Multilingulal potential – the biggest power of BSS Industry
One of the fastest growing branches of the Polish economy is the modern business services sector. Dynamic increase in the number of employees for projects carried out by BPO-oriented companies is critical to client portfolio expansion in these companies.
At present, there are over 500 foreign entities operating in the BPO/SSC/ITO sector in Poland. According to ABSL data, the number of employees in the outsourcing sector in Poland reached 128 thousand by the end of 2014. The employment forecast in the sector for the beginning of 2016 is around 160 thousand employees. In 2015 the sector recorded a 24% employment increase.
Polish outsourcing companies successfully compete for new projects with major players in the market (e.g. India, China). Already today, the BPO/SSC/ITO sector in Poland is one of the top five key locations in the global market with services provided to the following sectors: telecommunications, finance and insurance, e-commerce, retail sales, tourism, automotive, sports, household appliances, fashion and publishing. Investors from the outsourcing services sector see the potential of Poland, given its workforce availability and potential as well as rich infrastructure. The shared services market in Poland is very diverse. Apart from many companies that take on simple processes with the help of unskilled employees, the Polish market hosts a number of companies that employ highly specialised people to cater to very complex projects. According to ABSL data, over 71% of entities that provide business services, successfully launched highly specialised projects, while retaining the quality of services.
– Investors see Poland as an expert in outsourcing services. An increasing number of entities operating in our area take on advanced projects in which employees analyse and streamline implementation and development processes for clients. The above-mentioned projects require considerable knowledge and preparation – says Marek Szul, Country Manager at Transcom Worldwide Poland. – Therefore, employment opportunities in the shared services sector and outsourcing companies are plentiful. Employers are looking for competent employees who are open to customers and aware of the dynamic development of the sector in which they seek employment. At Transcom, apart from a wide range of non-financial benefits, we also have a rich training and relocation programme for employees who migrate between our branches in Poland and abroad. By constantly analysing the labour market in the BPO/SSC/ITO sector, we at Transcom have managed to develop the best know-how, which allows us to deliver a competitive employment offer.
Over the last several years the number of employers in the BPO/SSC/ITO sector in Poland increased significantly due to the growth of the sector. Among CEE countries, Poland is the unquestionable leader in the number of employees and business services centres in this sector. Strong competition has allowed the sector’s labour market to flourish. Employers are increasingly more aware of the expectations and challenges in effective recruitment. The main areas of focus include expansion of nonfinancial benefits, employer branding activities for current and prospective employees as well as effective planning of recruitment campaigns.
One of the main objectives of employers is to deliver an employment offer that is comprehensive, advantageous and tailored to reach a specific target group. The more effective a campaign, the more likely it is to achieve a desired outcome. The next goal is to secure employees with desired skills. Apart from qualifications and competencies, headhunters value the ability to manage one’s professional development.
Given the high number of entities operating in the BPO/SSC/ITO sector in the largest urban agglomerations in Poland (e.g. Krakow, Warszawa, Wroclaw, Tricity, Lodz) it is easy for employees to move between employers. The majority of centres in Poland focus on Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO) and Shared Service Centres (SSC).
– When looking for an appealing employer, who offers good financial and non-financial benefits, professional development opportunities and a clear career path, one has to pay close attention to the nature of the job, organisational culture and workplace atmosphere – says Joanna Osińska, Country Human Resource Manager at Transcom. – The above-mentioned factors are the biggest draw for competent and self-aware employees, who are the most sought after by employers. When choosing an employer, it is also good to check his prestigious titles and emblems. The most popular and substantive is the Investor in Human Capital emblem, given to the most reliable and quality-oriented employers in the Polish market.
Another recruitment challenge in the outsourcing services sector is to find employees for new foreign language projects. Employers analyse the potential of the market in detail prior to launching such a project. The geopolitical situation, state of economy and steady rate of unemployment in Europe led to a considerable increase in economic migration, not only between EU countries but also between continents. Economic migrants start to view Poland as a good place to live and work.
When looking for employees in a given urban agglomeration, headhunters are very meticulous about checking their language skills. To find native speakers who will meet client expectation and project demands is a tremendous challenge for an employer. More and more BPO-oriented entities in Poland open new multilingual centres and provide investors with shared services in several languages simultaneously. Multilingual projects are appealing to investors and employers, but also to employees, who benefit from the opportunity to refine their language skills. It is in an employee’s best interest to learn languages and take advantage of market trends, which gravitate towards multilingual employees.
Magdalena Szałaj Employer Branding Specialist Transcom Worldwide Poland Sp. z o.o.
