DI: “Heading towards Poland: 8 Tips from an Insider”

Original text in DK: link

Jens-Christian Møller has been doing business in Poland for over 20 years and is therefore familiar with the conditions for conducting business from the inside. Over two decades, Jens-Christian Møller has built up the Danish-Polish company, Eryk Group, from the port city of Szczecin. The company now has more than 300 employees.

Here is what he recommends Danish companies to be aware of, if they have an appetite for doing business in Poland:

• Working Conditions: The era of low wages and available workforce in Poland is over. To retain employees, one must be ready to offer benefits similar to Danish employment conditions, such as further education, staff integrations, subscriptions to local sport facilities, etc.
• Labour Force: The critical factor for growth is the workforce. Eryk has two full-time employees dedicated to marketing the company to potential employees. If you cannot offer a job here and now, you risk losing the selected candidates immediately.
• Potential: Polish growth creates great purchasing power. There is great sales potential in Poland due to the increasing prospects at all levels. However, high inflation has posed challenges for some Poles, such as those with large mortgages.
• Business Culture: Be prepared for a more Slavic business culture. Although challenging before, it has positively changed recently.
• Hire Locally: It makes sense to hire Polish sales managers who understand their culture better. This increases the chances of success.
• Win or Lose: The culture also implies that in negotiations there must be a winner and a loser. Unlike normal Western negotiations where both parties should leave with an advantage, one must adjust to this mindset.
• Russian Energy: Poland no longer wants to depend on natural gas from the East. This presents a significant opportunities for the Danish energy solutions.
• Government Change: Poland has been under a political regime for two terms that has made it more challenging for foreign companies. With Donald Tusk as the new Prime Minister, there is hope that things will improve, but it will take time.

Source: https://www.danskindustri.dk/di-business/arkiv/nyheder/2024/1/kurs-mod-polen-tip-fra-en-insider
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