Managing Competences of Generation Y and Z in the Opinion of the Management Staff in the Modern Business Services Sector

Abstract

The article focuses on issues related to competence management in the work environment of people from the youngest generational groups, referred to as Y and Z. The area of interest of the research presented in this article is a specific area of the labor market called the Modern Business Services (MBS) sector. The peculiarity of this service sector lies primarily in the fact that it is largely an industry of the future, and therefore it employs mostly young people from the so-called Generation Y and Z. It is also one of the sectors that is growing very rapidly and, as a result, employment in this sector is growing rapidly, which indicates, on the one hand, a growing market demand for this type of service and, on the other hand, a great interest in working in this sector among young people entering the labor market. The issue of competency management in such a specific work environment raises questions about the compatibility of current education systems with the needs of rapidly growing modern industries, which includes the MBS sector. Hence, the research presented in this article, aimed at showing possible educational and competence gaps resulting from the mismatch between education systems and the needs of the developing new industries, and, at the same time, showing the needs of MBS in terms of shaping specific competencies of the future, including soft competencies increasingly valued by employers.

1. Introduction

The field of interest of the research presented in this article is the labor market area referred to as the MBS sector. The MBS sector is a broad term. The most general definition of MBS is to define it as all kinds of outsourcing services, involving many companies of different types. It includes Shared Service Centers (SSC), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO), Research and Development (R&D), as well as companies that support the development of this sector. The most common areas in shared service centers are accounting, sales, HR and payroll, IT and workflow management [1,2].

The peculiarity of this service sector lies mainly in the fact that it is largely a so-called “industry of the future”, and therefore young people are employed in it, most often belonging to Generation Y and Z. It is also one of the modern sectors that is growing very rapidly and, consequently, employment in this sector is growing rapidly, indicating, on the one hand, an increasing market demand for this type of service and, on the other hand, a great interest in working in this sector among young people entering the labor market.

At the same time, the rapid growth of the MBS sector raises obvious questions about the requirements for people employed in the sector in question, and the so-called “demand” for specific competencies on the part of companies providing services in the MBS sector.

Increasingly, experts associated with educational policy, in the broadest sense of the term, reflect on the need for changes in the Polish educational systems, which do not keep up with the speed of changes that are occurring in the modern labor market, but also with changes in the forms and methods of education, taking into account not only the criterion of knowledge, but, above all, the competencies of the future, including social “soft” skills, allowing you to find your way in today’s ever-changing world.

Thus, the basic research problem formulated for the purpose of this article concerns the adaptation of Polish educational systems to the needs of modern sectors of the labor market, including the modern services sector:

• In the opinion of employers, do the competencies acquired by employees of the Y and Z generations in the education process prove useful during the tasks carried out while working in companies from the MBS sector?
• Which competencies that are, in the opinion of employers, particularly useful in the MBS sector, should be introduced into the education system?

Surveys were conducted aiming to deepen knowledge of the issues concerning the need for changes in educational systems, with particular attention to the needs of generations Y and Z.

In order to comprehensively and thoroughly examine the problem of compatibility of educational systems, the study assessed the level of competencies obtained by employees during education, the extent to which they are used in the MBS industry covered by the study, and the need for training and creation of skills and competencies necessary in the MBS sector.

In order to ensure the objectivity of the information obtained, the survey covered representatives of companies responsible for human resources policy in the MBS sector, i.e., managers and employees of HR departments.

The specific objectives of the survey include: (1) to assess, on the part of respondents, i.e., managers and/or HR employees, the use of competencies of the future by employees of the Y and Z generations, acquired during secondary and/or higher education, resulting from documented certificates (certificates, diplomas), as well as those declared in CVs; and (2) to determine, on the basis of the research conducted, to what extent the competencies obtained during the education process among representatives of the Y and Z generations translate into the “demand” of the MBS sector, especially in terms of the so-called competencies of the future.

The detailed research questions posed in the study are as follows:

(1)

Have the competencies of the future acquired during school education (secondary school, university) proved, in the opinion of those responsible for HR policy in the company, to be useful in the performance of professional tasks?

(2)

Which competencies acquired during education are actually used in the performance of professional tasks?

(3)

Which of the required competencies of the future (knowledge and skills) that are needed/expected in the performance of professional tasks were not acquired during education?

(4)

What competencies are employers looking for in MBS?

(5)

According to employers, does the current education system in Poland ensure that graduates acquire the competencies expected in the MBS industry?

(6)

Do employers fill the competence gaps of their employees on their own?

(7)

Apart from “hard” (technical) competencies, do employers also verify “soft” (social/personal) competencies?

(8)

To what extent are “soft” competencies, i.e., social/interpersonal and personal, becoming important in the MBS sector?

The implementation of the study was carried out through the use of qualitative research methods, which included a structured interview.

In order to efficiently reach a dispersed group of respondents, representing companies of the MBS sector from all over the country, the technique of computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) was used. The research was conducted on the basis of an interview questionnaire. The type of research chosen also provides an opportunity to delve deeper into open-ended questions that require broader discussion, and provides for efficient recording of statements.

2. Literature Review

MBS companies include Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO), Shared Service Centers (SSC), and Research and Development (R&D). The thematic research literature mainly focuses on: competencies of the future [3,4,5,6], attracting and retaining talent in organizations of this type [7], applying innovative business models [8], shaping innovative work environments [9], the role of leaders and managers [10,11], multisourcing [12,13], strategic and operational management [14], customer satisfaction [15], and strategic conflict analysis [16]. However, there are no studies that capture MBS in the context of studying the competencies of Generation Y and Z.

The economic issues of Generation Y and Z are most often devoted to studies examining the problem of purchase preferences [17,18,19]. In the context of competencies in the labor market, mainly the medical industry is studied, where the Y and Z cohort is oriented towards further acquisition of competencies based on a structured program of further training, development of a mentoring program, and development of leadership skills. These, according to the respondents, are prerequisites for future success in the highly competitive job market in this industry [20]. The characteristics of Generation Y and Z have been examined in terms of attitude towards environmental protection [21], in terms of motivation to work [22], in terms of independence, and financial and housing independence from parents [23], in terms of priority [24] and preferred values [25,26], in terms of interest in project management [27], and in terms of analysis of study programs [27]. It should be emphasized again that there are no studies that capture MBS in the context of studying the competencies of generations Y and Z. Thus, this article fills the knowledge gap on this topic.

In this article, after a thorough analysis of the above-mentioned literature, we focus on the impact of emerging new technologies on the need to fill the competence gaps, mainly among generations Y and Z. This necessity results from the fact that modern technologies are used in everyday life and also in professional life (which is also pointed out, for example, by the authors of the article “The Impacts of Emerging Technologies on Accountants’ Role and Skills: Connecting to Open Innovation—A Systematic Literature Review” [28]). The trend towards the increasing use of these technologies is an example of the need to supplement educational programs with competencies that allow young generations to function at work in an environment full of modern technologies, and in almost constant contact and communication with other people (clients, co-workers, contractors, etc.). All of this requires a broader movement towards greater disaggregation and distribution of knowledge-based work [29]. Therefore, in this article, we use a knowledge-based perspective to develop our hypotheses about how the above-mentioned factors relate to the reality requiring appropriate professional competencies among generations Y and Z.

In addition, exploratory post hoc analysis of the existing literature provided additional interesting insights deepening our knowledge of the competencies of generations Y and Z and, more broadly, contributing to the topic of managing the competencies of generations Y and Z from the point of view of management staff in the MBS sector [10]. Therefore, our research has normative implications for both management teams and those responsible for creating future educational programs.

From the point of view of the development of the modern labor market, including the development of the MBS industry, it is important that, in order to be compatible with the needs of this market, the development of education will take into account changes in the labor market. Studying the MBS market from the point of view of those responsible for recruiting and hiring in this industry seems to be the most appropriate form of seeking answers as to whether there are educational gaps, noticeable when hiring young people in modern services, and what they are. Thus the research provides an answer to what employers really expect from the education system, in terms of training young, competent personnel.

Interest in employees from generations Y and Z resulted from the fact that it is representatives of these generations that are the target group of beneficiaries to whom employment offers in modern services are addressed. This is mainly because of their high IT, language, and intercultural competencies, which are necessary in the industry and which primarily characterize representatives of the younger generation of workers [30].

Thus, this article and the research presented in it fills the gap in knowledge of the subject under discussion.

2.1. Specifics of the MBS Industry

The MBS sector includes mainly Shared Service Centers (SSC), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO), Research and Development centers (R&D) and companies supporting the development of this sector [31]. It is estimated that IT services concentrated within this sector cover about 33% of employees; financial and accounting services about 22% of employment; and services related to contact with clients about 15% [12]. In Poland, this sector is most often represented by large corporations that provide services to international business customers and operate in a wide range of services, such as IT, accounting, finance, purchasing, legal services, pharmaceuticals, HR, and consulting [32].

Therefore, it seemed extremely necessary to conduct research among people responsible for recruitment and employment in the discussed sector, as this would give an answer as to which of the qualifications/competencies expected and required by the employer are obtained by employees in the course of their education, both at secondary school and college, and thus assess the level of preparedness of graduates of high schools and universities to work in MBS. At the same time, the research undertaken was intended to show what the expectations of employers in the industry are, regarding education in the field of modern competencies. In other words, the research carried out for the purposes of this paper, was to give an answer to the adaptation of educational systems in Poland to the constantly changing and growing requirements of the labor market.

2.2. Competencies of the Future

The subject of the research concerns the competencies of the future, so it seems reasonable to clarify what is meant by the term competence itself, in order to specify what currently counts as the competencies of the future.

In the simplest terms, competence can be defined as the extent of someone’s knowledge, skills, and experience. In publications, having in mind the so-called collective competence potential, it is referred to as “human capital”. This refers to the entire set of characteristics of an individual: innate talents, acquired skills, aspirations, motivations, and attitudes that bring an individual success in the field of work; and whole collectivities, for example, companies, or corporations, and the expected results in business [27].

A very important issue concerning the formation of human capital is related to the acquisition of education. We are talking about educational capital, which is exchangeable, and in society should be exchangeable, for better jobs and higher social status [33].

Currently, the so-called competencies of the future most often mentioned in the literature are shown in the

Table 1. Competencies of the future necessary for inclusion in educational programs.

No.	Competencies of the Future	Definition
1.	Sense-making	the ability to discover, but also to give deeper meaning to what we want to express
2.	Social intelligence	the ability to communicate in a simple and direct way, as well as enter into interpersonal relationships
3.	Novel & Adaptive thinking	proficiency in solving problems, coming up with solutions and answers that go beyond the box
4.	Cross-cultural competency	the ability to operate in a diverse cultural environment
5.	Computational thinking	the ability to process large amounts of information, data-driven reasoning (especially drawing conclusions from so-called Big Data)
6.	New-media literacy	the ability to use new media, i.e., not just publishing Facebook posts at the most appropriate time. Also the ability to critically evaluate and elaborate content published in new media, and use it in effective communication
7.	Trans disciplinarity	interdisciplinarity understood as the ability to read and understand concepts in multiple disciplines
8.	Design mindset	design thinking or the ability to present and develop ways of working to achieve desired results
9.	Cognitive load management	the ability to maximize cognitive functioning and assimilate multiple stimuli using a variety of tools and techniques
10.	Virtual collaboration	the ability to collaborate virtually in an efficient, engaged manner and demonstrate presence in the work of a virtual team

Source: Competencies of the future. The most important skills in 2020. Everything Most Important (https://wszystkoconajwazniejsze.pl/), accessed on 28 July 2021 [34].

below:

In addition to the above list, among the competencies of the future (Jutra competencies) we can also mention: broad contextuality, self-reflection, emotional intelligence, environmental performance, variability, quality competencies, and educability [35].

However, it should be noted that key competencies [36], ethical competencies and meta competencies [37], which are important from the perspective of the development of modern society and business, are not insignificant.

In addition to the hard/technical competencies, the “soft” competencies, i.e., personal, social, and interpersonal competencies, are increasingly mentioned on an equal footing as being those that often determine success in the implementation of professional tasks, especially those focused on working with people—including customers, for example—in MBS professions.

The competencies most often mentioned in the literature as “soft” include team management, the ability to delegate tasks, negotiation skills, communication skills, the ability to resolve conflicts, managing one’s own time, motivating oneself to work, willingness and desire to develop, creativity, and the ability to work under time pressure [38].

The research presented in the article took into account questions that were intended to provide answers about the expectations of employers in the modern services industry regarding the acquisition and use of the above skills, as well as the educational gaps and deficiencies that exist in this regard, thus signaling the need and necessity to supplement the content of education with the development of competencies that are increasingly required in the modern labor market.

2.3. Generation Y and Z—The Challenges of the Future

The broader discussion of Generation Y and Z is intended to give a glimpse of the characteristics of the generation, which will show, on the one hand, what can be expected from their representatives and, on the other hand, reveal the special characteristics and predispositions which make these generations the core of the staff employed by MBS.

This particular industry, rapidly growing in the modern labor market, generates demand for an equally particular type of competence, which mainly characterizes precisely this young generation. These are mainly IT, language, and intercultural competencies, which is why it is the employees of generation Y and Z who constitute the core of the staff employed by MBS.

The modern labor market, “absorbing” the competencies of tomorrow, is mainly directed at hiring representatives of the youngest generation. Therefore, the MBS Sector—referred to as the “industry of the future”—places special requirements on candidates. More and more often they concern both hard competencies, which are mainly associated with technical skills (e.g., operating modern software) and the ability to quickly grasp knowledge (e.g., in the field of ICT), as well as soft competencies, which are necessary in contacts with customers, but also extremely important in terms of personnel management, teamwork skills, or building creative teams of employees.

This raises the question as to whether the generations we are interested in—Y and Z, as discussed in the article—also possess and acquire these types of social competencies.

An attempt to answer this question should begin with the characteristics of generations Y and Z. The terms Generation X, Y (also known as Millennials) and Z were introduced by sociologists and psychologists mainly to separate and differentiate social groups which are characterized by different behavior, so that the characteristics of “generations” are conventional.

The ways of selecting the most significant features of the representatives of these generations mentioned in the literature, indicate that currently the importance in the generational differences is emphasized by such features as: the way of understanding the world, everyday habits, and expectations towards the employer and work [38].

Since the youngest generation of employees, which is the main subject of interest in the cited research, constitutes the core of the staff employed in the MBS sector, the most significant generational characteristics will differentiate representatives of generations Y and Z.

The most common assumption is that representatives of the two youngest generations are those born between 1980 and 1994 (Generation Y) and after 1995 (Generation Z).

Generation Y is the generation of people brought up in the current political system, i.e., capitalist economy, which emerged in Poland after 1989.

It is believed that being raised in the “new” reality, has made them more confident people and knowledgeable in foreign languages. Some social scientists call them the “network generation” [39] others the “digital nation” [40]. Modern technology has accompanied them since childhood and is their natural tool for communication, work, and entertainment. They have many more social relationships than the previous generations. However, this communication is shallow and fleeting.

Generation Y is characterized by a great need for flexibility, i.e., belonging to communities that are easy to join and leave without any consequences. It is often said that this generation does not value personal contacts [38].

Stability is not the most important thing to them, so when an opportunity for a better job comes along, they will not hesitate to take a chance. They are able to fully engage in their work if it gives them satisfaction and the possibility of development. They are creative and try to modify projects to make them better. They know new technologies and use them easily to increase the quality of work. However, the employer should remember that they get bored quickly and constantly need challenges [41].

The next generation is denoted by the letter “Z”. These are the youngest representatives of the generation of workers who were born after 1995. It is believed that mobile technologies are for them a natural tool of action, an extension and complement of “bodily functions”.

A fundamental change is also that this is the first generation of large-scale media creators. Generation Z people have redefined the way they use social media sites. They create their own video channels, blogs, podcasts, and stories that they instantly share with literally the entire world. In terms of communication, the spatial dimension is no longer important to them. Hence, changing jobs or places of residence is not a major problem. They are also definitely more open to other cultures and are more mobile [38].

They care about their image on social media, which is why they are sometimes called the selfie generation [42].

More and more representatives of this generation combine learning with work, in order to gain experience and, after graduation, immediately take up the desired job. They find themselves perfectly suited to work in modern ICT industries.

They expect their employer to provide them with work tools, but also to nurture their development and learn new skills [38].

2.4. Education of the Future

This article addresses the issues of expected changes and the development of education systems tailored to the changing requirements of the modern labor market. Therefore, it is worth looking at current publications that touch on the issue of expectations from modern educational systems. “Contemporary and future processes of change in the sphere of education are multifaceted and driven by a wide variety of factors. Changes in education address fundamental questions: who to teach and for what purpose? what to teach? with what methods and tools to do it? how to organize teaching? who to involve in it and what results to expect?” [43].

It is important to define the future image of education, understood not only in institutional terms, but also in terms of forms of education for learners, acquiring new knowledge, skills and developing their competencies in every possible way, such as in connection with their work, forms of life activity, self-development, cooperation, or future professional roles.

The authors of the study [37] on Education for the Future write that competencies and skills are as important as knowledge, and stress that it is extremely important to teach emotional competencies, among other things, since changes in the world mean that people need to adapt to new conditions more often. Emotional competence also promotes people’s well-being and determines their health and happiness.

Similar results shown in the report on Education for the Future were obtained from the research conducted for this article, where the respondents, i.e., those responsible for recruiting and hiring in MBS, pointed to the growing need for the formation of so-called soft skills and the development of creative skills in the educational process, since the company’s social capital management systems, today, are also based on innovation in a broad sense [37,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52]. “One way to promote innovation and creativity is to develop the idea of problem-based education. The traditional model of education assumes that the teacher is treated as a depository of knowledge, and students are passive recipients of knowledge. Today, this way of teaching is beginning to be seen as archaic and ineffective” [43].

It is worth adding that the process of improvement in the field of education, in the broadest sense, is already becoming clearly noticeable. Requirements arising from EU directives, as well as those reported by the socio-economic environment, have an increasing impact on the changes made to the programs of schools, which also need to become increasingly innovative in the proposed forms of education in order to meet the demands of competition.

Nevertheless, in order for the process of improving and adapting educational programs to be based on the actual needs of the labor market, it is important to accurately identify and constantly monitor these needs.

The education of useful competencies now includes both challenge-focused education, competency-focused education, and capacity-building education.

The study on Education of the Future [43], cited by the authors, raises important issues related to the need for a new approach to education, primarily based on the formation of skills and independent problem-solving with the active involvement of the student, instead of only imparting knowledge, as is the case in the current education system, which can be considered outdated. Therefore, the purpose of the research undertaken by the authors was to identify more closely the problem of educational needs and gaps from the point of view of those persons assessing the competence of employees. In this case, special tasks, because they concern the most modern industries of the labor market.

3. Materials and Methods

Experts associated with the broadly understood educational policy wonder about the need for changes in the Polish educational systems, which do not keep pace with the speed of changes occurring in the modern labor market, nor with changes in forms and ways of education, taking into account not only the criterion of knowledge, but above all the competencies of the future, including the so-called “soft” social skills, allowing you to find your way in today’s constantly changing world [35].

Taking into account the rapid development of this specific sector of the labor market, a valuable contribution to the recognition of its needs, mainly in terms of shaping modern competencies, seems to be the research among people responsible for recruitment and employment in the discussed sector.

Hence, the basic research questions posed in the research undertaken and presented in this article, concern the adaptation of Polish educational systems to the needs of modern labor market sectors, including MBS:

• In the opinion of employers, do the competencies acquired by employees of the Y and Z generations in the education process prove useful during the tasks carried out while working in companies from the MBS sector?
• Which competencies, in the opinion of employers, that are particularly useful in the MBS sector, should be introduced into the education system?

Research undertaken on the qualifications/competencies expected and required by the employer concerns the competencies obtained by employees in the course of their education, both at secondary school and university level. In other words, the research was supposed to give an answer concerning keeping up and adapting the educational systems in Poland to the constantly changing and growing requirements of the labor market.

MBS, as one of the fastest growing sectors of the labor market, in the vast majority employs very young workers, usually students and graduates, so it is the target research group of representatives of generations Y and Z. Hence, the conducted research, aimed at a deeper analysis of the issues concerning the necessity of changes in educational systems at all levels, with particular emphasis on generation Y and Z.

Qualitative research was conducted of representatives of executives and managers and HR staff from 40 large companies operating in the MBS sector. Large enterprises were selected for the study because in small ones there are usually no HR representatives, and large ones have more employees and HR representatives have a good idea about employees.

For participants recruited from representatives of the business world, the selection criteria were the location (Poland) and size of the company (large companies) that the individuals represented. The evaluation of the size of the enterprise (in the categories small, medium, or large) was carried out in accordance with the Recommendations of the European Commission of 6 May 2003 concerning the definition of micro/small, medium and large enterprises (Official Journal of the EU L 124 of 20 May 2003, p. 36 with subsequent annexes) on the basis of financial data (i.e., net income and balance sheet total) and the number of employed persons. In the case of an independent enterprise, the assessment of its size is based solely on the enterprise’s data. However, if the entity under examination is related (e.g., in terms of capital or through the persons of partners/shareholders) to other enterprises, it is necessary to take into account the data of these enterprises as well. Thus, in determining the size of an enterprise, it is first necessary to decide whether it is independent or part of a group. The group need not be official in nature. Group membership is assessed from a functional and economic point of view.

Thus, purposive sampling was used in selecting respondents. This is a non-random sampling technique in which the researcher, based on his knowledge of the population, identifies population units that meet certain requirements and will be included in the sample.

In order to comprehensively and thoroughly investigate the problem of compatibility of educational systems, the research assessed the level of competencies obtained by employers/HR representatives and managers during education at different levels of education, the extent to which they are used in the MBS industry covered by the research, and the scope of needs for education and creation of skills and competencies necessary in the MBS sector.

The main objective of the study was to find out whether and how the employees of generations Y and Z, in the opinion of managers and HR employees, use their competencies acquired in the course of education (high school and/or college) in the work process in companies of the MBS sector and what, in the opinion of employers, type of competencies necessary in the area of MBS sector should be formed in the process of education at various levels and introduced into the education system.

The study was carried out through the using a structured interview questionnaire as a research tool. Qualitative research design is more preferable to answer research questions because it can be extended with open-ended questions that can bring more detailed or additional information.

Since the division of methods into quantitative and qualitative is, in practice, not as disjunctive as it seems [52], when using qualitative methods, the quantification of describing facts can also be used and the possibility of using statistical analysis is not excluded. Similar to the use of quantitative methods, there is a need to refer to the qualitative characteristics of the subject of research. In this case, descriptive data complements quantitative data.

At the same time, the research has the characteristics of expert research, i.e., it is conducted among people responsible for employing employees in the sector in question, hence their knowledge regarding both the needs and competence gaps seems to be the most complete in this respect, and results from experience and professional practice.

By definition, this type of qualitative research does not require a large number of samples, as it focuses on the analysis of the content of the answers provided, and not only on their quantification, so that studies are prepared to be extended and supplement the research in question with opinions from employees of the sector in question.

In order to efficiently reach a dispersed group of respondents representing companies from the MBS sector from all over the country, the CATI [53] (computer-assisted telephone interviewing) technique was used because it is a convenient tool for quickly processing data. The selected type of research also gives the opportunity to deepen open questions that require a broader discussion.

The research was assumed to be qualitative research and concerned only the MBS sector in Poland, so 42 respondents—representatives of companies operating in the discussed sector from all over the country—were qualified for the research.

The largest part of the respondents worked in HR departments (35.7%), a smaller group were people in managerial positions (23.8%), while the fewest respondents worked in leadership and managerial positions (16.7% in each group)—see

Table 2. Gender, age and job positions held by respondents (N = 42).

Gender:	N	%
Men	16	38.1
Women	26	61.9
Age:	N	%
up to 30 years	10	23.8
31–40	27	64.3
41–50	4	9.5
over 50	1	2.4
Position:	N	%
Executive	10	23.8
Managers	7	16.7
HR Department	15	35.7
Leader	7	16.7
Other	3	7.1

:

Total work experience counted in years averaged 11.66, the shortest was one year, while the longest work experience was 35 years. At the current location, the survey participants had worked between half a year and 35 years, while the average was 6.38.

Among the respondents, the predominant group was those with a university degree, with 39 respondents, accounting for 92.9% of all respondents. Apart from them, only two people had secondary education (which accounted for 4.8% of the respondents) and one was in college (2.4% of all responses).

4. Results and Discussion

This chapter presents answers to questions about competencies acquired in education and their use in everyday work. The following analyses contain a set of the most important answers, enriched with examples given by the respondents in open questions.

To the question: Do the respondents think that the competencies acquired during their high school education and/or during their studies by their employees, employed in the MBS service, proved to be sufficient in the current workplace? The respondents’ answers do not indicate a strong trend. Slightly more than half of the respondents—24 persons (which accounted for 57.1% of the responses)—believe that the competencies acquired during education have not proved sufficient in the current workplace. 18 people (42.9% of the responses) answered the opposite, that the competencies acquired during education have proved to be sufficient.

On the other hand, to the question: Which of the competencies, acquired during education, the respondents may consider useful and used during the performance of current professional tasks? Among the respondents’ answers, the most frequent category of competencies acquired during education considered useful, and used during the performance of current tasks carried out in MBS enterprises, was theoretical knowledge. It was indicated 25 times. Useful knowledge included, among others, areas of finance, accounting, management, mathematics, economics, marketing, law, statistics, and foreign languages.

ICT skills came in second place. 21 people said that the competencies acquired during education in this area are used and useful during work. Examples of software indicated by the respondents were: Windows, Microsoft Office, analytical programs, and office packages. In addition, the basics of programming were useful. Two programming languages appeared in the respondents’ answers: SQL and R.

Technical/practical skills were marked by 20 people, and these included basic (mailing) and advanced (programming, Office suite) computer skills, and soft skills such as sales techniques and communication skills.

Only three people chose the category “Other”, to which they assigned, for example, soft skills, ease of learning to use specialized programs, or communicativeness—see

Table 3. Competencies acquired by employees during education useful and used during current job tasks.

Category	N	Examples
Theoretical knowledge	25	finance, accounting, business management and elements of law, mathematics, economics, marketing, foreign languages, statistics
Practical skills	20	programming, sales techniques, communication, Office package, mailing
ICT skills	21	Windows, Office, Microsoft Word, analytical software, office packages, basic programming, Excel, SQL, R
Other	3	soft skills, ability to learn how to use specialized programs, communication skills

:

As for the question: Do the respondents think that employees acquired the presented skills during their school and university education? According to the respondents, the competence most often acquired during school and university education is communication (24 of them think that employees acquired this competence during education). The most often indicated competencies which, according to the respondents, are not acquired by their employees during education are: managing a team of people and conflict resolution (27 people indicated each of these competencies). Other competencies that were indicated more often as not having been acquired during education included: negotiation skills (17 people), working under time pressure (17 people), motivating oneself to work (18 people), and creativity (18 people). However, responses related to time management (20 respondents indicated that employees acquire this competence during education, 22 that they do not) and the desire for development (according to 22 respondents, this competence is acquired by employees during education, while according to 20 respondents, it is not) were equally distributed—see Figure 1:

As regards the question: Do employers require the listed skills at the recruitment stage, i.e., do they check them during the interview, test them, check them during the probationary period, internship, etc.? By far the most frequently checked skill by employers is communication, on the basis of observations of employees during the performance of official tasks (32 respondents check this competence in some way). Less frequently it is working under time pressure (28 respondents check it), willingness and desire for development (27 people), creativity (26 people), time management (25 people), and motivating oneself to work (24 people). Respondents’ answers regarding competencies: managing a team of people and conflict resolution were equally distributed. 21 respondents check those competencies, 21 respondents do not check them. Negotiation skills are checked the least often. 23 out of 42 respondents did not check them during recruitment—see Figure 2:

According to the respondents, the most acute is lack of communication skills (20 people indicated these skills). Further 17 people selected such competencies as: managing a team or solving conflicts. On the other hand, 15 people consider lack of time management skills as acute. Negotiation and self-motivation skills were indicated by 14 people each. Working under time pressure was mentioned 13 times. The competencies that were mentioned least often included the willingness and desire for development (10 people marked this competence) and creativity (8 people)—see Figure 3:

In addition, the overwhelming majority of respondents believed that school programs and student education programs should be modified and adapted to educate the personnel of the future. This was the response of 33 respondents, which accounted for 78.6% of all responses; however, 6 respondents (14.3%) do not believe that these programs should be modified, and 3 respondents (7.1%) have no opinion on this issue.

Additionally, based on the conducted research, it can be stated that in the majority (28 answers, 66.7%) of the surveyed companies, courses or trainings aimed at improving the competencies of the future are organized. One third, i.e., 14 respondents answered that no such courses are organized in their companies.

The vast majority of respondents, however, believe that the so-called competencies of the future are acquired by employees only during the implementation of professional tasks. This was stated by 32 people (76.2% of all respondents). 5 respondents (11.9% of all responses) answered that they do not think so, or that they have no opinion.

Social intelligence turned out to be the competence most often checked during the interview. 57.1% of the respondents indicated that it is checked at their workplace. On the other hand, cross-cultural competencies are checked the least often. Only 6 (14.3%) respondents said that they verify them. Competencies such as: the ability to maximize cognitive functioning (indicated by 8 people) and the ability to discover and give deeper meaning to what we want to express (indicated by 9 people) are also not very often verified—see

Table 4. Verification of soft skills during an interview.

Competence	N	%
The ability to discover, but also to give deeper meaning to what we want to express	9	21.4
Social intelligence, or the ability to communicate simply and directly and to interact with others	24	57.1
Adaptive thinking, proficient in problem solving, coming up with solutions and answers outside the box	17	40.5
Cross-cultural competence or the ability to operate in a diverse cultural environment	6	14.3
Ability to process large amounts of information data-driven reasoning (especially drawing conclusions from Big Data)	16	38.1
New media literacy (not just posting on Facebook at the most opportune time)—One of the skills that implies the ability to critically evaluate and elaborate on content published in new media and to use	12	28.6
Interdisciplinarity understood as the ability to read and understand concepts across multiple disciplines	12	28.6
Design thinking or the ability to present and develop ways of working to achieve desired outcomes	15	35.7
Ability to maximize cognitive functioning and assimilate multiple stimuli using a variety of tools and techniques	8	19.0
Ability to collaborate virtually in an efficient, engaged manner and demonstrate presence in the work of the virtual team	14	33.3

:

The most common form of checking soft skills, indicated by 25 respondents, is a conversation with the employee responsible for recruitment. Competency-based tests, on the other hand, were indicated as a slightly less frequent answer (23 respondents said so). However, it is much less common that companies use psychological tests (10 responses), talks with a psychologist (5 responses), or other forms of soft skills verification (1 response)—see Figure 4:

However, the soft skills most often indicated as necessary were: social skills (24 respondents—57.1%) and adaptive thinking (22 respondents—52.4%). The least frequent answer was the ability to use new media—only 8 people said so, which constituted 19% of all respondents—see

Table 5. Soft competencies needed among MBS employees.

Competence	N	%
The ability to discover, but also to give deeper meaning to what we want to express	10	23.8
Social intelligence, or the ability to communicate simply and directly, and to enter into interpersonal relationships	24	57.1
Adaptive thinking, proficient in problem solving, coming up with solutions and answers outside the box	22	52.4
Cros-cultural competence, or the ability to operate in a diverse cultural environment	12	28.6
Ability to process large amounts of information data-driven reasoning (especially drawing conclusions from Big Data)	19	45.2
New media literacy (not just posting on Facebook at the most opportune time)—One of the skills that implies the ability to critically evaluate and elaborate on content published in new media and to use	8	19.0
Interdisciplinarity understood as the ability to read and understand concepts across multiple disciplines	11	26.2
Design thinking or the ability to present and develop ways of working to achieve desired outcomes	15	35.7
Ability to maximize cognitive functioning and assimilate multiple stimuli using a variety of tools and techniques	10	23.8
Ability to collaborate virtually in an efficient, engaged manner and demonstrate presence in the work of the virtual team	10	23.8

:

In addition, nearly 60% of the respondents felt that the competencies acquired by the hired employees proved to be insufficient during their work.

The theoretical knowledge gained by employees in the process of education, which employers valued most, includes the areas of finance, accounting, management, mathematics, economics, marketing, law, statistics, and foreign languages. This is followed by ICT skills, including the basics of programming. Among the so-called soft skills especially appreciated by employers are sales techniques and communication skills.

The management group surveyed also felt that the communication skills of their employees were largely due to educational programs and were mainly acquired by employees in schools and colleges.

However, the skills which, according to the respondents, should also be developed in the course of education are: human team management and conflict resolution skills. Among the other competencies which were indicated much more often as not acquired during the education process were: negotiation skills, working under time pressure, self-motivation, and creativity.

Respondents also acknowledged that the skills they most often verify in the hiring process are communication skills.

Also, this lack in some of the employees, considered the most acute, were followed by the lack of ability to manage a human team and conflict resolution as perceived deficiencies.

An overwhelming majority of respondents, nearly 80%, believe that school and student education programs should be modified and adapted to educate the workforce of the future.

The importance of the above competencies for employers is also indicated by the fact that the vast majority of companies surveyed organizes and prepares courses and trainings on their own, during which the competencies of the future are improved.

However, the vast majority of respondents explicitly admit that the competencies of the future are only acquired by their employees during their work, which means that they are not taught in schools.

In publications dedicated to educating the staff of the future, it is clearly emphasized the need to attach importance to the training of “soft” (social/personal) competencies. Hence, the interview questionnaire addressed to managers also included questions on the importance and verification of these skills.

Almost 60% of the respondents said that the most frequently checked “soft” competence during the interview is social intelligence—the ability to communicate in a simple and direct way, as well as entering into interpersonal relationships. In second place, the respondents emphasized the need to verify adaptive thinking, i.e., proficiency in solving problems, finding solutions, and answers that go beyond the box. Moreover, according to the conducted research, employers are least likely to focus on the so-called cross-cultural competencies.

In the opinion of more than 50% of the surveyed, the current school and university curricula do not include subjects and classes in which “soft” competencies are formed.

Therefore, more than 70% of the respondents claim that training in the so-called soft skills should be a compulsory element of school and university curricula. Almost all respondents believe that they require their employees to demonstrate such competencies while performing their professional tasks.

For this reason, significantly more than a half of the surveyed companies organize training or courses on improving “soft” competencies, and almost 80% of the surveyed companies believe that “soft” competencies are necessary for proper implementation of professional tasks.

A surprising result is that nearly two-thirds of the respondents do not perceive significant differences in the possession and use of soft skills between employees with a humanities/social science background and graduates in technical (engineering) fields.

Nevertheless, according to the respondents, graduates of humanities and social sciences are slightly more open, communicative, adaptable and have a different attitude towards working with people than students of technical sciences, who are more concrete.

Examples of respondents’ answers confirming the above results:

• “Graduates of the humanities are definitely more open to others, communicative, adapt faster in a new environment than graduates of technical majors.”
• “Graduates of technical majors are generally better prepared in terms of soft competencies.”
• “Humanists acquire these competencies more easily.”
• “Humanists perform better.”
• “People after humanities have better-developed soft competencies.”
• “People after technical studies operate with facts and a large amount of data, while those after humanities speak in generalities without specifics.”
• “Technical students perform less well.”

Nearly 70% of respondents do not perceive a disparity among employees in the use of soft skills due to generational differences.

Differences between generations in terms of attitudes towards professional work can greatly affect how people perceive their work and how they work, and are supposed to create a challenge for people managing modern organizations [28].

However, if intergenerational differences do exist, they are in the following areas: communication, motivation, expectations, familiarity with modern technology, teamwork, confidence, courage, problem solving, and processing large amounts of information.

However, the respondents have a different understanding of the direction of these differences. According to some of them, older workers have better-developed “soft” competencies, while others believe that younger workers are better at using them.

We can also observe the belief that younger people function better in groups, especially multicultural ones, they have more self-confidence and use clearer ways of communication; however, they are also considered to be more demanding (regarding generation Z).

Examples of respondents’ answers confirming the above statements:

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“Younger people think more openly and are group-oriented.”

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“Generation Z is far too claimant-oriented”; and “Generation Y and Z are far too claimant-oriented.”

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“Generation Y and Z employees are more self-confident, are bolder in entering organizations, have their own opinions and specific expectations, which they communicate.”

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“The post-86, or post-gymnasium generation has a definite deficit in soft skills.”

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“Older workers generally lack some of the soft competencies.”

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“In the way they communicate—the older generation communicates in a simple and direct way, the younger generation functions more easily in a diverse cultural environment.”

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“Greater ease in communication for those in the younger generation.”

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“Greater ease in resolving conflicts of people from older generations.”

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“It seems to me that the older generation has more developed soft skills, so-called social skills, while the perceptual ones (e.g., the ability to process large amounts of information information) are better developed in Generation Y and Z.”

Summing up the results of the research, based on the previously presented data, it can be easily seen that there are currently huge disproportions between the development of competencies in education in Poland and the expectations of employers. However, this research was of a pilot nature, the created tool can be used for research on a larger scale and, moreover, the research can also be supplemented with focus groups to deepen the results obtained (to make them more insightful).

5. Conclusions

From the presented results of the survey of managers/HR employees in the MBS sector, it seems almost obvious that it is necessary to educate students as future employees in accordance with the needs of employers and the labor market. Thanks to this, their chances for employment in highly specialized companies and enterprises increase significantly.

The presented research, aimed mainly at presenting the point of view of people responsible for HR policy in the forms of the MBS sector in Poland, on the one hand, made us aware of the existence of large disproportions between the current education system in Poland and the competence needs of the discussed, dynamically developing modern services, on the other hand, they gave an answer to the question in which direction the development of education at various levels should go, and what kind of skills, both practical/technical and soft skills, i.e., social, are most expected in the market of modern services.

The data collected in this way can be used in the process of eliminating the growing competence gaps, i.e., the deepening disproportions between education systems, which do not always take into account the speed of changes on the market, and the needs resulting from the development of modern forms of employment.

It turned out to be very interesting, which is also proved by the presented research results, that in addition to the need to develop technical skills among young people entering the labor market—mainly in the field of ICT, resulting from the development of work digitization, which are increasingly appreciated and required by employers—the soft skills, i.e., social skills, are treated almost on a par with technical (hard) skills as a guarantee of the effectiveness of task implementation. As the research showed, almost 70% of the respondents considered that education in the “soft” skills should be an obligatory element of school and university curricula.

A precise and detailed presentation of the expectations of employers in the MBS sector, and the presentation of the basic educational deficiencies signaled by them, allows for the proper direction of the planned changes on the education market, so as to better adapt it to the latest and constantly changing needs of the labor market. It also gives young people the opportunity to confront the expectations of employers with their own skills, so as to properly direct personal and professional development and adjust it to their planned career path.

Such solutions permeate many areas of development and form the basis of the process of identifying smart specializations, which also correlates with individual fields of study. This, in turn, allows you to create individual programs to improve competencies and qualifications, at the same time as allowing you to improve the quality of education in correlation with the socio-economic environment.

In addition, it is recommended to continuously conduct evaluation studies on the impact of education on the improvement of the desired social and professional competencies; on the basis of which it will be possible to determine whether participation in the educational process has the desired impact on the improvement and adjustment of qualifications to the requirements of the labor market.

This process is needed not only to check the state of knowledge of pupils or students, or the course of the educational process itself, but the specificity of these studies should be primarily to show the need for ongoing changes and improvements in education in correlation with ongoing changes in enterprises.

The research presented in the article was aimed at addressing the important problem of shaping the competencies of the future, important from the point of view of both the economy and education.

The research was aimed not so much at pinpointing the precise subject-matter and purposeful changes to which the education system at various levels should be subjected, but at illuminating the problem and starting a discussion on the necessity of such changes.

A review of the literature of research on the youngest generations, Y and Z, shows the diversity of issues addressed by researchers, while the issue of competency changes that are taking place in the modern labor market and the need to adapt the forms and systems of education to it, has not been articulated clearly enough so far (as indicated in Chapter 2. Literature review), hence the authors’ interest in this particular issue.

From conducting a survey among those responsible for personnel policy in modern labor market industries, it was also possible to delineate the most expected area of change in the field of competence training, resulting from the shortages (competence gaps) observed by employers.

Changes in the labor market will probably involve the need to introduce a new approach to education, primarily based on the formation of skills (including soft skills) and independent problem solving, instead of only imparting knowledge.

The purpose of the research undertaken by the authors, therefore, was to get a closer look at the problem of educational needs and gaps, from the point of view of those assessing the competence of employees.

Although the preliminary research undertaken by the authors could not provide ready answers as to what specific changes should be made at the various levels of education, it probably enriched to some extent the knowledge on the subject and, more importantly, started a discussion on the issue. In addition, the next phase of the work involves conducting surveys among employees of lower-level companies for comparison of survey results, which will be compiled and may be presented in a subsequent article.

In addition, it should be noted that currently it is a very important field of research, especially for the political implications for the future, as there are huge disproportions between the development of competencies in education and the expectations of employers in Poland. However, at this point, it is possible to make some recommendations for the Ministry of Education in Poland to change the curricula and expand them with the modern competencies or skills mentioned in this article (supported by practice, not just theory), which are extremely needed in the modern labor market from the point of view of employers.