SoftNet Grup: Companies forced to recruit beginners

The large number of IT&C multinationals that have entered the Romanian market, which require more personnel than is available on the market, has prompted a strong wage increase and caused a large number of beginners to be recruited. "The results (of the high demand for personnel) are a staff shortage, the sudden wage rise in the field, and the flood of beginners, who, despite their lack of experience, have excessive wage demands. Consequences include not only a drop in the attractiveness of international investments in the Romanian IT sector, but also a 40-60% rise in the costs of projects conducted for Romanian-based clients, which will undoubtedly lead to a reduction in investments made in the economy as a whole, particularly in the public sector," says Vasile Baltac, president and owner of SoftNet Grup. Ove r the last two years, many international IT&C companies, such as HP, IBM and Oracle, have opened service centres in Bucharest, which employ several thousand Romanians.