Hiring is not enough. Polish companies must learn to retain foreign workers
A record number of applications by Ukrainian citizens for temporary residence in the first half of 2026 is an important signal for the Polish labour market. Labour migration is increasingly linked to plans for a longer stay in Poland, and companies face a new challenge: not only how to recruit foreign workers, but also how to keep them for longer. At stake are turnover costs, production stability, employment conditions and opportunities for professional development. Experts of the temporary work agency Gremi Personal point out that recruitment effectiveness should be assessed both by the positions filled and by the durability of employment.
A record number of residence applications. Foreign nationals are increasingly tying their future to Poland
The report of the Office for Foreigners on the situation of Ukrainian citizens as of 1 July 2026 shows that a record number of applications for a temporary residence permit were recorded in the first half of the year. Employment remains one of the main reasons for filing them. At the same time, almost 959 thousand Ukrainian citizens were benefiting from temporary protection, and some migrants opted for more stable forms of legalising their stay.
These data point to a change that may be of considerable significance for companies employing foreign nationals. For some workers, Poland is no longer only a place of temporary earnings. A longer stay also means different expectations of employers. Alongside pay, job stability, predictable working conditions, the chance to improve qualifications and suitable housing conditions are gaining importance.
– In international recruitment today, we must take into account not only the needs of the company, but also the career plans of the workers themselves. If someone intends to stay in Poland for several years, they will pay attention to different issues than a person coming for a short contract. As an international employment agency, we look at the employment of foreign nationals more broadly than simply filling a vacancy. After all, what matters to a company is not just acquiring a worker, but whether it will be able to rely on that worker in the months ahead – says Anna Dzhobolda, strategic advisor of the recruitment department at Gremi Personal.
Turnover is costly. Fast recruitment does not solve all staffing problems
In manufacturing, logistics and warehousing companies, quickly filling teams remains an important part of work organisation. This is especially so where demand for workers changes with the number of orders or the seasonality of operations. However, for positions that require longer onboarding and knowledge of operational processes, the mere availability of candidates does not guarantee stable employment.
When a worker leaves, another recruitment must be carried out, a new person must be retrained and the staff responsible for onboarding must be involved. Depending on the position, it may also affect team productivity and shift organisation. That is why what matters is not only the speed of recruitment, but also limiting unnecessary turnover.
In practice, companies can assess the effectiveness of hiring by analysing the number of employees remaining with the company after three, six and twelve months, the reasons for resignations and the cost of refilling positions. This approach makes it easier to judge whether the recruitment model adopted really meets business needs.
– If a company regularly loses workers after a few months, efficient recruitment alone is not enough. You need to establish why people leave and which causes can be eliminated to improve the situation. When recruiting and organising the employment of foreign nationals, we look at the entire process – from selecting the candidate, through preparation for work, to the terms of cooperation. Only then can you judge whether a company is really building a stable team or merely keeps filling its gaps – says Anna Dzhobolda.
Legalisation and accommodation. More than pay determines job stability
One of the significant challenges of long-term employment of foreign nationals remains organising their stay and everyday life in Poland. The report of the Office for Foreigners points, among other things, to language barriers, difficulties in having professional qualifications recognised and access to childcare. These are factors that can affect the ability to take up work, to continue it and to develop professionally.
Solutions for legalising residence are also changing. From 4 May 2026, persons meeting certain conditions can apply for a three-year CUKR residence card. This document makes it possible to move from temporary protection to a temporary residence permit and provides free access to the Polish labour market without the need to obtain an additional work permit. The solution may make it easier to plan a longer stay, although obtaining it requires meeting the statutory conditions.
For companies, this means a need to take residence and organisational issues into account in personnel management. Particularly important are proper handling of formalities, access to understandable information, suitable accommodation and effective communication with workers. Neglect in these areas can lead to organisational problems and, in some cases, to workers abandoning employment.
– A worker who comes to Poland must not only start work, but also organise everyday life here. We combine international recruitment with support for employment legalisation, arranging accommodation and helping workers adapt. From the perspective of an employment agency, these are important elements of the whole hiring process, not additional services detached from recruitment. A well-organised stay and clear terms of cooperation can be very important for a worker’s decision to stay with the company – explains the expert.
The untapped potential of foreign workers
The longer presence of foreign nationals on the Polish labour market gives companies an opportunity to make better use of their experience and qualifications. Some people take their first job in positions below their competences, for example because of insufficient command of the language, difficulties in confirming their education or limited access to offers matching their earlier professional experience.
For employers, this can mean untapped staffing potential. A worker initially employed in simple production tasks may in time gain the qualifications needed to operate more advanced processes, coordinate a team’s work or perform tasks requiring greater independence. The condition is appropriate professional preparation and meeting the requirements of the given position.
Instead of looking for new candidates every time, companies can develop the competences of people already employed. On-the-job training, language learning, identifying prior experience and transparent promotion rules can support both retaining workers and reducing recruitment difficulties. It is worth checking what competences a worker has beyond those used in the current position. A person initially hired for simpler tasks may have technical, organisational or managerial experience gained earlier. From the agency’s point of view, it is important to recognise such qualifications correctly and match them to the company’s needs. For the employer, it can be a way to develop the team, and for the worker a concrete reason to commit to the company for longer.
Employing foreign nationals must be planned for years, not just for the next orders
Changes taking place in labour migration should be reflected in the way employment is planned. As experts of the Gremi Personal Analytical Center point out, growing interest in more stable forms of residence encourages longer professional activity of foreign nationals in Poland. This does not, however, automatically mean that they are tied to a single employer. Companies must still compete for workers with employment conditions, work organisation and development opportunities.
When planning staffing resources, seasonal demand should be separated from the company’s permanent needs. In the former case, speed of recruitment and flexibility of employment may remain the most important. In the latter, retention, competence development and reducing turnover costs gain greater importance. Both models can operate in parallel, provided they match the company’s real needs.
Data on the legalisation of residence show the scale and direction of migration changes, but they do not replace an analysis of the situation in a specific company. Only by combining labour market information with data on turnover, length of employment and demand for qualifications can more informed staffing decisions be made.
For Polish companies employing foreign nationals, this means a significant change: acquiring a worker remains the start of the process, but their value to the company is increasingly determined by how long they stay in the organisation and what competences they can develop there.