This is one of the key parts of the Polish economy. The broadly understood logistics, i.e. the TSL industry (transport, forwarding and logistics), employs about a million people and provides 5-6 percent. Our GDP is also in the EU lead (report of the Polish Economic Institute from 2023, regarding data for 2021). In logistics, as in the lens, the greatest challenges of the Polish labor market are reflected. So how is it with work in this industry?
There is work! Logistics wants to employ
We see a rather interesting situation. When we asked how companies see the future of logistics, in the answers they pointed to automation and artificial intelligence – and that they want to invest in these solutions. However, when asked about investments this year, the most studied enterprises answered that in new employees
– notes Tomasz Walenczak, CEO of ManpowerGroup in Poland.
In the Manpower study “Where are you going logistics?” you can see that In artificial intelligence invest in the coming years He wants 35 percent studied companieson robotization indicated 31 percent (question There was a multiple choice), in digitization and digitization of processes 21 percent. In turn, when it comes to investment plans This year, as much as 40 percent. announced employment new employees – this is the first place in the indications. The next ones included: implementation of modern technologies (e.g. storage automation, solutions based on And) – 33 percent and construction of new warehouses – 25 percent
What does it result from? – Automation is quite expensive, not every company can afford it, the process of its implementation is quite long, you can not immediately see the effects. You can see that if we go to specifics, for companies still the most important is man – says Tomasz Walenczak in an interview with Next.gazeta.pl.
Only that this man is not so easy to get logistics. First of all, because potential candidates often have too high financial expectations In view of the conditions that the employer is able to propose. It indicated this factor 62 percent Companies surveyed by ManpowerGroup in Poland. But it is also often the case that these there are simply no candidates – this is a problem he notices 37 percent logistics enterprises. Subsequently, companies perceive as a challenge primarily: rising costs of employment of staff (31 percent), lack of sufficient professional experience (26 %) and the lack of required hard competences in employees (22 %).
Will the robots take a job? Not necessarily
Perhaps that is why companies focus on the employees they already have. The head of ManpowerGroup in Poland sees the growing trend of two phenomena. Firstly upskillingi.e. training employees so that they can meet the changing requirements in the current workplace. Secondly reskillingi.e. retraining people already employed to new positions within the same enterprise.
– what is important, 40 percent studied companies He says that the introduction of automation and robotization will not affect the condition of the number of employees. Only every fourth company signals a potential decline in employment – these are often enterprises that today struggle with the efficiency and profitability of their business. And to what the fifth company predicts that automation should even increase employment – emphasizes the expert.
“New technologies do not eliminate human work, but they redefine its character – today the competences related to the operation of systems, adaptation to changes and analytical thinking become a standard. It is a signal that staff and technological investments must go hand in hand” – emphasizes, cited in the discussed report, Sabina Stachurek, Business Human Resources Rirector CEE in Intel Corporation. In her opinion, this year in logistics the most important thing will be to acquire employees in the areas of operation, IT and analytics – “where technology meets practice.”
Problems of the Polish labor market
But in logistics it is also difficult to find employees employed in basic positions. – Rotation is a serious problem of the logistics industryan increase of which confirms 36 percent. companies – this is particularly visible in the case of lower -level positions – notes Tomasz Walenczak. The increase in activity in the second half of the year is also characteristic of her. This is due to what is happening in the e-commerce industry. In the internet trade, the fourth quarter is the hottest moment of the year. This also promotes searching for employees for this period of the year.
Logistics companies struggle with growing costs, mainly energy and fuels, but also the increase in basic salary is still in the top three of the challenges. You can see that these are enterprises aware of the need to raise wages
– indicates the General Director of MANPOWERGRoup in Poland. Perhaps potential candidates, however, have a chance for higher remuneration.
In the logistics industry, in addition to its challenges, the general problems of the Polish labor market also hit, including demography.
It is an aging and shrinking population, which is also a decreasing workforce. And if you add more and more restrictive legal regulations regarding the employment of foreigners, it turns out that we have small resources and they are shrinking. And work in logistics is difficult, demanding, companies in this industry have slightly more challenges ahead of them than others
– emphasizes Tomasz Walenczak.
According to the ManpowerGroup report, the most difficult to fill in logistics are primarily the following positions: Warehouseman, forklift operator and sales representative. This indicates problems signaled by other industries: we have a powerful trouble with qualified working force on the market. Increasingly, the challenge for companies is to find people to work in lower level positions, although they are not necessarily low -paid jobs – as in the case of e.g. welders.
These observations are confirmed by the head of ManpowerGroup in Poland. – after the economic boom, which in recent years forced a large increase in employment, We have a outflow of talents. On the one hand, the aging Polish society is responsible for this: the elders leave the labor market, and fewer young people enter it. For this challenge is that we have fewer and fewer foreigners, some Ukrainians left, the regulations regarding the employment of people, for example, from Latin's culturally close to us, create some difficulties. It is not entirely that the jobs somehow came drastically, only We just lost our employees. That is why companies want to invest in automation.
What the expert says can be a clue for young people who are thinking about the career choice path. It is no longer that the studies and a master's degree themselves guarantee finding attractive (also financially) employment than educationprice professional.
Certainly competitions that will enjoy high demand, regardless of the technological boom, will be technical positions. And they do not have to be associated with graduation. Welders, machine operators, Turkers – such competences will always be included in the price. At the same time, it is worth remembering that training, deepening knowledge, also technical and technological, is basically a necessity on the labor market
– notes Walenczak.
According to the forecasts of the labor department (published in November 2024), such competitions also prevail on the list deficit competitions for this year. They are (in alphabetical order):
- Construction roofers and tinsmiths,
- electricians, electromechanics and electricians,
- bus drivers,
- truck and tractors drivers,
- Doctors,
- warehousemen,
- motor vehicle mechanics,
- building installations, assembly installations,
- bricklayers and plasterers,
- teachers of practical vocational training,
- General education teachers,
- teachers of vocational subjects,
- kindergarten teachers,
- Teachers of special schools and integration departments,
- operators and mechanics of earthworks equipment,
- guardians of an elderly or disabled person,
- nurses and midwives,
- Accounting and Accounting employees,
- employees of uniformed services,
- psychologists and psychotherapists,
- construction workers,
- independent accountants,
- welders.
Logistics competitions also show on the above list. According to companies in this industry, among the key competences of employees (for this year) they prevail Soft competencessuch as: flexibility and adaptation ability, learning and development ability, innovation and orientation to new technologies, communication skills, team work.
– We, as an organization, have the slogan “People First”, we have now added “Digital Always”. And it seems to me that this should also define modern enterprises. Digitization has become part of our lives, but man is still the most important. Companies need people with their soft competences to work – and they are building the advantage of enterprises, because everyone will sooner or later. Companies that will be able to keep the best talents at home will be able to build motivation, employees' loyalty, win – sums up Tomasz Walenczak, General Director of MANPOWERGRoup in Poland.
ManpowerGroup report “Where you are going logistics” was based on a study in which 188 representatives of the logistics industry took part. Among them were forwarding companies, carriers, operators, as well as organizations that manage internal logistics in their structures. The study was conducted using the CAWI method (Internet surveys).
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