Bucharest, February 7, 2025 – RBJ – Over 80% of employers in Romania plan to raise salaries in 2025, with most increases expected to be between 6% and 10%, according to the Randstad Romania HR Trends 2025, the latest market research conducted by Randstad Romania, a leader in the human resources services market.
“The Randstad Romania HR Trends 2025 report captures the business environment’s expectations for 2025 and the most important challenges and trends in human resources among companies in the local market. The future of the Romanian labour market will be defined by a balance between technology, continuous education, and benefits addressing both professional and personal employee needs. A conclusion we can draw is that we are at a moment of reconfiguring the leadership vision of teams, with an emphasis on creating and developing ecosystems that allow employees to grow and have the career that fulfills them,” says Ionuț Huzu, Commercial Director of Randstad Romania.
Sales Increases Between 4% and 10%
The business environment looks to 2025 with moderate optimism. 43% of companies anticipate revenue growth in 2025 (compared to 41% last year), while 10% expect a decrease (compared to 4% in 2024). 63% of respondents expecting a sales increase say it will range from 4% to 10% this year. Significant differences are noted compared to the Czech Republic, where only about one-third of business representatives expect revenue growth, while in Hungary, half of employers are optimistic about this indicator.
Salaries Expected to Increase Between 6%-10% in 2025
82% of employers plan to increase salaries in 2025, but the planned percentage is lower than employee expectations. The average salary increase range is 6%-10%, while according to a survey conducted by Randstad Romania on social media, 37% of employees believe the increase should exceed 20%. Only 1% of employers are willing to offer such significant increases. The gap between what employers offer and what employees expect is a structural issue in the labour market. This can lead to higher employee turnover and difficulties in talent retention. Therefore, salary increases alone are not enough to attract and retain human resources; they must be accompanied by personalized benefits, development opportunities, and work flexibility.
Employees in Production are the Hardest to Find
34% of companies intend to hire this year, primarily due to business growth or national/international organizational development, while 13% will freeze hiring. The most recruitment will be for positions in sales (up by 10% compared to last year), engineering, customer service/aftersales services, IT, or positions with operational responsibilities. The main barriers to recruitment this year continue to be candidates’ high salary expectations (although down by 8% from 2024) and the lack of relevant work experience in the industry they are applying to. Companies need talent to support their development, but high salary costs and a shortage of qualified candidates create a context in which employers must focus not only on recruitment but also on professional training and internal employee development.
The IT & telecom, services, and industrial-manufacturing sectors expect the most hiring. Additionally, sectors such as BSS (Business Support Services) and real estate/construction will continue to expand their teams, due to increased demand for specialized services, respectively infrastructure projects. Some sectors will see stable or even decreasing hires (automotive, transport-logistics, financial services).
Production and operations are the areas where companies face the biggest challenges in finding qualified staff. Also, recruitment for IT, sales, and logistics departments is becoming more difficult, generating significant competition in attracting specialists in these fields. With fewer hires expected in back-office, marketing, or legal services departments, the competition for talent in these areas is less visible.
71% of companies believe that online professional networks, such as LinkedIn, will be the most effective methods of attracting candidates in 2025. Additionally, internal employee referral programs and partnerships with recruitment agencies remain popular methods for identifying the right talent. Companies need to adapt their recruitment strategies to a digital environment, where building a strong employer brand and using online channels effectively will make the difference in attracting top specialists.
Increased Hiring of Workers from Developing Countries
Faced with the talent shortage on the local market, more and more companies in Romania are focusing on recruiting from developing countries. 14% of employers plan to hire workers from third-world countries for “blue-collar” positions (workers/production), while only 6% are seeking “white-collar” specialists (office employees) from outside the European Union. Most companies prefer to recruit these employees through certified temporary employment agencies, indicating a trend towards outsourcing the international recruitment process.
66% of employers consider that retaining talent is the main difficulty in human resources, emphasizing the need for effective retention strategies. At the same time, 59% of companies are facing difficulties in attracting new employees, and 52% are struggling to keep employees engaged and motivated.
Increased Confidence in AI
64% of companies are open to using AI, compared to 58% in 2024. AI is predominantly implemented for automating repetitive tasks, data analysis, recruitment, and customer support. 29% of employers do not yet have a clear AI strategy.
Employee Benefits Trends in 2025:
Financial Benefits
– Deduction of home office expenses (14% of respondents),
– Profit sharing (15%).
Wellbeing and Skilling Benefits
– Psychological support (31%),
– Coaching & mentoring (38%).
Learning Benefits
– Data protection and cybersecurity (e.g., GDPR) – 59%,
– Communication and presentation skills – 56%,
– Diversity and inclusion – 52%,
– Creative and critical thinking – 44%,
– Sustainability – 42%,
– Wellbeing and mindfulness – 37%.
The Randstad Romania HR Trends 2025 research was conducted between October and December 2024, based on an online survey of 204 leaders from various industries. It was carried out in partnership with Evalueserve, a global market research and analytics company.
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Randstad is the world’s largest talent company and the preferred partner for clients. We are committed to providing equitable opportunities for people from all backgrounds and helping them stay relevant in the rapidly changing world of work.
Randstad Romania has a presence in Bucharest, Slatina, Sibiu, Brașov, and Timișoara, serving companies seeking an HR partner with in-depth market insights, world-class tools, and local expertise to meet their workforce needs, from recruitment to temporary employment, international mobility, outsourcing, development programs, outplacement, and consulting. With an enthusiastic team of over 100 professionals and more than 2,500 hires annually, Randstad Romania has contributed locally to the evolution of the labour market for over 8 years.
