In 2021, the second
\nyear of the pandemic also brought about an unusual, if not unexpected,
\nphenomenon on the labor market – a massive number of resignations. Seen as the
\ngreat resignation in the USA, the phenomenon turned global, also affecting
\nRomania. A recent survey attests to the existence of the phenomenon. Raluca
\nDumitra, a communication manager with an online recruiting agency told us more:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Candidates are more willing
\nto compromise. At the start of the year, we conducted a survey among
\njob-seekers and it turned out 21% of employees would quit their current job,
\neven if they don’t have a backup plan. It’s a rather high percentage which I
\nthink should worry employers, all the more so as restrictions were lifted on
\nMarch 9. This means employers will want to get people back to work, considering
\nworkers want to remain flexible. A return in block to the workplace would also
\npossibly prompt employees to resign. Another interesting fact is that right now
\ncandidates are extremely optimistic. Around 75% of Romanians believe they might
\nfind a job within three months. It’s a high rate of optimism considering the
\nreality on the market. Most industries and sectors are facing a significant
\nlabor shortage, which means highly qualified experts might actually find a job
\nin less than three months right now.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Petru P\u0103curaru, the
\ndirector of a company that specializes in human resources has confirmed this
\nphenomenon, also identifying its causes: <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
One reason would be
\nthat 2020 was a year of uncertainty. People stopped switching jobs, meaning
\nthere were less people who resigned in search of a better workplace, but the
\nsituation changed radically in 2021. 2020 will be the year with the highest job
\nretention rate in the history of mankind, as mobility was affected. Another
\nreason is that, businesses have started moving back offline bit by bit. And
\nthen, part of the people who got used to working online will have a hard time
\ndoing their job, and for them this is a criterion when looking for a new job.
\nAnd thirdly, I might add, despite economic difficulties, we see people continue
\nto invest in luxury goods. And one reason is that, in times of crises, people
\nare thinking about what matters to them most. And those who were about to
\ncompromise, thinking they would keep their job until they find something better
\nfor themselves, found themselves in a bad spot and realized the tradeoff wasn’t
\nworth it, and they mustered up their courage to look for something better. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
At the same time,
\npeople who dare resign without any safety net have a financial and professional
\nstatus above average, Petru P\u0103curaru told us:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
If we look at
\ndemographic and income indicators, we will certainly notice people over the age
\nof 30 or 35 taking this decision, as well as those whose education and income
\nlevels are above average. However, resigning is not always followed by an
\nimmediate reemployment solution. An example are those working in highly
\nvolatile sectors who face high stress levels that can lead to burnout. The
\ndecision to stop working is not determined by finding a new job, but merely by
\nthe will to stay alive.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Although resigning
\nwithout a backup plan might seem a decision stimulated by an exaggerated sense
\nof optimism at first, the latest developments on the labor market do justice to
\nthose who believe a new job, one that is better-suited for them, will sooner or
\nlater appear. Raluca Dumitra told us more:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
For instance, last
\nmonth we had 38 thousand new jobs listed on our platform, which is tantamount
\nto the war in Ukraine. If we look at the previous month, we will notice a 13%
\nincrease, considering this is a difficult context we’re talking about, meaning
\npeople continue to switch jobs. Candidates continue to apply and we have some
\n900 applications every month. Therefore, people continue to resign and are
\nprompted by jobseekers’ desire to find a better job. In terms of the number of
\napplications, they are down compared to the same period last year, but that’s
\nnot a surprise, since last year came with record-high numbers of applications.
\nThis time last year, the market did not favor job applicants. Last year,
\nemployers were in a position of power. Another important aspect is that 8 out
\nof 10 Romanians for whom switching jobs was a priority have already started
\nlooking for a job. And this is also reflected in the high number of job
\napplications we continue to receive. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Of course, there are
\nsectors where the demand of workforce is higher, such as retail, transport,
\nhospitality, call-centers and IT&C. Therefore, the market will continue to
\nchange, Raluca Dumitra argues.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
We cannot compare to
\nthe wave of resignations in the US, and I don’t believe Romania will get to
\nthat point, simply because we are talking about a different culture and
\nmentality. Yet it is worth noting that Romanians are growing increasingly aware
\nof the context and the fact that there are many jobs available, even in times
\nof pandemic or war. This makes them feel more confident, even though they don’t
\nhave backup plans. The high number of jobs will definitely favor the wave of
\nresignations over the coming period. All that must be analyzed in a
\ngeopolitical context, of course, but once a ceasefire is reached, the labor
\nmarket will continue its current course and we’ll be seeing more resignations.
\n(VP)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Romania last year reported a large number of resignations<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":144079,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42997],"tags":[39921,43889,43888,36389,43887],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-144078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-society-today","tag-covid-19-pandemic","tag-job-applications","tag-job-retention-rate","tag-resignations","tag-work-from-home"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n