According to the data of Statistics Poland, Germany remains one of the most popular destinations for economic emigration of Poles. German companies are looking for both qualified and unqualified employees to take on permanent and seasonal roles. However, recruitment in Poland is not an easy task. What makes German job offers attractive? What do Poles expect from German employers? Here are the most important conclusions we have drawn from our many years of foreign recruitment experience.
A few words of introduction, i.e. how the Polish and German labour market is changing
In the last decade, the realities of the Polish and German labour markets have changed significantly. The competitiveness of Polish employers’ offers is constantly increasing, which makes some employees prefer to stay in Poland. The minimum wage is also gradually raised. Hourly rates for employees employed under contracts of mandate are also growing. Even an unqualified employee can get PLN 25-30 net per manhour. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that some Poles who are not interested in traveling are looking only for local job offers.
Young people born between 1980 and 2000 also constitute a growing group of employees in Poland. Many representatives of this generation are people who do not want to give up their personal lives in order to perform professional duties. They are people open to frequent changes of employers, patiently looking for attractive job offers tailored to their lifestyle and financial needs.
Why some German companies cannot find people to work?
Despite many changes on the Polish labour market, some employees still decide to work in Germany.
Many German employers do not know Polish realities or how to recruit Poles. What makes recruitment in Poland ineffective and candidates resign from cooperation before it even starts? The main causes of this problem include:
- imprecisely prepared content of job advertisements (instead of substantive, factual data, the recipient sees only information such as: attractive salary, stable work, pleasant atmosphere),
- high requirements towards the employee – he/she is to organize his/her own transport, accommodation and meals,
- hourly rates are inadequate to the scope of work and expectations towards the candidate.
How to start looking for a Polish employee?
In order to successfully find and employ employees from Poland in Germany, business owners should focus primarily on the quality of communication between the employer and the candidate. Be well prepared for recruitment:
- plan an information campaign and the content of job advertisements,
- precisely define the target group and the candidate’s profile,
- organize bilingual coordinators responsible for contact and efficient exchange of information between the German employer and the Polish employee.
Recruitment in Poland can be carried out in two ways: independently or in cooperation with a specialized recruitment agency. Many German companies that have never employed people from across the eastern border use the option of outsourcing recruitment services. Then an external company, familiar with local realities and the labour market, looks for the best candidates based on specific guidelines. In the modern outsourcing model, people interested in taking up employment are referred to German companies with whom they sign contracts directly.
What determines the attractiveness of German job offers in Poland?
What matters are of greatest importance for Polish candidates looking for a job in Germany? What do people interested in working abroad usually ask about? According to our experience and many hours of recruitment interviews, Poles are more willing to apply for a job with employers who provide:
- the possibility of conducting remote negotiations (by phone, e-mail, online),
- efficient organization of formalities: contracts initially signed remotely so that the employee can start work as soon as possible (many Polish candidates resign from recruitment when the employer expects them to come for interviews to offices far away from their place of residence),
- accommodation facilities (neat, paid accommodation, located close to the place of work),
- a predetermined system of visits to Poland (visits should be organized regularly and well in advance, so that the employee can freely plan their rest. A system of 3 weeks work, 1 week off is very popular.
Employees who do not speak fluent German also pay attention to the possibility of partial communication in Polish. Such people apply for a job mainly with employers who provide support in the form of Polish-speaking coordinators.
The advantage of each German job offer is also paid commute to and from work, as well as from the country abroad. This seemingly trivial factor has become a very important issue for many candidates in the last 2-3 years. Private carriers have increased their rates by as much as 30-40%, which is why a significant number of candidates do not want to finance their travels with their own funds.
Employment of a Polish employee in a German company: basic issues
Organizing work abroad is always a huge logistical challenge for both the employee and the employer. The success of the recruitment process is determined by its dynamics and transparency of employment conditions. Polish blue-collar workers are not used to waiting for cooperation long. After the selection of candidates, contracts should be signed with them as soon as possible and they should be onboarded.
What else is worth paying attention to when planning recruitment of employees in Poland? What steps should every German company interested in employing Poles take? These and many other questions will be answered by recruiters from BERKER DOMINIS. We encourage you to contact us.