● Over 70% of PwC Workforce Hopes and Fears 2024 respondents in Romania believe that Generative AI (GenAI) will create opportunities to learn new skills, be more creative at work and improve the quality of their work, and 40% expect GenAI to result in them getting a salary raise.
● Half of the respondents say that their workload has increased significantly in the last 12 months, and 45% report having had to learn new technologies, in the context of accelerated changes in companies.
● Almost half (46%) say that opportunities to acquire new skills are decisive in changing jobs.
● In terms of financial security: 32% say they are now receiving more each month, up from 26% in 2023, but 55% are financially stressed (vs 57% last year).
● 20% want to change their employer in the next 12 months, two percentage points more than in 2023.
The accelerated changes in companies and the much higher workload of the last 12 months have led Romanian employees to learn to use new technologies, according to the results for our country of the PwC Workforce Hopes and Fears 2024 survey.
The main factors that will further reshape workplaces will be changes in customer preferences and government regulations, followed by the emergence of new technologies such as AI or robotics, according to almost 40% of Romanian employees. Comparatively, globally, technological changes are at the top of the list of factors that will affect jobs, as mentioned by 46% of respondents.
“Employees have begun to feel more and more the pressures of the changes that companies have faced in recent years and which are reflected in efforts to keep up with new technologies, regulations and other trends in the economy. The good news is that employees are showing optimism and engagement, with most showing readiness to adapt to new ways of working, learn other skills and use emerging technologies such as GenAI. Under these conditions, employers must ensure that they invest in both employees and technologies to alleviate pressures and retain talent”, said Dinu Bumbacea, Country Managing Partner PwC Romania.
Most respondents (87%) show that they are ready to adapt to new ways of working and see the potential to use GenAI to increase their efficiency. However, over a third express fears about their job security. Thus, 53% of employees feel confident about job security, but 36% say recent changes worry them.
“GenAI has the potential to transform business models and fundamentally change certain industries. Companies need to carefully assess the associated risks and at the same time act quickly to take advantage of the opportunities. But this approach has a chance of success only with the involvement of employees. Cultivating transparency and trust in the implementation of GenAI strategy can help employees feel encouraged to experiment and ultimately innovate with this technology”, explains Daniel Anghel, Partner and Leader Tax, Legal & People, PwC Romania.
In addition to the changes felt over the past 12 months, employees have other concerns. Although they have more financial security than last year, most are stressed about money because while they can pay their bills, they do not have enough left over for savings, vacations or extra expenses.
Employees are adopting AI to reduce workplace pressures
A third of employees and about 40% of CEOs (according to the PwC CEO Survey) believe that the time spent on administrative activities is inefficient and agree that GenAI could help them save time.
The use of GenAI in the workplace is not yet widespread. While 51% of workers say they have used GenAI at work at least once in the last 12 months, only 5% use it daily and 13% weekly.
In this context, only 27% of Romanian respondents expect GenAI to fundamentally change their profession within five years, compared to 40% globally.
Competences – a valuable currency of exchange
Upskilling has become very valuable to employees, who consider it a differentiator for the company. About 60% of respondents say that their employer provides them with adequate opportunities to acquire new skills useful in their career, and 46% say that these opportunities are a key factor when they decide to stay or leave for another job.
“Technological innovation has always reshaped the labor market and created new opportunities. Although AI is rapidly being adopted and can perform more tasks than previous technologies, it will not lead to an overall decline in jobs. However, it is essential to adapt to the new realities. The Hopes & Fears Survey 2024 once again confirms the need for a proactive attitude towards continuous learning on the part of both employers and employees, while flexibility and openness to change are essential assets in a labour market reshaped by AI and significantly disrupted by the geopolitical and economic context”, says Oana Munteanu, People & Organisation Director, PwC Romania.
Job satisfaction has increased and salary remains the most important criterion
The main factor that motivates employees is fair pay based on performance. Of the 86% of respondents who rated it very and extremely important to be paid fairly, 72% reported that their current job offers them satisfactory remuneration.
Employees also found satisfying, collaborative and flexible work to be very important. Professional satisfaction increased slightly, from 53% in 2023, to 59% of employees who showed themselves satisfied this year. However, the intention to change employers is expressed by 20% of respondents, compared to 18% in 2023.
About the survey
PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2024 is based on a survey of over 56,000 employees in 50 countries and regions, including over 500 in Romania.
About PwC
At PwC, our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. We’re a network of firms in 151 countries with over 360,000 people who are committed to delivering quality assurance, advisory and tax services. Find out more and tell us what matters to you by visiting us at www.pwc.com.
