Fundacja FUNDUSZ WSPÓŁPRACY

The objective of the Partnership is to develop and test a model solution supporting the adjustment of small and medium enterprises and their employees to structural changes in the economy. The Partnership aims to improve innovation in SMEs which directly influences the quality of human resources management and improves qualifications of the employees.

Polish companies from the sector of small and medium enterprises can hardly compete with companies from other EU member states. This results from several factors, i.e. low innovation of Polish SMEs and limited access to new technologies and tools supporting personnel management. The studies reveal that only 20% of Polish small and medium enterprises are innovative. The entrepreneurs do not see the need for changes in their companies. Most of them use ineffective model of human resources management and do not fully utilise the potential of their employees. For many reasons, also financial ones, the companies do not implement IT tools supporting the management. The system of employee selection and motivation is not based on qualifications, but relies on other, subjective and discriminatory factors (e.g. age or sex). Not many entrepreneurs realise that company success is directly linked to investment in personnel, training and skill improvement. Instead of support to learning, they prefer to fire an employee and hire a new one, without experience but asking for a lower salary. A failure to update and improve employees' qualifications and wrong selection of staff prevents adjustment to market requirements and thus poses a threat to the position of Polish small and medium enterprises and their employees.

Within the Project, an IT system „e-Dialog Platform" has been developed and implemented. It is a tool improving human resources management in small and medium enterprises. The system improves such elements as periodic assessment, motivation, recruitment, analysis of qualifications and career path planning. Based on data from the system and objective criteria, the employer can recruit best candidates or direct employees to the training which will help to bridge a competency gap. The employees participating in the Project will be able to benefit from a variety of traditional and distance training courses. Integration of the Platform with a job seekers database will provide
for companies an opportunity to recruit best qualified candidates.

The users of the personnel management tool will also receive many general information on human resources management. During the Project the model solution will be tested in selected companies and positive test results will mean that the tool helps to increase the competitiveness of Polish small and medium enterprises by faster adapting qualification of personnel to the requirements of employers, a wider use of new technologies, increasing the level of innovation and promoting continuous education. The model will also help to maintain jobs in small and medium enterprises.

The activities of the Partnership are targeted at small and medium enterprises, unemployed and job seekers, staff of local labour offices, training institutions and labour market organisations. Common platform built by the Project will enable more effective communication between the labour market institutions, employees and companies. One thousand companies and 2 thousand persons including 1 thousand managers and 1 thousand employees will participate in the Project.

The participating companies represent all regions of Poland and various industries which makes the test model of „e-dialog Platform" representative and closely meeting the needs of small and medium enterprises. Persons responsible for human resource policy will participate in seminars on human resources management and in training courses on e-dialogue platform and its implementation. Participation in the Project will enable them to carry on an effective personnel policy.

The Project results - i.e. the e-dialogue platform, analysis, reports and training materials will be disseminated wherever problems of small and medium enterprises and their employees can be solved: in companies, training institutions, among unemployed, central government agencies. The objective of the dissemination is to increase the number of „e-dialog Platform" users, to more effectively support small and medium companies, to broaden knowledge on model human resources management solutions and to reach public opinion. Through conferences, seminars, published materials, website and presentations in Poland and abroad, the Partnership will promote elements required for the effective functioning of companies on open European market: good practices and models enabling development of the personnel and human resource management in small and medium enterprises.

• The “Platforma e-Dialog” IT system