Temporary work, as one of the forms of flexible employment, does not always enjoy a good reputation among employees. Is it right? We debunk some of the most common objections to employment based on a temporary employment contract.
1. I will be employed on the basis of the so-called garbage truck, I do not have a notice period or leave
Temporary workers are employed for a definite period of time, on the basis of a temporary employment contract or a contract of mandate. In both cases, social security and sickness insurance contributions are paid, the duration of the contract is included in the length of service, the right to paid holiday leave is acquired – 2 days for each month worked, the employer is also subject to a notice period – 3 days in the case of a contract for a period of up to 2 weeks or one week in the case of a longer contract. Therefore, employment under a temporary employment contract has nothing to do with junk contracts.
2. Working time is a maximum of a few months a year
A temporary worker may work for a given employer-user for a maximum of 18 months (over a period of 3 years). After this time, the employment agency employing him may refer the employee to another client, for whom he has the right to work for another 18 months. In fact, the working time based on a temporary contract can last many years, but alternately for min. two employer-users.
3. I will not be able to start working full-time in the company to which I was originally referred by the employment agency
In Polish law, there are no contraindications to a temporary worker becoming a full-time employee. The only restriction may be the contract between the employment agency and the client (employer-user) and the grace period included therein. In fact, especially after the introduction of the 18-month limit, both sides are always trying to come to an agreement. What is more, clients often treat the temporary work service as a trial period for potential future employees, and after 18 months they offer full-time contracts to the best ones.
4. Temporary work exists mainly in seasonal industries
This is not true. Temporary work functions in almost every industry, regardless of whether it is seasonal or not. Both blue-collar and white-collar workers are employed as part of temporary work. Our experience shows that the largest number of job offers are in the manufacturing, logistics and energy industries. Not much less in trade, office administration or banking and finance. And these are just some of the industries 🙂
5. I will earn less than full-time employees
Article 15(1) of the Act on Temporary Workers prohibits unequal treatment of temporary workers, in particular with regard to the conditions of employment, i.e. m.in. with regard to the amount of remuneration. As a result, by establishing cooperation with a reliable employment agency, you can be sure that your salary will not differ from the standard salary of full-time employees in the same position with the same competences.
Summary
Temporary work is neither a better nor a worse type of cooperation than a full-time job, it is simply a different form of employment. Although it has its drawbacks, such as shorter notice periods or an unlimited number of fixed-term contracts, it has a lot of advantages. One of the most important is that temporary work gives a lot of flexibility to the employee. In most cases, he decides how many hours per month and at what hours he wants to work. This makes it an ideal solution for students, young mothers, people returning to the labor market after a long break, or retirees who want to find an additional source of income.
Do you want to find a temporary job for yourself? Check out our job offers by clicking HERE.
Everyone who goes to a job interview tries to predict its scenario and the questions that will be asked during it. Getting to know the questions that recruiters are willing to ask can help the candidate prepare for the meeting and, as a result, increase their chances of getting a job.
Candidates who are invited to an interview always wonder what they will be asked by recruiters. Will these only be questions about the experience gained? Will they test their knowledge of a given area or knowledge of specific programs? Will they test motivation and creativity? Although it is difficult to predict the exact wording of the questions that the recruiter will ask, you can prepare a sample list that will include the most popular ones.
The greatest success?
When answering this question, it is worth choosing a professional achievement that is most appropriate to the position for which the candidate is applying. The candidate’s statement should show what determined the success of the entire project, e.g. good organization or the ability to work under time pressure. The candidate should also emphasize their role, mention whether they used someone’s help, what difficulties they encountered along the way and how they dealt with them. If the candidate cannot yet boast of professional success, he should choose an example from his private life or from his university days.
When talking about their successes, the candidate should describe in detail which solutions used in the project were created on their initiative and which of them they made on their own. If possible, it is also worth supporting your achievements with numbers, e.g. a percentage increase in the number of orders or cost reduction – says Magdalena Szewczyk, Team Leader at LeasingTeam Professional.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
This question, very often asked by recruiters, is usually aimed at examining the motivation and willingness to develop the candidate. For people who have not thought about the answer beforehand, it can cause consternation. How to answer them so as not to lose your chance for a job? It is worth mentioning that you should develop in areas that are key for the candidate at the moment, and by the way, it is good that they are also consistent with the needs of the organization. You can also answer more generally that you still want to work in a given department or a specific industry, but in a higher position. Such an answer should be well received by the recruiter.
Why should the employer hire you?
To answer this question, the candidate should know the description of the position they are applying for and be aware of what competencies and skills are in demand. If the candidate’s previous experience and predispositions are consistent with the company’s expectations, the answer to the question of why the employer should hire him or her should not cause him difficulty. It is enough to compare the employer’s expectations towards the ideal candidate for a given position, with arguments that will confirm that this person meets the requirements. It is worth presenting the benefits that the company will have by hiring the candidate. Such a benefit may be, for example, good knowledge of the program that the company intends to implement soon.
It is also worth emphasizing your motivation to work in a given company. For this purpose, even before the meeting, you should gather as much information as possible about the company, learn about the scope of its services or products offered. A candidate who knows the company and its position on the market will find it much easier to justify why they would like to work there – says Magdalena Szewczyk from LeasingTeam Professional.
Expectations towards the supervisor?
The purpose of this question is to verify whether the candidate fits into the company’s organizational culture and whether he will be able to work effectively with his future supervisor. Each manager has a different management style, which is why it is so important to confront his management style with the candidate’s preferred one at the interview stage. If the supervisor likes to have everything under strict control and the candidate needs a lot of autonomy, the cooperation will not be successful for either party. It is worth it for the candidate to talk openly about their preferences and factors that may determine their satisfaction with cooperation with a given supervisor. The focus should be on issues such as professional relationships, approach to employee development, substantive skills. You should avoid talking about the flaws of your current superiors and focus on describing what the ideal supervisor should be like.
A good match between the employee and the supervisor is crucial for the success of their future cooperation. Therefore, the HR department often organizes the second stage of the interview with the candidate, in which the future supervisor also participates, so that both parties can learn about each other’s expectations – comments Magdalena Szewczyk.
Financial expectations?
Before the candidate answers the question of what salary for a given position will satisfy him, he should obtain full information from the recruiter about the scope of responsibilities for a given position. This will allow him to more objectively determine the amount of his remuneration, which will result from both the scope of duties in a given position and experience and competences. To do this, he should read the salary reports for the position he is applying for in advance. This will help determine the real amount that the candidate will be able to offer to the employer. To provide the recruiter with information about financial expectations, it can be helpful to prepare the so-called range of expected salary, both in the gross and net amount.
When determining the amount of the base salary, it is worth asking about the bonus system and non-wage benefits such as: sports card, medical care, gift vouchers or training. A clearly defined motivation system will certainly help to determine the candidate’s financial expectations – believes the LeasingTeam Professional expert.
Preparing a list of questions that are most often asked during a job interview, thanks to the ubiquity of the Internet and access to many guides for job seekers, is now becoming easier and easier. Knowing the sample questions and answers will certainly help the candidate feel more confident during the meeting with the recruiter and present themselves better. It is worth taking advantage of this opportunity.
As of 1 July 2019, the largest employers in Poland have been covered by Employee Capital Plans (PPK). Therefore, the long-term saving system had to be introduced, among others, by temporary employment agencies, which have one of the largest employees on the Polish labor market. Specialists in law, HR and payroll as well as recruitment at LeasingTeam Group will tell you about the challenges associated with the introduction of PPK in employment agencies.
Key challenges during the implementation and operation of PPK
As Sylwia Kutermankiewicz, acting Director of the HR and Payroll Department, points out, “With thousands of employees and contractors employed, the key factors for proper management of the Employee Capital Plans implementation process will be: adaptation of the HR and payroll system enabling the implementation of the PPK, preparation of documentation and clear provision of information to all beneficiaries of the PPK program.
From the perspective of the LeasingTeam Group, whose staff consists of over 10 thousand employees served per month, the implementation of the program turns out to be quite a challenge. “Although high turnover is natural in employment agencies, when implementing and operating PPK, it creates a lot of additional work in the area of reporting and unregistering new employees,” says Kutermankiewicz. “Therefore, for the largest entities on the market, it is crucial to digitize the flow of documents by adapting HR and payroll systems to support the Employee Capital Plans program,” adds the HR and payroll specialist.
It is also worth remembering that not only the number of foreigners employed by Polish entrepreneurs is growing year by year, but also the range of countries from which they come is dynamically expanding, and thus – the multilingualism of employees. Looking at the implementation of the PPK through the prism of the internationality of the beneficiaries of the program in the agencies, it turns out that the number of documents and messages necessary to prepare is growing exponentially. As our expert Sylwia Kutermankiewicz points out, understandable and transparent preparation of communication in the first stage of PPK implementation is important because it can minimize misunderstandings and significantly reduce the hours needed to explain the rules at a later stage of the process.
ECPs on the line of cooperation between a temporary employment agency and a client
We also asked Anna Kurczewska-Formela, Director of the Recruitment Department from Professional, about the challenges of introducing PPK in an organization. “As a personnel consulting agency, we are obliged to inform an additional group of interested parties about the actions taken, i.e. clients using our staff, on the basis of outsourcing and temporary work,” she noted.
The introduction of PPK in Poland is associated with additional obligations and formalities on the part of employers, and thus with a greater burden on HR and payroll departments or their expansion. It should be remembered that according to the legislator, every 4 years all employees will be automatically joined to the ECP, including those who have previously opted out. The obligation to inform employees about this and to resend the resignation each time rests with the employer.
The introduction of the ECP may therefore be another argument for companies to decide on employee outsourcing and transfer all formalities to the employment agency, while optimizing the costs of HR and payroll services – comments Anna Kurczewska-Formela.
Summary
Employee Capital Plans are a big test of operational effectiveness for employment agencies. This is due to the nature of their business, which assumes the employment of a large number of temporary workers, high turnover and service for people of different nationalities (language aspect).
– Before we decide to sign a contract with a selected temporary employment agency, it is worth verifying how the Employee Capital Plans program has been implemented and whether it is run in accordance with the law. This will tell you a lot about the level of competence and experience of this agency – sums up Klaudia Bylińska, Legal Counsel at LeasingTeam Group.
Social media play an increasingly important role in the area of recruitment. They are used not only by employers and recruiters to attract candidates, but also by the candidates themselves, who use them to look for a job or wait for professional offers. Why is it worth having a profile in business social media? Explains the expert of LeasingTeam Professional.
The advent of the Internet in Poland has revolutionized the recruitment process. Searching for a job on recruitment portals, sending CVs by e-mail in response to advertisements, applying for job offers via advanced systems supporting recruitment processes or taking online competency tests are just some of the methods and tools that candidates use on a daily basis. The Internet has automated and simplified the recruitment process not only on the part of candidates, but also companies. Currently, it has become common for recruiters to use business social media in the process of acquiring candidates best suited to the expectations of companies. In Poland, LinkedIn is one of the most popular portals. They are of a business nature, which is why people at least an assistant or specialist, as well as managers, directors, board members or presidents, most often set up their professional profiles. The number of users using business social networking sites in Poland is growing year by year. This is due to the fact that more and more people are realizing the benefits of having a LinkedIn profile and the high activity of recruitment companies. A LeasingTeam Professional expert explains how a presence in business social media can help you find a job.
A meeting place for candidates with recruiters
Currently, the main tool for recruiters who conduct recruitment projects using the direct search method are business social networking sites such as LinkedIn. The recruitment process using the direct search method consists in directly reaching people who have unique competences and experience important from the employer’s point of view. Direct search is primarily beneficial for personnel consulting companies in recruitment for specialist and managerial positions. Thanks to it, recruiters reach passive candidates. They are not actively looking for a job, so they cannot be recruited using traditional methods such as advertisements on recruitment portals.
Companies specializing in recruitment most often have extended profiles on social networks dedicated to recruiters, which allow them to reach candidates outside their own network. If the person’s profile and the experience and competencies described in it match the job description, the recruiter sends an invitation to participate in the recruitment process and asks the person to send their CV. If the candidate sends their application documents, it is very likely that they will be invited to a recruitment meeting.
People we contact via business social media very often decide to participate in the recruitment process. Even if they have not thought about changing jobs at the moment, they are curious about what another company can offer them. In addition, many candidates believe that participation in the recruitment process is a kind of training that, if not now, then in the future can help them get their dream job – comments Anita Obidowska, team leader at LeasingTeam Professional.
Pass to participate in recruitment processes
Being present on selected social media sites gives candidates a chance to be noticed by recruiters and employers who are looking for talent. Therefore, it is worth taking the time to prepare an attractive profile. Usually, its layout is very similar to a traditional CV. Candidates include information on their career and education, always in reverse chronology. In addition, they inform about the courses they have completed, training, and won awards. A great advantage of virtual profiles is the ability to post links to expert articles by the candidate, videos with statements, e.g. in the media or lectures during a conference. In the marketing and creative industry, it is very popular to post a link to a portfolio of works, e.g. graphic design. The more extensive the candidate’s profile, the greater the chance that it will interest the recruiter, who will approach them with an attractive job offer. Websites such as Linkedin give users the opportunity to build a professional network of business contacts, i.e. invite and accept other people as our friends. It is also important to be active on a given business portal and share interesting research results, interesting articles, and share knowledge in the area that interests a given candidate. It may happen that the recruiter pays attention to the profile of a given candidate, m.in. because of the content they share.
There are many additional tools that can enrich the candidate’s profile and make it even more attractive to the recruiter. LinkedIn users can make recommendations to each other and confirm their skills or knowledge in a given area. They can also recommend a particular profile, as well as comment and share posts – informs Anita Obidowska from LeasingTeam Professional.
Access to hidden job offers
Until recently, job offers were presented primarily on recruitment portals such as Pracuj.pl or Infopraca.pl or in the career tabs on employers’ websites. Currently, job offers also appear on official company profiles, e.g. on Facebook or LinkedIn. However, there are situations in which companies cannot afford to make a given job offer public. This is due to various reasons. Sometimes a search is carried out for a person for a position still filled in the organization, most often at a higher level, hence crucial for the proper functioning of the company. Therefore, information about recruitment for a given position, if it appears on the recruitment portal, is only without information about the employer in the advertisement.
Hidden recruitment processes are very often outsourced to HR consulting companies. By outsourcing the process, the employer gains anonymity and certainty that the recruitment will be carried out with full discretion – thinks Anita Obidowska.
In the case of hidden recruitment processes, the search is very often conducted on LinkedIn using the direct search method. People who do not have accounts on these portals, who also do not regularly follow job advertisements on recruitment portals, have no chance to participate in the process.
Place of recommendation
Users of business social networking sites more and more often directly communicate on their profiles that they are looking for new professional challenges. LinkedIn is a good example. Its users, very often in the space intended for the job title, enter information about looking for new professional challenges. In addition, job seekers are willing to include in their profiles data that makes it easier for recruiters to contact them directly, i.e. an e-mail address and a phone number.
More and more often, experienced candidates publish posts on their wall in which they inform that they are currently looking for a job, list their successes and recommend themselves to the attention of recruiters. It also happens that friends are publicly recommended. Many representatives of recruitment companies are eager to use this type of recommendation, which makes it easier for them to reach interesting candidates outside their network of contacts – comments the expert of LeasingTeam Professional.
A mine of knowledge for job seekers
Following the profiles of selected employers on business social networks gives candidates access to useful advice and tips on how to participate in the recruitment process. Employment agencies and personnel consulting companies in particular create professional guides for candidates, covering issues such as CV preparation, the course of a job interview or methods of competence assessment. Exploring them can help the candidate to successfully go through the recruitment process.
Presence in business social media for people from the level of specialists and managers who are interested in developing their professional careers is now a must. This is due to the growing activity of companies specializing in professional recruitment on business portals. It is worth preparing for it today.
LeasingTeam has been present on the Polish labour market for 15 years. You have become the 5th largest force in the HR consulting industry in our country. How did it start?
Andżelika Majewska, Vice President of LeasingTeam: We started our business at a time of record-high unemployment in Poland, which reached 20%. To counteract the difficult situation, on 9 July 2003 the government passed the Act on Temporary Workers. In April 2004, no one was yet convinced to work temporarily, so we offered the first largest customers the service of dispersed nationwide training. However, after just a few months, we received an offer from one of the clients that we could not refuse – he offered us to lease over 100 employees. It was a huge challenge for us, but also an opportunity that we could not miss.
So what did the company’s growth look like in individual years?
Maciej Majewski, President of LeasingTeam: We started as a startup, with no connections in the industry or external financial support. We owe our success primarily to consistent pursuit of goals and taking care of the highest possible level of service. The market noticed this and after 5 years we have grown by 1000 percent. Every year we doubled our turnover to reach PLN 100 million in revenue and 100 internal employees in 2010, and after the next 6 years we significantly exceeded PLN 200 million in revenue and already employed over 150 employees. Today, we are a full-fledged competitor of the largest international corporations providing HR services in Poland, which have been building their experience for several decades based on foreign capital.
You provide services in many areas of HR, how have you expanded the scope of competence in the industry?
A.M.: Initially, the main activity of the company was temporary employment services and HR and payroll services. However, the labor market began to change and existing customers increasingly needed permanent recruitment services. In response to this, in 2011 we established a company specializing in recruitment for middle and senior level positions called LeasingTeam Professional.
In the following years, the market began to experience a strong shortage of IT specialists. Therefore, the company’s development in this direction was a natural consequence. In 2015, we established a dedicated company providing services for the IT industry – IT LeasingTeam. In the adopted strategy, we did not stop only at looking for talents, but went a step further, providing clients with specific IT services/products, and even as part of outsourcing, entire IT departments, including building HR strategies.
In 2016, the group of our companies was joined by the Wrocław-based company CPC Consulting Group, dealing with cross-border posting of workers from Poland to Germany, Austria and Norway. In the meantime, we have also strongly developed our parent company LeasingTeam, which, in addition to temporary work, has started to provide process and function outsourcing services and recruitment of foreigners from the East.
So what does LeasingTeam Group specialize in today? There are a lot of areas, how do you manage to combine them?
M.M.: In 2016, we established the LeasingTeam Group to emphasise the comprehensive range of services we provide. Our competences allow us to carry out strategic, multidimensional projects that involve experts from various companies of the Group, but also to carry out one-off recruitment orders. In other words, each company is specialized in a specific area of HR, and together they form a dream team that will carry out even the most demanding and multi-threaded order. Thanks to this approach, we provide services for companies of various needs and sizes – from smaller Polish enterprises, through public companies, to international corporations.
Which projects do you consider the most interesting so far?
A.M.: Over the past 15 years, we have completed many projects of varying complexity. For example, in the years 2009-2017, we provided outsourcing of services for a leading telecommunications company in Poland and Europe, ensuring the implementation of tasks at nearly 150 different positions in showrooms, call centers, administration departments and technical departments, throughout the country. Initially, we outsourced 50 people, to finally reach the number of nearly 1800 employees.
Another important step in the company’s history was the public tender won in 2014 for the outsourcing of over 400 employees of one of the state-owned companies. The 2-year contract had a complicated and multi-faceted dimension and required extensive legal knowledge, high organizational skills and extensive experience. As a result, the assumptions were implemented in 100%.
And one more project worth mentioning, i.e. year-round customer service from the FMCG industry, whose seasonal fluctuations of employees are at the level of 100 to even 800 people per month. This is quite a challenge for employment agencies, especially when the lead time is several hours, and the basic areas monitored by the client are timely implementation and reactivity. When we add that the service includes temporary work in the production plant and outsourcing of processes and functions in the field of warehouse work and loading and unloading of high warehouses, we can fully see the level of advancement of the project.
To implement such demanding projects, you need not only knowledge and experience, but also tools. So what does modern HR mean to you?
M.M.: Today, modern HR means effective strategies, innovative tools, forms of employment, flexible solutions and dynamic activities. This can be seen in the example of permanent recruitment, where modern recruitment methods and innovative tools supporting recruiters in acquiring talent are necessary. The use of automation helps in searching for candidates, selecting them, publishing job offers, planning the recruiter’s work and monitoring the entire process, verifying its effectiveness.
Finally, where do you see the LeasingTeam Group in the next 15 years?
A.M.: In the future, LeasingTeam Group will become the leader of the HRM market in the area of intelligent solutions, but you will certainly not wait 15 years for this. To achieve this, we are already working on an innovative platform for candidates and clients that will significantly speed up the recruitment process and increase the accuracy of selecting employees for individual organizations. But it doesn’t stop there. We plan international development by opening branches in Europe (Germany, Ukraine) and expanding the network of directions for recruiting employees. We are already increasingly hiring people from distant countries, such as Moldova, Nepal, India, Azerbaijan and even Vietnam. In which directions we will move next, the market will find out soon.
The Gdańsk branches of our two companies – LeasingTeam and Professional – have joined the group of members of the Employers of Pomerania, thus strengthening their position in Pomerania.
Employers of Pomerania is the largest and oldest employers’ organization operating in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, which brings together nearly 1000 companies with various business profiles. Their mission is the long-term and dynamic development of both the Pomeranian region and the members of the organization, and the goal of joint action is to defend the interests of employers, represent them before bodies and institutions.
We are proud to be part of such an important organization in Pomerania. We hope that joint activities and sharing knowledge and experience will contribute to faster achievement of our business goals, both ours and those of Pomeranian Employers.
Fifteen years ago, at a time of record unemployment on the Polish labour market, Andżelika Majewska set up a business to help people find employment. When one of the clients suggested that she also take care of employee leasing, she took up the challenge without hesitation. This is how the adventure of building one of the largest, comprehensive HR consulting companies in Poland – LeasingTeam Group – began.
Temporary work as an impulse for action
The beginning of the 21st century was an extremely difficult period for the Polish labour market. In the years 2002-2004, unemployment oscillated at a record level of 20%, and there were no new jobs. To counteract the difficult situation, on July 9, 2003, the government passed the Act on Temporary Workers, which came into force in January 2004. And so, Andżelika Majewska, then a 27-year-old girl associated with the advertising industry, decided to completely remodel her professional competences and set up her own company dealing with temporary work and personnel consulting. Initially, small recruitment orders turned into nationwide training projects. After a few months, she received an offer she could not refuse from one of the clients – she was offered to lease over a hundred employees.
Stable growth of the company
– We started as a startup. In five years, we have grown by 1000 percent. Every year we have doubled our turnover, building a worthy rival for international corporations on the HR services market.
Already in 2010, LeasingTeam achieved a round number of PLN 100 million in revenue and 100 internal employees. Initially, the main activity of the company was temporary employment services and HR and payroll services. Along with the market changes, Andżelika and Maciej Majewski began to invest in the development of new services – in 2011 they established LeasingTeam Professional, a company dealing with permanent recruitment for middle and higher positions, in 2015 IT LeasingTeam, a company specializing in recruitment and outsourcing of IT staff, and finally in 2016 they took over the Wrocław-based company CPC Consulting Group, dealing with cross-border posting of employees from Polish to Germany, Austria and Norway. In the same year, the LeasingTeam Capital Group was established, which is a kind of culmination of strong business and competence development in the years 2011-2016.
Temporary services as the basis for development
The dynamic development of the core business of LeasingTeam Group (temporary employment services) and the gradual expansion of the portfolio of services contributed to a dynamic increase in revenues, which in 2016 significantly exceeded PLN 200 million. In 2018, the Group was the 5th largest force in Poland among HR consulting companies, already employing 180 people, and delegating up to 10,000 employees per month – Poles and foreigners – to clients.
“Our goal was to create a company that would challenge the international giants of the HR market and establish equal competition with them. We had a clear strategy that we followed step by step, creating the HR market, but also responding to its needs. Customers have seen a value that most international providers do not have – high-quality services, combined with a flexible approach to the customer. For our business partners, we are an advisor who takes the initiative, selecting the most effective solutions from the entire comprehensive offer,” says Maciej Majewski, President of LeasingTeam Group.
From strategy to talent hunting – comprehensive services
When building the LeasingTeam Group, Andżelika and Maciej Majewski put emphasis on specialising in the design and implementation of entire HR strategies and on a comprehensive range of recruitment services – outsourcing of processes and services, temporary work, permanent recruitment. Thanks to this approach, the Group today provides services to companies of all sizes – from smaller Polish enterprises, through public companies, to international corporations.
Over the past 15 years, the Group has completed many strategic and demanding projects. In the years 2009-2017, she provided outsourcing of services for a leading telecommunications company in Poland and Europe, ensuring the implementation of tasks in nearly 150 different positions in showrooms, call centers, administration departments and technical departments, throughout the country. The high quality of the services provided was quickly reflected in the development of cooperation – the initial level of employment of 50 people increased to nearly 1800 employees – and in the Outsourcing Stars awards granted to the agency in 2013 and 2015.
Another important step for the Polish company was the public tender won in 2014 for the outsourcing of over 400 employees of one of the state-owned companies. The 2-year contract had a complicated and multi-threaded dimension and required high organizational skills and a large dose of flexibility. Despite this, the assumptions were implemented in 100%.
The LeasigTeam Group portfolio also includes long-term, permanent projects. One of them is year-round customer service from the FMCG industry, whose seasonal fluctuations of employees range from 100 to even 800 people. This is quite a challenge for employment agencies, especially when the lead time is several hours and the basic areas controlled by the client are timely delivery and reactivity. When we add that the service includes temporary work in the production plant and outsourcing of processes and functions in the field of warehouse work and loading and unloading of high warehouses, we can fully see the level of advancement of the project.
The above examples show that modern HR by LeasingTeam Group means effective strategies, innovative tools, forms of employment, flexible solutions and dynamic activities. This can also be seen on the example of permanent recruitment. Modern recruitment methods, such as the proprietary ASSET® methodology and the use of innovative tools, support the Group’s recruiters in acquiring talents for middle and senior positions as well as in the IT area. The use of automation helps in searching for candidates, selecting them, publishing job offers, planning the recruiter’s work and monitoring the entire process, verifying its effectiveness.
And in another 15 years…
We asked the owners where the LeasingTeam Group is heading.
– In the future, we see ourselves as the leader of the HRM market in the area of intelligent solutions. To achieve this, we are already working on an innovative platform for employees and clients, which will significantly speed up the recruitment process and increase the accuracy of selecting employees for individual organizations. But it doesn’t stop there. We plan international development by opening branches in Europe (Germany, Ukraine) and expanding the network of directions for recruiting employees. We are already increasingly hiring people from distant countries, such as Moldova, Nepal, India, Azerbaijan and even Vietnam. The market will soon find out in which directions we will move next,” concluded Andżelika Majewska, Vice President of LeasingTeam Group.
The low unemployment rate in Poland, 1.5 million Ukrainian citizens supplying our domestic labour market and the announcement of the opening of German borders to non-EU workers. To what extent is the crisis of the Polish labour market real? Will there be a shortage of hands to work in blue collar positions? Anna Macheta, Development Director at CPC Consulting Group, the LeasingTeam Group company responsible for cross-border posting of employees to Germany, will talk about it.
Experts estimate that the largest group of foreigners currently supplying the Polish labor market are Ukrainian citizens. Nearly one and a half million neighbours from across the eastern border constitute a significant workforce, which to a large extent eliminates labour shortages in Poland. It is therefore hardly surprising that the law adopted by the German government in December 2018 on the relaxation of the regulations on the employment of employees from outside the EU raises concerns among Polish employers.
Almost immediately after the announcement of the German government’s decision, many different reports examining the preferences of Ukrainian employees appeared on the recruitment market. Depending on the survey, about 75-85% of Ukrainians are satisfied with work in our country, while when it comes to the declared willingness to go to Germany, the data are very divergent. In one material, we read that 25% of Ukrainian citizens (375,000) are interested in leaving our country for their western neighbors, while subsequent authors give a result of 59% (885,000). On this basis, is it possible to clearly state whether this problem can pose a real threat to domestic entrepreneurs? In my opinion, no.
At CPC Consulting Group, we decided to take a closer look at the matter, comparing the above data with information from the German market. The fact is that Germany is experiencing an acute shortage of specialists. According to data from the third quarter of 2018, a record approx. 1.24 million professionals, engineers and people from the IT industry are needed. This was the direct reason for the German government’s adoption of the draft immigration law mentioned above, aimed at facilitating the employment of specialists from outside the EU. It is worth noting, however, that the relaxation of the existing regulations, which comes into force on 1 January 2020, only abolishes the obligation to test the labour market. The so-called priority test, because it is what we are talking about, consisted in proving by a German employer that it did not find employees who were German citizens willing to fill a given position and therefore decided to hire a foreigner. However, other standards will be maintained, i.e. the ability to support oneself, possession of the required qualifications, education and professional experience, and knowledge of the German language.
Therefore, it seems that the change in the regulations on the employment of foreigners from outside the EU will apply only to employees with qualifications and professional experience. The German government, on the other hand, has made it clear that it is not interested in hiring people from so-called “third world countries” who do not have qualifications and do not speak German. The local labour offices promise a reliable verification of diplomas and professional experience. And because the education system of our western neighbors is significantly different from the education systems in other countries, finding employment may turn out to be a big problem for workers from the East.
In addition, recalling the years when Poland joined the European Union (2004), it is worth noting that our employees had to wait 7 years for the possibility of legal employment in Germany, precisely because of the fear of flooding the market with cheap labor. While the economic situation in Germany has changed, the question remains to what extent the mentality of German citizens and entrepreneurs has followed the same path. Based on 10 years of experience in working with entrepreneurs from across the Oder, I am far from saying that our western neighbours will decide on a large scale of employment of such a culturally different nation as the citizens of Ukraine.
Knowing the German labor market, it is worth remembering that trade unions are very active there. Bearing in mind the mistakes made in the 1960s and 1970s, they will want at all costs to avoid a situation of a renewed influx of workforce, which will not support the economy, but will only become a beneficiary of a rich social welfare system. Protecting themselves already at the legal stage, our neighbours have specified in the act that they do not envisage any actions to support foreigners from outside the EU in organisational or social issues. The German government expects full independence in the search for accommodation and work, as well as financing the stay in the country by non-EU job seekers. In this situation, we should not forget about the significant differences not only in earnings, but also in the cost of living on the German and Polish markets. The lack of support, especially in the initial phases of their stay in Germany, may turn out to be a reason for resignation for many foreigners and, as a result, strongly verify today’s declarations of Ukrainian citizens.
Therefore, looking at the risk of losing employees from the point of view of Polish employers, it is worth emphasizing the advantages of working in Poland, especially for people from Ukraine. The lack of an assimilation barrier and the similarity of cultures, social problems, costs of living, and above all national languages in Poland and Ukraine means that they do not feel afraid of coming and adapting to our country. In addition, Polish employers often help them with all formalities related to the legalization of work and stay, offer accommodation, transport and a number of additional bonuses that are not in the German offer.
Taking into account all the above arguments, in my opinion, the fears of Polish entrepreneurs about the mass loss of Ukrainian workers may turn out to be significantly exaggerated. Although there is a probability that Poland will become a transit place for some Ukrainians on their way to the West – after earning a certain amount of money in our country, they will decide to leave – but it will be a slow, several-year process, for which you will be able to prepare by bringing workers from other eastern countries, such as Moldova, Nepal, India, Azerbaijan or Vietnam.
A record low unemployment rate of 5.8%, an increase in new jobs in 2018 compared to 2017 by 7% and 165 thousand vacancies in our country (an increase of 35% y/y) – these are the realities of the Polish labour market. How will they affect employment in 2019? What trends in recruitment and employee management are likely to continue, and which have not proven themselves and will expire? These and other questions will be answered by experts from LeasingTeam Group – the largest Polish group of HR consulting companies.
GDPR – the challenge of the year
Undoubtedly, the event of 2018 for the HR industry was the introduction of GDPR legal regulations. The new regulations on the protection of personal data have significantly affected employment agencies, which collect and use information about natural persons – employees and candidates – on an ongoing basis.
The challenge was not only the operational implementation of the GDPR in organizations, but above all the development of new practices for acquiring and processing contacts to candidates. As a result, the role of headhunting, i.e. active search for employees, has increased significantly. We observe that social media channels such as LinkedIn and Facebook have an increasing share in recruitment, especially in the area of permanent recruitment conducted by our Professional and ITLT companies.
Reinforcements from the East
Even the best communication tools and platforms will not change the fact that there is a shortage of workforce on the Polish market. Comparing the data from the Central Statistical Office, which shows 165,000 unfilled positions in the second quarter of 2018 with the lowest unemployment rate in years at the level of 5.8% (Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy) and the entry of successive cohorts of demographic decline into the market, we observe a situation that has not yet been seen on the Polish labour market – a huge demand for workers from the East.
– Poland is an attractive country of employment for citizens from the East. It is estimated that about 1.5 million employees from Ukraine are currently working for us. However, the circle of search is expanding month by month. More and more often we hire employees from much more distant countries, such as Moldova, Nepal, India, Azerbaijan and even Vietnam. Polish employers are facing a new challenge – managing a multicultural environment and creating appropriate working conditions – said Aneta Sztompka, Director of Foreign Market Development at LeasingTeam Group, responsible for recruiting employees from the East.
In the perspective of opening the German labour market to non-EU citizens, it is worth asking whether Poland will be the last or the first stop on the way to professional development for workers from the East.
Will the German labour market take away workers from the East?
Germany is experiencing an acute shortage of specialists. According to data from the third quarter of 2018, a record approx. 1.24 million professionals, engineers and people from the IT industry are needed. In an effort to counteract the growing trend, the German government has adopted a draft immigration law aimed at making it easier to hire specialists from outside the EU. Taking into account the significant difference in wages in Poland and Germany, in favor of our western neighbors, Polish entrepreneurs began to fear the loss of employees from the East. To what extent is their anxiety justified?
– It is worth noting that the relaxation of the existing regulations, coming into force on 1 January 2020, only abolishes the obligation of the labour market test – the so-called priority test consisting in the possibility of employing a foreigner for a given position, only after checking the lack of employment of a German citizen. However, other standards will be maintained, i.e. the ability to support oneself, possession of the required qualifications, education and professional experience, and knowledge of the German language. This means that the change in the regulations on the employment of foreigners from outside the EU will apply only to employees with qualifications and professional experience. In our opinion, the fears of Polish entrepreneurs about the mass loss of Ukrainian employees may turn out to be significantly exaggerated. Although there is a probability that Poland will become a transit place for Ukrainians on their way to the West – after earning a certain amount of money in our country, some of them may decide to leave – but this will be a slow, several-year process – said Anna Macheta, Development Director at CPC Consulting Group – the LeasingTeam Group company responsible for cross-border posting of employees to Germany.
Specialists urgently needed
As in Germany, qualified specialists are also most sought after in Poland, such as IT developers, IT systems architects, analysts, artificial intelligence specialists, robot designers, R&D employees or digital marketing and e-commerce specialists.
– Employers will want to hire people with experience and documented competences. Although employees are becoming more flexible and often have experience in working in several professions, the demand in these areas is not able to meet the supply. Therefore, the industry will be looking for more and more creative ways of recruitment and employment opportunities, e.g. by creating virtual teams or digital workplaces that will gather qualified employees in the e-space. It seems, therefore, that in the battle for employees, the winners will be those employers who will be able to provide a creative and developmental work environment – said Anna Kurczewska-Formela, Recruitment Director at Professional – a LeasingTeam Group company responsible for permanent recruitment and white collar outsourcing.
The market focuses on improving communication
Since the number of specialists on the market is limited, quick access and good communication with the recruiter will become an advantage in acquiring candidates. The success factors will be: good and fast communication via social media, clear employment conditions and feedback. Tools that speed up contact with candidates are social messengers such as WhatsApp, Viber and Messenger, whose importance will grow month by month, also in communication between the recruiter and the candidate.
A growing trend strengthening good contact with the candidate will also be the presentation of financial terms and conditions of employment already in the job advertisement. According to the “Quality of Recruitment Processes” survey (November-December 2018), in which LeasingTeam Group was a partner, as many as 86% of candidates expect it. In our opinion, this trend will intensify with the greatest force in the area of temporary work, outsourcing and recruitment for the IT industry. Such activities strengthen openness in communication with the candidate and speed up the recruitment process.
Automation, outsourcing and EB – top 3 in 2019
Difficulties in filling vacancies are generated by two visible trends observed in organizations. On the one hand, companies focus on the automation of work, processes and positions, on the other hand, they see the need to take care of current employees in such a way that they do not want to leave their jobs.
The first trend, which was already strongly visible in 2018, focuses on entrepreneurs eliminating the negative effects of vacancies by automating more jobs or outsourcing services. In order for a smaller group of employees to be able to cope with the growing amount of work, they need modern digital tools. And so, on the example of the HR industry, these will be IT systems used for the initial selection, categorization and comparison of candidates or activities using social media tools.
The second direction indicated as key for entrepreneurs for 2019 is the retention of current employees. However, not by raising wages, but by activities in the area of Employer Branding. The high costs of recruiting new people and the time needed to onboard them generate unnecessary losses that can be prevented by implementing a well-thought-out strategy of pro-employee activities within the organization. By creating a friendly and modern work environment, development opportunities and inviting people to be involved in building the company, we cause that not only current employees will leave the organization less often, but also speak positively about it. As a result, candidates will be all the easier and more willing to apply for vacancies.
“Culture in an organization is extremely important, which we see every day when recruiting employees. A perfect example confirming these words is one of our clients from the FMCG industry. Every month, we delegate several hundred temporary workers to it. Although the salary is not the highest on the market, employees are very eager to start working there and stay there for a full 18 months. They appreciate the openness of the staff, the friendliness of the management, but also the clear rules of cooperation. Therefore, when working with clients, we try to get to know the organizational culture well in order to carry out the recruitment process based on its principles. This creates a consistent image in the eyes of candidates and translates into the success of employment – said Katarzyna Janusz, Operations Director at LeasingTeam, a company providing temporary employment services and outsourcing of processes and functions.
Summary
Record-low unemployment, a high number of vacancies, an influx of workers from the further and further East, but also the opening of German borders or a constant shortage of specialists on the market pose more and more challenges to Polish employers and employment agencies.
On the one hand, new tools for automating work are emerging, on the other hand, there is an increasing emphasis on activities in soft areas, i.e. communication or Employer Branding. The winners will be entrepreneurs who will invest in employees from the East, those who will bet on new technologies or companies that will decide to take care of their current employees? Or maybe a mixed model of simultaneous development in these 3 areas will determine success? In just a few months, 2019 will show which trend will be the most effective and bring the greatest benefits.