The digital evolution of Romania: Artificial Intelligence, a key piece in the puzzle of economic success

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Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a transformative force in the global economy, with the potential to revolutionize a wide range of industries. However, its adoption in Romania still lags behind other European Union member states.

According to the “Digitalization in Europe – 2024 Edition” report published by EUROSTAT, only 8% of firms in the EU were using AI technologies.

Romania recorded the lowest adoption rate, with only 1.5% of companies using AI. Geographically, Denmark and Finland are leading (15%), followed by Luxembourg and Belgium (14%), while Romania ranks last (>2%) alongside Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, and Greece (all 4%). Source: Eurostat – access to dataset

This gap is significant, considering that AI has the potential to increase productivity, improve operational efficiency, and create new business models. The low adoption of AI in Romania is likely due to a number of factors, including a lack of awareness of the benefits of this technology, limited access to resources and expertise, as well as an uncertain regulatory framework.

Recognizing the importance of AI for economic competitiveness, the European Union recently enacted the “Artificial Intelligence Act” (AI ACT). This law establishes a regulatory framework for the development and use of AI in the EU, aiming to promote innovation, protect fundamental rights, and ensure public safety.

Implementation trends of AI in several pioneering fields:

  • Cybersecurity: AI is used to detect and prevent cyber-attacks. Algorithms can analyze data to identify suspicious patterns and take swift remedial action.
  • Healthcare: AI is used for the analysis of medical images (X-rays, CT scans) to detect diseases such as cancer and to personalize treatments for patients, taking into account medical history and genetic factors.
  • Finance: AI is used to detect financial fraud through the analysis of transactions.
  • Manufacturing: AI optimizes production processes to increase efficiency and quality, performs automated quality inspections of products, and conducts predictive maintenance of equipment.

Current Trends in the AI Market

The global artificial intelligence market is experiencing rapid expansion. According to Forbes, the size of the AI market is projected to reach $407 billion by 2027. This rapid growth is driven by several factors, including:

  • Increasing adoption of AI by companies: More and more companies are realizing the potential of this technology to improve operations, increase productivity, and create new business opportunities.
  • Large investments in AI research and development: Governments and private companies are investing significantly in AI research and development, leading to the creation of new technologies and applications in this field.
  • Increased availability of data: The amount of data generated globally is continuously growing. This data serves as fuel for AI, allowing algorithms to learn and improve.

The Forbes study shows that over half of business owners are already using AI for cybersecurity and fraud management, while 53% of companies are using AI to improve production processes, and 51% are using it for task automation.

The significant gap between Romania and other European Union member states regarding AI adoption reflects not only a lack of infrastructure and expertise but also a complex set of structural and cultural issues. While the EU is adopting legislation and investing in AI research and development, Romania faces challenges related to education, regulation, and digital infrastructure.

As our country aims to close the gap, it is essential to address these challenges in an integrated and strategically planned manner. Investments in education and professional training, creating a business environment conducive to innovation, developing digital infrastructure, and promoting collaboration between the public and private sectors are just a few of the key elements needed to stimulate AI adoption and harness its transformative potential.

The European Union is betting on the positive impact of artificial intelligence and will invest in AI research and development, providing companies with opportunities to obtain funding for innovative projects. It will also support professional training programs in the field, thereby encouraging them to develop the necessary resources to adopt artificial intelligence.

It’s a train that can make several stops in Romania if there are passengers willing to board.

For job opportunities, news and connecting 2.0: visit us on Undelucram.ro

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Over the past year and a half, the IT market around the world has been going through a turbulent period. The industry’s spectacular growth has slowed significantly, giving way to a series of restructurings that began in the United States but cascaded to Romania.

Many IT professionals have been forced to look for new job opportunities because of the drop in the number of projects by companies in the sector. As a result, the possibility of finding a top job quickly has been greatly reduced. It’s no coincidence that Connections’ development strategy keeps us out of this global trend of slowing growth: we continue to maintain our commitment to the people we work with, we have continued to make hires, and we are consistent in our efforts to retain talent.

So, at the end of last year, we decided to take on the full pressure on employees caused by the new tax legislation and assumed the additional costs for our colleagues directly affected by the tax change. We also relocated the team to a new, larger, and more streamlined office, including developing internal incentive and motivation programs for employees.

We value talented people who are determined to build for the long term, so our plans to keep them on board are built around valuing and making transparent individual performance, coupled with public recognition and tangible benefits, such as granting shareholder status in the company through the Stock Options Plan (SOP).

We are in an open dialogue with our colleagues at Connections, because we want to be a true hub where the best IT professionals find their place.

From June, we are expanding this dialogue with all candidates and professionals in the industry, and kick-starting the communication by inviting them to visit us and leave feedback on the #ConnectionsConsult account on the Undelucram.ro platform.

If you are just starting out in your profession, between jobs, or looking for a career shift, we also keep you updated on job opportunities and internship possibilities on this platform, including inside stories and concrete stories about what the working atmosphere is like, the chances of a long-term collaboration or changing your role from intern to permanent employee.

For us, being on Undelucram.ro means increasing the level of transparency, and, along with this, we want to create a safe space where our former, current, and future employees and collaborators can open a dialogue that will give them answers where they don’t have them and the possibility, based on the candidates’ experiences, to improve the way we run our internal processes.

So please visit us HERE and stay up to date with Connections news.

Meet our Connectors: Cătălin Pârcioagă aka The Glue Guy

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In every locker room of NBA (National Basketball Association) teams, one of the most important sports leagues in the world, there is a proactive person who connects the team members: The Glue Guy. Ours is Cătălin Parcioagă, and over the course of his 8 years here, he has been an intern, junior developer, full stack developer, team lead, and, more recently, holds the role of Technical Delivery Manager.

He is a very energetic and lively person, passionate about various fields, but primarily sports (more watching them than practicing – as he courageously admits). He doesn’t consider himself a tech geek, which is quite atypical: not necessarily being a technology enthusiast while working as a programmer in the IT industry 😊. At Connections, he is the person “responsible” for good vibes, the organizer or initiator of many outings with colleagues outside working hours, and the “instigator” in team-building activities.

His history with the team begins in the spring of 2016, when he first heard about Connections, being a second-year student at the Faculty of Automatic Control and Computers within the POLITEHNICA University of Bucharest. Every year, job fairs were organized in the faculty hall, and various IT companies were looking for new people to train in the field.

“At our university, it was very common for most students to work during the summer between their second and third year, so I followed the same path. I sent my CV to numerous companies, including Connections. I took a test with several programming problems, after which I was invited for a technical interview, which I took during the exam session, ironically, the day after I failed an exam. I was a bit upset because of the exam, so I went to the interview somewhat indifferent, but everything went excellently, including the human connection with those who would become my future colleagues. Yes, back then, interviews were face to face 😊,” Cătălin recounts.

Long story short, his journey started as an intern in July 2016, after an interview that went well. “Of course, it also helped that I found out they play football weekly and go out for beers – and they weren’t lying, we still keep some of those habits today,” Cătălin recalls.

He continued to work part-time during his third and fourth years of university, then moved to a full-time schedule. The entire experience laid the foundation for a beautiful story of growth and performance in IT. “Connections is a place where I’ve grown tremendously and, in many cases, grown together with the team, which we will continue to do,” he says enthusiastically.

After 8 years in IT, Cătălin fully appreciates the impact of technology, including what it brings to him personally.

“Certainly, one of the things that makes my life better is the ability to remotely control various devices in my home. Even though I don’t own an Alexa or a Google Nest, I can control my cleaning robot or air conditioner remotely. Life is clearly better when you come back from vacation to a freshly vacuumed floor and a perfectly regulated home temperature.

The second strong point is communication with close people and those I speak to less frequently; being able to do that anytime and anywhere will always have a significant impact, even if we’ve gotten so used to it that we take it for granted.

Technology has given me everything I have today and everything I will achieve in the future. It provided the platform for me to put my skills and all the things I’ve learned to work. I entered this field because I thought I wouldn’t be good at anything else, and here I saw that it’s such a vast domain with so many facets that it’s not just about the technical side or just about programming but much more. Some skills you acquire, and others you already had but didn’t know you had or didn’t know you would need in a technical field where the human side didn’t seem so important and where programmers were often seen as socially awkward individuals.

What have I discovered about myself at Connections? People matter a lot. I keep empathy with me at all times and try to have a personal connection with all the team members I work with so that we can communicate very openly in any situation, no matter how complex. And it works 😊”.

ABOUT DIGITALIZATION AND IT FEARS: A WHOLE HOLLYWOOD. LET’S SIT COMFORTABLY AND ENJOY WHAT IT OFFERS US

After 8 years in the industry and a steady professional evolution, Cătălin looks at the challenges in IT from multiple perspectives.

“You realize a topic is really hot when your grandparents ask you if you’re afraid you’ll lose your job soon because of Chat GPT. Yes, that’s the hottest topic: to what extent and how quickly programmers will be replaced by AI.

I would say it will happen sooner than we realize, but obviously not entirely. The number of programmers will shrink, but at the same time, I assume new positions will also emerge. On the other hand, there are many large companies where changes happen very slowly. Many of them are just transitioning from Excel to front-end/back-end platforms that allow simultaneous access by multiple users, let alone implementing projects with Chat GPT. AI is coming after the basic programmers who only know their piece and don’t understand the entire mechanism of a project, both from a technical standpoint and in terms of client relationships, management, and so on.”

Regarding digitalization, a constant topic on the global agenda, Cătălin sees it as “more than a character; it’s the whole of Hollywood: always in a broad dynamic that’s hard to keep up with, with new faces and trends constantly changing. But you have the certainty that it always proposes innovations and every time it’s increasingly scandalous with the new things it reveals to the market. We can only sit comfortably, let ourselves be surprised, and enjoy what it offers.”

MESSAGE FOR A BEGINNER IN IT

“Try to enter the field as quickly as possible without neglecting your studies. I know this might sound ignorant or hard to accept, but in the beginning, you shouldn’t worry too much about the salary. In 2016, I was willing to work pro bono just to get into the work mechanism and gather as much information as possible, trusting that the money would come with the right attitude towards growth and personal development in the career.

I started at Connections as a full-time intern on a salary that today might seem derisory, but it didn’t matter at that time and was irrelevant to my career growth. I believed then, and it was confirmed, and I still believe today that the most important thing is to find a place where you can develop both professionally and personally. I’m glad I found it.

The important thing is to find a place where you feel you can develop both personally and professionally.“

Connections decides to distribute dividends for 2023 and announces financial projections for 2024

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Connections (CC), a digital transformation company listed on the AeRO market of the Bucharest Stock Exchange, recently published the budget for the year 2024 and the priorities for the current year. The company has decided to allocate dividends for the fiscal year ended and has initiated internal preparations for transitioning to the regulated market of the exchange.

For 2024, Connections estimates total revenues of 122 million lei, representing an accelerated growth of 49% compared to the budgeted amount for 2023, and a net profit of 8.8 million lei (a 57% increase compared to the budgeted amount for 2023), with a focus on EBITDA growth.

“2023 was the best year in the company’s history, with significant surpassing of all initially estimated results. Triple-digit growth has brought us large-scale projects, which we currently have in progress, and have confirmed Connections’ capabilities and relevance in the public sector digitization category in Romania. We continue to grow at a sustainable pace to ensure healthy and balanced development, with a focus in 2024 on the development of our software development and technology integration line. The main contributors to this year’s revenue are the Service Delivery and Software Development & Outsourcing divisions, with estimated revenues of 35 million lei and 87 million lei, respectively,” says Bogdan Florea, Founder & Co-CEO of Connections.

The organization is banking on revenue growth in the Software Development division, driven both by the development of substantial projects in the public sector and by expanding its portfolio of specialized solutions. The division is expected to achieve an estimated average compound growth of 60%, while the Service Delivery line is projected to see a 3% growth, remaining a significant source of revenue and a strategic pillar for Connections.

The primary target for the current year is private sector companies, aiming to ensure a balanced portfolio of clients and profitability growth that generates increased value for investors.

“Our plans for 2024 focus on four essential pillars: strategic technological partnerships, digital marketing to increase visibility, consultative sales to understand customer needs, and the development of innovative solutions for the public sector. We are confident that this year’s results will strengthen our market position and allow us, as planned, to distribute dividends each year, correlated with the financial realities of the moment,” mentions Radu Marcu, Co-CEO of Connections.

In addition to development initiatives, the company aims to internally focus on consolidating the corporate governance structure and kick-start preparations for transitioning to the primary market. The first planned step is to expand the Board of Directors by two seats, a measure that will bring diversified expertise to the board and improve decision-making processes within the company.

“Today, we have a corporate governance that is vastly superior to the time of listing, with processes and procedures maturing and requiring a much more rigorous business conduct over the next 3-5 years. In order to access the main market of the Bucharest Stock Exchange and prepare for the transition to IFRS reporting, we are determined to align ourselves with the highest standards and develop a transparent financial image. Our focus will be on long-term sustainability and constant value generation, both for shareholders through business results and for clients through the high quality of projects we deliver,” adds Bogdan Florea, Founder & Co-CEO of Connections.

Based on previous financial performances, Connections recently decided to distribute dividends totaling 3,300,000 lei from the net profit of the company for the financial years 2022 and 2023, to be benefited by shareholders registered in the shareholders’ register on the date of 26.04.2024, proportionally to their shareholding in the paid-up share capital. The gross dividend value is 0.2522 lei per share, and the dividend payment date through the Central Depository is 21.05.2024.

Connections’ dividend policy aims at consistent distribution of benefits to shareholders, based on the availability and cash needs of each year, correlated with profit growth.

The year 2023 marked exceptional growth, with the company standing out through impressive financial results and solidifying its position as a market leader in complex digitization projects. Key financial achievements include a 203% increase in turnover, reaching 177 million lei, and a 162% increase in net profit, reaching 11 million lei.

The complete report on audited financial results for 2023 and the budget for 2024 can be consulted here.

Spring of Artificial Intelligence

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Known as the AI BOOM or the Spring of Artificial Intelligence, last year was marked by the explosion of AI, as the technological and commercial advancements of the past decade were compressed into a truly remarkable single year.

Throughout it, both hopes and fears regarding AI’s transformative capacity became widely publicized, as did global questions concerning the management of this new technology.

At Connections, we closely monitor the dynamics of leading technologies as we actively develop products based on them. In 2023, we integrated AI for the first time into one of our products, ID Scanner, and participated in the development of AI-based projects for top external partners in international teams.

Just like any significant force with the power to reshape the world, AI has inevitably become the subject of formal regulation.

The European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act reached provisional status in December 2023, while the United States is still evaluating its own approach, stemming from a series of hearings in Congress, both public and closed-door, featuring detailed testimonies from AI industry CEOs and experts.

The AI Act, also known as the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act, adopted recently (March 2024), is now the world’s first regulation specifically targeting AI and pursues several key objectives:

  • Ensuring safety and upholding fundamental rights in the realm of AI utilization.
  • Fostering responsible innovation within the AI domain.
  • Establishing a transparent legal framework for stakeholders in the AI sector.

Additionally, the AI Act categorizes AI systems based on risk as follows:

  • Prohibited: systems posing unacceptable risks (e.g., electoral manipulation, invasive surveillance, social scoring).
  • High risk: stringent requirements (e.g., facial recognition).
  • Limited risk: minimal obligations (e.g., chatbots, automatic translation).

To safeguard citizens, the document also includes:

  • Transparency requirements: clear information about AI systems, the data used, and how they operate.
  • Prohibition of “social scoring” and emotional manipulation.
  • Promotion of responsible AI development.

We believe that the AI Act is a document that should be consulted by all professionals in the industry and with which all business leaders should be equally familiar. This ensures that the AI solutions that will become part of our lives in the coming years are responsible and ethical.

Connections obtains authorization to use 5G infrastructure equipment

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Connections (AeRO Premium, symbol CC) has recently obtained authorization to use 5G infrastructure equipment. This authorization not only opens new opportunities for us, but also facilitates our customers’ access to the most advanced connectivity solutions.

In 2021, Romania adopted legislation aimed at implementing “measures relating to information and communication infrastructures of national interest and conditions for the implementation of 5G networks”, a law enacted following a recommendation from the European Commission.

Under Romanian law, Law 163 of 11 June 2021 states that ‘the use of technologies, equipment and software in information and communication infrastructures of national interest and in 5G networks’ is allowed only with authorization from the Romanian state. Thus, the obtained authorization validates our commitment to provide high quality services, respecting the highest technological standards.

With this authorization, Connections becomes one of approximately 40 companies in Romania that hold this authorization, which gives us the right to compete for complex projects both nationally and internationally.

This key step allows us to offer our customers the most advanced 5G solutions, paving the way for a new phase of connectivity. We are committed to bringing the most advanced technologies while meeting the standards required by the relevant authorities. As Romania moves towards the adoption of advanced telecommunications infrastructure, Connections is emerging as a leading player in shaping the country’s digital landscape.

With a broad portfolio of solutions and services, we are once again demonstrating our expertise and ability to adapt to the demands of the ever-evolving market, contributing to innovation and development in the field of connectivity. Obtaining authorization to use the 5G infrastructure equipment is an important moment for us, strengthening our position in the market and opening new horizons for innovation and development in connectivity.

Connections Consult achieves 177 Million Lei revenue in 2023, marking 203% growth and net profit of 11.2 Million Lei

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Connections (CC), a digital transformation company listed on the AeRo market of the Bucharest Stock Exchange, has increased its revenue by 203% in 2023, reaching 177 million lei, while net profit has surged by 162%, surpassing 11 million lei.

These results encompass the activities of all companies in which Connections Consult holds stakes (Connections Consult – 100%, Connections Technologies – 100%, Outsourcing Support Services – 100%, Brusch Services – 100%, Connections Serbia – 100%, Connections Bulgaria – 100%, 10Plus – 25%), with the most significant contribution to growth coming from Software Development and Integration services provided by the issuing company.

In 2023, Connections’ focus was on acquiring new clients and enhancing the relevance of projects in terms of technical complexity. Internally, attention was directed towards strengthening corporate governance and carrying out initiatives to increase capital through free share issues at a ratio of 1:10, completed in August.

The company’s development strategy aimed at both short-term results and the medium-to-long-term consolidation of its market-leading position in complex digitalization projects.“Last year was marked by turbulence on a global scale. The world economy and geopolitical status quo faced various uncertainties, compounded by the rapid growth of artificial intelligence in technology, posing significant challenges to economic actors across multiple sectors. Nevertheless, for Connections, 2023 proved to be the best year in its history so far, marking several essential milestones for the road ahead – from revenue, which nearly tripled the estimates from the listing memorandum, to the successful initiation and completion of two highly complex projects (8 million euros and approximately 10 million euros), with significant impacts on clients and, by extension, on society. Additionally, it underscored the consolidation of expertise as a technology integrator, providing us with a strong edge in the tech industry,” stated Bogdan Florea, Founder and co-CEO of Connections.

2023 also brought a significant growth in the team’s competencies, directly impacting the revenue and profit structure.

The proposed revenue and expenditure budget for the year 2023, as well as the estimates outlined in the listing memorandum on the AeRO market, were surpassed significantly, both in terms of revenue (116%) and net and gross profit (102% for both).

Throughout 2023, all verticals of the group experienced leaps between 5-10%, with a spectacular growth (549%) in the RPA and software development division.

Thus, the largest contribution to the growth in 2023 came from Software Development and Integration services, which accounted for 73% of the group’s total revenue, compared to 36% in 2022.

In addition to expanding the client portfolio, enhancing the relevance of projects undertaken, and boosting internal team competencies, in 2023 Connections Consult continued to explore opportunities for acquiring stakes in new companies with potential.

“We collaborate with two companies specialized in M&A and continuously monitor potential acquisitions. The M&A market context still maintains high expectations following the sharp growth observed in the years 2019-2022. However, we have chosen to exercise caution and refrain from engaging in advanced discussions with target companies throughout the past year. In our opinion, valuations remain unrealistic and do not justify the investment demands from sellers at this time. Nevertheless, we remain open to realistic investment opportunities in fields such as cybersecurity, custom software development, AI, and ERP system implementation,” stated Radu Marcu, co-CEO of Connections Consult.

In 2024, Connections aims to take its first steps towards accessing the main market of the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB), strengthening corporate governance, and preparing the company for the transition to IFRS reporting. Strategic development will continue this year with the support of the newly established Advisory Board and by expanding the Board of Directors with two additional seats, providing a much stronger mechanism of checks-and-balances at the management level. Additionally, the company’s leadership plans to host investor events aimed at enhancing investor confidence and transparency in Connections’ operations, as well as fostering solid partnerships with key players in the stock market. This includes transitioning to quarterly financial reporting starting in 2025.

The comprehensive report detailing the 2023 Financial Results is available for consultation at the following link.

Connections integrates AI into one of its products for the first time: ID Scanner for all types of documents

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Connections, a leader in Romania’s digital transformation market, listed on the AeRO market of the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) under the symbol CC improves the way data is extracted from all types of documents, with the launch of the latest version of its ID Scanner application equipped with artificial intelligence. 

In the process of digital transformation of companies, the demand for software solutions that scan documents to extract information using artificial intelligence has grown significantly over the past year and continues to grow.

According to data recorded by Connections Consult, interest in solutions of this type has seen an increase of over 200% since the previous year – 2020, when the company launched ID Scanner, the first such application on the market. As of 2024, the app is running in a new artificial intelligence-based version, with expanded functions that allow scanning of any type of document, including those not in standard formats.

“ID Scanner is aimed at companies that want to integrate a scanned document processing component based on AI technology into their existing or soon-to-be-developed systems. The Connections team puts cybersecurity first when it comes to product development, as it is an essential component when it comes to accessing personal data and beyond”, says Radu Marcu, Connections co-CEO. 

The ID Scanner application can be easily integrated into IT ecosystems implementing complex business workflows.  

One of the strengths of this software solution is the integrated AI technology, which allows scanning all types of documents. European passports, driving licenses, or new format ID cards are just a few examples of documents whose information can be quickly extracted with ID Scanner. I. It can also process even untyped documents, which until recently was considered impossible. This means that information can be extracted from invoices, consumption receipts, balance sheets, or any other type of document.

The IDScanner application has been designed in such a way as to ensure maximum data protection, which is why all documents are processed in a virtual environment, so that they never come into the possession of Connections.

Connections continues to invest in technologies such as AI-based technology and the highest level of working standards. Recently, the company has achieved a new certification in RPA (Robotic Process Automation with Software Robots), becoming a USN partner. This status confirms that Connections professionals have the right level of expertise and can deliver state-of-the-art RPA implementations consistently at the same level as the UiPath Professional Services team.

2024 News: Connections obtains UiPath USN Certification

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The Connections team has achieved a new recognition and, starting in 2024, is a certified USN partner of UiPath, one of the top providers of RPA (Robot Process Automation) technology.

The new certification demonstrates the standard and competencies of the Connections team in delivering hyper-automated solutions for companies and is part of the continuous growth strategy of the internal team’s competencies.

The UiPath USN technology partnership program is an open ecosystem that brings together an elite network of business partners, offering a wide range of services that clients can rely on when seeking competent leaders capable of providing references and sharing best practices. Partners have the opportunity to consistently deliver state-of-the-art RPA implementations with the same level of expertise as the UiPath Professional Services team.

“The digital transformation is the primary tool that currently keeps any business on the path of growth and modernization, being the main differentiator in an increasingly competitive world that utilizes advanced technological solutions. By obtaining the USN accreditation from UiPath, our team elevates the standard of work in our client relationships, enhancing accuracy and scalability. We are pleased to offer our collaborators, with the assistance of UiPath, top-notch RPA solutions, leveraging our entire experience in business process automation and supporting their efforts for growth and differentiation in the market,” says Radu Marcu, co-CEO of Connections.

The USN partnership program defines the level of competence of the best implementation partners along with ensuring that all USN members have the appropriate level of competence and are ready to provide professional services at the same quality as UiPath.

HR Challenge: Why automation when we have talented people in the team?

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To be or not to be, that is the question. Talented individuals working efficiently or automated processes? Or a mix of both? 

As long as we have talented individuals in the team, who do their job well and deliver results, why invest in technology or robots? What does automation help us with, as long as things are functioning well without it? 

The answer is simple: to retain our talented people in the team, to develop them, and to invest in them for the highest return on investment, ensuring they have a high level of satisfaction. The quality of people’s work and their satisfaction level at the workplace are essential pillars in the entire ecosystem of a business – from the quality of relationships within the team to the ability of individuals to deliver projects at the highest standard, with a direct impact on the quality of relationships with clients. 

Who is afraid of technology? 

The labor market has been experiencing, for years, a phenomenon felt by every Human Resources department: difficulty in the recruitment process, attributed to a high demand for professionals in the market. Remote work becomes an increasingly important criterion when it comes to choosing a new job; moreover, employees feel the need to be valued and connected to the organizational culture, no matter where they work. 

Perhaps counterintuitive in some instances, all these factors have a common and accessible solution: technology makes people choose companies where they work in a modern, efficient manner, where there is no need to allocate hours to a repetitive task. Technology enables remote work without disconnecting from the pulse and updates of the organization, providing the time and mental space needed to come up with new ideas, approaches, and solutions in business relationships with collaborators. 

As repetitive tasks disappear, people are motivated to become the best version of themselves. They have a real opportunity to showcase their value, space to learn new things and put them into practice, and can respond to new technological challenges that can take them and the organization to the next level as professionals. 

How often has it happened that you recruited someone with significant growth potential? And, after these candidates with potential have become team members, how many of them have truly reached their potential? 

Certainly, growth is a time-consuming process, we would say. But it takes even longer if the first 3 months are for enrollment, the next 6 are filled with repetitive tasks, and only after 9 months of hiring does the person begin to focus on indicators. 

The first year on the job is about getting used to the new work environment; the team leader does not have the possibility to grow the team, and the new employee already has low motivation because they couldn’t prove their qualities. The organization grows more slowly than it could, even though it has experienced and talented people, as well as juniors with potential. 

A vicious circle that technology can transform into real growth: everyone gains time and space for development, reaching a high level of job satisfaction. 

It’s worth mentioning that an employee with access to advanced technology becomes a spontaneous brand ambassador in discussions with other professionals. These brand ambassadors feel more empowered overall, which will be reflected in the quality of the organizational culture. 

Let’s see what the statistics say… 

In Romania, a third (35%) of companies face challenges in recruiting personnel, and 41% struggle with the lack of skills needed to meet current requirements, according to the Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends 2023 study. 

To overcome these challenges, companies are adopting strategies such as ‘workforce ecosystems,’ integrating consultants and subcontractors to complement the traditional workforce. The digital transformation of a company becomes a key element in this equation, with 30% of study participants mentioning the implementation of technological solutions and artificial intelligence to optimize human resources. 

A McKinsey study also indicates a significant increase in the adoption of generative artificial intelligence, confirming the regular use of AI in one of the departments of organizations for a third of respondents. 

What do these figures reveal? 

That recruitment is becoming an increasingly challenging process, making it harder to retain talents within organizations. 

That it would be beneficial to give our people the necessary space for growth. 

That adapting to the new market needs and ensuring employee retention become major challenges for any company aspiring to remain competitive and claim new growth territories. 

Some of these difficulties may stem from the reluctance of many organizations towards technology. 

For leaders who have yet to prioritize the digital transformation of their company: to what extent is the technology used in your companies a differentiator in recruitment?