Randstad: Percentage of working foreigners wishing to stay in Poland increased to 59%

The percentage of working foreigners planning further professional development in Poland has increased by 4 percentage points to 59%, according to a Randstad survey. 33% of respondents have not decided on their further plans.

The migration trends noted in the last year are influencing the concerns of Polish employers, especially in sectors for which, according to the 48th edition of the Randstad Employer Plans survey, the search for new employees is currently the biggest challenge, i.e. construction, manufacturing, logistics and some specialised industries. The fact that in the ‘Kierunek Polska’ survey, the percentage of respondents who want to bind their professional future to Poland has increased compared to the previous year (from 55% to 59%), may signal a reduction of these concerns. Those with vocational education and foreigners working in Poland today according to their qualifications are more likely to report such readiness. Every third foreign worker responds that they do not yet know whether they want to stay in our country for a longer period of time, reads the report ‘Kierunek Polska. Foreign workers on the Polish labour market’.

For two-thirds of foreign workers, the most important factor they take into account when choosing an offer is salary, it was also stated.

It is definitely indicated more often by those with higher education. At the same time, its importance is decreasing in favour of other factors - in last year's edition of the survey, remuneration was indicated as a priority by 91% of respondents. The other most important aspects for employees - paid holidays (53% of indications) and preferred type of contract (48%) - occupy the same places as a year ago, but the percentage of indications has also decreased, according to the report.

The survey found that 94% of survey participants are satisfied with their current employment conditions.

Employers are responding more accurately to the needs and expectations of employees - not only in terms of wages, but also in terms of the form of employment, including the flexibility that allows the predominantly migrant women to take care of children or seniors, the report stated.

Insufficient knowledge of the Polish language is the main reason for under-qualified work for one in two foreign workers, although the percentage of indications of this barrier fell to 50% from 60% a year ago.

More than half (56%) of foreigners working in Poland speak Polish at a beginner or basic level (A1-A2). The highest number of people speaking Polish at an advanced or proficient level can be found among the youngest workers (18-24 years old) and those with a university education. However, this is still a small number, as only 9% and 5% of people in each of these groups, the survey reveals.

:Satisfaction with the employment conditions offered by Poland and the simultaneous willingness of foreigners to stay here longer is a good forecast for Polish companies. It is worth noting that more than one in four foreign workers is motivated to change jobs by development, willingness to learn and improve their qualifications, so their competences will become higher and higher, also in terms of language skills, which comes with time. All this gives hope that Polish companies will also be able to fill the staff shortages existing in many sectors of the economy in the long term," summarised operational talent solutions director at Randstad Polska Marzena Milinkiewicz.

The second edition of the survey Kierunek Polska. Foreign workers on the Polish labour market was carried out using the CAWI method, an online questionnaire, among 700 respondents, mainly of Ukrainian, Belarusian, Georgian, Russian and Nepalese nationality, in the Randstad Opinions survey system provided by the research agency SW Research. The survey was conducted from 6-27 October 2023.

Source: Randstad and ISBnews