In 2025, the key challenge for businesses will be to find the right balance between budget constraints, the satisfaction of their employees, and compelling offers for candidates. It will not be an easy task, especially given the volatility of market trends. Those who can successfully navigate this challenge will gain a competitive advantage when the market eventually recovers.
Hays Poland Salary Guide 2025 | Recruiting Trends
HAYS POLAND
SALARY GUIDE 2025Trends in the labour market
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2025 will be an unpredictable year, significantly influenced by the economic climate. However, regardless of whether we will witness the anticipated upturn, one thing is certain: Poland will not experience an employer-driven market.
On the one hand, organisations plan to recruit and very often expect challenges in securing necessary expertise. They are very cautious before deciding to launch recruitment processes, conducting thorough needs analysis before taking action. This translates into very precise expectations regarding candidates.
Although organisations are receiving an increasing number of CVs in response to job offers, professionals who meet the recruitment criteria are often not interested in changing jobs, and their salary expectations exceed the budgets set by employers.
Agnieszka KolendaExecutive Director, Hays Poland
RECRUITMENT TRENDS
Despite the high uncertainty surrounding organisations' hiring strategies for 2025, 86% of employers plan to recruit. Employers point to business development as the primary reason for their recruitment plans. ‘Development’ can mean both transformations in business models and new skill requirements as well as the expectations of economic recovery in the upcoming months.
Employers anticipate that their labour market activities will remain consistent with last year's levels. Practically speaking, this means that organisations will remain cautious when deciding to launch recruitment. They will continue to analyse opportunities and risks carefully before creating new jobs. Recognising that the market conditions are rapidly changing, employers are also aware that their current needs and opportunities may shift. As a result, many organisations expect that 2025 could bring the anticipated market upturn. Employers cite business development (49%) and the necessity to fill positions vacated by departing employees (35%) as the main reasons for their planned recruitment.
Reduced recruitment activity does not mean that acquiring talent has become easy. In fact, the majority of employers (53%) expect to face recruitment difficulties in 2025. The primary reason for this is the high financial expectations of candidates, which many firms are often unable to meet.
REMUNERATION STRATEGIES
In 2025 employers are planning to implement pay raises, but the projected increases are expected to be smaller than in previous years. While 79% of organisations intend to raise wages, only 11% anticipate that these increases will reach or exceed 10%. This data marks an 8pp decrease from the previous year.
Our survey data indicates that organisations recognise the need to adjust their salary scales in response to market trends. However, pay increases will either be company-wide, aligned with inflation, or allocated only in areas where they are absolutely necessary. In some organisations, raises will mainly target the lowest earners, reflecting the increase in the minimum wage. Conversely, other organisations plan to focus on offering pay rises for experts with the most valuable skills.
In 2024, 56% of specialists received a pay rise, 11pp less than a year ago. This decline is evident in the overall satisfaction with earnings, 59% of employees express dissatisfaction with their current salary, and 48% feel that their pay is insufficient for their responsibilities. Additionally, professionals are aware that obtaining a raise in 2025 may be more challenging.
WHAT ARE THE CURRENT SALARY TRENDS?
Download the Hays Salary Guide 2025 for accurate and up-to-date salary information. Our team of experts has prepared a comprehensive remuneration analysis that covers over 500 roles across key sectors of the economy. The data, collected during the recruitment processes conducted by Hays Poland in 2024, is based on the average amount offered to employees.
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