2007 was another period of dynamic growth of the popularity of temporary work in Poland. More and more employees choose this kind of employment taking into consideration many benefits.  

Monika Ulatowska, the Association of Employment Agencies:  

“It would seem that we have got the most intensive period of the growth of temporary work behind us, that the market has already reached its maturity and employment agencies providing this kind of services will achieve its stable growth only at the average level observed in the European Union, that is within 10% annually.” explains Monika Ulatowska from the Association of Employment Agencies.  

“It turns out however that dynamic economic development, increasing needs for staff observed in companies with simultaneous difficulties caused by a lack of personnel at the labour market cause that temporary employment, as the most elastic form of employment, still enjoys a rising interest of both among employed people as well as among companies.”  

Data gathered by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in the field of temporary work shows that this kind of employment is an important element of the labour market and the whole economy.  

In 2007 up to 486.591 people were directed to perform temporary work. This has been the largest increase of the number of temporary workers for several years. And one of the larger increases in the whole Europe.  

Almost 200.000 more temporary employees than in 2006 found employment by means of temporary employment agencies. It is worth reminding that the unemployment in Poland has currently been equal to 1’706’600 people and it can be said that the number of temporary employees got reduced the unemployment by more than 10%.  

Monika Ulatowska, the Association of Employment Agencies:  

“In spite of the fact that providing the number of temporary employees without calculating the time of their work into so-called full time equivalents is not so detailed information, still it perfectly presents a proportional increase in the market when compared to the last year share.  

Half a million employees is a huge group of people who – thanks to employment agencies - could enter or return to the labour market. Specially taking into consideration the profiles of business fields making use of temporary employment and problems related with employment of skilled staff in Poland, almost half of temporary employees – (47%) – was employed on the basis of a contract of employment.  

The largest number of temporary employees was employed in the following provinces:  

• Mazowieckie (Mazovian) - 201.877
• Ślaskie (Silesian) - 66.591
• Łódzkie - 65.435
• Dolnośląskie (Lower Silesian) - 49.642
• Małopolskie (Little Poland) - 37.374

And the smallest number – in the following provinces: Podlaskie and Świętkorzyskie.  

Andrzej Grudniok, KADRY POLSKIE:  

“You should pay attention to a considerable growth of the number of companies making use of temporary employment. We marked the increase by 4.644 companies what gives a 70% increase of User Employers in total. The total number of user employers in 2007 was equal to 11.398.” – explains Andrzej Grudniok, the President of Kadry Polskie.  

Tomasz Szpikowski, the President of Work Service – the largest employment agency in Poland:  

“Several years ago large companies, often with foreign capital, used to make use of services provided by employment agencies. At present small and medium companies have been our customers more and more often. This is the natural evolution resulted both from a need to adjusting to the requirements imposed by the market as well as from “getting used to” a new form of management.”  

When compared to the last year, their number almost doubled, and within the last 4 years increased more than sevenfold.  

“The largest number of user employers can be found in the following provinces: Mazowieckie (Mazovian), Dolnośląskie (Lower Silesian), Śląskie (Silesian) and Małopolskie (Little Poland)” – explains Andrzej Grudniok from Kadry Polskie - “The following correlation has been a characteristic feature: in the regions which develop most, employers need the largest number of temporary staff and other services offered by employment agencies. There can be a direct dependency noticed. Companies located in regions with intensive economic life need co-operation with employment agencies and temporary staff at various stages of their business activity.  

Tomasz Szpikowski, the President of Work Service:  

“Such a growth of interest into temporary employment results – on one hand – from tendencies in the global economy determining more and more elasticity in conducting business activity and a high pace of the economic development in connection with an in-flow of foreign investments, larger needs of companies for staff as well as popularisation of an access to services provided by employment agencies, a growth of reliance and trust toward  

the business line and promptly perceptible positive effects of the co-operation with agencies.”  

Rising difficulties with gaining staff on their own has been a relevant cause of a growth of interest of co-operation with agencies. Up to 59% of companies notify problems with staff recruitment, so specialised agencies have become a more and more desirable partner.  

Monika Ulatowska, the Association of Employment Agencies:  

“Crucial changes have been made during the last dozen or so months at the labour market. The consequences of the dynamically developing economy, a decrease of unemployment (from 17.8% in March 2006 up to 11.1% in March 2008), economic migration of Polish employees as well as maladjustment of our education system to requirements of the labour market and a very low professional activity in many regions of Poland got cumulated.  

It led to the rise of serious shortages of staff of various qualifications, and of even unskilled workers who could perform simple tasks or wished to train to do other tasks  

Within the last year 59% of companies encountered a shortage of candidates for work [1]  

The effects of these processes were particularly painful for companies performing their business in large agglomerations and special economic zones.  

Difficulties in gaining suitable staff constitute the main obstacle in current operations and development of companies.  

Agencies having both databases on candidates as well as specialised staff and tools to acquire personnel with specified qualifications and skills are able to quicker and more efficiently implement the process of employment.  

Agencies become their indispensable partner in realising “HR” tasks.  

Employers pass to agencies not only issues connected with provision of temporary staff to occasional or short-term tasks, but also to tasks in other business areas.  

Services covering personnel consultancy and outsourcing of HR functions have also dynamically developed apart from temporary work.
These three elements constitute a logical and complementing composition, creating a comprehensive set of services related to work called “workservice”.
The temporary work itself has become some kind of a trial period for an employee. Cautious estimations make you judge that approximately 20% of all temporary employees are employed by User Employers.  

Difficult situation at the labour market has also been a great challenge for employment agencies themselves, which, in order to acquire staff, must specialise more and more in selected forms of direct activation: by means of visits of agency representatives in houses, local shops, schools, local post offices, parishes, feasts and sports events.  

An employment agency, which is an employer of recruited temporary employees, must be equipped with a large portion of skills to “hold” these employees in the place of work.  

The good recognition of an agency is a key element. Only when temporary employees are satisfied with services provided by the agency, remuneration, work which they perform, will decide on further co-operation with a particular agency.  

Various activities aimed to provide assistance to temporary staff, motivation, trainings, ensuring development, measuring their satisfaction, offering loyalty programmes start to be of measurable significance.  

Monika Ulatowska, the Association of Employment Agencies:  

“The number of temporary agencies has intensively increased for several years. At present the number of registered agencies has been equal to 1890.  

Taking into consideration the whole 2007 there was an increase by 275 in the register.  

For comparison purposes:  

• at the end of 2004 – there were 320 agencies registered only.
• at the end of 2005 – 1007
• at the end of 2006 – 1432.

Yet we estimate the number of temporary employment agencies being in operation at the level of approximately 50%.  

Andrzej Grudniok, KADRY POLSKIE:  

„Staff coming back from abroad has been quite an important factor for the growth and profile of temporary work in Poland. A large portion of employees who worked abroad and came back to Poland in fact performed temporary work. This is a very practical and popular form of staff employment in the West. It is beneficial both for an employee as well as for a company. People who come back are not afraid of undertaking work in the form of temporary employment and, what more, such employees can boast of new unique experience”  

What work are searched most often?  

• Production and auxiliary staff in industry
• Warehouse staff
• Machines and equipment operators
• Machines and equipment fitters
• Office and administration staff
• Call centre staff
• Cashiers
• Selling representatives / staff
• Couriers
• Organisers of promotion and hostesses
• Product placement and exposition
• Packaging

The profile of a temporary worker has changed. The group of staff employed temporarily to s-called “intellectual work” grows: sale representatives, office staff, call-centre staff, independent accountants, lawyers, IT experts - programmers, graphic artists, www page creators, database administrators – and engineers.  

[1] KPMG Report, Staff migration – a chance or a threat? Researches – 2008 edition