Is Volkswagen the Best Employer in Poland in 2025?

The Volkswagen Group runs massive operations in Poland. Its Poznań unit (Volkswagen Poznań or VW Poznań) includes a Caddy/Transporter plant in Antoninek, a foundry in Wilda, and a newer commercial-van plant in nearby Września, altogether employing roughly 9,000 people. This makes VW Poznań one of the largest employers in Poland. The sprawling Września campus alone covers over 220 hectares and uses 1,300+ robots in production. 

In short, VW’s Polish factories move hundreds of thousands of vehicles a year, and the group also maintains local R&D, sales, and logistics operations. Its sheer scale means VW Poland is often mentioned among the country’s “best employers,” simply by virtue of its size and visibility. In fact, the company’s own Board Member for Human Resources and Organization at Volkswagen Poznań Jolanta Musielak proclaimed that a Top Employer award “confirms we are among the best employers in our country.”

Do facts and stats corroborate the position of Volkswagen’s HR leader? Let’s find out.

Investing in Talent: Volkswagen’s Training, Health & Diversity

VW Poznań markets itself as a people-first workplace. Its leaders emphasize health programs, ongoing training, and diversity initiatives. For example, each plant has on‑site medical clinics offering regular check-ups and specialist care, plus a sports and rehabilitation center where employees can exercise or recover. The company even runs themed wellness weeks on physical and mental health. 

Volkswagen also built its own “center of competence” for training: workers can learn new skills in hybrid and electric powertrain production or other future-tech areas. 

In April 2024, VW Poznań announced it would double its R&D staff, hiring about 140 engineers and developers to work on electronic systems, software, and autonomous-vehicle tech. HR chief Jolanta Musielak stresses that VW “as a responsible employer” prioritizes training current workers and cooperates with universities to deliver these competencies. Solidarity union chief Piotr Olbryś also affirms that “investments in new competencies” are meant to secure long-term jobs for VW staff. 

These programs have earned VW Poznań industry accolades: it was certified a Top Employer Poland in 2025 for its HR practices, and its multi‑generational workforce (from VW’s founding era to today) is cited as a strength in company communications. Even Universum’s Global student survey last year ranked VW Group #11 and #4 in the Business and Engineering categories, respectively, with students citing “recognition of performance, good reference for future career” and “competitive benefits” as Volkswagen’s top attributes.

Volkswagen Drives Poland Toward EV Investment and Sustainability

Volkswagen is pushing into electric vehicles (EVs) and reshaping its Polish workforce with its Września van plant (part of VW Poznań), which adds two new halls for the next-generation all-electric Crafter. A foundation stone-laying ceremony is planned for this November, with construction starting in earnest in early 2026 and completion targeted for 2027. The move underlines VW’s push into electrification and long-term job security for the site’s workforce of around 9,000.

Chairwoman of the Board of Volkswagen Poznan Stefanie Hegels says this expansion “strengthens our position” in commercial EVs and “enhances job security for the future” at VW Poznań.  

On the green-energy front, VW’s plants in Poland run on 100% renewable electricity. The Września site alone has an 18.3 MW solar plant supplying up to 25% of its power (100% on sunny days). 

Overall, VW Poznań is actively investing for an electric future, training its people for new skills, and committing to sustainability, a profile befitting a “top employer” in 2025 Poland.

Competing for Talent: Volkswagen and Auto Employers in Poland

Is VW uniquely better than others? Not entirely. Poland’s automotive sector is crowded with strong employers. A recent Randstad survey of the most attractive companies (2024 data) places four auto firms in the top 10: Volvo Polska (1st), Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland (3rd) both outrank VW Poznań, which comes in at 4th, with Stellantis (#6) also on the list. For context, VW Poznań did make that top 10, but not #1. 

Global certifications likewise show peers winning awards: Stellantis (the PSA/Fiat group) has earned U.S. health-and-wellbeing awards for its programs, and Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing Poland’s Jawor plant has been voted a top engineering employer among students. Toyota’s Polish arm likewise emphasizes stable wages and modern tech, winning employer awards. 

In practical terms, workers survey results suggest Polish candidates have options: they see VW, Toyota, Volvo, and other foreign brands as nearly equal in reputation. So while VW Poznań has many strengths, it must compete with others offering similar stability, perks, and growth. 

Is Volkswagen Leading the Race for Poland’s Best Employer?

In a straightforward assessment, Volkswagen Group’s Polish operations score high on many employer metrics, be it scale, stability, training investment, and social programs. It legitimately markets itself as a top employer (even earning respected certifications). Albeit, no one indicator proves VW is the best employer outright. The company itself had to cut some contracts amid product changes, and one union critic even lamented that job protections fell short despite agreements. Rival carmakers likewise are doing great, making the leadership in talent competition very close.

Volkswagen Group’s Q1-3 results for 2025 show mixed signals: sales revenue rose slightly (+1 %) at €238.7 billion, but operating return on sales dropped to 2.3 % (versus 5.4 % in the same period in 2024), largely due to tariffs, EV ramp-ups and restructuring costs. 

This suggests that while VW Poland remains a strong employer, staff may face renewed pressure on cost-efficiency and output in the next wave of EV production.

So, is Volkswagen the best employer in Poland in 2025? It’s safer to say VW Poznań is one of the strongest employers in the country’s automotive sector, but it is not a runaway winner. Other manufacturers (and even big non-auto companies) earn top marks in employee surveys. 

VW’s mix of high-tech projects and employee benefits is impressive, yet it faces the same market pressures and talent contest as its peers. In practice, an ambitious worker might rank VW near the top of “best employers in Poland,” yet also list Toyota, Volvo, or Stellantis in that elite group. 

Bottom line: VW stands out for its investments in people, but the title of “best” depends on the criteria, and Poland’s labor market has several strong contenders. 

Ultimately, Volkswagen Poznań is credible and competitive as an employer, but the answer to “best” is nuanced, not unequivocal.

Author: Richardson Chinonyerem

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