“Employer Branding Dialogue: Key Findings for Transylvania” an event designed for the HR and Employer Branding expert community in Romania, took place last week, for its first time in Cluj-Napoca, too! Along with celebrating the most wanted employers in Cluj, we also had the chance to discuss candidate perceptions and behaviour based on Catalyst’s recent employer market studies.

Relevant Facts on Most Desired Employers Survey 2024 by Catalyst

In the last edition of  the “Most Desired Employers Survey 2024”  made by Catalyst for Cluj, a total of 964 respondents filled in the online questionnaires. On one hand, they provided their opinion on their criteria to choose an employer, their professional objectives, plans and challenges, their reason to leave or stay and the channels they use for getting more information. On the other hand, they provided their perception and opinions about various companies and hiring brands.

From a gender perspective 52% were male respondents and 48% were women respondents. The majority of 66% have Bachelor’s and Master Degrees. 36% work in ITC, while 28% in engineering providing a reliable base for the employers coming from these sectors. What we also found relevant is that 38% of these respondents have a working experience of +10 years and 23% have more than 5 years on the labour market.

Observed Employee Behaviour

In terms of employer behaviour, the ITC sector is a very dynamic market, since an equal percentage of ITC professionals are either actively looking for new opportunities (41%) or exploring alternatives (also 41%).

Acknowledged Information Channels

Half of the respondents declared to get their information primarily from social media platforms, job platforms and colleagues or friends.  Other reliable alternatives prove to be platforms with employer ratings, company official websites and acquaintances working in those respective companies.

Relevant Application Channels

A staggering majority (66%) declared to opt for Linkedin as an application channels, while 23% declared to be directly contacted by a head hunter.

The Job Ad Content

According to the survey, most of the respondents declare to look at the salary offered (74%), the benefits offered (65%) and at the career advancement opportunities (52%). Also relevant proved ato be the way in which the employer company communicates the work-life balance situation (35%) and their organizational culture.

For all the above, Catalyst team came with a relevant set of example from their customer portfolio, which was very well received by the audience.

The Long Criteria List For Choosing a Job

A deeper discussion went on about the criteria of choosing a job, especially for the ITC market. The good old check list remains the same, with some variations. The salary package is still the main criterion. However, instead of the benefit, in the post-pandemic world and with the armed conflicts in the neighbouring country, the work-life balance and the work atmosphere matters more than the benefits package at the moment. On the fifth place, the rise of a “secure job” criterion surpassed those of training and development, reputation, recognition, mentoring and managerial support!

Next, hybrid work and full remote work also have gained in importance, especially for ITC professionals. The list continues with clear path of advancement, visible results of own work, empowerment, good referrals, impact on society, challenges, leadership.

Last but not least, the physical grounds, the hardware and the accessibility of the work place, plays an important role in the choice of the next employer.

Ceremony and Final Thoughts

After the study presentation it was time to celebrate the most reputed employer brands in Cluj-Napoca. These are mainly large, international companies with high visibility, strategic EB campaigns targeting potential candidates and job seekers.

Nevertheless, we congratulate the local HR and EB teams, in charge with the customization of the employer brand image on the local Romanian market. It is a particular context with its own challenges.

The day ended with a Best Practices panel, where human resources experts and marketing communication or branding experts could address questions and discuss about their own challenges and successes.

The “Employer Branding Dialogue: Key Findings for Transylvania” was relevant for the local ITC community as a way to have a look at the current facts and to learn from each company’s individual experience.