This year companies will focus on technology, employer branding, organizational culture and change management

The main trends this year in the Romanian HR market will be the use of technology – especially artificial intelligence and investments in employer branding, organizational culture and change management tools, says Costin Tudor, CEO of Undelucram.ro, an online community of employees in Romania. These trends emerged from data collected by the company for the “Top Angajatori Undelucram.ro Catalogue”.

The catalogue presents details of the most appreciated employers and is based on the only ranking in Romania that considers the opinions of employees and not the public image of companies. The ranking includes the ratings of employees who anonymously submit their feedback on the Undelucram.ro platform.

From the interviews with HR managers of the companies present in the ranking, it was revealed that in 2023 the main trends in the local HR market were about the implementation of business efficiency and change management methods, according to Undelucram.ro. This data correlates with international statistics that show that last year 60% of HR managers prioritized efficiency training among managers, and 53% of leaders focused on change management, according to an international study.

“The need for such approaches is even greater as 45% of respondents reported that their employees feel burnt out due to changes in the labour market. And a starting point for addressing this is focusing on employee experience, which was a priority for 47% of HR leaders. On the other hand, compared to the previous year, there were two big differences: two years ago, 74% of employees were more willing to change work behaviours to support organizational change, but that number dropped in 2023 to 38%, according to Gartner data. Last year was also marked by an increase in investment in HR technology, with nearly half of HR leaders seeing this investment as a priority,” says Costin Tudor, CEO Undelucram.ro.

HR is not prepared yet to implement artificial intelligence effectively. Employees are unhappy with too frequent changes

Looking ahead to 2024, the main trends in the local HR market will be the use of technology tools, employer branding, organizational culture and change management.

“There is a great interest in the use of artificial intelligence in HR processes and there is a lot of discussion about productivity and responsible use of this technology. However, most HR functions are not ready to effectively implement AI-based products. We also see continued investments in employer branding and transparent presentation of companies in the labor market. At the same time, there are more and more initiatives to develop organizational culture. Over the last four years, we have radically changed the way we work, and in this context of spending less time in the office, leaders have to work very hard to really connect employees with each other. Another trend I’ve noticed in particular in employee messages from our platform is that the volume and pace of change is overwhelming for them. Change is frequent and continuous, and this affects their well-being and can have a devastating impact on company results,“ explained Costin Tudor.

The Undelucram.ro catalogue presents in detail the top 100 most appreciated employers in Romania, the reasons why they are appreciated by their employees and interviews with the HR managers of the companies. The catalogue also presents the 50 most valued employers in the SMEs segment (companies with less than 250 employees).

Who are the most valued employers. The main reasons why companies are appreciated

The main factors that make people value their employers are the recognition of their work, the opportunities for advancement, the working conditions, the benefits and rewards, the organizational culture, and the balance between time spent in the office and time off, according to Undelucram.ro data.

Last year the most appreciated employers were Schneider Electric Romania, MassMutual Romania, KRUK Romania, dm drogerie markt, JYSK Romania, Philip Morris Romania, MHP – A Porsche Company, Starbucks Romania, Iron Mountain Romania and JTI Romania.

In the SMEs segment the most appreciated employers were Wolfpack Digital, mReady, TopTech, MHC Romania and Cargo Track Solutions.

The first edition of the top and catalogue was launched in 2016.

“What has remained unchanged over the years is that the companies that invest in their employees are the most appreciated. Regardless of industry, companies that offer competitive salaries, attractive benefits, professional development opportunities and a positive work environment are the ones that rank among the top. On the other hand, in 2016 the top was dominated by IT companies. Over time, we’ve seen a diversification regarding the areas the top companies belong to and we now find companies from non-food retail, BPO&services, finance, healthcare and pharma. Also, more and more employers in all industries have become more aware of the importance of employer branding and developing an organizational culture that contributes to the loyalty of their employees,” added Undelucram.ro’s CEO.