New challenges, new possibilities –  post-event report summary

Engaging topics on stage and lively conversations backstage marked the first edition of the HR After Hours meetup, held on June 6th at Productive24’s headquarters in Lublin. The Lublin HR community welcomed the initiative, facilitating new professional connections and discussions on current challenges and trends in the HR industry.

The labour market in Lublin – what does it look like?

The dynamically changing labour market demands that HR departments remain adaptable to both internal and external fluctuations. This concept served as an ideal prelude to Katarzyna Jośko’s (Lubhunters) speech, where she addressed the challenges facing the Lublin labour market over the next decade. In her presentation, she highlighted Lublin’s business landscape, emphasizing the dominant sectors: IT and new technologies, manufacturing, and outsourcing units, including shared service centres and contact centres.

What challenges do entrepreneurs encounter? While the first three sectors are experiencing gradual employment growth, the last one faces vulnerability due to the migration of workers to larger cities. Yet, these are just a fraction of the challenges local entrepreneurs must navigate. They also contend with:

• The growing presence of Generation Y and Z employees, whose mentality, such as work ethic, differs from that of Generation X managers;
• the period of population decline in Poland is projected to peak in 2027, necessitating the recruitment and adaptation of employees from diverse cultures, a process that demands considerable time and effort;
• a rise in the trend of employees being obsessed with personal development that leds to frequent job changes (sometimes as often as every six months) and increased staff turnover;
• the transparency paradox: while there is a demand for greater openness, there is also concern about potential privacy breaches;
• changing the archaic autocratic organizational culture, especially in the context of SMEs;
• skill deficit, mainly in companies located in smaller towns;
• digital ,,playgrounds” and investing in new technologies;
• and many other challenges!

”Digital playgrounds” is a new way of implementing innovations, where employers invest in various technologies and let employees freely test them.

HR as a chameleon – evolving roles over the years

The current market trends are reshaping the nomenclature of HR roles, influencing how positions in human resources management are defined and impacting organizational dynamics. In this evolving landscape, the role of HR specialists has progressed from HR and payroll specialist to HR Manager, HRBP, and now to Head of People and Culture. This evolution underscores the increasing significance of HR within organizational structures. Historically, when HR departments were nascent, their primary focus was on administrative tasks such as payroll – categorized as ”hard HR” – with HR personnel primarily acting as controllers.

The rise of international corporations in Poland led to HR revitalization, shifting towards a stronger emphasis on expertise. HR professionals evolved into service providers, leveraging their experience to equip organizations with tools to enhance employee efficiency.

In economic crises and the rise of outplacement, HR professionals have become key agents of change, tasked with designing HR processes that align with company strategy. This period marked the first time HR took an equal position as business partners, playing a crucial role in decision-making and influencing the organization’s development. Today, HR has achieved full market maturity, standing as an integral part of the executive team. Consequently, HR should play an active role in the organization with a clearly defined position within its structure. The presentation concluded by highlighting the traits of a modern HR expert, including comprehensive business knowledge, a proactive approach to aligning HR strategies with business goals, a strong personality, and personal accountability for organizational outcomes.

Katarzyna Jośko, CEO LUBhunters

The Reiss Motivation Profile

Why do employees stay motivated? Katarzyna Frankowska from Herbapol Lublin S.A. explored this matter in her speech, addressing the research and measurement of internal motivators that influence employee decisions and engagement. She began by discussing the essence of intrinsic motivation as understood by thinkers like Plato, Jung, and Maslow. Frankowska then presented a practical approach to studying motivation using the Reiss Motivation Profile (RMP), a method she has successfully implemented within her organization.

The Reiss Motivation Profile (RMP) is an intriguing and effective method for measuring the significance of internal motivators unique to each individual. Named after American psychologist Steven Reiss, this study emphasizes that internal motivation is driven by desires and needs, which are crucial internal “driving forces”. Money, by itself, is merely a means to fulfil other needs, such as security and stability. Reiss identified and described 16 universal motivators that vary in intensity from person to person. Among them are:

• Power – the desire for influence of will.
• Independence – the desire for self-reliance.
• Curiosity – the desire of understanding.
• Acceptance – the desire for positive self-regard.
• Order – the desire for structure and stability.
• Idealism – the desire for social justice.
• And others.

Based on extensive research, Reiss has developed a psychometric questionnaire that proves highly valuable in diagnosing internal motivators, particularly in the field of HR. These identified inner needs form the foundation of beliefs, skills, and behaviours. Understanding these motivators enables individuals to make adjustments in various aspects of life, impacting not only employment, recruitment processes, and career advancement, but also our reality.

The RMP questionnaire consists of 128 questions and takes approx. 20 minutes. It is a widely used tool – it can be used both in the case of individual employees, teams or couples or children.

Katarzyna Frankowska, HR Director, Herbapol Lublin S.A.

Generation Z – what are we missing?

What does the phrase “chajzerować” mean? How do you decipher FOMO? These were some of the intriguing questions in the quiz prepared by the Productive24 team for the meetup participants, adding a fun twist to the event. The quiz featured 10 questions about terms used by Gen Z. Despite the challenge, participants’ enthusiasm and excitement were palpable from the very first question. The most adept at deciphering Gen Z lingo were rewarded with the HR books.

The quiz served as a prelude to a lecture by Dr. Marta Ryczkowska, who explored the dynamics of diverse teams, including neuroatypical workers, representatives of Generation Z, and individuals with narcissistic personalities. Her insights were drawn from her academic career and her involvement in Lublin’s bid for the European Capital of Culture program. Dr. Ryczkowska emphasized that, in the context of neurodiversity, the focus should be on leveraging unique strengths rather than perceiving deficits. The first step towards this is to discard stereotypes, as attitudes shape prejudices, and prejudices lead to discrimination.

Diversity fosters a culture of growth

Working with narcissistic individuals is a challenge, but it can be handled. The best approach recommended by the speaker was to focues on results and avoid placing such individuals in managerial positions. Collaborating with Gen Z workers is relatively easier, although it requires a different strategy due to their distinct characteristics compared to Millennials. Gen Z employees are notably assertive in the workplace, prioritize their well-being, are attuned to global events, and are quick to voice their opinions on current affairs. They communicate in the language of therapy and emotions and are staunch advocates for information and truth.

The speaker also addressed the issue of gender imbalance within teams, noting that over-representation of one gender can lead to the promotion of incompetent individuals into roles. She emphasized that this challenge is not limited to men but also occurs in highly feminized professional settings. Additionally, she referenced a European Union directive mandating that by 2026, at least 40% of non-executive directorships or 33% of all directorships must be held by underrepresented genders.

Marta Ryczkowska, Project Manager, Lublin 2029

The role of government-industry-academia partnership

The HR After Hours program featured a panel discussion on the competencies employers seek in candidates and the collaboration needed between business, academia, and local government to meet these needs. Dr. Michalina Gryniewicz-Jaworska from the Higher School of Entrepreneurship and Administration in Lublin, Oliwia Wojtowicz from the Department of Strategy and Investor Services at the Lublin City Office, and Tomasz Smutek, R&D Director at eLeader discussed modern student development methods, such as boot camps, where practical skills can be developed in an informal atmosphere, and emphasized the importance of aligning study programs with labour market demands and continuously improving them. The discussion also highlighted the need to strengthen collaboration between universities and companies, evidenced by numerous partnerships between WSPA and Lublin organizations. Additionally, panellists underscored the role of local governments in creating a supportive ecosystem for local talent development and investor attraction, thereby building an effective cooperation system that supports young people in the labour market.

dr inż. Michalina Gryniewicz-Jaworska, Tomasz Smutek, Oliwia Wójcik

Organizational silos: a barrier to growth

Eventually, the participants could take part in workshops on organizational silos, led by Monika Świderska and Paweł Wiąsek from Productive24. They explored the origins of silos, their impact on company operations, and strategies to overcome them. The session included real-life examples of companies affected by silos, illustrating the serious consequences they faced. Participants worked in groups on previously prepared case studies. This hands-on approach demonstrated that fostering a culture of knowledge sharing is crucial for mitigating silos and offers numerous other organizational benefits.

Conversations behind the scenes

Finally, after all the speeches, there was a time for the HR community to network. Participants eagerly connected to forge new relationships and exchange company practices. The atmosphere fostered open discussions and sharing of experiences, suggesting potential collaborations and joint projects in the future. The positive reception prompted enthusiastic interest in the next edition of HR After Hours, scheduled post-holidays. Stay tuned for more details!

What was it like? Explore the gallery below!

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