Digital expertise are hot in-demand the world over, but Poland is a fine example of how the call for technological innovation is revolutionising the business sector.

Over the last few years, the nation has built international rapport for its shared service centres, providing organisations with the IT and digital capabilities they desperately need.

And while many large, international companies are now coming to Poland, attracting fresh talent isn’t easy, particularly in the IT sector.

To find out how Poland’s talent market is reshaping, we caught up with Anna Kowalczyk, the head of recruitment provider Fyte in Poland, for some fresh insights:

International competition for local talent

The talent coming out of Poland is of a high quality, says Anna, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find the right candidates.

“As with many smaller countries, Poland is struggling to compete with the appeal of larger business and tech hubs like we’re seeing in Berlin, Paris and London,” she says.

“This is particularly true for the IT market, where there’s a strong demand for developers of Java and C++, as well as IT architects and support specialists.”

This has been a major issue for a number of years now, but it’s not all doom and gloom.

“On the bright side, we are seeing a new wave of expats looking to return to Poland with a new set of technical skills and expertise,” Anna highlights.

Foreign language skills are in huge demand

The growing dominance of shared services centres has created a strong demand for foreign language proficiencies, says Anna.

“The ability to speak foreign languages like German, French and Dutch are all highly sought-after skills. This has been the case for quite a few years now,” she says. 

“But having international experience and an international approach, as well as these language capabilities, is a huge draw for organisations.”

People are eager to learn new digital skills

While organisations are looking for people with technical skills, they are particularly eager for people who can pass on their knowledge to others, says Anna.

“In tech businesses or tech roles, it’s incredibly valuable to find talent that knows how to teach new skills to their peers.”

There’s also a large number of people who are who are trying to upskill or retrain to improve their technical capabilities. 

“Currently we are seeing many accountants or tax experts going back to school or doing night courses to learn new technical skills, and some companies are offering the teaching and training themselves.” 

Organisations need a new approach to talent acquisition

With a tech-driven market and a shallow talent pool, organisations need to take a fresh approach to finding new people, points out Anna. 

“They need a recruitment partner that is able to manage their requirements and be able to adapt to their needs,” she says.

“We are very flexible. One of our key priorities is speed – organisations need people fast, and we help cater to that need.”

Fyte Poland has a number of innovative tech tools that make them stand out in the market, says Anna, allowing them to follow this tech-centric talent market into the new world of work.