IVAM Executive Panel, March 2011: Temporary employment only a compromise for high-tech SMEs

Most small and medium-sized microtechnology enterprises would only fill engineering positions with temporary workers if there was not enough time to recruit permanent employees – because of the efforts and risk involved. Development processes in innovative SMEs are long and require specialized knowledge. To convey the necessary knowledge to temporarily employed workers takes too much time. The administration and coordination effort is too high for small businesses, too. Some have made the experience that even well-qualified temporary workers are not flexible enough to adapt to the changing requirements in small companies. The high-tech companies also fear the risk that the temporary employee takes proprietary knowledge or confidential information along to his next employer.

The IVAM Executive Panel is a group of selected experts and opinion leaders from industry and science.