Key Takeaways from the Business Coffee “People as the New Economy: Business Strategies in a Talent Shortage”
On March 27, the HR Brand Award and Eclectic Talents Group hosted a business coffee event for HR Directors and CEOs of leading companies.
The event brought together 75 participants, with discussions focused on developing new approaches to talent attraction and retention. Experts explored how businesses can adapt to a new reality where the shortage of skilled professionals has become one of the key barriers to growth. In particular, the conversation covered the transformation of recruitment in Ukraine and globally, working with young talent, and the shift from traditional employment models to more flexible workforce formats.
This time, Smart Solutions was represented by two speakers who shared both Ukrainian and international experience in overcoming talent shortages, as well as their vision of the future labor market.
Andrii Danyliuk, Product Team Lead at Smart Solutions Ukraine, noted that the talent shortage in 2026 has reached a historic high over the past 17 years. According to surveys, 74% of companies in Ukraine are already experiencing a critical lack of staff. He emphasized that candidate priorities have shifted significantly: today, factors such as job reservation (military exemption), office energy resilience, and financial transparency often outweigh salary levels.
“In 2026, the battle for talent is no longer about competing budgets, but about speed of decision-making and business adaptability. The future belongs to companies that build proactive ecosystems instead of relying on reactive hiring. We are transforming our approach — moving from passively waiting for applications to strategic Talent Mapping. The key task is to identify potential candidates before they even enter the open job market. Only a combination of flexible employment models and a clear understanding of where your talent is today will allow businesses to scale despite external challenges,” – emphasized Andrii Danyliuk.
Natalia Myskova, General manager of Smart Solutions Poland, analyzed Poland’s experience in successfully overcoming talent shortages and explained how Ukraine can leverage this path. She highlighted that the key factors for Polish businesses were strong collaboration between the public and private sectors in working with youth, as well as the active implementation of flexible employment models to maintain business agility.
Yuliia Dalibuk, CMO of robota.ua, presented the results of the study “The Ideal Internship глазами студентов,” based on a survey of more than 1,200 young people. The findings showed that 64% of respondents view internships as an opportunity to secure permanent employment or stable income. However, 61% of young talents reject job offers due to unclear job descriptions or unrealistic experience requirements, while 58% decline due to unpaid internships. In the context of a talent shortage, companies are increasingly willing to hire young professionals without experience and invest in their development, creating opportunities to start a career while still studying.
Iryna Blinova, Head of PwC Ukraine Academy, Assoc CIPD, and Board Member, spoke about how businesses can prepare teams for uncertainty by developing adaptability and continuously updating employees’ skill sets.
“Today, we clearly understand that the talent shortage is not a temporary turbulence, but a long-term reality. Therefore, reshaping business strategies around people is now a matter of survival. In this context, recruitment is no longer just a service function focused on filling vacancies — it becomes a strategic priority for the entire executive team, requiring deep analytics and precise forecasting. The status of a ‘dream employer’ today belongs to those who build a healthy corporate culture and invest in the internal potential of their employees, giving them space for growth and learning,” – noted Larysa Onypko, Head of the HR Brand Award, Eclectic Talents Group.
The program also included an HR Talks panel discussion dedicated to recruitment strategies for 2026. Moderated by Larysa Onypko, experts Natalia Myskova, Liudmyla Holynska (HRD at Carlsberg), Anastasiia Hromova (HRD at MHP), and Andrii Danyliuk discussed effective hiring approaches in the context of talent shortages. The speakers shared practical experience in adapting recruitment processes and identifying new talent sourcing channels that are already proving effective.
This year, the organizers plan to host three more similar events, giving those who missed this session an opportunity to join future meetings and become part of the professional community.
The business coffee event became a platform for open dialogue and the search for effective solutions that will help Ukrainian companies navigate the talent crisis and turn challenges into new growth opportunities.
