The hidden cost of an employee. A conversation with Bartosz Kruszewski
Just a few years ago, Poland was seen as a market of relatively low labor costs. Today that picture is clearly changing. The pace of wage growth after the pandemic period remains significantly higher than the EU average. Does this mean we are ceasing to compete on price and beginning to compete on quality and efficiency? In a conversation with Sebastian Matyniak on the channel “Rozmowy bez cenzury” (Conversations Without Censorship), our expert Bartosz Kruszewski explains how to look at the cost of an employee so as not to lose money and to take a broader view of the recruitment process.
It’s not only salaries that are rising. Non-wage costs are becoming increasingly important, and the “cost of an employee” itself is ceasing to be a simple financial category. It is no longer just gross pay, but a whole set of factors affecting the real value an employee brings to the organization. So how should we properly understand the cost of an employee today? Which elements determine the actual cost, and what happens when those elements are missing? How much does poorly conducted employee onboarding really cost?
These questions do not arise by chance. We are getting ever closer to implementing the Pay Transparency Directive. Are companies ready for it? What does transparency mean in practice — and is it more of a challenge or an opportunity for growth?
In many organizations, the topic of job evaluation is still disorganized. So how should it be approached systematically, and why can this be the key to building a competitive advantage? How does all of this relate to social security contributions?
And finally: what role does artificial intelligence play in all of this? Does AI really lower labor costs, or does it rather change their structure? How can you find your footing in all this as an employer — and as an employee?
Want to learn more? Watch the full conversation with our expert, Bartosz Kruszewski.
