"Most of those considering a return are IT or manufacturing specialists, with 5-10 years experience in important markets, such as the US, France, Finland, Italy or Germany, in middle or top management positions," said Sorin Popa, Managing Partner of the human resource company Accord Group.
However, few of these applicants agree to a subsequent discussion if selected. "Their financial expectations are more often than not unrealistic. We have presented several applicants from abroad, but local candidates were preferred because they demanded lower wages," explained Popa.
An increase in salaries over the past few years has led to offers in Romania in areas such as banking and finance to be comparable to ones in Western Europe. Romanian managers generally demand an increase of 20-30 percent over salaries they had abroad, but many accept relocation for a similar wage due to lower cost of living in Romania.
Most applicants decide to return to Romania for personal reasons. Another reason for repatriation is that they have reached a point where a promotion is no longer possible, according to Mihaela Damian, Partner at Stanton Chase Romania. They look for positions with better career development opportunities. At the top management level, Romanians with international experience are preferred to replace expatriates whose term is ending in Romania.
