Personnel Policy in the SME Sector in the Context of Contemporary Concepts of Work Humanization
Purpose: The aim of the study was to answer the question of whether a humanistic approach to work is applied in the SME sector. The authors put forward the thesis that SME entrepreneurs do not fully utilise the concept of work humanisation, despite declaratively high indicators of transparency and employment stability. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study was conducted in January 2025 using a questionnaire-based method with purposive and snowball sampling. The questionnaire, addressed to owners or senior management, was sent electronically following an initial telephone contact. A total of 116 SME companies provided responses. The findings were interpreted against the backdrop of contemporary work humanisation concepts. Findings: The study revealed the dominance of competence and experience as the key recruitment criteria, with marginal significance assigned to gender and personal connections, indicating a departure from discriminatory practices. The vast majority of companies reported no layoffs over the past five years, and are actively building long-term employee loyalty. Despite high declarations of transparency and equal pay, only some employers allow employees to co-shape the remuneration system. The most striking finding concerns attitudes toward employee dignity — only some part of respondents consider it a value that takes precedence over profit maximisation, while definitely more interviewees explicitly reject this view. Practical implications: The findings point to the need to replace the functional-normative approach to the employee with a holistic perspective that recognises the employee's subjectivity and personal dignity. SME managers should invest in training, fair appraisal systems, and mechanisms for employee participation. Neglect in these areas leads to occupational burnout, employee alienation, and organisational pathologies, ultimately undermining the long-term competitiveness of enterprises. Originality/Value: The article combines the perspective of management sciences with contemporary work humanisation concepts (Total Well-being, Work-Life Integration, Industry 5.0) and the assumptions of work humanisation processes, creating an original interpretive framework for evaluating HR policies in SMEs. It provides current empirical data (2025) on actual HR practices in the Polish SME sector, revealing a significant gap between declared values and the actual treatment of employee dignity.