Research shows that year after year, employers in Poland increase their activity in the area of employer branding. According to the “Employer Branding in Poland Report 2020“, over 48% of the surveyed Polish companies plan to increase their budget for internal employer communication. Internal employer branding is for them more important than activities directed outside the company. Talent management, appropriate communication, onboarding or development programmes are nowadays an everyday reality for companies that care about Polish internal employer branding. What exactly is the situation on the labour market in Poland? Which internal employer branding tools are worth investing in?
Table of contents:
- Motivations of Polish employees
- Onboarding
- Benefit systems
- Incentive schemes
- Employee referral systems
- Employee communication and engagement
Motivations of Polish employees
Planning the strategy of internal employer branding (i.e. building the employer’s image in the eyes of current employees working for the company) is becoming increasingly popular in Poland. Not only does it increase the level of employees’ commitment and loyalty, but also, in the long run, it has an impact on the company’s overall image in the market: among potential candidates, shareholders or business partners. Moreover, well-thought-out internal employer branding reduces turnover in the company, which allows to save on recruitment.
When assessing the attributes of an employer’s brand, Polish employees look mainly at the atmosphere in the company. Salaries and benefits come only second in terms of the most important benefits that Poles value. They also appreciate such aspects as a reward and recognition policy, company reputation, or organisational culture. Mere attractiveness of products or services or CSR are less important for them.
In turn, the most popular reasons why Polish employees leave their jobs include lack of pay rises, lack of consideration for their needs for further development and problems in communication with superiors. It is worth being aware of this data before we start working on an internal employer branding strategy for a specific organisation.
Onboarding
- 80% of companies surveyed by HRM Institute on the Polish market confirmed that they have and use an onboarding programme for new employees. Onboarding (i.e. the process of introducing a new employee to the organisation) significantly speeds up the process of their adaptation, saves time and increases their commitment to their duties or the life of the company. These include, above all:
- preparation of a set of relevant documents,
- uniform training programme for new employees,
- simple work schedule,
- assigning an internal mentor to the new employee,
- establishing clear communication channels,
- presenting the structure of the company, its rules of operation and procedures,
- introducing the specificity of work of the whole business (other departments),
- setting performance targets, remuneration, promotion system, evaluation interviews, and rises and bonuses.
Benefit schemes
Benefit and allowance systems are one of the most important internal employer branding tools in Poland, regardless of the size of the company, the number of employees or the industry in which it operates. In 2019 alone, Polish employers spent over PLN 14 billion on them. Even despite the pandemic, more than 80% of employers ensure that they still offer a range of benefits and perks to their employees. However, before introducing a specific benefit offer, an internal audit should be carried out to maximise its fit with employees’ needs. The most popular benefits and perks in Poland include:
- life insurance
- private medical care (e.g. Medicover),
- employee discounts for specific company services or products,
- sports cards (e.g. MultiSport card)
- co-financing of trips (e.g. summer camps for children, holidays),
- bonuses and Christmas parcels (at Christmas),
- co-financing of training and language courses.
Incentive schemes
Internal employer branding in Poland also includes a number of tools used to build employee motivation. Not only do they increase commitment and loyalty to the company, but in the long term they also increase the efficiency of all work in the company or the quality of customer service. Bonus programmes are the norm in Poland (it is important to establish clear rules that can be implemented). In larger companies, internal competitions and employee of the month programmes are also organised.
Employee referral schemes
Employee referral systems became a hot topic in Polish internal employer branding a few years ago. Many companies realised that the best ambassadors of the employer’s brand, and therefore the most effective way to attract new talent, is to reward existing employees for recommending the company. In return for bringing a new person into the company’s structures, the employee receives a financial bonus. Organising an employee referral system is simple, yet incredibly effective. As many as 1/3 of the companies surveyed in 2019 in Poland claimed to have at least 5% of their employees from a referral programme.
The way the company operates
Every employee likes to feel like a vital part of the big machine. Corporate employees in Poland have a particularly big problem with anonymity and a sense of insignificance. What are the ways to deal with this?
- Meetings and events for employees,
- Team building trips tailored to the interests and age of employees,
- Transparent career and promotion paths,
- Clear and transparent performance appraisal systems.
These are just a few of the most popular internal employer branding tools that are used by both Polish companies and Polish branches of foreign companies. If you are looking for help in developing and implementing an effective internal and external employer branding strategy in Poland, please contact us. Our experts will be happy to discuss your expectations and goals.