Survey shows gap between employers’ and employees’ expectations in Romania

A third (34%) of employers in Romania say they encounter difficulties in finding workers with a secondary education, while 44% of the blue-collar workers say the same about finding a job, according to a survey carried out by Reveal Marketing Research and classifieds platform OLX. “The percentage difference between the perception of the employees and that of the employers raises questions about the availability of jobs, showing that the job changing process can seem difficult for the employees,” the authors of the survey say. OLX records over 45,000 job ads, and 80% of the employers that post ads finish recruiting within a month, the company said. Over 9,000 jobs are advertised in Bucharest, over 3,000 in Cluj, and more than 2,200 in Iasi. The most looked-up categories in Cluj are those of baby-sitter and cleaner, seasonal labor, security, auto and courier services. In Iasi, the jobs that got most attention came from the categories baby-sitter and cleaner, engineer and builder, commercial worker, warehouse worker, protection, and auto and courier services. This is due to the large number of young professionals who dedicate a large part of their time to developing their careers and need help in managing their household and help with the children, the study’s authors explain. When it comes to the employees’ preferences, these place a great importance on benefits. But while almost 5 in 10 employees would feel motivated to receive a private medical insurance or a subscription to a private clinic, many employers continue to offer meal vouchers to round up the salary package. The survey also revealed that competence is the most important quality of the ideal employee, as indicated by 7 in 10 blue-collar workers and 6 in 10 employers. At the same time, less than 6% of those interviewed thought that the level of studies achieved speaks of the human quality. Another discrepancy between the expectations of the employers and those of the employees is revealed by the listing of the characteristics of the ideal employee. While blue-collar workers wish to prove their abilities in an environment where they can evolve professionally, the employers have expectations and evaluation methods that come in contradiction with the employees’ expectations. For employers, obedience (22% of respondents) and following deadlines (52%) are some of the most important in an employee. Only one in 10 employers expects the employee to generate ideas. At the same time, only 8% of the employers surveyed expect employees to take responsibility for their mistakes but 26% expect employees to be loyal to the company. By contrast, 37% of the employees listed following deadlines among the qualities of the ideal employee, 16% pointed to loyalty, and 5% obedience. The survey was carried out among a representative national group of 678 blue-collar workers and 1,000 employers, between March and April 2018, using the CATI (Computer Assisted Telephonic Interviews) methodology. editor@romania-insider.com