their professional lives motivated. The big difference: Many new recruits today come through recommendations from their own employees - without advertisements, without bonuses. This speaks for a company culture that has an external impact. The cultural change also pays off economically: With the same team size, more construction hours have recently been worked without quality suffering. They are particularly proud of the new apprentice program that is currently being implemented. An experienced employee from the first round of management has voluntarily taken on the role of apprentice representative - a position that had previously been vacant for a long time. He accompanies new trainees from day one, gives feedback, conveys values and builds bridges between generations.
Fortnite Challenge
What's also new: The company has learned to think outside the box. "Some ideas sound quite unconventional at first. But that's exactly what we need in order to develop," says the managing director. An example of this is the upcoming Waldviertel job fair 2025 in Schrems, where the company BZ-Bau will be present. “Many of the managers we trained in the first round will be present on site to represent the company and talk to apprentices. But also to learn that the work of their team on the construction site continues, even if they are not there,” says Zeiler.
“If you don’t think about employees and apprenticeships, your company will eventually die out.”Cristoph Fabikan
"And there will be a Fortnite challenge at the company's stand, which has nothing to do with the job per se. But this way we can reach young people and be remembered by them and motivate them to apply," adds Fabikan.
Generation Z “ticks differently”
The job market is changing, younger generations think differently. The first Weinviertler Employer Branding Congress will therefore take place on September 18, 2025 at the WKNÖ district office in Gänserndorf. From 12.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m., participants can look forward to a diverse program with lectures, best practice examples, workshops and a roundtable on Generation Z. The congress is organized by Cristoph Fabikan in cooperation with the WKNÖ.
The questions in focus: What motivates people today when looking for a job? How do you deal with Generation Z? How can companies retain employees in the long term?
Appointment tip: Weinviertler Employer Branding Congress 2025 – New perspectives on cultural change in leadership and personnel recruitment When: September 18, 2025, 12.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m Where: WKNÖ district office Gänserndorf Also present: Cristoph Fabikan, Karl Grünstäudl, Karina Kraus, Marion Kapellner, Alexander Kaulich, Doris Hublik as well as Philipp Teufl and Manuela Krendl Admission free You can find more information about the event and how to register here.
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