As suggested by the latest data from the Central Statistical Office (GUS), unemployment in Poland in 2023 amounted to 5.1 percent. Does this equate to us being happy at work and not ‘throwing in the paperwork’? Not necessarily. 36 percent of Poles think daily about changing jobs, and over 41 percent casually look for a new place of employment. Only 22 percent of employees do not consider a move to a competitor. This is according to a survey conducted at the end of March of this year on the LinkedIn social media platform by the PulsHR magazine[1].
This is depressing, as we are currently witnessing low labor demand in the market. According to GUS data, there were 97.1 thousand vacancies in Poland at the end of the fourth quarter of 2023, which is 12.7 percent less than at the end of the third quarter. This means that many of us, despite wanting to change jobs, simply cannot do it.
Why do Poles want to change jobs? Mainly for financial reasons. In the “Professional Mobility of Poles in 2024” survey conducted by Pracuj.pl[2], it was revealed that 52 percent are looking for new professional opportunities to earn more. Every fourth worker admits that lack of opportunities for promotion at the current workplace and feeling undervalued motivate them to consider a change (with 27 and 24 percent responses, respectively).
Looking at these data, it is clear that a large part of us work in companies that do not emphasize properly motivating their team, both materially and immaterially. This is of concern because such an approach does not favor building loyalty and engagement, which in turn translates into the results of the entire company.
What can improve the situation? Primarily, regular job valuations – researching what the competition pays and wage adjustments according to the market. It’s also very important to appreciate employees. According to the “Engagement 2023” study carried out by the Enpulse platform[3], 7 out of 10 employees admit that praise from their immediate superior is important to them and affects their motivation. Also, it’s vital to support employees in maintaining work-life balance – free time is the most important benefit for most of them. All these elements build loyalty, make employees feel good at their workplace and not think about a change.
Marta Barcicka, Human Resources expert with over 15 years of experience
[1] https://www.linkedin.com/posts/pulshr_praca-zatrudnienie-emerytura-activity-7176296203502968832-6j7K?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
[2] https://media.pracuj.pl/240043-poszukuja-mimo-kryzysu-mobilnosc-zawodowa-polakow-w-2023-roku
[3] https://www.enpulse.eu/raport-zaangazowanie-2023
