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2021 was another year in which we felt the socio-economic impact of the pandemic. Although employers and experts got used to the new reality, it did affect the functioning of the labour market in Poland. Although it seems that the biggest challenges for employers are now behind them, the consequences of COVID-19 are becoming more and more visible. So what will the labour market look like in 2022? And what trends should HR departments be prepared for?
The year 2021 was full of challenges for many companies, confirmed by both market data and Devire experts. In particular, the third and fourth quarters of 2021 showed a significant increase in the activity of employers, as a result of which many companies found it difficult to find employees. The demand for labour and the shortage of employees ended up pushing wage demands higher. These wage pressures are set to continue in 2022, together with the other trends that we could observe in 2021.
Wage pressures are growing
In 2022, we expect the growth in wage increases to continue. According to Devire experts, over the coming months the wage pressure will be visible due to the growing employment rate, the New Deal regulations and increased inflation. More and more employees are now looking for an indexation of salary rates. Failure to address this demand will simply mean that employees will look elsewhere.
“Salary expectations are soaring and, consequently, experts' salaries. We can observe this trend in most industries and market sectors. In the case of legal positions, we have recorded up to 15 percent earning increases, depending on the specialisation. Also, experts with competences in the area of digital marketing can count on raises of 10 percent. In turn, in the area of real estate, we observe 15-20 percent salary increases in virtually all positions. Higher salaries can be expected primarily by project managers experienced in the preparation of investments and their implementation. In addition, in the coming years, in the area of accounting, analysis and controlling, especially in specialist and expert positions, the upward trend of 10% will continue. y / y Programmers are also in a very good position. They can expect the biggest increases,” states Katarzyna Murray, Director of the Permanent Recruitment Division at Devire.
A skills gap never observed before
For years, we have been aware of the skills gap in the IT sector. However, in 2022, talent is to be seen lacking in the vast majority of industries. Where possible, technology will make up the shortfall, and processes and some competitions will be automated. In other areas, the introduction of an action plan covering the upskilling and training of employees will only gain in importance.
The observations of Devire experts indicate that today all sectors are reporting a high demand for specialists, and the job market has become even more candidate-oriented. For years, the competency gap in the IT industry has been growing. The number of offers addressed to specialists in this area has increased by over 100% y / y. The most sought after are full-stack developers, front-end developers, DevOps engineers, as well as specialists in the field of cloud technologies, artificial intelligence solutions and machine learning.
In other sectors, we are looking at a huge demand for work in e-commerce, especially in the area of CRM, data analytics and digital marketing. The construction industry is also developing strongly, with the positions of Project Managers and Cost Managers enjoying a great deal of success. We are also seeing an increase in demand for employees in the manufacturing, logistics, pharmaceutical and financial sectors. But across the board staff shortages are becoming a significant challenge for employers.
“2021 saw a very large increase in job offers, primarily in the areas of IT, digital marketing, e-commerce, finance and accounting, and real estate. In our opinion, this trend will also continue in 2022. Employers report growing problems with employing candidates who have appropriate knowledge and the correct skill set. The most sought-after candidates are, among others, accounting employees, independent accountants, mergers and acquisitions lawyers, digital marketing experts, e-commerce managers and, of course, experts from the IT industry.” - adds Dorota Hechner, Business Unit Manager with Devire.
The workplace of your dreams
The pandemic changed employees’ attitudes to many work-place processes. It can be observed that more and more candidates who are deciding to change jobs are paying attention to the possibility of development and the upscaling of their qualifications. They are also looking for a transparent management company and flexible working hours. Well-being programs are also gaining in popularity, creating new challenges for HR. In fact, employees more and more often require benefits related to mental health. According to Devire’s research, programs aimed at helping employees to achieve a balance between personal life and work are proving to be more popular than the standard solutions, such as sports cards or Fruity Thursdays. Moreover, such programs ensure a sense of belonging to the organisation, and thus positively influence retention. For another year in a row, flexibility is being seen as important for candidates, both in the case of remote and hybrid work.
Managing diversity and creating an inclusive workplace is an equally important element. The introduction of an equal treatment policy and the active building of a responsible approach to the subject of diversity is an increasingly important aspect when it comes to shaping the employee’s experience.