By 2050, the majority of Polish society will be over 50. At the same time, modern technologies are entering companies at an increasing rate, making it harder for older workers to keep up with changes, which threatens exclusion, and young people fear that their positions will disappear. Participants in one of the panels discussed current trends on the labor market during the spring edition of the European Forum for New Ideas, which is currently taking place in Warsaw.
According to Mariusz Zielonka from the Lewiatan Confederation, European labor markets, despite the current turbulence in the world, are characterized by great resilience.
– Poland is in third place among those doing better. However, this road may be bumpy. Especially since there are many dynamic changes taking place on the labor market, related to technology, among other things – said Mariusz Zielonka. – Additionally, the aging of society is visible. By 2050, the majority of our population will be over 50. At the same time, the pace of change is accelerating, which threatens exclusion. It will be harder for older workers to keep up, in particular. Therefore, it is necessary to create a lifelong learning system.
We need to think about the silver economy
Li Andersson, MEP and Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, also believes that it is necessary to introduce special labour market policies with the silver economy in mind.
– We need to take older workers into account – believes Li Andersson. – It is necessary to change the recruitment approach to them, but also to adapt their competences to the requirements of technological transformation. We need targeted lifelong learning programs, as well as reskilling and upskilling tailored to specific needs. By 2030, the goal is for the majority to participate in this process. Especially since currently only 11% of older workers, over the age of 55, are still in education.
Employees over 55 are not a problem
According to Li Andersson, in many countries these problems are solved at the national level.
– Medium and small enterprises are not able to invest in the constant development of all professional groups. That is why they need EU support – believes the MEP. – Well-designed programs are essential. We even need to plan who will replace an employee when he or she is currently training. We need to promote intergenerational cooperation, mentoring programs and the right narrative. We cannot say that employees over 55 are a problem. Let's remember the enormous knowledge and experience that they can pass on to younger generations.
Will cashiers disappear?
Marina Dubakina, President and CEO of Sustainability, IKEA Retail, believes that new technologies currently raise many myths. Therefore, both company leaders and the state should debunk them, because it is just fear with big eyes.
– Technological change has been happening for a long time and it is not happening suddenly – says Marina Dubakina. – It is not such a dramatic matter. It is not only at work, but also in the personal life of each of us. The challenge is the amount of time that the company and the employee spends to get used to these modern tools. This affects the efficiency and self-confidence and well-being of the employee.
According to Marina Dubakina, the latest technologies may eliminate cashiers.
– These will be the professions that disappear the fastest – says the IKEA Retail representative. – Fortunately, this is a group that can be retrained very quickly. These people will be able to, for example, supervise various devices and help in the sales process. This is just one example. From our experience at IKEA, we know that you just need to devote some time to it. In Warsaw, we have 60 percent fewer employees due to automation.
A technological gap has emerged
Bożena Leśniewska, Vice President of the Management Board for Business Market at Orange Polska, believes that technologies are growing very quickly and rapidly. At the same time, organizations are growing slowly.
– In recent years, this has caused a large gap, which is a big problem, because digital transformation is part of every company – says Bożena Leśniewska. – In addition, we need to adapt a lot of technology in all organizations. Therefore, it is very important to accelerate the pace of transformation, which is not easy. It is necessary to combine IT and business competences and improve qualifications. In large companies, we are already talking about a mass approach.
Can you use AI at work?
According to Dariusz Standerski, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Digital Affairs, many employees have doubts whether they can use artificial intelligence in their work.
– We use AI in many different ways. It is now unavoidable – believes Dariusz Standerski. – This is not the first such revolution in our history. Previous ones usually increased the number of jobs. The AI wave will be no different. The difference lies in the different demographic situation. In Poland, 500,000 people leave the labor market every year, and 300,000 enter. This means that artificial intelligence will have to help here. The problem is that companies are adapting to this too slowly. That is why we need to adapt technologies faster than in the past. In Poland, we need 100,000 more IT and AI specialists by the end of the current decade. Such employees are especially lacking in small towns – added the minister.
Lack of workforce is a problem for 70% of Polish companies
According to data from the European Commission, as many as 70% of employers say that the lack of labour is their main problem. According to Ivailo Kalfin, executive director of Eurofound, this is a problem because we are already competing with other regions of the world for labour.
– The demand on the European market for workers from outside the EU concerns two groups: very highly educated workers, e.g. those dealing with new technologies, and those who do not need high skills, e.g. in care or construction. The latter can simply be trained. However, to convince a software engineer from India to come to Europe, we must not only offer high wages, but also high quality employment. We must take into account that they will come with their family. Therefore, housing, education, health and social welfare systems must be prepared for this.
According to Ivailo Kalfin, in European countries we also have a staff reserve, e.g. young parents, the elderly and people who are not interested in working, which includes especially part of the younger generation. Therefore, we need to think about how to attract them to the labor market.
– It is worth encouraging our own citizens first, and only then encouraging people from outside to come to us – says the executive director of Eurofound.
Is going for tests during work cool?
As Bożena Soberka, Head of HR Poland and Baltics at BAT, says, it is impossible to go through social transformation without remembering that people are at the very heart of it.
– It is not a cost, but an investment in the development of the company – the expert believes – We also need to create a workplace where health is a very important issue. It is important to help employees to work as long as possible. We need to take care of the ergonomics of work. It is important to build awareness that taking care of yourself is fashionable. Going for tests during work is cool. Prevention is the best form of health care. Employers can also prepare for this.
According to Bożena Soberka, mental well-being is even more important, and it is not yet sufficiently supported in Poland.
– The average use of mental health support programs is 2 percent – says the BAT representative. – That is why we need to start with education, raising awareness and demystifying the topic. We, as employers, can bring about a huge change in this area – adds the expert.
