Study reveals salary is key for Romanians in job selection; globally, job stability ranks highest

Salary, work-life balance, and a good relationship with the manager are the criteria that matter most to Romanians when it comes to choosing a job. These findings are part of the annual study conducted by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), The Network, The Stepstone Group, and eJobs.ro, The Network’s partner in the Romanian market. In contrast to the situation in Romania, globally, employees place the highest value on job stability. Globally, the second most important element is the balance between personal and professional life, and only then remuneration.

Workplace stability ranks fourth among the criteria set by Romanian employees. Other aspects they consider when choosing a job include the relationship with colleagues, feeling appreciated for the work they do, opportunities for professional development, feeling that their work is meaningful, the employer’s reputation, or the number of vacation days they have within the company.

“Interestingly, we do not find extra-salary benefits on this list, which shows us that Romanians have rethought their career and job approach recently. The importance of salary cannot be dethroned, but beyond this criterion, all the others that weigh heavily in the eyes of employees are more about relationships, organizational culture, and reputation than about tangible material incentives,” says Roxana Drăghici, Head of Sales at eJobs.ro, the largest online recruitment platform in Romania.

However, even at the local level, there are differences between respondents depending on the age category they belong to. Thus, salary is most important only for those aged 21 to 30 and those in the 41-50 age category. For the very young, specifically under 20, the most important thing is the compatibility between their values and those of the potential employer. Those in the 31-40 age segment value primarily the balance between personal and professional life. From the age of 51 onwards, a good relationship with colleagues or appreciation from the manager for the work they do matters most.

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Equally interesting is what matters least, depending on the age segment. For those under 20, the number of vacation days they are entitled to annually is the least considered criterion. Benefits are least important for those aged 21 to 30 and 41 to 50, while employer reputation matters least for candidates in the 31-40 age segment. Toward the end of their careers, from age 51 onwards, career development possibilities and the opportunity to work in a creative environment matter least.

“The fluctuations in the labor market, internationally, have made 2023 the first year in which we see job security appear so high in respondents’ choices. In previous years, recognition of merits within the company or the relationship with the team were much more important,” adds Roxana Drăghici.

The study was conducted from October to December 2023 on a sample of 150,000 respondents from 185 countries, including Romania, which provided responses from 1,047 participants. The responses were collected by The Network, along with internationally affiliated recruitment platforms, and processed by Boston Consulting Group, a management consulting company based in Boston, Massachusetts. This is the most extensive profile research conducted on a global sample.

Currently, on eJobs.ro, the largest recruitment platform in Romania, there are 25,000 jobs available.