Romanian Jobs Market Starts Moving Again, Cos Have Grown Wary – HR Specialists

"The jobs market has started moving again, but now we are faced with a lengthier process of candidate selection. Companies tell us that they are analyzing the resumes, because they want to hire someone, but they cannot say when they will hire. Candidates with low demands are preferred, and candidates over 45 are not accepted, even though they could still work for another 20 years," said Thursday Raluca Parvu, senior consultant within professional repositioning firm BPI Group.

She explained that for management positions, those interested in the job easily accept salaries below the one required, with reductions reaching up to 30% in some cases. At the same time, employees are more reticent when it comes to changing jobs and regarding relocation to another city.

For labor positions, only 30% of call candidates are actively seeking a job, as an immediate solution, but most of these candidates refuse professional retraining classes, even though they are free.

"Many candidates on the labor segment refuse the positions proposed, for example room maid, baby-sitter, because they are afraid to change their jobs and have not grown accustomed to the notion of reconversion," Parvu said, adding authorities have not applied measures for the stimulation of reconversion, and they have merely extended the interval of indemnity.

In turn, Adriana Paun, executive general manager of consultancy company Top Executive Agency Belgium, said employers have moved from "patchwork" employment to skill seeking.

"Most companies seek to improve their «top talent» base and are mindful of employee retention, to prevent the best employees from leaving. Companies are trying to push the selection process as far as possible, to make sure that they have made the best decision at the time of employment," Paun said.

Martin Macha, partner within research and recruitment company Mercer for central Europe and the Middle East, said he expects an increase in demand on the regional labor market, including in Romania, adding Romania is still sought as a place for activity relocation, fitting within the western companies' cost reduction strategies, especially on the support and IT services segment.

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