Since 2014, the Polish city has been the first European centre for outsourcing services.
by Alessandro Lombardi https://pl.linkedin.com/in/lombardialessandro
Walking through the streets of central Kraków, the medieval atmosphere makes it
seem like a step back in time; but travel a few kilometers towards the suburbs, and you’ll have the
sensation of being physically transported to the future with the geometric shapes of the massive,
fifteen-storey glass buildings that house corporate headquarters.
These are the so-called Business Parks, an English term that means built-up areas
where Polish employees work alongside foreigners from all over the world: Italy, Spain, Ukraine,
France, the United States, the UK, Finland… I, too, came to Poland following in their footsteps.
Poland, especially Krakow, is progressively welcoming foreigners. It has adopted a
policy of encouraging people to visit not only in regards of business activities, but also in terms of
tourism. During the era of the communist regime it was very complex for a non-Polish citizen to
enter the country – let alone start up a business – but a few decades later the situation has
completely turned upside down.
Over 15 million passengers travelled through Polish airports in 2013, though this number is estimated to increase to over 41 million visitors by 2020.
A quarter of these travellers are foreign – a strong sign of the interest the country attracts outside of its national confines. Mission accomplished by the Polish government.
Why is Poland the destination for investors all around the world?
Perhaps it is the allure of the landscape, history and culture: Poland is increasingly
becoming the destination for foreign investors and employees of international organizations that
have moved to the country. Recently, many young people from all over Europe have chosen to
spend their year abroad in Poland. Many are even looking for a chance to enter the labor market
without having to go through the classic unpaid internships that are often offered in their own
countries.
Poland presents itself to a potential investor as “an oasis full of water to a thirsty
person in the desert.” Among the most important reasons to the country’s recent success is its
increasingly stable position in European economics. Companies relocating to Poland have the
possibility to benefit from EU economic funds: about 105 million Euros have been allocated to
encourage growth in the coming years. Moreover, we can’t forget about the “special economic
zones” that let investors benefit from tax reductions. Depending on the area, tax reductions can be
based on the investment value, the size of the company and the number of new jobs created. Tax
reduction can amount to 30-55%. The minimum investment required to obtain some of these
subsidies is around ten thousand euros.
In terms of human resources, Poland offers a vast range of selection and recruitment
of qualified personnel, especially when it comes to knowledge of foreign languages. For this reason,
big international groups like Shell, IMB or Motorola have chosen this nation to set up their own
business centres dedicated to outsourcing services such as HR, cash collection or customer service.
Another decisive element are the great air link services, consisting of 11 international
airports, and the presence of low-cost flight operators, which cover around 45% of air traffic.
Invest in Polish resources
The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) can be defined as outsourcing of
management and control processes that, for these functions, rely on a highly qualified partner to fire
up internal resources and dedicate them to activities that are more orientated towards the company’s
core business. Since 2014, Krakow has been the first European centre for outsourcing and shared
services.
So, if you happen to have a technical problem with your newly-purchased television
and you have to phone an assistance line, the person on the line could be located in Poland, despite
speaking your language.
Don’t be surprised if you are sitting next to a manager equipped with a laptop and a
Blackberry on your trip to Krakow.
This is why ITSELECTA decided to set up the office in Krakow, where we have been
established for 6 years now. We have a wide knowledge of the IT environment not only in Krakow
but also in other cities in Poland, like Warsaw and Katowice, as well as in Ukraine. We source
different markets to find the most suitable programmer or developer for your company’s needs.
