Randstad Romania Employer Brand 2025 Research: Romanian employees want competitive pay and appreciation

• IT companies dominate the top of most attractive employers
• Digital talent reports low levels of changing jobs, but a high intention to leave
• 5% expect to lose job because of AI in the next 5 years

Randstad Romania Employer Brand Research 2025, part of the world’s most comprehensive independent employer brand study, has revealed the most attractive employers in our country, with IT organizations continuing to dominate the ranking and set the benchmark for winning over and retaining talent. For the fourth consecutive year, Microsoft tops the list, earning the distinguished Hall of Fame badge on its certification — a recognition granted to companies that consistently stand out in the eyes of job seekers and demonstrate sustained excellence in employer branding. Schaeffler (former Vitesco Technologies) and IBM complete the top 3. Attractive salary and benefits are main describers of the ideal employer for Romanian talents and weight the most when choosing where to work.

„We’re seeing a generational shift where inclusiveness, work-life balance, and job security are gaining ground as key motivators, as Randstad Romania Workmonitor study already signalled, at the beginning of the year. These strengths are a significant asset that employers can leverage to enhance overall employee satisfaction. Our research unveils an interesting tension in the job market: while intentions to switch jobs have slightly increased, actual turnover has remained steady. This signals a cautious optimism among employees, who are open to change but also highly selective. For employers, this creates a strategic window — to build proactive retention strategies centered on fair compensation, career growth, and continuous upskilling,” said Dagmara Chudzińska-Matysiak, Country Manager of HR services company Randstad Romania.

Some companies are already successfully responding to these evolving expectations. According to Randstad Romania Employer Brand Research 2025, the following organizations stand out as top employers in their respective sectors: Microsoft – IT/ technology, HP – services, Robert Bosch – automotive car parts producer, Ford – automotive car producer, Versuni (Philips) – manufacturing, Terapia – pharma production & distribution, Coca Cola – FMCG, Vodafone – telecom, Banca Transilvania – finance, CEVA Logistic – logistics, UMB Spedition – construction & infrastructure, Mol Petroleum Products- oil & gas, eMAG – retail.

Attractive salary ranks 9^th in evaluation of current employer

While salary and benefits remain the top driver of an ideal employer for all talents, fairness and inclusion are key to attracting and retaining the youngest generation. Millennials and Gen X place greater importance on job security.

Almost three-quarters of Romanian employees feel engaged in their current role, and 56% are more motivated than a year ago. Salary & benefits are the top reason for low engagement, whereas appreciation is crucial for motivation. Reskilling is considered important by 78% of the Romanian workforce, with no significant differences across age groups.

Gen X tends to be more singularly driven by recognition while Gen Z and Millennials cite a wider range of motivational factors, suggesting that these groups may respond better to more multifaceted engagement strategies. Work-life balance holds greater significance for digital talent, while professional and operational employees place more emphasis on equity initiatives.

The research shows an interesting gap between the profile of the ideal employer and the evaluation of the current employer, with a major difference between the two situations regarding the rank of attractive salary and benefits:

Employees open to change the job, but hesitant to act

Job-switching intentions have risen by 2% compared with 2024, but actual turnover has remained stable, signalling a steady job market with no significant spikes in employee turnover. This creates a valuable opportunity for employers to invest in long-term retention strategies rather than reacting to short-term shifts. Insufficient compensation has further solidified its position as the leading reason employees consider leaving a role. With other motivators declining this year, this trend highlights how vital fair and competitive pay is to retaining top talent. Other trends identified by Randstad Romania Employer Brand Research 2025 in job switch and search:

1. Gen Z leads in job switching (21%), while Baby Boomers switch the least (4%), reflecting age-related priorities and low risk tolerance.
2. Job search behaviours differ notably by generation. While job boards are the most-used channel across all age groups, Gen Z leans more heavily on Google and social media, Millennials favor LinkedIn, while Gen X relies more on personal connections, reflecting a continued preference for traditional job search methods.
3. Across specializations, digital talent reports lower levels of changing jobs, but the highest intention to leave, which could suggest a growing restlessness that hasn’t yet translated into turnover.

AI optimism declines, while diversity concerns grow

AI adoption remains higher among younger generations compared to older ones, though regular usage has declined across all age groups compared with 2024, as employees are becoming less optimistic about the impact AI has on their work lives.

5% of respondents expect on an average to lose job because of AI in the next 5 years, a concern that reaches the highest percentage in transport and logistics (10%) and the lowest in administrative, secretariat and HR (1,39%).

Regarding equity, Randstad Romania Employer Brand Research 2025 reveals that the proportion of minority employees facing obstacles due to their identity has increased by 4% compared to last year, highlighting a growing challenge. 18% of the Romanian workforce identifies as a minority, with Gen Z having the highest representation at 28%.

Randstad Employer Brand Research identifies the most attractive employers from thousands of companies, based on a methodology refined over 25 years of global employer brand analysis. For the 2025 edition, the opinions of 170,000 respondents aged 18 to 64 were collected, covering approximately 6,084 companies across 34 markets. The Romanian edition of the study includes insights from 4,030 employees across 150 companies.

About Randstad

Randstad is a global talent leader with the vision to be the world’s most equitable and specialized talent company. As a partner for talent and through our four specializations – Operational, Professional, Digital and Enterprise – we provide clients with the high-quality, diverse and agile workforces that they need to succeed in a talent scarce world. We help people secure meaningful roles, develop relevant skills and find purpose and belonging in their workplace. Through the value we create, we are committed to a better and more sustainable future for all. 

Headquartered in the Netherlands, Randstad operates in 39 markets and has approximately 40,000 employees. In 2024, we supported over 1.7 million talents to find work and generated a revenue of €24.1 billion. Randstad N.V. is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam.

Randstad Romania has a presence in Bucharest, Slatina, Sibiu, Brașov, and Timișoara, serving companies seeking an HR partner with in-depth market insights, world-class tools, and local expertise to meet their workforce needs, from recruitment to temporary employment, international mobility, outsourcing, development programs, outplacement, and consulting. With an enthusiastic team of over 100 professionals and more than 4,200 hires annually, Randstad Romania has contributed locally to the evolution of the labour market for over 8 years.