APT business rose 50% in 2008, but fell in Q1

“This year, only the temporary work, payroll, and outsourcing operations maintained last year’s levels. These also made up most of the turnover – over 80 percent. The volume of recruitment and training activities dropped significantly compared to last year’s same period,” the company’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Sorina Donisa, told Business Standard.

She added that PR services provided by the company did not have a double-digit share in total turnover. This year, the company plans to develop new services to address the needs of the market in the current economic context.

“We will focus on solutions adjusted to the dynamics of the market. We will soon launch an outplacement service and focus on career counseling programs, 360 degrees assessment programs, organizational counseling and low-budget internal communication programs,” the company official said.

APT registered some €18 million in turnover in 2008, up some 50 percent year-on-year. This turnover places the company third among top human resource companies operating on the Romanian market, after Adecco Romania (with business exceeding €23 mln) and Lugera&Makler (with €18.15 mln in business).

Demand for HR services registered drops beginning with the fourth quarter of 2008, estimated at 20-30 percent, the largest on the recruiting segment, of up to 65 percent. In this year’s first three months, the recruiting business continued to have one of the largest declines in the local economy, of some 30 percent.