Survey reveals why Romanians switch to a lower-paying job

One out of five Romanians took at least once throughout their career a lower-paying job and two out of five would take a lower-paying job in exchange for other advantages they see as more valuable, a survey conducted by online recruitment platform BestJobs revealed.

A more flexible schedule and the option of being able to work from home are the main reasons to switch to a lower-paying job for 22% of the respondents in the survey. A total of 21.7% would take a lower-paying job if they had better prospects to develop professionally, while 15.5% would do the same if the additional benefits were more consistent. The opportunity to advance rapidly in their career matters more than the level of the new salary for one out of ten (10.5%) respondents. It is followed by advantages such as having an office closer to home (8.6%), a better team (6.2%) or a more attractive employer brand (3%).

The same survey revealed that two out of ten Romanian employees ask for a salary increase in the first year since getting hired, while four out of ten ask for an increase in the second year. Only 7% said they waited for at least two years before asking for a raise, while a third never ask for a raise but wait for it to be offered.

Over half of the respondents are not happy with what they make at their current job, the same survey revealed. Almost a third of respondents (31.2%) said that their current salary is up to 25% below the desired level, while a quarter said that it is by 50% below the needed level. Another 31.7% said their salary was satisfactory and at the desired level, while less than 3% of the respondents said it was over the desired level and that it covers their needs.

When asking for a raise, Romanian employees offer as main reasons an increase in workload (19.5% of respondents) or an increase in living expenses (18%). Another 12% ground their request in their seniority with the company, while 10% say they received a better job offer elsewhere. At the same time, 6.8% ask for a raise looking at the salary increases in the company, or at those granted to other colleagues or newcomers.

On the other hand, one out of three employers usually offer salary increases only depending on the financial performances of the company. A quarter grant these increases annually to all employees, regardless of their performances or that of the company. Meanwhile, 14% grant increases when the employee receives a counter-offer from a competitor or is promoted within the company, while 11.3% at the employees’ request.

On average, half of the employees grant yearly salary increases of at most 10%, while under a third (31%) grant salary increases of in between 10% and 25%. Another 17% grant salary increases according to the yearly inflation rate.

According to the answers provided by the company, most of the employees looking to renegotiate their salary work in Sales (42.4% of the answers), IT (31%), Finance & Accounting (22.6%), Management (22.6%), Production (19.8%), Administration (16.8%), Marketing (16%) and Logistics (14%). The employees working in Operations, Legal, Audit, Customer Services, Human Resources and Risk departments are less willing to ask for a raise.