Time and cost savings for businesses, reliable confirmation of candidates’ skills, increased motivation, better career prospects, and greater job satisfaction for employees – these and many other benefits of digital credentials in the job market were discussed by participants at the 5th meeting of the Advisory Group on Microcredentials.

On the 13th of March 2025 in Warsaw members of the Advisory Group on Microcredentials met for the fifth time. This time, experts explored how microcredentials can be used to build employee development pathways and enhance recruitment processes.

‘We are concentrating on the practical use of microcredentials and the benefits they bring to employee development pathways and recruitment processes. These advantages apply to all participants in the job market,’ said in his opening speech Dr Wojciech Gola, key expert in the microcredentials project at IBE-PIB.

Microcredentials benefit everyone in the job market

To have a meaningful discussion about the practical application of microcredentials in the job market, it was essential to draw from the experiences of organisations that have already implemented them. Klaudia Wacek from ManpowerGroup, Roman Krzos from Kyndryl, and Michał Kardasz and Łukasz Kobyliński from Sages shared their insights.

‘In an ideal world, employee development pathways would be closely aligned with a company’s short- and long-term growth strategy. However, this is rarely the case – only a few large organisations integrate development planning into their strategic vision. The costs are the key barrier here. Employees are not willing to wait three to five years for a promotion that is not based on their skills and growth but rather on seniority. Instead, they prefer to seek opportunities elsewhere. One of the biggest issues is that employee information is rarely updated – it often remains limited to the CV submitted during recruitment. Microcredentials could be a game-changer for both employees and employers: they provide up-to-date insights into an individual’s development within the company, helping businesses make informed decisions about their employees’ future and ultimately prevent talent loss,’ emphasised Klaudia Wacek from ManpowerGroup.

Michał Kardasz from Sages analysed the benefits of using microcredentials in recruitment processes and how they can improve hiring efficiency:

‘From the perspective of employers, employees, HR departments, and entire organisations, microcredentials bring multiple advantages. Companies can shorten recruitment processes, leading to time savings and lower hiring costs. Many hiring procedures are multi-stage and time-consuming because, apart from a candidate’s self-reported skills, there is no solid proof that they actually possess the competencies listed on their CV. Microcredentials offer a reliable way to verify a candidate’s skills, potentially replacing the lengthy validation process and making hiring faster, more efficient, and cost-effective.’

Microcredentials – challenges and needs

During the panel discussion, members of the Advisory Group considered, among other things, how to make a microcredential acquired in one company match another company’s requirements for the same position, as well as how to describe microcredentials for industries where knowledge or skills quickly become obsolete.

The workshop session proved to be particularly inspiring. Participants developed ideas for implementing microcredentials in both professional and educational settings, assessing their potential from the perspectives of both employers and training companies. The discussions led to valuable insights, highlighting how microcredentials can enhance recruitment processes, skills development, and the overall value of training programs.

In summary, microcredentials:

• combat burnout by motivating employees and serving as a form of recognition and reward,
• create clear career pathways within company structures,
• encourage healthy competition among employees,
• support upskilling and reskilling efforts,
• validate practical skills gained outside of formal education,
• enable better oversight of employee development paths.

Challenges in implementing microcredentials include resistance to change and concerns about costs. Marketing efforts are essential to increase awareness and recognition of microcredentials in the job market.

See our video highlights from the event: 

Participants of the meeting:

• Bogusław Dębski, Polish Information Processing Society, Sectoral Council for IT Competences
• Justyna John, Ministry of Digital Affairs
• Prof Andrzej Kraśniewski, KRASP (Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland)
• Szymon Kurek, Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP)
• Małgorzata Lelińska, Lewiatan Confederation
• Agnieszka Majcher-Teleon, Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy
• Agnieszka Mokrogulska, Ministry of National Education
• Krzysztof Stradomski, OPZZ (All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions)
• Agnieszka Dec, Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy
• Michał Kardasz, Sages
• Łukasz Kobyliński, Sages
• Roman Krzos, Kyndryl
• Klaudia Wacek, Manpower Group