Letter of Artur Skiba, President of Antal International in Poland

Artur Skiba, Antal Poland

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Every day I read about the various causes of the difficult situation on the labour market. Many experts claim that it had been brought about by fluctuations of the world economy, bad lawmaking, an increase of flexible forms of employment that are, unfortunately, often referred to as junk contracts, an ineffective higher education system, or even the way that preschools are run.  Who is the culprit then? Bad government, entitled-feeling youth, parents who spoil their kids, workers' unions that put forward unrealistic demands, employers with exaggerated expectations – I could go on forever.  But let me turn the question around: what happened to showing initiative and feeling responsible for your, as well as your company's, success? Why is this attitude so rarely seen? I am getting fed up with people who constantly find new excuses that will cover up their lack of enterprise. Even though each of the above issues requires debate, as well as undertaking efforts that would take us closer to reaching the ideal model and working out a compromise between various social groups, I find that the effects of theoretical discussions lead us further away from the heart of the problem.

As part of my job, I meet hundreds of candidates who are splendid, competent and successful on the labour market. I see a growing number of Poles taking the highest, European-scale job positions. They excel at managing large companies based in Switzerland, Great Britain, the Czech Republic and Poland. What’s more, if a person that I meet during a job interview had lesser odds of succeeding, if he or she was born and raised in a small town, and despite all that I see that person sitting in front of me, I know that he or she is more likely to become a better professional or manager than someone who had it easy from the beginning. Successful people do not make up excuses, they do not blame bad laws or bosses for their failures. Instead, they use these experiences to demonstrate their determination and ability to cross various obstacles that life throws at them. This is what made it possible for them to achieve their current successful lifestyle.  Determination and taking responsibility for one’s life are the key.

We should remember that every country, every economy, has its own history, its own problems, better or worse laws and systemic solutions. Let's not muddy the waters – Poland’s current economic outlook is amongst the best in Europe and one of the strongest in the world. We have worked on achieving this for over twenty years. It is entirely up to us if this economic growth will lead to our becoming lazy – as was the case with Greeks and Spaniards, or if we will use it to become a stable economic powerhouse. It is easy to feel entitled, to lead a life of consumption built upon unwarranted demands directed toward those around you. It is much more difficult to adopt an attitude that makes us the deciding factor in proving our indispensability to the superiors. We must be able to demonstrate we are able to make sacrifices in order to achieve success. We should not deceive young people by offering them a bunch of ready-made excuses as, in the end, they will be the ones who decide how their lives will turn out. Regardless if they start going to school at the age of 6 or 7, or if they come from capital or small town.

The success of today's thirty-somethings was not determined by the age at which they went to school or preschool (the goal of the current reform is mostly aimed at elongating our productivity, not raising enterprise skills). Nor was it dependent on the type of contract that they signed at the start of their career, how they entered the labour market. The individuals that managed to achieve high status did it by utilizing Poland’s constant economic growth and the demand for managers with an innovative approach. They did it because they wanted to achieve as much as their peers in Western countries and more than their parents could.

I think that the next 10-15 years will be crucial for the Polish economy! Further growth and investment will be possible only if we do not waste all that we have managed to achieve thus far. Young people who are only starting out in their careers must carve a reputation for themselves on the labour market – prove that they are valuable for the organization, earn the respect of their superiors and colleagues. However, if we allow the unfounded attitude of entitlement to spread among our twenty-somethings, or even teens, then, in about a decade, we will most certainly face a great crisis, which will not be limited solely to the economy.

Therefore, I call out to all young people who wish to build a successful career. Do not limit yourselves to living off of your parents’ achievements, do not waste time spending too many years at university only to put off the point at which you will be forced to enter the labour market. I presume that you would not like to end up like young Spaniards who have to deal with a 50% rate of unemployment. You do not have control over the economy. You cannot force employers to pay you high wages on a stable contract right after you graduate. You can keep on complaining and wringing your hands, but that will only lead to you still being dependent of your parents when you turn 30. Alternatively, you can accept the hand that you have been dealt. You have to grit your teeth and even accept an offer of unpaid internship, copy documents for a week, support others for three months by doing simple tasks and, after three years of hard work, you can join the elite of professionals and managers. I would like to add that their average gross monthly salary amounts to over PLN 9 thousand[1]. The decision is yours to make.

Sincerely,

Artur Skiba

President of the Board, Antal International, an international recruitment company[2]