Poland’s business services sector is entering a new phase, according to Grafton Recruitment’s Business Services 2026 report. Although the number of centers has exceeded 2,080 and employment has reached 488,700 people, the sector’s development is now driven less by scale alone and more by the changing nature of the projects being delivered. A model built on volume and the handling of simple processes is giving way to competence centers that are taking on increasingly complex and specialized tasks.
From cost advantage to competence advantage
The modern business services sector is playing an increasingly important role in the Polish economy. At the end of the first quarter of 2025, it employed more than 488,700 people, up 6.2% year on year. Since 2015, the number of employees in the industry has nearly tripled, while the number of centers has increased to 2,081, compared with 1,941 in 2024.
Growth in both employment and the number of new service centers remains visible, but it is now more moderate than in previous years, reflecting the sector’s ongoing transformation. The industry is currently in a transitional phase between a model that for years relied on scale, volume, and relatively simple processes, and a new reality in which knowledge, technology, and real value added are of central importance. It is no longer competing on low labor costs, but increasingly on expertise and organizational maturity. In a global environment marked by talent shortages, locations that can offer a strong educational ecosystem are gaining an advantage, and in this respect Poland remains competitive.
“Rising labor costs, which are approaching the levels seen in Western European countries, are prompting global companies to move simple process handling to other locations, while placing higher-skill functions in Poland, such as data analytics, financial controlling, risk management, and ESG,” says Joanna Wanatowicz, Managing Director at Grafton Recruitment. “A business model based on cost efficiency is giving way to competence centers delivering increasingly advanced and specialized processes.”
This trend is also confirmed by observations and data from the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, which point to the growing specialization of BSS investments in Poland. Alongside the transformation of existing hubs, new ones are also being established, focused on more advanced business functions and R&D.
“An additional growth impulse comes from rising investment in digital infrastructure and cybersecurity, driven both by the rapid development of cloud technologies and AI, as well as by new regulatory requirements,” explains Radosław Pituch, Head of BSS & Tech Investments at PAIH. “There is also a visible shift in the approach to public support, with increasing emphasis placed on project quality, innovation, and skills development, rather than exclusively on the scale of job creation.”
Demand for roles: from repetition to specialization
The shift in the profile of supported processes is directly affecting recruitment structures and competency expectations.
“The changes we are seeing result more from the direction of the sector’s transformation than from the economic cycle itself,” says Dagmara Jaworecka, Regional Division Manager at Grafton Recruitment. “Companies are not increasing employment rapidly, but neither are they cutting it drastically. Instead, they are adapting structures to new needs, automating processes, and shifting competencies toward more advanced analytical, expert, and strategic functions.”
In recent quarters, demand for most roles in the BSS sector has remained stable. The need for employees in customer service, supply chains, business intelligence, HR and payroll, marketing, and office administration has stayed at a similar level. Demand in finance and accounting has also remained steady.
“Against this backdrop, ESG stands out,” adds Dagmara Jaworecka. “In 2024 and at the beginning of 2025, we observed a clear increase in demand for roles in this area. This was primarily driven by regulatory pressure related to CSRD and ESRS, as well as the need to build competencies that many companies had not previously developed.”
At the same time, the importance of roles involving simple and repetitive tasks is steadily declining, especially in customer service, order processing, administration, basic data management, and recruitment. Layoffs, although not massive in scale, are noticeable and are reflected in growing interest in outplacement services.
“Companies are less likely to recruit on a large scale, while precise matching of competencies to specific business needs has become much more important,” comments Michał Piernik, Division & Business Development Manager at Grafton Recruitment. “Flexible forms of cooperation are also gaining significance. Outsourcing, temporary projects, and hybrid models make it possible to respond more quickly to changing market realities.”
Recruitment processes themselves are becoming more demanding, more multi-stage, and on average around 15 days longer than a year earlier. One visible phenomenon is the freezing of recruitment, which reflects caution in decisions related to workforce expansion. Candidates’ attitudes are also changing.
“Our observations show that decisions to change jobs are now made much more cautiously,” adds Michał Piernik. “Counteroffers have once again become important, yet around 30% of passive candidates, despite receiving an offer, ultimately choose to stay with their current employer.”
Future skills will define the sector’s growth
The changes in the BSS sector show that specialist and hybrid skills are becoming increasingly important, particularly those combining process knowledge, analytical ability, and familiarity with technology. As automation and AI continue to develop, demand is growing for employees who can not only operate advanced processes, but also analyze, optimize, and improve them.
What matters more and more is not only employees’ existing experience, but also their ability to adapt and develop new competencies. Flexibility and willingness to learn will be decisive both for individual career development and for the future competitiveness of the sector.
“The answer to growing process complexity and changing business requirements is continuous upskilling,” explains Mateusz Skiba, Foreign Investors Manager at Grafton Recruitment. “This is all the more important given that long-term forecasts are clear: by 2030, around 40% of currently required skills will either be replaced or become outdated, and as many as 59% of the global workforce will require upskilling or reskilling.”
Technological transformation supports service development
Operational efficiency and service quality are being reinforced by the technological transformation of the BSS sector, where processes increasingly rely on expertise and advanced technological tools. According to ABSL data, centers are making growing use of AI solutions in areas such as process automation, customer service, content generation, data analysis, and decision-support processes. They are also integrating RPA solutions with generative AI tools, automating increasingly complex decision-making processes and improving operational scalability.
“Poland’s modern business services sector is in an advanced stage of digital transformation,” says Joanna Ciężkowska, Senior Brand Manager at Grafton Recruitment. “The scope of delivered processes is evolving toward tasks that require advanced technological and analytical competencies. This is another reason why Poland is no longer seen solely as a location offering lower operating costs, but increasingly as a competence hub handling highly complex processes.”
The Business Services 2026 report was prepared by experts from Grafton Recruitment. It is based on data from Statistics Poland, Eurostat, and ABSL’s Business Services Sector in Poland 2025 report. Salary tables and ranges were developed on the basis of market data and Grafton Recruitment’s own analyses.
Grafton Recruitment is an international recruitment and HR advisory agency founded in Ireland in 1982. It specializes in permanent, temporary, and contract recruitment across a wide range of sectors, including finance, IT, sales, marketing, logistics, and manufacturing.
The company operates in several European countries and has been part of Gi Group Holding, one of the world’s largest HR groups, since 2018. In Poland, Grafton Recruitment has been active since 1997, with offices in Warsaw, Kraków, Katowice, Poznań, and Wrocław.
