More than 80% of employers in Romania plan to raise salaries in 2026, but the competition for talent is increasingly shifting toward benefits, flexibility, and work–life balance, according to the HR Trends 2026 study released by Randstad Romania. The report showed that 83% of companies intend to increase pay for white-collar employees, while 85% plan raises for blue-collar workers, following a year of moderate wage growth.
Most respondents believe their salary levels are aligned with those of competitors, yet 23% acknowledged offering lower pay than the market for similar positions, a factor that continues to complicate recruitment efforts.
Competitive pay and benefits packages remain the most important attraction factors, followed by work–life balance and flexible working arrangements.
“For CEOs and HR leaders, 2026 represents a year of balancing growth with operational prudence; while the majority of companies plan salary increases, only 34% expect revenue growth. Leadership must move beyond reactive salary hikes to embrace a total compensation strategy – blending financial and wellbeing benefits, and AI-driven efficiency to secure a competitive edge in a market where 53% of leaders foresee technology reshaping the workforce,” said Dagmara Chudzińska-Matysiak, Managing Director, Randstad Romania.
According to the study, 38% of companies do not plan to have any flexible work arrangements in 2026, while 29% are exploring more agile models like part-time or project-based, or temporary employment. An interesting trend is the rise of “Digital Nomad” arrangements, which allow for total location independence and attract niche talent, Randstad said.
In organisations with home-office policies, working from home two days per week remains the most common setup, and there is a slight increase in fully flexible models, compared with last year. However, a new model is surfacing: 3% of employers have implemented a 4-day work week.
The study also highlighted persistent challenges in talent retention. Although salary remains the primary driver of turnover (79%), employers are losing talent due to non-financial reasons as well. Roughly 39% of departures are caused by a lack of advancement opportunities, while 29% of employees choose to leave due to excessive workload.
Meanwhile, 30% of companies plan to increase headcount in 2026, with business growth remaining the main driver of hiring, although at slightly lower levels than in previous years. Recruitment demand is strongest in engineering and production, while customer service hiring intentions have declined, which may be an early sign of automation, given that 44% of companies plan AI integration in this area, the same source said.
Attracting talent, particularly in IT and Sales, remains challenging, not only due to salary expectations (deemed unrealistic by 49% of employers) but also because of a real skills gap: half of the companies reported a lack of relevant experience in the market.
Meanwhile, technology investment continues to accelerate, with 38% of companies planning to expand AI use in 2026. More than half of respondents believe automation could reduce the number of jobs in the future, even as AI is seen as a tool for boosting productivity and efficiency.
The research was conducted among 217 business leaders across multiple industries between October and December 2025.
irina.marica@romania-insider.com
(Photo source: Jakkapant Turasen/Dreamstime.com)
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