Contact Magazine Online No 71 (166) / 2026

An interview with Sławomir Paruch, founding partner of PCS Paruch Chruściel Stępień Kanclerz To start, which of the changes in HR law that are coming in 2026 do you think will be the most important? Observing the market and our clients’ inquiries, I would highlight two key changes. First, the expansion of the powers of […]

By Ilona Węgłowska-Hajnus, director, PwC Poland The paradox of modern HR People operations sit at the core of organisations, being responsible for operations such as payroll, employee data, compliance and the day‑to‑day employee experience. When the area doesn’t work, the whole business feels the effect of it. In recent years, rapid advances in HR technology, […]

By Agnieszka Kulikowska, managing partner, Velaris Executive Search Poland earned its reputation as a delivery powerhouse. Boards are increasingly asking a different question: it’s no longer whether Poland can deliver, but whether it can host senior decision-making. From regional CFOs to cross-regional functional leaders, feasibility assessments around relocating senior mandates to Poland are becoming part […]

By Malgorzata Motloch, senior people partner, VML Enterprise Solutions   Effective communication, in my opinion, is a leader’s invisible superpower, and this statement remains as relevant as ever. Despite changes in a world where unabated technological acceleration and new AI-powered tools are widely deployed daily, perhaps more than ever, we need the intuition and empathy […]

By Katarzyna Zaremba, talent acquisition lead, AstraZeneca Poland’s labour market is tight, fast and increasingly focused on skills. Candidates look for clear purpose, growth and a positive experience from application to onboarding. Employers compete for technical specialists and leaders as well as functional experts who can connect their know‑how with digital tools. To succeed, organisations […]

By Milena Kowalik-Szeruga, head of consulting, Crowe Poland AI-driven automation is no longer a future concept. It is a present-day operational reality. Across industries, AI is reshaping how work is performed, how decisions are made, and how value is created. According to the World Economic Forum, 78 % of companies worldwide reported using AI in […]

By Magdalena Panońko, chief operating officer, head of delivery, GS Services For years, the technology industry has repeated the mantra that “talent is the most important asset”. Today, it is increasingly clear that talent itself has become the bottleneck. This is no longer about a temporary shortage of specialists in a particular technology stack. What […]

By Izabela Walczewska-Schneyder, partner, Grupa Oryx Introduction In recent decades, Poland has been undergoing profound demographic changes that increasingly affect its economic, social, and labour market structures. Declining fertility rates, population aging, and a shrinking workforce have become defining features of this transformation. These trends pose serious challenges to sustainable development, public finances and social […]

By Anna Jarczewska, head of HR, and Marta Osak, continental Europe lead of people capability, Standard Chartered Poland     The world of work is no longer defined by stable job descriptions. It is shaped by constant change, new technologies, and the need to adapt faster than ever before. In this environment, what makes organisations […]

By Krzysztof Jaszczuk, Sysco Polska Poland’s labour market remains tight, competitive and structurally constrained. Although unemployment is among the lowest in the EU, employers continue to face persistent recruitment challenges. A shrinking cohort of young entrants, workforce ageing and sustained wage pressure are reshaping talent strategies. At the same time, organisations are under increasing scrutiny […]

By Hubert Kowalski, senior project manager, Dehora Polska According to the latest research by the Statistics Poland (GUS) (2024-2025), the country’s industrial sector employs around 3 million people. The specific nature of the industrial sector means that most of them have to work irregular hours and shifts. In practice, this means that around 6 million […]

By Michał Wysłocki, an expert in Polish immigration law, senior manager in the Immigration Team, People Advisory Services EY Poland; a representative of major employers hiring foreigners in Poland; an expert for Polish employer organisations, and a member of the advisory committee on the free movement of workers at the European Commission Poland is entering […]

By Alicja Bielawska, solicitor. IMD Corporate   When looking for suitable individuals to join a business, HR departments often look beyond their own country’s borders. Hiring an employee from abroad in the UK – the focus of this article – involves more than simply agreeing on a salary and start date. In the post-Brexit landscape, […]

By Dr Szymon Kubiak, attorney-at-law, partner, LL.M. (Harvard), and Natalia Bigdowska, attorney-at-law, Employment practice, Wardyński & Partners Although the Act on Hiring of Temporary Employees has been on the books in Poland for over 20 years, and its provisions don’t seem to be keeping pace with the market trends, the temporary work model itself remains […]

By Anna Misiak, tax adviser and partner, head; Rafał Sidorowicz, tax adviser and senior manager; and Agnieszka Telakowska-Harasiewicz, tax adviser and senior manager, from MDDP’s Personal Tax Practice and Advisory Services for Employers A long-awaited government bill extending the powers of PIP, the national labour inspectorate, has been submitted to the Sejm. The reform is […]

By Bogusław Kapłon, partner, co-head of Employment and Social Security Practice In 2026, EU member states should implement Directive (EU) 2023/970 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women […]

By Monika Krzyszkowska-Dąbrowska, partner, head of Employment Practice, and Zofia Jasińska, junior associate, Employment Practice, Addleshaw Goddard Poland Poland is among the few EU member states to have made significant progress in implementing Directive (EU) 2023/970 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 to strengthen the application of the principle of equal […]

By Dorota Grudzień Molenda, managing partner, Arthur Hunt Consulting Polska; Prof Joanna Tyrowicz, GRAPE (Group of Reserach in Aplied Economics), University of Warsaw; and Dr Lucas van der Velde, GRAPE, Warsaw School of Economics   The EU Pay Transparency Directive (2023/970) marks an important shift in how organisations approach pay equity. Companies will be required to report […]

From the British Council in Poland In recent years, AI has rapidly transformed the way global companies operate. Automated translation tools, AI-powered writing assistants and real-time speech recognition systems are increasingly present in international workplaces. This technological progress has led to a recurring question: if AI can translate instantly, do large international companies still need […]

By Agnieszka Jarosz, head of ACCA Northern & Eastern Europe In finance, everything is meant to be measurable: risk, margins, forecasts, models. Yet in the era of rapid AI development, the sector’s greatest challenge turns out to be something that cannot be captured in a spreadsheet: people. This is precisely why human resources in financial […]

By Tom McGrath, principal, British Primary School of Wilanow   The great attribute of the human species is its resilience, adaptability and flexibility in times of change. While other species have declined or become extinct, the human species has managed to reach record numbers and the population continues to grow. Humans have become more adept […]

By Dr Małgorzata Adamczyk, MD, PhD, Supradent and Supramed medical centre The world we live in today – especially in terms of the fast pace of life and the constant flow of information – is extremely demanding in terms of health resilience. Good health is a key element of quality of life today – it […]

Interview with Anita Rogalska, HR director at Provident Poland   Provident Polska has achieved its 13th consecutive Top Employer certification this year. In an era of perpetual transformation, how do you prevent these high standards from becoming stale? What’s the single most important HR practice you’ve evolved in the last 12 months to maintain this […]

Gosia Podrażka HR director, Prudential Polska (Pru), discusses the key issues facing HR in the financial-services sector Since December 2025, employers in Poland have been required to provide clearer pay information at the recruitment stage. How has Pru Poland adapted its hiring processes and manager capability to meet these obligations while remaining competitive in a […]

Monika Marczak, head of Wyborowa Pernod Ricard (WPR)’s HR Business Partnering and Talent Acquisition, speaks about consistency, the culture of convivialité, and practices for building candidate experiences Effective employer branding begins where marketing ends – in the real employee experience. At WPR this experience is shaped by local initiatives and by the Group’s global Employer […]

Interview with Alex Shteingardt, regional director Central Eastern Europe at Hays When analysing the latest labour market data, one thing stands out. It feels like employers and employees are facing a mix of conflicting signals from the market. What kind of business environment are we entering this year? Alex Shteingardt: That’s true about conflicting signals. […]

Dr Karolina Watras, headmaster of Akademeia High School, reflects on its journey As Akademeia High School celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2026, what does this milestone represent for the school and its community? It is indeed a momentous occasion, marking a decade of unwavering commitment to academic rigour and holistic development of young people. From […]