Why are Polish companies losing talent? Employee Appreciation Report 2026

If valuing employees in Poland were an Olympic discipline, most companies would not have even gone through regional eliminations. The results are relentless: only 8% of employees in our country show genuine commitment. This is the lowest rate in all of Europe. Behind this number is a silent crisis of burnout, turnover and frustration that drains the organization's budgets. In this guide, we break down the first latest data from the Nais and Enpulse report for 2026 into factors, see how much the culture of indifference costs us, and suggest how to reverse this downward trend.

8% engagement: Poland at the grey end of Europe

Appreciation of employees is a structured process of noticing and rewarding the effort and achievements of a team, which directly translates into the level of motivation and business commitment in the organization.

Most companies do it wrong because they treat recognition as a limited resource for which you have to rigorously account to the board. Instead of building a culture of feedback, managers wait for annual employee evaluations. We see the effects of this approach in black and white in the latest statistics from 2026.

The gap between us and the rest of the world

Let's start with the brutal facts. The level of employee engagement in Poland is only 8%.

To understand the scale of the problem, let's look at the international context. The European average is 13%, the global reaches 21%. The best, most mature organizations in the world reach the level 70%. The difference between the Polish average and world leaders is almost a nine-fold gap in willingness to work, innovation and loyalty.

Free fall, not statistical fluctuation

A joint study by Enpulse and Nais, conducted for three years, exposes a very worrying trend. From year to year, the number of people who feel that their work is important to the employer decreases:

• In 2024, the percentage appreciated was 37%.
• In 2025, it fell to 36%.
• In 2026, he stepped to 29%.

A drop of 8 percentage points in just 24 months is not a measurement error. it freefall. Worse, until 28% Individuals declare that they never experience any form of recognition at the place of employment. Imagine that every fourth person passing by in the office corridor comes to work with the deep conviction that their presence does not matter to anyone in the slightest.

Money vs. the word “thank you.” What does the employee really want?

Forms of appreciation at work are divided into financial (bonuses, bonuses, raises) and non-financial (verbal praise, development opportunities, promotions), and their effectiveness depends on the local macroeconomic context.

I often see in clients a powerful disconnect between what the company considers a reward and what people actually expect. We asked more than a thousand people about their preferred forms of gratification. The responses from the Polish market contrast strongly with global trends.

Polish pragmatism in the age of inflation

till 60% respondents in Poland indicated a cash bonus as the most important form of recognition. This is a significant increase compared to last year (52%). What does it come from? From a cool economic calculation. In the last five years, the minimum wage has increased by 78%, while productivity has only increased by 22%. Increases of the order of 2-5% planned for 2026 often do not even cover the cost of inflation. Employees demand cash because they treat the bonus as a substitute for a fair basic salary.

In Western markets, however, the situation is very different. According to Deloitte data, 54% Employees globally expect verbal thanks for their efforts, and 47% see development opportunities as the optimal reward.

The Mathematics of Gratitude

Of the Polish employees requesting a financial bonus, only 10% He actually gets it. Others are experiencing frustration. Meanwhile, the usual verbal thanks for a job well done goes to 35% People who appreciate this gesture.

Actionable type: The word “thank you” costs zero dollars. Even if your HR budget shines with voids, sincere praise, conveyed in a team forum or through a dedicated platform (such as Nais), works instantly. Start by introducing a rule in which the status meeting begins with one minute dedicated to praising a particular initiative of a coworker.

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Polish paradox — “I know I'm good, but the company is silent”

The paradox of appreciation on the Polish market lies in the high self-assessment of competencies by employees while at the same time feeling that their contribution is ignored by management structures.

The most alarming data in the entire report concerns employees' self-awareness. till 72% Polish specialists can independently assess their contribution to the development of the company. These people know exactly that their daily responsibilities make sense. They understand the value they bring.

And at the same time 57% the same group does not feel appreciated by superiors.

Burned potential

So we have in companies whole teams of competent people, confident in their abilities, who every day come to the conclusion that the organization in which they spend 8 hours a day is completely indifferent to their effort. This is a simple path to the phenomenon quiet leaving (silent departure). The team does not lose motivation because it is weak. He loses it because no one notices his strength. If the feedback system does not exist, the best experts will simply pack their things and go where their work will be noticed.

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Hard ROI: How much does a culture of indifference cost?

Return on Investment (ROI) is measurable financial and operational benefits, such as reduced recruitment costs or increased productivity, resulting from the implementation of systemic employee recognition programs.

Skeptics often ask: do all these soft HR actions actually affect hard business? The answer is: it is one of the fastest paying elements of an operational strategy. The Gallup Institute estimates the costs of lost productivity resulting from a lack of commitment to 438 billion dollars a year (9% of global GDP).

In Polish realities, the cost of replacing a qualified specialist is an expense of the order of magnitude 200 000 — 260 000 PLN. Any unexpected departure of an expert who felt undervalued directly hits the profitability of the company.

Profit from empathy — the numbers don't lie

Organizations that have implemented structured appreciation programs (according to Gallup, Vantage Circle, Achievers data) note a radical improvement in key operational metrics:

With a Polish level of commitment of 8%, every single percentage point raised thanks to a smart valuation system means millions of zlotys in savings on a corporate scale.

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What to avoid? Mistakes that destroy company morale

Errors in appreciation systems are managerial practices that, instead of motivating, build frustration — these include false praise, lack of transparency, and treating recognition as a bad obligation.

Implementing engagement building mechanisms is easy to mess up. Here is a list of the most serious sins committed by executives:

• Praise from the slot machine (copy-paste): Messages like “well done with this project”, sent en masse to everyone, lose any value. Appreciation must be personalized and specific. Instead of generalities, say, “Your risk analysis on Project X yesterday saved us the budget, great job.”
• Appreciation solely for heroism: Rewarding people only if they make 200% of the norm or save the company from a fire. Forgetting about people who deliver their operational tasks every day, reliably and without delay (the so-called silent heroes).
• Treatment of salary as the only form of recognition: Messages like “After all, I pay you a salary, why should I praise you?”. Salary is a transaction for time and competence. Appreciation is building relationships.
• No tools for Peer-to-Peer: Basing the system solely on the boss-subordinate axis. Employees often know each other's contribution to the work better than their superiors. Organizations without horizontal appreciation mechanisms (where a colleague can appreciate a colleague) lose enormous motivational potential.

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Full Report “Do You Feel Appreciated? 2026"

The Employee Appreciation Report is an annual, comprehensive survey of the Polish labor market, providing HR leaders with the hard data necessary to design retention strategies.

The above data is only a foretaste of the full picture of the situation. To successfully build a competitive advantage through a loyal and committed team, you need hard evidence and proven action scenarios. In the latest joint report from Enpulse and Nais you will find materials to help you tune your HR activities.

In the full version of the document, we have compiled for you:

• Detailed breakdown of data by age group — you will find out who in your team feels most overlooked (Gen Z, Millennials or Silversi).
• Analysis of gender differences — we show why men and women on the Polish market expect completely different forms of recognition.
• Practical managerial recommendations - a list of actions that you will implement from tomorrow, even with a zero budget.
• A new definition of true appreciation — we explain the process of moving away from superficial praise to deep trust building.

Build an informed retention strategy today. Save your talents before the competition does.

👉 [Download the free Nais and Enpulse report: Do you feel appreciated? 2026]

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FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Why is employee engagement in Poland so low?

The 8% result is a result of overlapping problems: a lack of managerial education in soft skills, inflationary pressures that shift expectations towards financial benefits, and an outdated approach to the employer-employee relationship based solely on transactions.

What is Peer-to-Peer Appreciation?

It is a model in which employees can independently, bypassing the business route, thank and reward their colleagues for their daily help and commitment. Platforms like Nais heavily automate and support this process.

How to study the feeling of appreciation in the company?

It is best to use anonymous pulse checks conducted regularly (e.g. once a month), rather than relying on annual, lengthy satisfaction questionnaires.

Is a raise the same as appreciation?

No. The increase corrects the market value of labor and fights inflation. Appreciation is feedback on the quality and value of specific employee behaviors.

Where to start building a culture of appreciation without a budget?

From honest, regular feedback. It is enough to introduce the habit of thanking team members for specific actions during weekly operational meetings.

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Key Findings

• Poland has the lowest employee engagement rate in Europe, at just 8% in 2026.
• The sense of appreciation is falling by an avalanche — from 37% in 2024 to 29% today.
• 60% of Poles want financial bonuses due to the difficult economic situation, while global markets focus on communication and development.
• The phenomenon of the “Polish paradox” shows that 72% of employees know their value, but as many as 57% do not see their employer perceiving it.
• The lack of recognition systems costs organizations millions through turnover (31% more expensive) and lower productivity. The cost of replacing a specialist in Poland is more than 200 thousand zlotys.

Appreciation in 2026 is no longer a nice addition implemented by HR to improve the atmosphere. It is a solid element of a mature business strategy, building a real competitive advantage. If you don't tell your best people that they're great, a recruiter from another company will.

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