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Analele Universităţii din Oradea, Seria Relaţii Internaţionale şi Studii Europene, TOM XVI, pag. 181-197
BRIDGING THE GAP: HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN ROMANIA'S EVOLVING
LABOR MARKET WITHIN THE EUROPEAN UNION
FRAMEWORK. STUDY CASE IN BIHOR COUNTY,
ROMANIA
Delia-Georgeta BEKESI*
Zsolt-Botond BOTTYAN**
1. Introduction
The European Union (EU) has long recognized the intrinsic link between
sustainable economic growth and competitiveness among its member states (European
Commission, 2024). As the EU strives to maintain its position in the global economy, it
becomes increasingly apparent that the success of individual member states is crucial to
* Faculty of Social-Humanistic Sciences, University of Oradea, 410087 Oradea, Romania;
georgianabekesi@yahoo.com
** Faculty of Social-Humanistic Sciences, University of Oradea, 410087 Oradea, Romania;
bottyan.zsolt@gmail.com
Abstract. This study examines the role of human resource management (HRM)
practices in addressing labor market challenges in Romania, a relatively new member
of the European Union (EU). Focusing on Bihor County, the research investigates how
Romanian employers adapt their HRM strategies to navigate labor shortages and align
with EU competitiveness standards. Through a quantitative analysis of 254 private
sector employers, the study explores the interplay between post-communist
entrepreneurial culture, evolving HRM practices, and EU-driven economic objectives.
Findings reveal a persistent parochial management approach, with employers
reluctant to engage professional recruitment services or explore international labor
markets. The research identifies a significant mismatch between employer demands
and available skills, particularly in vocational and technical fields. While employers
recognize the value of workplace training, there is less emphasis on other retention
strategies such as competitive compensation or work-life balance initiatives. The study
highlights the need for closer collaboration between educational institutions and
employers to align training programs with market needs. It also underscores the
importance of developing more sophisticated HRM strategies to address ongoing labor
shortages and enhance Romania's competitiveness within the EU. This research
contributes to the understanding of HRM's role in bridging the gap between Romania's
economic potential and its current performance within the EU framework.
Keywords: European Union, Romanian Labor Market, Post-communist
Entrepreneurial Culture, Human Resource Strategies.
Delia-Georgeta BEKESI, Zsolt-Botond BOTTYAN
182
the collective prosperity of the union. As a relatively new member state, Romania
presents a compelling case study in this context. Despite possessing significant economic
potential, Romania faces challenges in fully leveraging its resources to achieve the level
of competitiveness envisioned by EU standards.
Central to unlocking Romania's economic potential is the development of a
competent management class capable of navigating the complexities of modern business
environments and aligning with EU objectives. Within this broader management
landscape, the specific domain of human resource management (HRM) emerges as a
critical factor in successfully implementing European goals within the Romanian
economy (Brewster, Mayrhofer, & Farndale, 2018). Effective HRM practices not only
contribute to organizational success but also play a vital role in fostering innovation,
adaptability and productivity key drivers of national competitiveness (Boxall & Purcell,
2022).
The importance of HRM in this context is multifaceted. Firstly, it serves as a
bridge between organizational strategies and the workforce, ensuring that human capital
is optimally utilized to meet both company and national economic objectives (Ulrich,
Younger, Brockbank, & Ulrich, 2012). Secondly, in an era of rapid technological
advancement and changing labor market dynamics, HRM is instrumental in developing
and retaining talent, which is essential for maintaining competitiveness in knowledge-
based economies (Cascio & Boudreau, 2016). Lastly, as the EU emphasizes sustainable
and inclusive growth, HRM practices that promote diversity, equity, and work-life
balance become increasingly relevant in aligning business practices with broader societal
goals (Farndale, Horak, Phillips, & Beamond, 2019).
The focus on HRM takes on added significance when considering the current
state of the Romanian labor market. Romania is grappling with a severe labor shortage,
driven by a confluence of demographic trends and economic factors. High levels of
emigration (Sandu, 2005), particularly of skilled workers to other EU countries, have
depleted the domestic workforce (Andrén & Roman, 2016). The loss of workforce is
compounded by low fertility rates, resulting in an aging population and a shrinking labor
pool (World Bank, 2024). Paradoxically, these challenges are occurring against a
backdrop of sustained economic growth, which has further intensified the demand for
skilled labor across various sectors (National Bank of Romania, Annual Report 2023
1
).
This labor shortage on the market presents both a challenge and an opportunity
for HRM practices in Romania. On one hand, it necessitates innovative strategies for
talent attraction, development, and retention to mitigate the impacts of workforce
scarcity. On the other, it underscores the potential for HRM to play a transformative role
in shaping Romania's economic landscape by optimizing the use of available human
capital and fostering conditions that might encourage skilled expatriates to return.
However, the implementation of effective HRM practices in Romania faces
several challenges. These include the legacy of communist-era management styles, a
mismatch between educational outputs and labor market needs, and the ongoing brain
drain of skilled professionals to other EU countries (Grigore & Mitroi, 2012). Addressing
these challenges requires a concerted effort from various stakeholders, including
policymakers, educational institutions, and business leaders.
This paper aims to explore the role of human resource management as a key
element in bridging the gap between Romania's economic potential and its current
1
https://www.bnro.ro/DocumentInformation.aspx?idDocument=45715&idInfoClass=6874
Bridging the Gap: Human Resource Management Strategies in Romania's Evolving Labor Market
183
performance within the EU framework. By examining the interplay between HRM
practices, national competitiveness, and sustainable economic growth—all within the
context of Romania's unique labor market challenges—we seek to identify strategies that
can enhance Romania's position within the European economic landscape and address its
pressing demographic and workforce issues.
2. Empirical Objectives and Theoretical Framework
From an empirical point of view, we propose the general hypothesis that the HR
adjustment strategies implemented by the employers depends on variables such as
employer size and type of activity. The number of employees positively correlates with
a more diverse employee structure, which permits a larger array of human resource
strategies such as internal hiring. In addition, larger companies are more likely to
organize HR departments or to hire HR specialists to diversify their approach towards
human resource management (Brewster, Wood, Brookes, & Ommeren, 2006; Purcell,
2014). The type of activity of the employer determines the structure of professions that
have different availabilities in the labor market. To underline this aspect, we used the
variable ”Workforce deficit” designed to underline the labor shortage as experienced by
the employer, which also expresses the motivational component of the adjustment
process to labor market conditions. Considering the context of our analysis, we can
narrow down the general hypothesis as follows: Human resource adjustment measures,
implemented by employers in Bihor County, which are conditioned by the
entrepreneurial culture, are predicted by variables such as company size and labor
shortage.
The Romanian labor market presents a unique case study of economic transition
and its impact on human resource management practices. This chapter examines the
interplay between Romania's post-communist entrepreneurial culture, its evolving
educational system, and employers' strategies for adapting to labor market challenges. By
applying theoretical frameworks from sociology and economics, we aim to elucidate the
complex dynamics shaping human resource management in Bihor County, Romania.
2.1. Romania's Post-Transition Context
Following the 1989 revolution, Romania embarked on a transition from a
communist system to a democratic, capitalist society with a free market economy (Sandu,
1999). This transition has resulted in a post-transition society with distinct characteristics
that continue to influence economic behavior and labor market dynamics.
The Romanian educational system has undergone significant changes since the
fall of communism. While the communist-era system was ideologically constrained, it
nonetheless provided diverse scientific training programs. The post-communist period
saw attempts at reform and democratization, coupled with increased international
cooperation. However, these reforms have been criticized for lacking coherence and
failing to adequately respond to economic needs (Hannah, Elizabeth, Kirsteen, Anne, &
Soumaya, 2017).
A notable trend has been the massification of higher education (Tight, 2019),
mirroring Western patterns but without commensurate increases in resources to maintain
quality (Curaj, Deca, Egron-Polak, & Salmi, 2015). This expansion of university
education, driven by social prestige, has come at the expense of vocational training,
contributing to a mismatch between educational outcomes and labor market demands.
Delia-Georgeta BEKESI, Zsolt-Botond BOTTYAN
184
The economic transition in Romania necessitated a shift from a centralized,
bureaucratic economic management model to an entrepreneurial one. This process has
given rise to a unique entrepreneurial culture that blends elements of communist-era
political-administrative management with imported Western capitalist practices
(Marinescu, 2013). Key characteristics of this entrepreneurial culture include:
• Blurred boundaries between public and private economic spheres
• Preference for "experiential" management approaches based on intuition
• Reliance on self-taught training due to a lack of professionalized economic
management education
These cultural elements significantly influence employers' strategies for adapting
to labor market conditions.
2.2. Employer Adjustment Strategies
In the context of the Romanian entrepreneurial culture, the employer’s
adjustment process can be better approached using the theory of social action (Craib,
2015), which gives the fundamental concepts necessary to analyze the „orientation and
motivation” of action of an „actor” in the social system. Also, we can use the sociological
and economic approach to labor market analysis proposed by Granovetter in which he
emphasizes the ”intertwining of economic and noneconomic” aspects on the labor market
(Granovetter, 2017). In the present research, the actors are employers, who are oriented
towards a social system represented by the labor market, as well as the processes and
institutions that influence it.
Along with immediate responses to environmental stimuli, the actions of the
actors represent a system of expectations about the environment. An actor, such as an
economic agent, can be viewed as an instrumental action-orientation sub-system, in
which the institutional patterns of the component roles determine “expectations of action
involving the fulfilment of an actor’s technical goals, exchange relationships, and
cooperative relationships” (Ormerod, 2020). Transposing these ideas in the present
research, the empirical model includes the actor (private companies) that, responding to
environmental stimuli represented by the labor market, manifests social actions such as
gathering information about the labor market used to develop adjustment strategies that
determine certain expected results (sustainable economic activity). Regarding the
employer’s adjustment strategy, it can be differentiated between two sets of actions:
short- and medium-term measures that influence internal factors over which the
management has significant control, such as the organizational structure, recruitment
methods, employee retention conditions, and long-term policies regarding the labor
market favored by the employer’s management, such as governmental policies in the
fields of demography, education, and the regulation of the national labor market.
3. Methodology
This study employs a quantitative approach to investigate employers' HR
strategies in response to labor market dynamics in Bihor County, Romania. The research
focuses on private sector employers, as they are key actors in driving economic growth
and responding to market forces (Acemoglu & Autor, 2011).
3.1. Sample and Data Collection
The sample was constructed using stratified random sampling, considering both
the type of activity and size of employers. This method ensures representation across
Bridging the Gap: Human Resource Management Strategies in Romania's Evolving Labor Market
185
different sectors and company sizes, enhancing the generalizability of findings. The
sampling frame was stratified into four categories based on activity type fig.1:
Figure 5 Sample, activity type.
Source: research data
Company size was also considered in the stratification (fig.2), with an intentional
overrepresentation of small, medium, and large enterprises relative to microenterprises.
This decision was made to account for the higher likelihood of active employment in
larger companies (Birch, 1981).
Figure 6 Sample, company size.
Source: research data
The final sample consisted of 254 employers, providing a representative cross-
section of the private sector in Bihor County. Data were collected between November
2022 and January 2023 through questionnaires administered to company representatives
who were responsible for the HR management.
3.2. Instrumentation
The research team organized a focus group in October 2022 with seven human
resources specialists from Bihor County representing private companies and the local
employment authority, which provided us with valuable information to develop our
Delia-Georgeta BEKESI, Zsolt-Botond BOTTYAN
186
questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed to capture several key aspects of
employers' labor market strategies:
• Information-seeking behaviors regarding the labor market
• Recruitment strategies
• Use of labor market intermediaries
• Short- and medium-term measures adopted or planned in response to labor
scarcity
These measures align with theoretical frameworks on organizational adaptation
to environmental changes and strategic human resource management (Schuler &
Jackson, 1987).
Short- and medium-term measures were also analyzed as indicators of
entrepreneurial culture and strategic response to labor market conditions. These measures
included aspects such as changes in organizational structure, recruitment methods, and
employee retention strategies (Huselid, 1995).
3.3. Explanatory variables
We stated above the following hypothesis: human resource adjustment measures,
implemented by employers in Bihor County, which are conditioned by the
entrepreneurial culture, are predicted by variables such as company size and workforce
deficit. Next to the variable company size (see fig.2) we measured the variable workforce
deficit (see fig.3).
Figure 7 Workforce deficit experienced by the employer.
Source: research data
3.4. Limitations and Generalizability
While the study is geographically limited to Bihor County, its methodological
approach and findings may be relevant to other regions with similar socio-economic and
cultural backgrounds. However, caution should be exercised in generalizing results to
significantly different contexts (Yin, 2009).
Bridging the Gap: Human Resource Management Strategies in Romania's Evolving Labor Market
187
4. Results & Discussion
4.1. The profile of HR managers
The people who were responsible for the HR management had different titles
(see fig.3), only 36,6% had the title HR managers. If we take in account, the fact that
74.4% of the companies had less than 50 employees, the percentage of dedicated HR
managers is impressive and is pointing towards the professionalization of human
resources management.
Figure 8 Position held by the respondent.
Source: research data
We measured aspects of entrepreneurial culture through the variable such as "The
last educational level completed by the respondent". Interestingly, we found extremely
high homogeneity in educational levels among respondents (fig.4), suggesting that
entrepreneurial culture may function more as a constant in our analysis, providing an
explanatory backdrop rather than a variable factor.
Figure 9 The last educational level completed by the respondent.
Source: research data
Delia-Georgeta BEKESI, Zsolt-Botond BOTTYAN
188
4.2. Gathering information about the labor market
We can observe in fig.5 that 69.3% of employers consider themselves informed
"to a great extent" about the local labor market, a percentage that drops significantly
regarding the national (21.3%) and international (7.9%) markets.
Regarding the process of gathering information about the labor market, the modal
analysis clearly shows that the surveyed employers are oriented mainly towards the local
labor market and less towards the national market. The international labor market is very
unlikely to be part of the adjustment strategies adopted by employers. Employer size has
no influence on how informed employers are about the local, national, or international
labor market (p>0.005). Employers who are generally less informed about the local labor
market have a greater worker deficit (Kendall's tau-b =-0.254, p=0.001). Regarding the
level of information about national and international markets, we did not find a significant
relationship with worker deficits.
Figure 10 Employer’s information about the labor market.
Source: research data
Figure 11 Employer’s sources for information about the local labor market (percentages).
Source: research data
Bridging the Gap: Human Resource Management Strategies in Romania's Evolving Labor Market
189
From the fig.7-9 we observe that the main sources of information about the labor
market, at the local and national level, are websites. In the focus group, human resource
specialists suggested differentiating between the positions targeted by the recruitment
method. Accordingly, we differentiated these positions into three categories:
management positions, positions for office work, and positions in the production area.
Employers are mainly informed about the local and national labor markets from
specialized websites, mass media, and local authorities (see fig.7-9). The answers
received were checked by asking the respondents to mention the most important source.
There were many answers for websites, but no specialized publications or human
resource companies were mentioned. These results are in line with the premise of
Romanian entrepreneurial culture, which is based on the personal experience of the
manager, has an "ad-hoc" approach, and is still dependent on the administrative solutions
of the state, relying less on independent forms of organizations, such as recruitment
companies or human resource associations.
Figure 12 Employer’s sources for information about the national labor market (percentages).
Source: research data
Fig.10 shows that employers are able to fill vacancies with trained employees to
a certain extent as they try to avoid hiring untrained employees. Employer size had a
statistically significant association with all variables in fig.10 (p<0.005). There was a
positive correlation between employer size and employer willingness to fill positions
with employees with accredited professional training and without experience (Kendall's
tau-b: 0.204, p<0.001) and without employees without accredited professional training
and experience (Kendall's tau-b: 0.175, p=0.001), which signals the willingness of larger
companies to organize their on-the-job training. We observed a negative correlation
between employer size and employer ability to fill positions with accredited professional
training and experience (Kendall's tau-b: -0.166, p=0.003), indicating that smaller
companies experience difficulties in hiring trained personnel. Regarding workforce
deficit, we observed a statistically significant negative correlation with employer ability
to fill positions with accredited professional training and experience (Kendall's tau-b: -
0.286, p<0.001), which means that as the employer’s work deficit worsens, it is less able
to find trained workers. The other two variables from fig.10 did not have a statistically
significant relationship with worker deficit (p>0.005).
Delia-Georgeta BEKESI, Zsolt-Botond BOTTYAN
190
Figure 13 Employer’s sources for information about the international labor market
(percentages). Source: research data
4.3. Recruitment issues and strategies
Figure 14 The employer’s ability/willingness to fill vacancies according to training and
experience (percentages)
Source: research data
Fig.11 presents the structural aspects of the recruitment process regarding the
level of training required to fill the positions. The variables followed four levels of
training: higher, post-high school technical training, vocational, and no professional
training. Employers had the most difficulty hiring employees with vocational-technical
training. Emphasis on higher training at the university level creates an oversupply of
qualifications that are less in demand. We found a statistically significant positive
Bridging the Gap: Human Resource Management Strategies in Romania's Evolving Labor Market
191
correlation between employer size and the extent to which employers are able to fill
positions that require vocational schooling (Kendall's tau-b: 0.211, p<0.001) and
unskilled workers (Kendall's tau-b: 0.230, p<0.001). This means that larger employers
appear to have a higher tendency to fill positions that require vocational schooling and
are more willing to hire unskilled workers. The data showed no statistically significant
correlation between employer size and employer ability to fill positions that require
higher training or post-secondary education (p>0.005). Workforce deficit presented no
statistically significant correlations with the variables in fig.11 (p>0.005).
Figure 15 Recruitment and the level of training (percentages).
Source: research data
From fig.12, it can be observed that the differentiation between the types of
positions did not show significant differences between recruitment methods. The most
commonly used methods are direct contact (recommendations, head hunting), job
announcements, and internal hiring.
Direct contacts and job announcements were the most used recruitment methods
by employers, which underlines certain aspects of the entrepreneurial culture that do not
use independent forms of organizations such as recruitment agencies. A high level of
internal hiring indicates scarcity of labor. Employer size did not significantly influence
the most commonly used recruitment methods for management positions (p> 0.005).
However, for recruitment methods used for positions in the production area and office
work, we found a statistically significant relationship with employer size (p<0.005).
From the contingency table, it appears that, for positions for office work, micro and small
enterprises rely heavily on direct contact and less on job announcements, medium
enterprises use mostly job announcements, while large enterprises favor internal hiring.
For positions in the production area, micro enterprises rely on direct contacts, while small
enterprises use mostly job announcements. Medium enterprises also favor job
announcements, while large enterprises favor direct contacts. Regarding the relationship
between worker deficit and the variables in fig.12, we did not find any statistically
significant relationships (p>0.005).
Delia-Georgeta BEKESI, Zsolt-Botond BOTTYAN
192
Figure 16 The most used recruitment method (percentages).
Source: research data
4.4. Short- and medium-term measures
Employers are reluctant to orient themselves regarding the recruitment of new
employees towards the national labor market and, even less so, towards the international
labor market (see fig.13). The relocation of the activity is also rejected by the majority of
employers as a solution to the problem of scarcity of the labor force. With regard to
employer size, the analyzed data revealed a statistically significant negative correlation
with the employer’s willingness to reduce the number of positions in the company
(Kendall's tau-b: -0.179, p= 0.001), which means that larger companies are slightly less
inclined to reduce the number of positions. We did not find a statistically significant
correlation between employer size and other variables in fig.13 (p>0.005). There were no
statistically significant correlations between workforce deficits and the variables shown
in fig.13 (p>0.005).
In fig.14, we analyze dichotomous variables regarding the measures expected by
employers to retain employees. We observed a division among employers regarding the
increase in material benefits in accordance with the local market and regarding the
provision of career development opportunities. The idea of salary increases at the
Western level, and the reduction in working hours is clearly rejected. Employer size is
associated with the way the employer’s representatives would consider the provision of
attractive material benefits compared to the current practice in the local labor market
(p=0.004) and give additional free time to improve employee retention (p=0.001). From
the contingency table, we find that micro, small, and medium enterprises are divided
regarding the provision of attractive material benefits compared to the current practice in
the local labor market, as the representatives of large companies reject the measure.
Bridging the Gap: Human Resource Management Strategies in Romania's Evolving Labor Market
193
4.5. Short- and medium-term measures
Figure 17 Measures taken by the employer in case of labor shortage (percentages).
Source: research data
On the contrary, regarding providing additional free time to improve employee
retention, the representatives of micro, small, and medium enterprises reject the measure,
but large companies are divided. We did not find a statistically significant correlation
between employer size and the other variables in fig.14 (p>0.005). Workforce deficit has
an influence (p=0.001) on the way the employer’s representatives would consider giving
additional free time to improve employee retention. From the contingency table, we
observed that representatives from companies with higher worker deficits would consider
this measure less. We did not find a statistically significant correlation between
workforce deficits and the other variables shown in fig.14 (p>0.005).
Figure 18 Measures regarding employee retention (percentages).
Source: research data
Delia-Georgeta BEKESI, Zsolt-Botond BOTTYAN
194
Figure 19 Professional training at the workplace as a measure to alleviate labor shortage
(percentages). Source: research data
Employers recognize the possibility of reducing problems related to the lack of
staff through professional training at the workplace (see fig.15). We found no statistically
significant results regarding the effect of employer size and workforce deficit on the
variables in fig.15 (p>0.005).
Figure 20 Employers' favoring extra-organizational medium-term policies to alleviate labor
shortage (percentages). Source: research data
In fig.16, there were included variables regarding the opinion of the employers’
representatives regarding the extra-organizational solutions with an impact on the labor
force in the medium term. Employers’ representatives consider that a better information
system about the labor market and local employment authority could help alleviate labor
Bridging the Gap: Human Resource Management Strategies in Romania's Evolving Labor Market
195
scarcity. There is some reluctance to involve recruitment agencies and a strong reserve
regarding importing labor from outside the EU. Regarding the effect of employer size,
there was a positive correlation with the variable that refers to importing labor from
outside the EU as a solution for labor scarcity (Kendall's tau-b: 0.200, p= 0.001). This
could mean that larger companies consider this option more. We did not find a
statistically significant correlation between employer size and the other variables in fig.16
(p>0.005). Workforce deficit does not have a statistically significant correlation with the
variables in fig.16 (p>0.005).
Conclusions
Our theoretical premise about Romanian entrepreneurial culture, which does not
separate the public and private domains clearly enough and assumes an approach based
on the intuition and self-taught training of the entrepreneur, was partially confirmed by
the answers received from the employers' representatives. The recruitment methods used
and the way the employers inform themselves about the labor market confirm the
characterization of the entrepreneurial culture, as the most utilized sources by employers
to obtain information are specialized websites, the mass media, and local authorities.
Regarding the recruitment methods used, employers mostly used direct contact
(recommendations, head hunting), job announcements, and internal hiring. Employers
were reluctant to collaborate with independent organizations such as recruitment
companies or human resource associations, to recruit new employees from national or
international markets, or to relocate their activities.
Regarding the hypothesis that employer size and worker deficit could be used as
predictors for the adjustment process of the employers, it can be observed from chapter
4 that the variables ”Employer size” and “Worker deficit” presented a series of
correlations and associations with the variables that comprise the adjustment process, but
these correlations are moderate to weak and inconsistent, so we have to reject the
hypotheses that these variables are good predictors for the employer’s adjustment process
to the labor market in Bihor County. Our research emphasizes the importance of a
sociological approach when there is no explanatory model that properly fits the problem
at hand. We did not find a significant difference in the approach to the process of adapting
to the labor market depending on the size of the employer or the labor shortage
experienced, which emphasizes the lack of structuring of the employer's response to the
situation, an aspect that makes the process of adjusting to the labor shortage workforce
in Bihor County less predictable, while remaining dependent on state-led solutions.
The findings of this study highlight the complex interplay between Romania's
post-communist entrepreneurial culture, evolving HRM practices, and the challenges
posed by the current labor market. The reluctance of employers to engage with
professional recruitment services or explore international labor markets suggests a
persistence of traditional, parochial management approaches. This tendency, while
potentially limiting in terms of access to talent, also reflects the strong local orientation
of Romanian businesses. The study also reveals a significant mismatch between the skills
demanded by employers and those available in the labor market, particularly in
vocational and technical fields. This misalignment points to the need for closer
collaboration between educational institutions and employers to ensure that training
programs are better aligned with market needs.
Furthermore, the research underscores the importance of developing more
sophisticated HRM strategies to address the ongoing labor shortage. While employers
Delia-Georgeta BEKESI, Zsolt-Botond BOTTYAN
196
recognize the value of workplace training, there appears to be less emphasis on other
retention strategies such as competitive compensation or work-life balance initiatives.
This suggests an opportunity for Romanian businesses to adopt more comprehensive and
innovative HRM practices to attract and retain talent in a competitive market.
In conclusion, while the study provides valuable insights into the current state of
HRM practices and labor market dynamics in Bihor County, it also highlights the need
for further research to develop more robust predictive models for employer behavior in
the Romanian context. Future studies could explore additional variables that might better
explain the variability in employer responses to labor market challenges, potentially
incorporating qualitative methods to capture the nuances of decision-making processes
in different organizational contexts.
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