Skills Come First. The Podcast About How to Stay Current

Microcredentials in a modern CV

What skills are needed in today’s world? How can microcredentials enable employers to gain better insights into job applicants, and help candidates and employees present their abilities that already hold greater value in the labour market than a university degree? These are among the questions addressed by the guest of the latest podcast episode, Joanna Malinowska-Parzydło.

How recruitment processes are changing in Poland

For years, Joanna Malinowska-Parzydło, author of “Jesteś marką. Jak odnieść sukces i pozostać sobą” (You are a brand: How to succeed and stay true to yourself) and creator of the premium personal branding concept, has consistently explored the labour market from a perspective that brings together HR insights with reflections on responsibility and the maturity of professional relationships.

In her view, change does not mean a complete break from past standards, but rather a shift in emphasis: towards the quality of one’s attitude rather than formal qualifications, and towards the responsibility of leaders rather than expectations placed on employees.

“Over the past dozen or so years, both much and little has changed. Little, because the best leaders are still simply looking for professional and decent people. There remains a strong need for individuals who are polite, eloquent in Polish, and ethical. What has changed, however, is that today it is managers who must earn employees’ loyalty. From the perspective of both employers and employees, the importance of formal education has declined – university studies are no longer the most important factor,” points out Joanna Malinowska-Parzydło.

As the expert emphasises, for around a decade, the best recruiters on the market have clearly prioritised practice over theory. In other words, the concrete skills candidates possess, especially the ability to apply knowledge in practice, matter more than a university diploma. This is precisely why microcredentials have been rapidly gaining importance in recruitment processes worldwide.

A new generation in the labour market – challenges for recruiters

Shifts in the labour market, driven by a generation with a markedly different approach to education and employment, are posing challenges for both recruiters and leaders. Long-established habits and models of treating employees must now be re-examined.

“I remember a conversation with an operations director a few years ago. He came to tell me that his assistant had resigned. It turned out she had no intention of ‘sleeping on a makeshift mattress for the sake of the company’. That was a sign of change and a warning signal for leaders to rethink how they approach employees and organise working conditions. The new generation will no longer be willing to sit in the office from morning until night – work is not their whole life,” stresses Joanna Malinowska-Parzydło.

According to the expert, adapting to candidates’ expectations is essential because today the most important component of company strategies is, in fact, people and organisational culture.

“Any other company can purchase access to the same tools and create products similar to ours. We compete through employee engagement, organisational culture, and their broad experience,”

notes Joanna Malinowska-Parzydło, also highlighting how crucial it is for leaders to motivate employees in non-financial ways, based on recognising their individual needs and values:

“I have often told leaders: ‘Go and ask the employee what matters to them.’ It’s about values. If an employee says family is most important, motivating factors should include benefits that help them support or provide opportunities for their children. If they say development is key, they should be sent on training courses. Wise leaders will increasingly look for people who know what motivates them.”

A CV for our times

However, change in the labour market is not only about new expectations for leaders and recruiters. Candidates must also approach the creation of their CVs in a completely different way. Existing habits or templates found online do not allow candidates to include what truly matters in recruitment today, which is a description of their talents.

“What has not changed is that experience is still valued. Young people should start applying their knowledge in practice as soon as possible – this is where microcredentials can play a role by confirming it”,

observes Joanna Malinowska-Parzydło, and adds: 

“It is vital that young people have frequent opportunities to practise their social skills, as this is an area where the new generation in the labour market often faces challenges. It is also worth developing hobbies, because what we are interested in and how we pursue it can say a lot about us to a recruiter. Digital competences must not be overlooked either.”

The expert also believes that a key competence for employees today is self-awareness.

Watch the full podcast episode!