Building the employer brand on a completely new market should start with one specific step: defining the Employee Value Proposition (EVP) – a set of unique values that a company offers to its employees. How to define EVP in the Polish market? What do Polish professionals expect from their employers?
Table of contents
- The Reality of the Polish Job Market
- Defining EVP Step by Step
- Data Analysis
- Questions for Current Employees
- What Do Poles Look for in a Job?
- Sample EVP Elements
The reality of the Polish job market
The advantages of a well-constructed Employee Value Proposition are numerous, including competitive advantage, the ability to choose from candidates, reduced recruitment costs, lower employee turnover, and the opportunity for continuous improvement. Finding a unique way to attract and retain Polish employees is crucial in today’s highly competitive job market.
Poland still experiences a job seekers’ market, and employers face challenges in recruiting a sufficient number of talents. According to the latest ManpowerGroup report, as many as 72% of organisations operating in Poland struggle to find employees with the right skills. Seven out of ten companies cannot fill positions with candidates possessing the desired competencies. The IT and technology sector faces the greatest difficulties, followed by the hospitality, gastronomy, banking, financial, and manufacturing industries.
Defining EVP step by step
To increase the number and quality of talents in a company, it is essential to offer potential Polish employees more than just timely payments. This is where employer branding strategy comes in, and it cannot be created without defining EVP. How to do it?
Data analysis
The primary step in constructing EVP is analysing existing data. If a company is just starting its operations in the Polish market, the analysis should cover the entire business environment, competition, as well as opportunities and threats arising from them.
For companies operating in Poland for some time, it’s also valuable to prepare:
- The overall mission and values of the company (EVP cannot be completely detached from the values offered to customers).
- Examples of previous communications.
- Market reports (especially about the industry in which the company operates).
- Opinions about the company as an employer (e.g., on GoWork).
It’s also beneficial to invest time in researching the competition. Creating an EVP that is entirely different from what competitive companies offer is challenging since they are competing for the same employees with similar expectations. Finding at least one strong differentiator that the company can realistically offer to candidates is crucial.
Questions for current employees
The opinions of current employees are another crucial factor to consider when constructing EVP. An anonymous survey, preferably with open-ended questions, is an effective way to gather such opinions.
Answers to questions such as:
- Why did you choose to work for this company?
- What attracted you the most during the recruitment process?
- What do you value the most about working for this company?
- Which non-monetary benefits are most attractive to you?
- Which areas, in your opinion, need improvement?
- What would you change regarding the organisational culture?
What do Poles look for in a job?
Entering the Polish job market as a company requires focusing on understanding the needs and concerns of local employees. A survey by Aplikuj.pl indicated that for 62% of Polish employees, the most important factor when choosing an employer is job stability, higher than salary (58% of respondents). Other significant factors include the location of the company, its overall image, and flexible working hours. According to the “People at Work 2022: A Global Workforce View” study by ADP Poland, one-third of Poles would agree to a reduction in employment in exchange for flexible working hours.
The management style of the company is also gaining importance. According to the “2023 Trends Report: Salaries and the Job Market,” 35% of Polish workers find the inappropriate or ineffective management style of their superiors to be the most demotivating aspect of their current job. Forty-four percent mentioned low wages, 30% the underutilisation of employees’ talents, 27% unequal treatment, and an equal percentage pointed to a lack of new challenges.
Generational differences are also crucial. Polish Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) value stability the most, Generation X (1965-1979) seeks independence and development, Polish millennials (1981-1995) prioritise flexibility and high earnings, while Generation Z (born after 1995) focuses on independence, technology engagement, and work-life balance. The last two generations are particularly important for companies as the youngest candidates are the most sought-after employees and dominate the Polish job market.
Sample EVP elements
Based on collected data, key selling points – the most important strengths of the company for potential employees – should be determined. It’s essential to note that EVP is not just a list of employee benefits; it is a much broader concept that includes both material and emotional elements.
EVP elements can be divided into several categories:
Compensation
- Competitive salary
- Possibility of a salary increase
- Clear strategy for awarding bonuses and premiums
- Fair and transparent salary policy
- Salary add-ons (e.g., holiday bonuses, etc.)
Career development
- Opportunities for skill enhancement and development
- Offer of internal training and workshops
- Funding for external training and workshops
- Clear career path
- Opportunity for promotion
- Job stability (e.g., permanent employment)
Benefits
- Flexible working hours
- Medical and sports packages
- Social benefits (e.g., parental leave)
- Work-life balance
- Free parking
- Company car and phone
- Reimbursement of transportation-related costs
Work environment
- Independent position
- Feeling of appreciation
- Sense of decision-making and impact on company development
- Constant challenges
- Transparent hierarchy in the organisation
- Understanding of the company’s overall plans
- Mentoring at the beginning of career
- Prestigious employment
Organisational culture
- Possibility of remote or hybrid work
- Effective management of the company and team
- Friendly atmosphere
- Trips and team-building events
- Pet-friendly office
Defining a company’s EVP on the Polish market is not a task that can be completed in a day or two. It requires a thorough analysis of all available data, both internal and external to the company. If you want to entrust this task to experts who have been operating in the Polish market for years, supporting foreign companies in Polish employer branding, contact us today!