Escaping brain waste. Work experience and qualifications of highly skilled Ukrainians in Poland

Abstract

Purpose: The research aimed to identify what causes some highly skilled migrants from Ukraine to work according to their qualifications and others work below their qualifications. Design/methodology/approach: This article discusses the results of a survey conducted among 248 highly skilled economic migrants from Ukraine working in Poland. Two groups were analysed: working according to their qualifications and working below their qualifications. The study was carried out between December 2021 and March 2022. The CATI method has been used. Findings: There is a statistically significant relationship between the length of work experience of respondents in Ukraine and whether or not they are working according to their qualifications or below their qualifications. There is a statistically significant relationship between working in accordance with or not in accordance with qualifications and the assessment of whether it is difficult for a Ukrainian to get a job in Poland in accordance with his/her qualification. Research limitations/implications: The limitation of the conducted research is that it is conducted exclusively from the perspective of the migrant and does not take into account external factors such as the situation in the labour market of the host country, legal conditions, employers' attitudes towards employing foreigners in positions requiring higher education. This should be taken into account in future research. Practical implications: The research also has implications for the management of organisations. They show that there are people among the Ukrainian workforce whose potential is not being used. Their talents could be utilised within the organisation. Further research should look at companies and examine how the process of hiring foreign workers works and determine when a company decides to hire a highly qualified Ukrainian according to his/her background. Social implications: Poland has become a country of immigration. Economic migrants from Ukraine were joined by refugees from that country after 24.02.2022. The proper use of migrants' qualifications is therefore important from the point of view of the economy, but also of the host society. Originality/value: It shows the possibility of using highly qualified migrants from Ukraine in the organisation. In the Polish labour market migrants from Ukraine are mainly employed as manual workers. Keywords: qualification, migration, brain waste, career management, organization. Category of the paper: Research paper.