German retailer Lidl announces another raise for its employees in Romania

German discount supermarket chain Lidl, one of the biggest retail networks in Romania by revenues, will increase the minimum gross revenues of its local employees starting March 1.

The lowest monthly gross revenue will increase by 12.5% compared to 2021 to RON 4,950 (EUR 1,000). This is approximately RON 2,900 (EUR 586) in net income. The sum covers the salary, meal vouchers, the Easter and Christmas bonuses, a yearly bonus, and other bonuses and benefits.

All the employees of Lidl Romania active throughout the 2022 financial year will also receive with the February 2023 paycheck a yearly bonus equivalent to the value of their base salary in the respective month. Those who join Lidl in 2022 will have their bonus calculated depending on the worked period.

The company, which employs more than 10,000 people locally, offers a range of benefits, including up to 27 days off, private health insurance, life insurance, and training programs, among others.

Lidl’s announcement comes as a recent survey showed 81% of companies plan to increase the salary levels this year as they are faced with a marked labor shortage.

Eight out of ten employers answering a survey carried out by recruitment platform eJobs said they planned to increase the salary levels this year: 46% plan a 10% increase, 22.9% a 5% increase, and 7.6% an increase of less than 5%. Another 10.4% of the respondents plan increases of 15%, 9% of 20%, and 3.5% of more than 25%.

More than 25% of the employers looking for new hires said their main challenge was the poor preparation of the applicants, while 15% of the respondents said the salary demands of the candidates were too high in relation to their experience level.

Other challenges employers face are candidates not showing up for interviews, applications that don’t fit the descriptions of the roles, and the low number of candidates.

When asked what candidates want from a job, besides the salary meeting their needs, 41.3% pointed to an increased interest in extra-salary benefits (meal vouchers, medical or fitness passes). Another 31% said the salary was the only criterion candidates take into account, which will lead to salary increases higher than the foreseen ones, as a quarter of respondents expect.

At the same time, 70% of the employers said they were willing to hire a candidate without experience and train them. Another 36.5% said young candidates would be the most in demand, followed by qualified workers, specialists, IT employees, unqualified workers, and managers.

The survey was carried out between January 25 and February 11 among 350 companies.