Labor market in 2025: Employers emphasize soft skills and adaptability. The robot portrait of the ideal employee

In a dynamic and constantly transforming labor market, employers are no longer impressed by diplomas and working years in the field. What makes the real difference between candidates is the way they relate to work, team and daily challenges.

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In an attempt to find out what are the key features of the ideal employee, “Adevărul” consulted employers from several industries.

“Experience naturally matters, but still the attitude and learning capacity prevail. Many times I prefer to find capable people to train than experienced people but lacking flexibility and the desire to qualify. In a modern climate, marked by uncertainty and innovation, the ability to adapt to both employees and employers becomes an essential element for success“, Said Albert Soare, a kilowat founder, employer in the field of renewable energy. In his opinion, an employee must be intelligent, pragmatic and flexible and have digital skills.

Another employer, in the Horeca field, says that ideal employees are the ones who combine the passion for hospitality with clear skills and professional attitude. The right employees communicate effectively, work well in the team, manage their time and responsibilities with seriousness and adapt quickly to the dynamic rhythm of the restaurant. Also, they are attentive to details, organized, eager to learn and capable of providing an authentic and warm experience to each guest.

“A suitable employee should have solid technical skills, but also soft skills such as clear communication, empathy, attention to detail and adaptability. It is essential a mindset oriented towards continuous learning, collaboration and taking responsibility. At present, attitude matters more than experience: we are looking for people with a desire for learning, responsibility and respect for the team and customers. Experience is an advantage, but it can be formed; the correct attitude is essential and difficult to change“, Declared for” Adevărul “Ana Savin, owner of hotel Bordeaux and restaurants. Stage – Nice Ding in Bucharest and Galați.

Patience and empathy, sought and in IT

And in the IT field, in addition to knowing certain languages ​​of programs or databases, open people are sought for continuous learning, they have adaptation, but also patience and empathy. Of course, digital skills are “must have”.

“We are in the field of technology, so, no matter how much the potential employee, we cannot use it at its true value, if we cannot integrate it in our recurrent activity that is closely linked to computer systems that document the relationship with the client and then report in real time based on the data entered by the employees.“, Roxana Epure, Managing Partner Nextup, a software company that implements the legislative changes for companies told” Adevărul Adevărul Adevărul Adevărul Adevărul Adevărul Truth “.

Those who want to work in the legal field must have both a solid professional experience and technological curiosity, as well as critical thinking and creativity, emotional intelligence and empathy, ethical and an optimistic attitude. And integrity, responsibility and respect are fundamental in law, regardless of the era. “To be relevant in 2025, it is not enough to be a good lawyer, but you must be daring from a technological perspective. The legal market evolves quickly, so we need agile minds, who find ingenious solutions where others see blockages. As for the dilemma experience vs. Attitude, in 2025 the balance visibly tilts to who you are more than what he writes in the CV. Of course, the relevant experience remains valuable – we do not deny that some situations require the hands of a professional in complex projects. Honestly speaking, attitude and potential make the difference“, Victor Buju, a lawyer and partner at the law firm Buju Stanciu and associations, for” Adevărul Adevărul Adevărul Adevărul “, for which Ideal employee represents a balanced mix between” book science “and an adaptable mentality.

“The technical skills matter, but the mindset makes all the difference”

In the field of digital marketing, curious people, with initiative are sought, who are not just waiting for tasks, but come up with ideas, attentive to details, but also overlooking. Candidates need to understand that marketing also means emotion, and data, and strategy. Creativity is appreciated, but also strategic thinking: to know when to do something spectacular visual and when to simplify.

“If there is something I have learned in recent years is that technical skills matter, but the pride makes all the difference. So, when we look for new people in the team, we look not only what they know how to do, but also how they think, how they communicate, how much they want to learn and grow with us. And, most importantly, people who want to build, not just tick“, He told”truth“Alexandru Popescu, co-founder Pixer Agency.

How long does it take to find a suitable employee

Depending on the field, finding an employee takes between a few weeks and months. Paradoxically, in the IT field an employee can now be found within two weeks.

The process of finding a suitable employee to integrate into an organization that has a well-developed internal culture is a difficult process that can take months, but the effort is worth it, says Albert Soare, the employer in the field of renewable energy.

At the same time, in the Horeca field, finding a suitable employee can take from a few weeks to several months, depending on the specificity of the job and the level of involvement sought, according to Ana Savin.

In contrast, in the IT field, in the last year, the recruitment process has been shortened, from many weeks, sometimes even months, at maximum two weeks. “The recruitment process, which is adapted to the open position, matters a lot. For example, for programming, we test the technical skills in a practical way, and at the Customer Support we department we test the general culture in accounting. And, most of the time, please pay us a visit, on a busy day, to “take the pulse”, to see the team, to see how things happen, as much as you can see on a visit, of course“Says Roxana Epure.

In the legal field, the choice of the ideal candidate may require more time than the employers want – from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the complexity of the requested skills set. “When we seek that figure that is irreplaceable – often called 'professional unicorn' – patience turns out to be the key to success, even if, occasionally, it can come with human imperfections that we are willing to accept, as long as it represents the right essence for our team. The portrait of the employee we are looking for in 2025 is that of a versatile professional – with the mind in the legal field, but with the heart in technology – who combines the critical spirit with empathy and remains eager to learn something new“, Said for” Adevărul “Marius Stanciu, lawyer and partner at the law firm Buju Stanciu and Associations.

In the field of digital marketing, specialists in several areas are constantly searched, from Graphic Design and Web Design for online promotion. PPC & Performance Marketing is the hardest area to cover, with few applicants and fewer people who come up with the right thinking for this type of job, according to Pixer Agency.

How should entrepreneurs hire

When they form their team, it is recommended that the first very well prepared person that an entrepreneur to recruit in the company to be the financial director, that is, a person who is about budgets, financial analysis and cashflow. The financial director has shown what influences the profit or loss, suggests the Business Coach Ovidiu Toder.

The entrepreneur remains in the role of general manager, having responsibilities the human resources. Immediately under the entrepreneur are the sales, financial, procurement, logistics and production departments. Then, each department is structured on main activities. For example, the sales department can be organized by regions and sales agents. This type of organizational chart offers a very clear idea of ​​who leads the departments, which are sub -departments and what responsibilities each one has.

For recruitment the right people who are part of the management team, the specialist recommends using the Tuckman (forming – norming – performing).

“This is a natural, psychological and coagulation process of any team. Many entrepreneurs make the mistake that after the team formation will expect directly to the performance, even the next day. Unfortunately for them, they will be very surprised by the disturbances within the team, kneading that can culminate even with the resignation of a member. And then what are you doing? Reiei forming, you bring someone else in the team, and continue with Norming, which is about introducing and establishing the rules and values ​​implemented by the team“Ovidiu Toader told” Adevărul “, specifying that he consulted over 1,200 entrepreneurs and managers in business management and the choice of teams.

Therefore, the experience remains important, but it is not sufficient. The ideal employee in 2025 has the ability to adapt, is open to continuous learning, is pragmatic, has digital skills, has a passion for the field, works well in the team, communicates efficiently, is organized and attentive to details, is able to take responsibilities, and has critical thinking, creativity, but also integrity and ethics.