The shortage of workforce in Slovakia has become a strategic challenge today. The declining availability of the local workforce, unfavourable demographic trends, and the outflow of young talent abroad are creating pressure across industries. Filling positions sustainably now requires a combination of approaches rather than a single solution.
THREE KEY APPROACHES FOR 2026
- The first is developing internal talent through employee upskilling, reskilling, and trainee programs. While essential, this approach requires time, resources, and long-term planning.
- The second is maximizing the potential of the Slovak labour market. Today, this means working with a significantly larger pool of candidates and having an in-depth understanding of regional specifics.
- The third is international recruitment, which has become an integral part of workforce strategy – particularly in manufacturing, logistics, and services.
When expanding recruitment efforts both locally and internationally, we recommend partnering with a proven recruitment agency with the necessary capacity, experience, and process know-how.
LOCAL RECRUITMENT: REGIONAL PRESENCE AND MARKET REALITY
In today’s local market, the ability to effectively manage a large recruitment pipeline is key. Manuvia has a nationwide network of 15 branches, which provides detailed knowledge of the regions, their labour potential, and realistic recruitment opportunities. In 2025, we filled 2,915 blue-collar positions, conducting over 31,500 pre-screenings and 10,000 in-person interviews. In the white-collar segment, we completed more than 3,200 interviews to fill 300 positions. These figures reflect the reality of the Slovak labour market: filling a single position often requires reaching out to or assessing up to ten times as many candidates. This time- and resource-intensive process is something Manuvia can take over from internal HR teams.
INTERNATIONAL RECRUITMENT AS A STABILIZING TOOL
In 2025, the number of foreign workers in Slovakia increased by more than 26% year-on-year, exceeding 146,000. The largest group were Ukrainian nationals, with over 53,000 employees. Even more significant growth has been seen among candidates from third countries such as India, Uzbekistan, the Philippines, Nepal, and Mongolia, where demand rose by more than 78% year-on-year. Based on client needs, Manuvia identifies the most suitable sourcing countries to ensure effective recruitment in terms of quality, stability, and cultural compatibility. A notable trend today is candidates from the Philippines, who speak English, adapt quickly to European work environments, and bring a high level of stability. We organize recruitment processes directly in the Philippines – both in person and online – with up to 95 out of 100 candidates meeting the required criteria.
MANUVIA 360° CARE: MORE THAN RECRUITMENT
Recruitment is only the beginning. In the case of international recruitment, this is followed by the logistically and administratively demanding phase of bringing the candidate to the country. Manuvia supports both the client and the employee throughout the entire process – from obtaining a work permit, communicating with public authorities, and arranging transportation to Slovakia, to providing accommodation, health insurance, medical examinations, opening a bank account, orientation in the new country and ongoing coordination during the first weeks. With Manuvia 360° care, clients gain not just a candidate who meets the entry requirements, but a well-prepared employee ready for quick adaptation, training, and long-term stability within the team.
FINAL RECOMMENDATION
In today’s Slovak labour market, passive recruitment leads to stagnation. A combination of strong local presence, data-driven sourcing, and high-quality international recruitment is essential for sustainable growth and long-term competitiveness.